Code of Conduct

Behavior standards, prohibited actions, and the penalty framework for C3 Esports.

C3 Esports is a collegiate league. We hold our players, managers, and staff to the same standards of sportsmanship and respect you would expect in any academic environment. This Code of Conduct applies to all interactions on the platform, in the C3 Esports Discord, and in Rocket League lobbies during league matches.

---

Core principles

1. Treat every person with respect — regardless of skill level, school, or background.
2. Compete with integrity — win and lose fairly, and represent your institution well.
3. Be honest — in result submissions, dispute filings, and all communications with staff.
4. Take responsibility — for your teammates, your conduct, and your team’s actions.

---

Prohibited behavior

Hate speech and harassment

Slurs, derogatory language targeting any person’s identity (race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, disability, etc.), sustained harassment, threats, and doxxing are prohibited. A single verified incident is sufficient for an immediate ban.

Smurfing and account sharing

Using an account that is not yours, sharing your account with another player, or creating a secondary account to circumvent a ban or play at a lower skill level than your true rank is prohibited. See Anti-Smurfing Policy for full details.

Intentional forfeits and match manipulation

Intentionally losing a match, agreeing with the opposing team to fix a result, or colluding to manipulate standings is prohibited. This includes offering or accepting payment, items, or favors in exchange for match outcomes.

Cheating or exploiting

Using external software to modify the game, exploiting known bugs to gain an unfair advantage, or using prohibited game settings is prohibited.

Abuse of the dispute system

Filing repeated frivolous disputes, submitting false evidence, or using disputes as a harassment tool is prohibited.

Disrespectful conduct toward staff

Verbally abusing, threatening, or intimidating staff members — whether in Discord, on the platform, or in Rocket League — is prohibited. Disagreeing with a staff decision is acceptable; hostility is not.

Impersonation

Creating an account or using a username that impersonates another player, team, staff member, or C3 Esports itself is prohibited.

---

Penalty framework

Violations are handled on a case-by-case basis, but staff generally follow this escalating framework:

Severity	Examples	Typical penalty
Minor	First-time trash talk, non-threatening mild toxicity	Formal warning
Moderate	Repeated minor violations, abuse of dispute system	1–4 week suspension
Serious	Account sharing, intentional forfeiting, cheating	1-season ban
Severe	Hate speech, harassment, doxxing, match fixing	Permanent ban

Staff may deviate from this framework based on context — a particularly egregious first offense may result in a permanent ban, while a long-standing community member’s isolated lapse may receive a lighter penalty. All decisions are documented in the audit log.

Penalties apply to the person, not just the account

If you are banned and create a new account, the new account will also be banned when discovered. Circumventing bans via new accounts results in an extended or permanent ban.

---

Reporting a violation

If you witness a Code of Conduct violation:

1. Document it — screenshot the offending message, save the replay if it happened in-game.
2. Do not retaliate — responding in kind escalates the situation and may result in penalties for you too.
3. Report to staff — open a ticket in the C3 Esports Discord #report-a-player channel with your evidence.

Staff review all reports. Reports submitted in good faith are never penalized, even if the report does not result in action.

---

Manager responsibility

Team managers are responsible for the conduct of their roster. If multiple players on your team repeatedly violate the Code of Conduct, the manager may also receive a warning or suspension for failing to maintain team standards.

Address conduct issues within your team before they reach staff. A quick reminder to a teammate that their behavior reflects on the team is usually more effective than waiting for a formal complaint.

---

Appeals

If you believe a conduct penalty was applied unfairly, you may appeal via a Discord support ticket addressed to an admin (not a general staff member). Appeals must include:

• A clear explanation of why you believe the penalty is unjust
• Any evidence supporting your case

Appeals are reviewed by an admin who was not involved in the original decision. Harassment of staff during an appeal will result in the appeal being rejected.