Code of Conduct

Overall, the Highland Esports community is expected to:

1. Be respectful to all players, coaches, staff, partners, and any other person in contact with the player before, during, or after the match time.

2. Use appropriate language in any chat or communication channels. 

3. Play with integrity to the game, team, and sport.

4. Follow all Idaho Esports League (IEA) protocols listed in the IEA rulebooks.

5. Follow all rules of any additional league or competition that Highland Esports participate in.

**The term “league” refers to the Idaho Esports League or any other league or competition Highland Esports participates in.

Standards of Sportsmanship:

To ensure fair competition and respectful treatment of our community members, all participants are expected to abstain from the following behaviors:

1. Harassment. Harassment is defined as systematic, hostile, and repeated acts taking place over a considerable period of time, or a singular egregious instance, which is/are intended to isolate or ostracize a person and/or affect the dignity of the person.

2. Sexual Harassment. Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances. The assessment is based on whether a reasonable person would regard the conduct as undesirable or offensive. There is zero tolerance for any sexual threats/coercion or the promise of advantages in exchange for sexual favors. Any instance of sexual harassment or sexual misconduct aimed at one’s teammate, opponent, team staff, or league official will result in an immediate ban. Teammates who have witnessed behavior of this nature by another player are expected to immediately report the conduct to their advisor, coach, or school administrator.

3. Discrimination and Denigration. Team Members may not offend the dignity or integrity of a country, private person, or group of people through contemptuous, discriminatory, or denigrating words or actions on account of race, skin color, ethnic, national, or social origin, gender, language, religion, political opinion or any other opinion, financial status, birth or any other status, sexual orientation, or any other reason.

4. Taunting and/or Excessive Celebration. Team Members may not provoke their opponents by exploiting in-game functions excessively or by exhibiting provoking behavior outside of the game.

5. Violence and Threats. Acts and threats of violence will be taken seriously and are considered zero-tolerance violations and all accounts associated with such activities will be indefinitely suspended. This includes, but is not limited to: 

• Attempts or threats to physically harm or kill others

• Attempts or threats to hack, DDOS, or SWAT others

• Use of weapons to physically threaten, intimidate, harm, or kill others

• Content or propaganda that depicts, glorifies, encourages, or supports terrorism, or violent extremist actors or acts. This includes threatening to or encouraging others to commit acts that would result in serious physical harm to groups of people or significant property destruction.

6. Game Publisher Punishment Subversion. Students that receive suspensions or bans by the Game Publisher may not utilize a separate account to compete. If a Team Member is found guilty and punished by the game developer and uses a separate account to compete in matches, advisors, coaches, or League Officials may assign an additional competition penalty at their sole discretion.

7. Criminal Activity. A Team Member may not engage in any activity which is prohibited by common law, statute, or treaty and which leads to or may be reasonably deemed likely to lead to conviction in any court of competent jurisdiction.

8. Confidentiality. A Team Member may not disclose any confidential information provided by Highland Esports, the league, or any affiliate of the league, by any method of communication, including all social media channels.

9. Bribery. No Team Member may offer any gift or reward to a player, coach, advisor, manager, League Official, or person connected with Highland Esports for services promised, rendered, or to be rendered in defeating or attempting to defeat a competing team.

10. Spam, Scams, and Other Malicious Content. No Team Member may produce or advertise any content or activity that disrupts, interrupts, harms, or otherwise violates the integrity of Highland Esports or any league participating in. Such activity includes but is not limited to:

• Posting large amounts of repetitive, unwanted messages or user reports

• Distributing unauthorized advertisements

• Phishing

• Defrauding others

• Spreading malware or viruses

• Misinformation (such as feigning distress, posting misleading metadata, or intentional channel miscategorization)

11. Non-Compliance. No Team Member may refuse or fail to comply to instructions or decisions of League Officials.

12. Match-Fixing. No Team Member may offer, agree, conspire, or attempt to influence the outcome of a game or match by any means that are prohibited by law or League Rules.

13. Gambling. No Team Member or League Official may take part, either directly or indirectly, in betting or gambling on any results or performance of any league tournament or match globally.

14. Social Media. All the above code of conduct applies to all channels of social media (i.e. Discord, Twitch, TikTok, private messages, etc.).

Standards of Competition:

In addition to the Standards of Sportsmanship, all members of the community are expected to abstain from:

1. Unfair Play. No cheating. The following actions will be considered unfair play:

   1. 1. Collusion. Collusion is defined as any agreement among two (2) or more players and/or people to disadvantage opposing players. Collusion includes, but is not limited to, acts such as:

• Soft play, or any agreement among two (2) or more players to not damage, impede, or otherwise play to a reasonable standard of competition in a game.

1. 1. 2. Signaling. Sending or receiving signals, electronic or otherwise, from another person to/from a player.

      3. Match Fixing. Deliberately losing a game for compensation, or for any other reason, or attempting to induce another player to do so.

      4. Competitive Integrity. Teams are expected to play at their best at all times within any league game and to avoid any behavior inconsistent with the principles of good sportsmanship, honesty, or fair play.

      5. Hacking. Hacking is defined as any modification of the game, the game’s client, or gaming equipment by any player, team, or person acting on behalf of a player or a team.

      6. Exploiting. Exploiting includes, but is not limited to, acts such as game glitches and/or but that are confirmed by the Publisher, or any other game function that, in the sole determination of League Officials, is not functioning as intended. Any match disputes or submissions involving possible players exploiting the game will need to be backed by video or screenshot proof. If a player is found to be using an in-game exploit to gain an advantage during a match, their team will be given a loss for that game and may be subject to further penalties at the discretion of league officials.

      7. Spectator Monitoring. Looking at or attempting to look at spectator monitors, competitor monitors, stream sniping, etc. during competition. 

      8. Ringing. Playing under another player’s account or soliciting, inducing, encouraging, or directing someone else to play under another player’s account.

      9. Cheating Methods. The use of any kind of cheating device and/or cheat program or any similar cheating method such as signaling devices, hand signals, etc.

      10. Intentional Disconnection. An intentional disconnection without a proper and explicitly stated reason.

      11. League Discretion. Any other further act, failure to act, or behavior which, in the sole judgment of League Officials, violates these Rules and/or the standards of integrity established by the league for competitive gameplay.

2. Profanity and Hate Speech. A Team Member may not use language in or out of the game that is obscene, foul, vulgar, insulting, threatening, abusive, libelous, slanderous, defamatory, or otherwise offensive or objectionable; or promote or incite hatred or discriminatory conduct, in or near the match area, at any time. A Team Member may not use any facilities, services, or equipment provided or made available by the league or its contractors to post, transmit, disseminate, or otherwise make available any such prohibited communications. A Team Member may not use this type of language on social media or during any public-facing events such as streaming.

3. Disruptive Behavior / Insults. A Team Member may not take any action or perform any gesture in or out of the game directed at an opposing Team Member, staff, fan, or official or incite any other individual(s) to do the same, which is insulting, mocking, disruptive or antagonistic.

4. Intentional Misconduct. A Team Member may not intentionally ruin the game or match experience for other members of the community. This includes abandoning a match, stalling a game with excessive pausing or scoring, or using unnecessarily disruptive language or emotes in any chat or communication channel.

5. Abusive Behavior. Abuse of League Officials, staff, Team Members, opposing Team Members, or audience members will not be tolerated. Repeated etiquette violations, including but not limited to touching another player’s console, body, or property will result in penalties. Team Members and their guests (if any) must treat all individuals attending a match with respect.

6. Baiting. Team Members may not intentionally lead opponents into or provoke behavioral violations in an attempt to disqualify or penalize opposing team members.

7. Unauthorized Communications. All mobile phones, tablets, and other voice-enabled and/or “ringing” electronic devices must be removed from the play area before the game. Players may not text/email or use social media while in the match area. During the match, communication by a Starter shall be limited to the players on the Starter’s team.

8. Apparel. Team Members may wear apparel with multiple logos, patches, or promotional language. Highland Esports and the league reserves the right at all times to impose a ban on objectionable or offensive apparel containing:

   1. 1. Advertising for any non-" over the counter" drug, tobacco product, firearm, pornographic, or otherwise illicit brands and/or products

      2. Defamatory, obscene, profane, vulgar, repulsive, or offensive, or that describes or depicts any internal bodily functions or symptomatic results of internal conditions or refers to matters which are not considered socially acceptable topics.

      3. Disparaging or libeling any opposing team or player or any other person, entity, or product.

      4. Advertising for brands that may indirectly or directly conflict with sponsors or partners

      5. The league reserves the right to refuse entry or continued participation in the match to any Team Member who does not comply with the aforementioned apparel rules.

9. Identity. A player may not cover their face or attempt to conceal their identity from League Officials. League Officials must be able to distinguish the identity of each player at all times and may instruct players to remove any material that inhibits the identification of players or is a distraction to other players or League Officials.

10. In Pari Delicto. Latin for "in equal fault." Any Team Member who engages in a behavior violation (whether initiating or reacting) can result in disciplinary action.

Levels of Consequences:

Unsportsmanlike behavior may result in disciplinary actions. Highland Esports advisors, coaches, and administrators may act with the necessary authority to preserve the best interests of the Highland Esports Team or the league. Highland Esports advisors, coaches, and administrators may, in their reasonable discretion, impose any of the following penalties, depending on the severity, intent, and frequency of the inappropriate behavior:

• Level 1 Consequence: Official verbal or written warning, written record of misconduct, request to change username if deemed inappropriate.

• Level 2 Consequence: Official verbal or written warning, written record of misconduct, required to change username if deemed inappropriate, 1-week suspension, and/or forfeit of the match.

• Level 3 Consequence: Official verbal or written warning, written record of misconduct, suspension or banning players for the season or permanently, and/or forfeiting of all associated matches.

Academic Requirements:

All students who participate in Highland Esports must follow the academic guidelines set forth by the Idaho High School Athletics Association (IHSAA) in Section 8-1 Academic, of the IHSAA Rules and Regulations.

• 8-1 Academic

To be academically eligible for athletics, a student must be enrolled full-time in his/her school, on target to graduate based on State Board of Education graduation requirements, and have received passing grades and earned credits in the required number of courses during the previous reporting period. Equivalency is determined by the following criteria:

3 classes attempted must pass all three

4 classes attempted must pass at least three

5 classes attempted must pass at least four

6 classes attempted must pass at least five

7 classes attempted must pass at least five

8 classes attempted must pass at least six

1. Students participating with a cumulative GPA below 2.0 must have an academic improvement plan in place as developed by the local school district. This plan must include monitoring, additional assistance, time provided for assistance, and an appropriate timeline. (The number of students with an academic improvement plan will be reported on the Eligibility Verification Report).

2. Being “on target to graduate by State Board of Education requirements” means: a student not having the necessary number of credits to graduate with their class through the normal school day program, must have a graduation plan that provides for receiving a diploma by the end of the summer following their senior year in order to be eligible for activity participation. (The number of students with a graduation plan will be reported on the Eligibility Verification Report.)

3. Schools may adopt stricter academic eligibility policies.

Finality of Decisions:

Unless expressly stated otherwise, offenses and infringements of the Highland Esports Code of Conduct,  League Rulebooks, or Pocatello/Chubbuck School District NO. 25 Code of Conduct Athlete/Parent Contract are punishable, whether or not they were committed intentionally. Attempts to commit such offenses or infringements are also punishable.

Any person found to have engaged in or attempted to engage in any act that Highland Esports believes constitutes unfair play, in its sole and absolute discretion, will be subject to penalty. The nature and extent of the penalties imposed due to such acts shall be in the sole and absolute discretion of Highland Esports Officials, Highland Administration, and/or League Officials.

All decisions regarding the interpretation of these rules, player eligibility, scheduling and staging of the league, and penalties for misconduct, lie solely with Highland Esports Officials, Highland Administration, and/or League Officials. The decisions of which are final. Highland Esports decisions with respect to these Rules cannot be appealed and shall not give rise to any claim for monetary damages or any other legal or equitable remedy.

Last Updated 09/06/2024