The Rule Book

Version: 1.02

Section One: The CHL Rule Book

1.1: Preamble

This Rule Book governs conduct, gameplay, and dispute resolution across the CHL (Elite, Pro and Amateur). It works alongside Articles I–III of this Constitution; where a conflict arises, this Rule Book's judicial process governs how that conflict is resolved.

1.2: General Conduct

All participants — Owners, Management, Staff, and Players — are expected to conduct themselves professionally and in good faith toward opponents, teammates, and league staff at all times, in-game, on the website/forum, and in official league Discord channels.

1.3: Jurisdiction

This Rule Book applies to all league-sanctioned activity: scheduled games, official league communication channels, and any conduct that materially affects league operations, standings, or another participant's ability to compete fairly — regardless of the platform on which it occurs.

1.4: Complaint or Violation Disputes

Any participant may file a formal complaint regarding a suspected rule violation. Disputes are resolved through the Judicial Process outlined in Section Two, not through public conflict or unilateral retaliation.

Section Two: Judicial Process

2.1: Understanding the Judicial Process

The Judicial Process is the league's formal mechanism for investigating and ruling on complaints. It exists to ensure every ruling is evidence-based, consistently applied, and appealable — rather than left to informal or one-sided resolution.

2.2: Filing Formal Complaints

2.2.1: Complaint Categories

Complaints are filed under one of the following categories: In-Game Conduct, Off-Field/Communication Conduct, Roster/Transaction Violation, Management/Owner Violation, or Technical/Disconnection Dispute. The category determines which staff role initially reviews it (Discipline Officer, Trade/Waiver Analyst, or Technical Admin).

2.2.2: Filing False Complaints

Knowingly filing a false or bad-faith complaint is itself a conduct violation and may result in discipline against the complainant, up to and including the punishment tier the false complaint sought to impose on the accused party.

2.2.3: Providing Evidence

Complaints must be submitted with supporting evidence (screenshots, clips, chat logs) wherever possible. Complaints lacking any evidence may still be reviewed but carry less weight and may be dismissed if unverifiable.

2.2.4: Viewing Ruling Decisions

Finalized rulings are logged in the public disciplinary record (Article I, 1.1.3 / 4.3), though sensitive evidence (private communications, personal information) is redacted from the public view.

2.2.5: Judging Complaints

Complaints are judged by the relevant staff role under 2.2.1, based on the preponderance of evidence available, and applying the punishment tiers defined in Article I and this Article.

2.2.6: Violation Punishments

Punishments scale by severity and repeat occurrence, ranging from a warning to a game suspension, seasonal ban, or permanent ban, consistent with the tiers established in Article I (Section Six) and Article III (3.1).

2.2.7: League Removal Policy

A participant may be removed from the league entirely for severe or repeated violations (e.g., glitching for competitive advantage, harassment, collusion) as determined by the Commissioner's Office, following the standard judicial review process.

2.2.8: Capital Punishment Ban Policy

"Capital punishment" bans — immediate, permanent removal without the standard tiered escalation — are reserved for the most severe violations (e.g., cheating/glitch exploitation for competitive gain, serious harassment, doxxing). These bans require Commissioner's Office authorization and are reviewable only by the Board of Governors.

2.2.9: Right to an Appeal

Every ruling under this Article carries the right to appeal, following the escalation chain established in Article I (Section Six, 6.7) — except capital punishment bans, which escalate directly to the Board of Governors.

2.2.10: Time Frame for Serving a Punishment

Punishments take effect immediately upon ruling unless a pending appeal explicitly stays the punishment (at the Commissioner's Office's discretion for borderline or high-impact rulings).

2.2.11: Public Complaints

Airing a dispute publicly (forum, Discord, social media) before or instead of filing a formal complaint is discouraged and may itself be treated as a conduct violation if it constitutes harassment or disrupts league operations.

2.3: Standard of Participation

All participants are expected to know and follow this Rule Book. "I didn't know the rule" is not, on its own, a valid defense against a ruling, though it may be considered as a mitigating factor for first-time, low-severity violations.

2.4: Staff Timeline for Complaint Rulings

Staff are expected to issue an initial ruling on a filed complaint within 48–72 hours of submission, barring cases requiring extended evidence review.

2.5: Statute of Limitations

Complaints must be filed within 7 days of the incident in question. Complaints filed outside this window may be declined unless the delay is justified (e.g., evidence only recently became available).

2.6: Withholding Information

Any participant found to be withholding relevant evidence during a judicial review, once directly asked to provide it, may face additional discipline for obstruction, separate from the underlying complaint.

Section Three: Game Related Rules

3.1: Pre-game EASHL Pro Club Set-Up in Private Game Set-Up

All games must be created as private EASHL Pro Clubs matches with correct team/club settings (uniforms, arena, ruleset) matching league standards, per Article II (3.1).

3.2: Game Night Deadlines

All game-night deadlines set in Article II (Section Three) are enforceable rules under this Article; missing them is treated as a rule violation subject to the judicial process, not just a scheduling note.

3.3: Server Selection Determination

Server selection must follow the process defined in Article II (3.4). Deliberately manipulating or refusing server selection to gain a connection advantage is a rule violation.

3.4: Diving for the Puck

Deliberately and repeatedly diving/sliding for the puck outside of normal gameplay attempts, in a manner intended to exploit game physics rather than make a legitimate play, is prohibited.

3.5: Self Board Play

Deliberately using the boards to exploit puck physics or game mechanics in a way not intended by normal gameplay (as opposed to standard board-play strategy) is prohibited.

3.6: Ragging the Puck

Excessive, prolonged puck-holding intended purely to run out the clock without making a competitive play — as opposed to legitimate offensive zone possession — may be reviewed as unsportsmanlike conduct if it disrupts fair competition, particularly in lopsided-score situations.

3.7: Goaltender Interference

Deliberate contact with an opposing goaltender outside of incidental/legitimate net-front play is prohibited and may be reviewed for in-game penalty and, if repeated/egregious, disciplinary action.

3.8: Glitching

Exploiting any bug, glitch, or unintended game mechanic for competitive advantage is strictly prohibited and is treated as one of the most serious in-game violations, up to capital punishment ban consideration (2.2.8) for deliberate, repeated, or match-altering use.

3.9: In-Game Loop

Deliberately looping the same exploit-adjacent play pattern (offensive or defensive) to abuse an AI/game engine weakness rather than compete normally is treated as a glitching-adjacent violation under 3.8.

3.10: AI Player Stats

Stats generated by an AI-controlled player (per Article I, 6.4 and Article II, 3.5.5) are excluded from official leaderboards and season totals; attempting to inflate personal stats via manipulated AI coverage is a violation.

3.11: Resolving Broken Rules During a Game

3.11.1: Procedures

When a rule violation under this Section occurs mid-game, the affected team should document it (screenshot/clip) and continue play; formal resolution happens post-game via complaint filing (Section Two) rather than pausing the match, except where a glitch requires an immediate restart per Article II (4.5).

3.11.2: Goals

A goal scored as a direct result of a rule violation (e.g., a glitch) may be nullified upon review and removed from the official score.

3.11.3: Penalties

A missed or incorrectly applied in-game penalty related to a rule violation may be adjusted after the fact only insofar as it affects the recorded outcome/stats, not by replaying game time.

3.11.4: Possession

Possession-based advantages gained through a rule violation are not retroactively reversible in-game but are documented as part of the violation record for judicial review.

3.12: Adjusting Stats After an In-Game Infraction

3.12.1: Goal Incident

A goal confirmed to result from a rule violation is removed from both the final score and the individual stat lines of the players involved.

3.12.2: Penalty Incident

Penalty minutes and related stats tied to a confirmed rule violation are corrected in the official record by the Stats Commissioner.

3.12.3: Possession Incident

Possession-related stat anomalies tied to a confirmed violation are annotated in the record even where the underlying stat cannot be cleanly reversed.

Section Four: Player Rules

4.1: Availability

Players must submit accurate weekly availability per Article II (1.1). Falsifying availability is a rule violation distinct from a simple no-show.

4.2: No-Shows

Failing to appear for a scheduled, confirmed game without prior notice is a rule violation subject to the suspension tiers in Article I and the strike system in Article III (3.1.7).

4.3: Maintaining an Active Console Account and APL User Profile

Players must keep their console/platform account and APL site profile active and accurate (correct gamertag, contact info) throughout the season. Failure to do so may result in a player being deemed inactive/unreachable for roster purposes.

4.4: Demanding/Brokering a Trade

Players may formally request a trade (Article III, 3.5.7) but may not publicly demand a trade, pressure a GM through repeated escalation, or attempt to broker their own trade terms with another franchise directly. Violations are reviewed as conduct issues.

4.5: Quitting the Team or League

A player who quits mid-season without proper notice (Article I, 6.5) leaves their franchise short-handed and may face a review of their standing for future league participation, including a potential seasonal or permanent ban for repeated occurrences.

4.6: Ineligible Player

Fielding a player who is suspended, banned, over a roster/positional limit, or otherwise ineligible under this Constitution is a rule violation against the fielding franchise, regardless of intent.

4.7: In-Game Communication

Communication during games (voice/text chat) must remain within general conduct standards (1.2); harassment, slurs, or targeted abuse during gameplay is treated with the same severity as off-platform conduct violations.

4.8: Website Etiquette

Forum and league website conduct (posts, comments, profile content) must follow the same general conduct standard as in-game communication. Spam, harassment, or disruptive posting is subject to Moderator and Discipline Officer review.

4.9: Second Tag Issues — Account Recovery Issues

Players experiencing gamertag/account changes or recovery issues must notify the league promptly so their roster/profile record can be updated; failing to disclose a tag change that affects roster tracking may be treated as a compliance issue.

4.10: Conduct Unbecoming

Any conduct — on or off platform — that reflects poorly on the league or another participant, even if not explicitly enumerated elsewhere in this Rule Book, may be reviewed under this general "conduct unbecoming" standard at the Discipline Officer's discretion.

4.11: Detrimental Act to the Organization

Actions that materially harm a player's own franchise (e.g., deliberately underperforming, sabotaging team chemistry, leaking internal team communication) may be reviewed as a detrimental act, separate from general conduct violations.

4.12: Refusal to Play

A player who is available, scheduled, and healthy but refuses to participate in a game without valid cause is treated as equivalent to a no-show (4.2) for disciplinary purposes.

Section Five: Owners and Management Expectations

5.1: Late Lines

Submitting weekly lines after the lock deadline (Article II, 1.4) without an approved exception is a rule violation against the franchise's Management.

5.2: Invalid Roster

Fielding a roster that violates positional limits, salary cap compliance, or eligibility rules (4.6) is a Management-level violation, regardless of which individual player caused the issue.

5.3: Circumvention or Falsifying Any of the Site's Systems, Forum, or Rules

Attempting to manipulate, exploit, or falsify league systems (stat submission, cap tracking, forum records) is treated as one of the most serious Management-level violations, subject to League Removal Policy consideration (2.2.7).

5.4: Disclosure of Private Information

Sharing another participant's private information (real name, personal contact details, platform account details beyond gamertag) without consent is strictly prohibited and may result in severe discipline up to permanent removal.

5.5: Player Rights Violation

Interfering with a player's rights under this Constitution (e.g., denying a legitimate trade request review, withholding availability consideration without cause per Article II, 1.2) is a Management violation.

5.6: Player Tampering

Contacting or attempting to recruit a player currently under contract to another franchise, outside of legitimate free agency/trade channels, is prohibited and reviewed as tampering.

5.7: Forfeits

Repeated forfeits (Article II, 5.3) beyond the league's tolerance threshold are treated as a Management-level compliance issue subject to additional review under Article I (Section Five).

5.8: In-Game Stats Requirements

Failing to submit required stats/screenshots per Article II (3.5) in a timely manner is a Management violation affecting league record-keeping.

5.9: Disconnection Procedures

Management is responsible for ensuring their roster understands and follows disconnection procedures (Article II, Section Four); a pattern of disconnection-related disputes tied to one franchise may trigger Technical Admin review.

5.10: Waiver Violations

5.10.1: Claiming and Waiving Players

Circumventing waiver claim priority (Article III, 3.2.2) or colluding with another franchise on a waiver claim/release is a rule violation.

5.10.2: Waiving an Inactive Player

Placing a genuinely inactive/unreachable player on waivers to clear a roster spot is permitted, but must be accurately represented — falsely claiming a player is inactive to justify a waiver move made for other reasons is a violation of 5.3.

5.11: Making Transactions in "Bad Faith"

Transactions structured primarily to circumvent the salary cap, tamper with competitive balance, or exploit a loophole rather than serve a legitimate roster purpose may be reviewed and reversed under Article III (3.5.6), with additional discipline for the Management involved.

5.12: Second Tag Issues

Management failing to update or report a roster player's tag/account change (see 4.9) in a timely manner may be held responsible for resulting roster tracking errors.

5.13: Conduct Unbecoming

Owners and Management are held to the same "conduct unbecoming" standard as players (4.10), with a higher expectation of professionalism given their leadership role within the franchise.

5.14: Ownership Annotations

The Commissioner's Office maintains an internal annotation record for each Owner/Management team, logging rulings, warnings, and prior violations to inform future disciplinary decisions and franchise standing reviews.

Section Six: Banned X-Factors and Illegal Movement

This section is intentionally left for the Commissioner's Office to maintain and update directly, as banned X-Factors and illegal movement mechanics change with each game version/title update.

6.1: Banned X-Factors

[To be updated by league staff]

6.2: Illegal Movement / Skill Moves

[To be updated by league staff]

6.3: Enforcement

[To be updated by league staff — e.g., how a violation here is reported, reviewed, and penalized, likely following the Section Two Judicial Process and Section Three in-game infraction handling]

Section Seven: Prestige & Rankings

This section applies to the CHL.

7.1: Prestige System

Each player earns and loses prestige points based on game results. Wins earn points, losses deduct points. The amount earned or lost is affected by the tier gap between opponents — beating a higher-tier player earns more, losing to a lower-tier player costs more.

7.2: Prestige Tiers

There are 19 prestige tiers ranging from No Rank to Fire 1. Players need a minimum of 7 games played before their prestige tier is displayed. Tier advancement and demotion happen automatically based on a player's prestige score.

7.3: Season Reset

Prestige scores may be subject to a soft reset at the start of each new season at Admin discretion. The reset brings scores closer to the midpoint rather than wiping them entirely.

7.4: Quitting a Game

A team that quits a game and does not return, forcing a forfeit win for the other team, takes the largest prestige loss in the system. The loss goes to the team and to every active player on its roster. The promotion floor does not protect against it. The other team and its active players receive a normal win. See Section Eight (8.5).

7.5: Power Rankings

Applies to the CHL.

Staff publish power rankings during the season. Every team is ranked by a formula built from the games played: season record (25%), recent form over the last five games (30%), goal difference per game (20%), strength of schedule (10%) and the team's prestige rating (15%). An overtime or shootout loss counts as part of a win in the record. Early in the season every team is pulled toward the middle so one game does not swing the table.

Staff add a short note for each team and may move a team away from where the formula put it. Every move needs a recorded reason that league leadership can see. Arrows show how a team moved since the last published edition. Power rankings are opinion: they do not affect standings, seeding, playoffs, prestige or contracts.

Section Eight: Disconnects, Restarts and Forfeits

These rules cover what happens when a player drops, a goalie disconnects, or a team quits during a league game. Stats are pulled from EA and checked against the screenshots both teams submit.

Governs Article I (6.4) and Article II, Sections Four and Five. Where this Section differs from the disconnection, replay and forfeit wording in those Sections, this Section is the rule that applies.

8.1: Who Gets Stats

• Only players on a team's league roster earn stats. There are no guest players in any league.
• EA may fill an empty spot with an AI or computer player. AI players never receive stats.
• Every roster player's stats count in both a restarted game and its replay, as long as they belong to a human player.

8.2: A Skater Drops Out

• 1st or 2nd period: the game is restarted so the player can return. The score and the time remaining are kept.
• 3rd period: the game plays on without the player. No restart.

8.3: The Restart Procedure

1. The team of the player who disconnected quits the game first. EA then shows a DNF win for the other team.
2. Both teams start a new private game.
3. The teams run the clock down to the time that was remaining when the disconnect happened. Play resumes from that point with the same score.
4. Restarts are only allowed in the 1st or 2nd period.

A DNF is not a final result. The game is restarted until it is completed with a final score and stats for the players.

8.4: A Goalie Disconnects

• The goalie is the most important player in the game. If the goalie drops, EA ends the game automatically.
• The league replays the game.
• If the same goalie drops twice, there may be a connection problem. That team must get a replacement goalie from its roster.

8.5: Refusing to Restart (Forfeit)

If a team refuses to restart a game, the result is an automatic forfeit:

• The other team is awarded a 3-0 win.
• No player stats are recorded for the forfeited game.
• The team that quit and every active player on its roster take the largest prestige loss in the prestige system, and the promotion floor does not protect them. The other team and its active players receive a normal win.

8.6: Awarded Goals

When a game ends in a DNF, EA may award the winner goals up to a 3-0 score. No player is credited with an awarded goal.

8.7: Screenshots

• Both teams submit screenshots after every game, not just one. They are the backup in case EA did not register the stats correctly.
• The EA data and the screenshots are compared. This stops a team from claiming goals that players do not show.
• If a score or stat does not match, an admin reviews it before it is final.

8.8: Quick Reference

Section Nine: Stats and Records

9.1: Advanced Stats

The Advanced Stats page shows shooting percentage, shots for and against, power play and penalty kill, time on attack, passing and faceoffs for teams, and shooting percentage, shot attempts, power play goals, faceoffs, takeaways and giveaways for skaters. The numbers come from the EA data and only count games that staff have applied or verified.

Goals on this page are the goals credited to players. If EA awarded or added a goal, the total can differ from the official score by a goal or two. The official score and the standings always come from the result recorded by staff. Players are tracked by their EA account, so a trade or a gamertag change does not split their numbers. The skater leaderboard needs a minimum number of shots, set by staff. EA does not send shot locations, so there are no shot maps.

9.2: Goal Log and Game Summaries

EA does not record when a goal was scored, so staff log the goals of each completed game: the scoring team, the period, the time, the scorer, up to two assists and the strength (even strength, power play, short handed, empty net or penalty shot). A team cannot have more goals logged than it scored. The Game Summaries page shows the log with the score by period. A game whose goals are not all logged is shown as a partial log, and the period totals may not add up to the final score until it is finished. Shootout goals are logged but are not part of the score by period. If a goal looks wrong, report it to league staff with a screenshot or clip.

9.3: Record Books

Applies to the CHL.

The record books track team and player records (career, single game, goalie and rookie) and milestones every 100 in the main stat categories. Only players on a league roster count: guests and AI players never earn records. A traded player keeps the records he set with his old team until they are broken, and competes for his new team's records from the trade forward.