• These regulations govern all Monkey League matches and are enacted/enforced by the organizer and a team of volunteer judges.

    Updated: November 9, 2023

    Tournament Format:

    Regular Season

    • Format: Round-Robin (matches are bo1 set and bo3 sets)
    • Top 4 Qualify for Playoffs

    Playoffs

    1. Seeded by total match wins with the following tiebreaks:
      1. If 2 competitors are tied: head-to-head match result.
      2. If 3 or more competitors are tied, the tiebreaks are:
        1. Total match wins against the tied group
        2. Season median
        3. Best set median
        4. Best single
    2. Semifinals matches will be bo5 sets.
    3. Final match will be bo5 sets.


    Match Format:

    1. Each match will consist of sets of 3-5 counted solves. 
    2. Competitors will alternate starting solves within a set and alternate starting sets. 
    3. On each solve, the competitor with the faster time gets 1 solve point. 
    4. Ties (0.01 precision) are not worth points.
    5. The first to win 3 solves wins the set.
    6. In a bo1 set: the first to win 3 solves wins the match.
    7. In a bo3 sets: the first to win 2 sets wins the match.
    8. In a bo5 sets: the first to win 3 sets wins the match.


    Equipment:

    1. Puzzle: 3x3x3 Cube adherent to WCA Regulations Article 3. Competitors must have an additional cube for every mis-scramble.
    2. Cube Cover: An opaque box with an open side to cover the cube during scramble-checking and before inspection. Example: hard box cube packaging.
    3. Timer: StackMat Gen5. Batteries should be charged and precautions should be taken to avoid resets and malfunctions.
    4. Display: SpeedStacks Tournament Display or CSTimer display of live 3.5mm output.
    5. Lighting: Competitors must be well lit. The cube must be clearly visible and colors must be distinguishable. Use appropriate lighting to supplement ambient light if necessary.
    6. Live Camera: any decent quality camera that can be used in VDO.ninja. Examples: Webcam, Smartphone (with built-in camera in phone browser), GoPro (with capture card).
    7. Internet: Competitors must have a stable internet connection with high enough upload speed to stream the Live Camera.
    8. Video Camera: High Quality camera (1080p 60fps preferred) with view of table up to above-head. Examples: GoPro, Smartphone, Mirrorless camera.
    9. Inspection Timer (optional): A device that can be used to self-time inspection. Examples: Smartphone or computer.


    Match Regulations/Procedure:

    Starting Order:

    1. The competitor with the better best Monkey League set median chooses who starts the first set.

    Scrambling & Scramble Checking:

    1. Judges will inform competitors when a “new scramble is posted”.
    2. Competitors scramble their puzzle according to the scramble provided to them.
      1. The competitor must then place their cube inside the cube cover with the open face pointing towards the judge’s camera.
      2. The judge must confirm the scramble by saying “correct”. If the scramble is not correct, the judge will say “mis-scramble”.
      3. In case of a mis-scramble, the competitor must use another cube to re-attempt the scramble. 
      4. They may only solve the mis-scrambled cube after they have completed the solve.
    3. After the scramble has been confirmed, the competitor must fully cover the cube with their cube cover.

    Inspection & Solving:

    1. The competitor will receive a “15 second warning” to notify them that they have 15 seconds to begin their inspection.
      1. They will receive a “3 second warning” if they have not started inspection after 12 seconds. 
      2. They must not start inspection until they have received a "15 second warning".
    2. The competitor will remove the cover once they are ready to begin inspection.
      1. Maximum inspection time is 15 seconds.
      2. Competitors may choose to time their own inspection, receive inspection warnings from a judge, or receive no warnings.
      3. The competitor is responsible for starting their solve before the 15 second inspection time is over.
    3. WCA Regulations apply for solving and penalties. (timer start/stop, +2 and DNF rules, etc.)
      1. If the Judge cannot clearly see the entire cube after the solve is completed, the competitor must take a picture and show the judge without touching the cube.
      2. The competitor must not touch the cube or reset the timer until the judge has correctly recorded the result.
      3. If a timer display is not working, the competitor must immediately verbally announce their time at the conclusion of their solve and show the timer display to the judge’s camera for validation.

    Breaks & Timeouts:

    1. Competitors will have a 2 minute break between every set. 
    2. Each competitor gets one 5 minute timeout per match. 
      1. Competitors must signal to their judge if they are taking a timeout by saying “timeout” or typing an equivalent message in room chat.
      2. A timeout starts once both solves of a scramble are completed and recorded.
      3. The competitor must call the timeout prior to the completion of the round or before the generation of a new scramble.

    Malfunctions:

    1. A technical malfunction during an attempt that keeps the judges from seeing and or verifying the legitimacy of an attempt will call for both competitors to do a “resolve” on an extra scramble. Any solve done during the malfunction round will not count.
    2. If a malfunction does occur but the judge is still able to confirm the legitimacy of the time. The solve is recorded as normal.
    3. If a timer resets or powers off during a solve, it is deemed a “resolve” for both competitors.
    4. If the timer stops at a time less than 0.1 seconds during a solve or the judge perceives an unintentional malfunction, it is deemed a “resolve” for both competitors.
    5. In any case not specifically covered in the regulations, the competitors can agree to a "resolve" for both competitors.
    6. Any “resolve” or other measure to deal with malfunctions and other technical errors must be approved by the organizer.


    Fair Play:

    If a judge notices an attempt to intentionally malfunction the timer, the competitor fails to follow the regulations, or otherwise demonstrates bad faith during competition, the issue will be resolved by the judging team and appropriate action will be taken. Fair play violations will likely result in disqualification.