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NA Tournaments

NORTH AMERICA COMMUNITY COMPETITION GUIDELINES

LAST UPDATED: June 8, 2022

Overview

Application Process

Tier 3

  1. No Application needed.
  2. You are granted a Community License by adhering to these guidelines.

Tier 2

  1. Custom License required.
  2. No Licensing fees.
  3. You must apply through the LCS.

Tier 1

  1. Custom License required.
  2. Licensing fee required.
  3. You must apply through the LCS.

Trademarks or Affiliation

Tier 3

  1. You may use the name League of Legends to promote your Competition.
  2. You must not use Riot logos or trademarks (including game logo treatments, Esports leagues trademarks (professional or amateur), or the name Riot Games, Inc., Riot Games or Riot) to promote your Competition or Competition website; you may not otherwise suggest that your Competition or Competition website is endorsed or approved by, or affiliated with, Riot in any way.
  3. You must additionally include the following notice in a clear and conspicuous manner on your competition website and any competition materials: "This competition is not affiliated with or sponsored by Riot Games, Inc. or League of Legends Esports."

Tier 1 & 2

  1. You may use the name League of Legends to promote your Competition.
  2. You must not use the words "Championship", "Champions", "Season", "League", "Proving Grounds" or any other word which might imply that your tournament is part of an official Riot esports circuit, without prior approval from Riot.
  3. Riot may permit the use of Riot/LoL Esports artwork, logos or trademarks (including game logo treatments, Esports leagues trademarks (professional or amateur), or the name Riot Games, Inc., Riot Games or Riot) to promote your Competition or Competition website. Additionally, Riot may provide you with "Community" League of Legends logos and artwork for promotional use.
  4. Riot will include your event on a Riot Games Official Schedule.

Entry Fees

Tier 2 & 3

  1. You may charge an entry fee for your Competition. Entry fee revenue must be used solely to help offset the Competition Costs (such as venue, web hosting, casters, etc.) or towards the Competition's prize pool.
  2. You may crowdfund to help offset the Competition Costs, but any and all contributions from crowdfunding must go directly to the prize pool for the Competition or towards the Competition Costs.

Tier 1

  1. You may not charge an entry fee for your Competition.
  2. You may crowdfund to help offset the Competition Costs, but any and all contributions from crowdfunding must go directly to the prize pool for the Competition or towards the Competition Costs.

Prizing

Tier 3

  1. The total value of your prize pool must not exceed $10,000 USD or $12,000 in non-cash prizes, without prior approval from Riot.
  2. The total value of your prize pool, including cash value of non-cash prizes, across all competitions you organize in a calendar year must not exceed $100,000 USD, without prior approval from Riot.

Tier 2

  1. The total value of your prize pool must not exceed $50,000 USD, without prior approval from Riot.
  2. The total value of your prize pool, including cash value of non-cash prizes, across all competitions you organize in a calendar year must not exceed $500,000 USD, without prior approval from Riot.
  3. Riot may contribute to your prize pool.

Tier 1

  1. Riot may contribute to your prize pool.

Broadcasting

Tier 3

  1. You may broadcast your competition online, and may stream on whichever online platform you like, subject to the rules in our Legal Jibber Jabber.
  2. You may not charge fees of any kind for spectators to watch the competition online.
  3. If you broadcast your competition online, you are responsible for ensuring that any accompanied chat is adequately moderated to prevent vulgar, abusive, or an otherwise mean spirited environment.
  4. All other forms of broadcast (e.g., Linear television) are prohibited.

Tier 1 & 2

  1. You must abide by the Broadcast terms set forth in your custom license.
  2. If you broadcast your competition online, you are responsible for ensuring that any accompanied chat is adequately moderated to prevent vulgar, abusive, or an otherwise mean spirited environment.
  3. If Riot promotes your competition, contributes to your prize pool, and/or helps monetize your competition in any way, you may be asked to promote Riot social media accounts and/or channels during your broadcast.

Sponsors & Partners

All Tournaments

  1. You may not use any sponsors listed on the Prohibited Sponsorship List, below.

Tier 3

  1. Total sponsor contributions for each tournament your organization runs are limited to $10,000 in value. In addition, your organization cannot receive more than $100,000 in sponsorships in a Calendar Year for League of Legends tournaments.

Tier 2

  1. Riot may assist in monetizing your event through sponsorships, in which case a predetermined percentage of the proceeds may be contributed to your prize pool.
  2. Riot retains Presenting Sponsor rights.
  3. All sponsors must be pre-approved by Riot.
  4. For Any Category in which Riot sells a Proving Grounds Presenting Partner, that category remains exclusive to Riot.
  5. Any Proving Grounds presenting sponsor must be represented as such.

Tier 1

  1. Riot may assist in monetizing your event through sponsorships, in which case a predetermined percentage of the proceeds may be contributed to your prize pool.
  2. Riot retains the right to block a total of four sponsor categories.
  3. All sponsors must be pre-approved by Riot.
  4. Riot retains the right to block a total of four sponsor categories (on a per split basis).
  5. For Any Category in which Riot sells a Proving Grounds Presenting Partner, that category remains exclusive to Riot.
  6. Any Proving Grounds presenting sponsor must be represented as such.

The Prohibited Sponsor and Advertiser List:

  • Any other video game, other video game developer, or publisher
  • Any video game consoles
  • Any esport or other video game tournament, league, or event
  • Gambling, sportsbook and casinos
  • Fantasy esports operators (including daily fantasy)
  • Any prescription drugs or drugs that are not "over-the-counter" drugs including items such as CBD oils, etc.
  • Firearms, ammunition or firearm accessories
  • Pornography or pornographic products
  • Tobacco products or paraphernalia
  • Alcohol products (including non-alcoholic beverages marketed by alcohol companies) or other intoxicants the sale or use of which is regulated by applicable law
  • Sellers of or marketplaces for virtual items known to be counterfeit or illegal
  • Seller of or marketplaces for goods or services that violate the Riot Games terms of Service
  • Cryptocurrencies, or any other unregulated financial instruments or markets
  • Political campaigns or political action committees
  • Charities that endorse particular religious or political positions, or are not reputable. (Red Cross, American Cancer Society, Stand-Up to Cancer and other similar mainstream charities would be considered reputable)
  • If you have any questions on the above or are unsure as to the category, you are requested to secure express written authorization of Riot.

We may make changes to the Prohibited Sponsorship List. It is your responsibility to review the Prohibited Sponsorship List for updates or changes.

Merchandising

Tier 3

  1. You may not sell any Riot, League of Legends, League of Legends Esports, or similar branded merchandise.

Tier 1 & 2

  1. Riot may provide, or permit the sale of, Riot, League of Legends, League of Legends Esports, or similar branded merchandise.

Riot Games' Right to Content

All Tournaments

  1. In consideration of Riot granting you the Community Competition License, you agree that we can choose to promote your Competition, and may use the results of your Competition to qualify players for Riot sponsored competitions; and
  2. Additionally, by operating or sponsoring a competition using the Community Competition License you agree to license to Riot, for free and forever, any rights that you may have in the broadcasted content, highlights, video, still content, news, and all other content generated by the Competition for us to copy, modify, distribute, or publicly display such content, or to sublicense those rights as we see fit.

Other Legal Stuff

All Tournaments

  1. It is your responsibility (and the responsibility of any sponsors or other third parties involved with your competition) to comply with all applicable laws and regulations for your competition, as well as all our policies, as may be amended from time to time. If there is not a right granted in another Riot policy, the right does not exist; and
  2. The Competition must comply with all applicable laws and regulations, as well as all policies of any third party service you are using to stream or broadcast your Competition.

On the condition that you follow all of the guidelines described in this policy (the "Guidelines"), our Legal Jibber Jabber, and our Terms of Service, Riot Games, Inc. ("Riot", "we", or "us") grants you a personal, non-exclusive, non-sublicensable, non-transferable, revocable, limited license ("Community Competition License") for you to organize and operate a League of Legends competition (the "Competition"), but we may take action or otherwise shut down any competition at any time if we decide it violates or misinterprets these Guidelines, our Terms of Service, or any of our other policies, promotes or represents anything contrary to our Values, or otherwise uses our intellectual property ("IP") inappropriately.

College & High School Competitions

The following additional guidelines apply ONLY to competitions intended explicitly for college and/or high school student audiences. All other guidelines in this document still apply, including, but not limited to, competition fees, prize money, and IP usage.

Multi-School Competitions

A multi-school competition is defined as a competition involving teams from more than one school.

  1. High school competition
    • Competitions can only involve schools from the same state or province.
      • Exception: Unofficial matches (such as scrimmages, friendlies, or exhibitions) are not subject to state/province restrictions.
  2. College specific guidelines
    • Competitions must start and finish within 45 days.
    • Competitions may not be sponsored or sanctioned by an esports governing body.
    • No more than 32 schools may participate in a given competition.
      • Note: There is no participation limit to the number of teams from those 32 schools.

If you’d like to provide feedback on the League of Legends Community Guidelines. Please submit your feedback here.

Any conference who wishes to apply as a Partner Conference may do so here.

Use of Official School Marks

  1. Organizers must solicit any rights to use school, conference, or association trademarks, logos, and brands directly from those institutions.
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© 2021 Riot Games, Inc. All rights reserved. League of Legends and Riot Games are trademarks, service marks, and registered trademarks of Riot Games, Inc.