[1002] - Code of Conduct⚓︎

[1002.1] - Sportsmanship and Spirit⚓︎

As representatives of the league they participate in, players are expected to uphold the competitive integrity that RGL encourages. As such, we want to list clear guidelines for behavior to follow while placing importance on understanding the context and intent of behavior in player reports. If you suspect another player or team of any misconduct violation, you should submit a report as soon as possible so an investigation can be opened.

The excess posting of harmful or offensive messages on public platforms directed at or referencing RGL.gg, our sponsors, or a participant will not be tolerated. Abusing in-game chat functions with excessive chat spamming during the game or pauses (as per [1008.9] - Pauses), toxicity, or offensive behavior to other opponents on RGL platforms, such as matches and scrimmages, is not tolerated and may lead to a minor team penalty or league ban.

Read more about what spirit means in our Mission Statement.

[1002.2] - Harassment / Flaming / In-Game Toxicity⚓︎

In misconduct reports, comments made on public league platforms (i.e. official RGL forums, RGL Discord servers, league match comms) or during scrims and matches will be looked at on a case-by-case basis. Context and circumstances are extremely important factors to consider when investigating such reports.

Conversely, comments made on private platforms (i.e. Steam messages, private Discord servers, Mumble, Twitch, etc.) will not play a large factor in acting against players accused of misconduct. RGL does not believe it is fair to police the words and actions of players in a private setting and therefore will not apply much scrutiny to these reports unless we suspect a genuine intent to harm or threaten another player, the players have a history of misconduct behavior, or the players have disregarded warning(s) to discontinue the behavior. Please note that the below examples of harassment are not tolerated regardless of where it occurs.

Some examples of what harassment is, but is not limited to:

• Verbal abuse, offensive behavior, or hate speech made towards a player (through any medium) that makes them feel uncomfortable or threatened
• Threatening to dox or harm another player
• Stalking
• Circumventing another player's block using any method of digital communication including, but not limited to, Steam, Discord, or Twitch with mal-intent or continued harassment
• Unwelcomed sexual messages (e.g. sexual harassment, sexual advances, or sexual jokes)
• Raiding, spamming, or encouraging disruption on social media platforms (e.g. Discord, Twitch, Twitter) through bigoted language, racial epithets/slurs, etc.
• Discrimination in any form, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or gender
• Prohibited conduct under the RGL’s Terms of Use will also be enforced on RGL platforms.

Some examples of what harassment is NOT:

• In-game “trash talk” (ex: being called bad) (note that excessive toxicity/”trash talk” may still fall under the rules outlined in [1002.1] - Sportsmanship and Spirit)
• Being spammed in private messages - If someone is bothering you, it is suggested to block the individual. (note that this does not override harassment)
• Gossip in private Discords

[1002.3] - Discriminatory Language and Symbols⚓︎

• ANY use of slurs or discriminatory dog whistles either in in-game chat or found on named items during scrims and matches, whether directed or undirected, is STRICTLY prohibited
• Decals and cosmetic loadouts depicting hate symbols or hate group imagery are prohibited

When you play on competitive servers, a level of professionalism is expected. If you are unsure about the usage of certain items in-game, please contact an admin to clarify the situation before using the item in an official match. Refer to [1002.2] - Harassment / Flaming / In-Game Toxicity for information regarding what is considered on-platform and off-platform. The following serves as a guideline of the ban length for the use of slurs, hate symbols, discriminatory dog whistles, or hate group imagery. In more egregious cases, the first offense may be longer than the guideline.

• 1st offense will be a 2-week ban minimum (3 weeks for Invite)
• Further offenses will lead to increasingly longer ban lengths

[1002.4] - Content Involving Minors⚓︎

Do not sexualize children in any way.

This includes but is not limited to text, images, links, videos, and general descriptions of sexually explicit material, NSFW content, gore, and obscenity, on or off our platforms that portray children in a sexually suggestive, pornographic, or violent way. This content encompasses any type of illustrated or digitally modified pornography featuring children, as well as behaviors related to grooming.

Due to the highly harmful nature of this content, off-platform evidence will also be considered. RGL strongly urges that users report off-platform content or behavior of this nature first and foremost to the appropriate national or local authorities as well as the platform owner. RGL misconduct reports are not a substitute for law enforcement.

[1002.5] - Higher Standards For Invite Players and RGL Staff⚓︎

As representatives of the league, Invite players and RGL Staff are held to a higher standard in the way they interact with players. This is due to such individuals being represented in areas such as casted matches, serving as mentors or role models, and helping to promote and uphold the integrity of the league. As such, they are held to a higher standard of conduct than the rest of the players in the league.

Misconduct bans will result in a suspension multiplier of 1.5x. (e.g. a slur ban will result in a 3 week ban, compared to a 2 week ban for other players).

[1002.6] - Witch Hunting⚓︎

Witch hunting refers to any public accusation that insinuates, intends to, or causes harm to the reputation of a specific player or entity without sufficient evidence to support the claim of wrongdoing. Engaging in witch hunting consists of harassing and targeting specific players based on these unsubstantiated claims.

Example: Accusing an individual of sexual misconduct based on hearsay and personal grudges rather than concrete evidence. This is often used in conjunction to incite others to harass, doxx, or attack the person being accused.

Violations of this may lead to a warning or suspension.

[1002.7] - Withholding Information⚓︎

Teams/players are expected to report issues related to scrims/matches immediately. These issues should be reported within 24 hours to an admin/moderator. Otherwise, the infraction will be looked at much differently compared to an immediate report, and the admin team will be prompted to use their discretion.

This primarily exists to prevent teams or players from withholding information that may lead to a suspension that maximizes damage done to a player or team. For example, if a player uses a slur on a Saturday scrim, but you report it Monday to prevent the player from making the match, your team may face severe consequences for withholding the information.

[1002.8] - Report Abuse⚓︎

Most cases that come through our reporting system are legitimate. If you see a rule being broken or you feel uncomfortable playing in the league, do not hesitate to report your issue to the admin team. However, a small number of the reports we receive only act to disrupt the work of the admin team. If the report (or reports) in question are found to disturb, harass, or impede the admin team, we may consider it a candidate for report abuse.

For cases like these, admins may delve much further into the background of the case to determine the validity of the report and seek further context behind the report.

Additionally, if a team or player is found to be abusing the report system on any RGL platform, penalties may be administered depending on the severity of the case. Teams or players that persistently report immaterial issues to the admin team may be requested to tone down their involvement in issues and frequency of reporting or lose access to player support from the RGL team.