Article 1: General Provisions

These Official Rules supplement the General Terms and Conditions of Participation (GTC) and govern all matches and phases of the EA FC 26 Tournament.

Article 2: Platform and Game Settings

2.1 Platform (PS5 Exclusive)

The Tournament will take place exclusively on the PlayStation 5 (PS5) console and the EA FC 26 version. All participants must ensure the compatibility of their game (updated game) and their controller with this platform.

2.2 Match Settings

Unless otherwise specified by the Organizers, the following game settings will apply to all matches:

2.3 Team Selection

Players must only use official national teams or clubs available in the game. The use of custom teams, Ultimate Team squads, as well as All-Stars / special teams, is strictly forbidden.

• Unique Team Rule: A player may use the same team more than once in a series of matches (BO3 or BO5).
• Mirror Rule: The use of the same team by both players is allowed.

Article 3: Phase 1 – Eliminations and Qualifications (Offline)

3.1 Format

This phase will take place in Offline mode, at a location and date communicated by the Organizers.

• Draw: Opponents will be designated by a complete random draw.
• Match Format: Matches will be played as a Single Match (one match only). In the event of a tie at the end of regular time, the match will continue with extra time followed by penalty shootouts.

3.2 Objective

Phase 1 ends when the top 12 players are determined and qualified for the Group Stage.

Article 4: Phase 2 – Group Stage (Livestream)

4.1 Group Composition

The 12 players qualified from Phase 1 will be joined by 4 star players from the competitive FC 26 scene, bringing the total to 16 players.

The 16 players will be divided into 4 groups of 4 players (3 qualified + 1 star player per group). The distribution will be conducted by a public draw.

4.2 Match Format

• System: Each player will face the three other players in their group.
• Series: Each confrontation will be played in BO3 (Best-of-3). The player who wins two matches wins the series.
• Points Awarded:
  • Series Win: 3 points
  • Series Loss: 0 points

4.3 Ranking and Qualification

At the end of all group matches, the top 2 players from each group (8 players in total) will qualify for the Final Phase.

• Tie-breaker Criteria (in order):
  1. Number of points.
  2. Match win/loss difference in the series (e.g., 2-0 vs 2-1).
  3. Result of the head-to-head confrontation.
  4. General goal difference.
  5. Number of goals scored.
  6. Draw.

Article 5: Phase 3 – Final Phases (Livestream and LAN)

5.1 Structure

The 8 qualified players will compete in a single-elimination bracket:

• Quarterfinals (Round of 8)
• Semi-finals
• Small Final (3rd Place Match)
• Grand Final (1st Place Match)

5.2 Match Format

• Quarterfinals and Semi-finals: Each confrontation will be played in BO3 (Best-of-3).
• Grand Final: The final will be played in BO5 (Best-of-5). The player who wins three matches is declared the winner of the Tournament.

5.3 Broadcast Location

• Quarterfinals: Livestream on lgaming.ma networks.
• Semi-finals and Grand Final: Physical LAN event open to the public (subject to available seating), with livestream broadcast.

Article 6: Conduct and Fair Play

Players are required to respect sportsmanship and fair play. Any attempt at cheating, harassment, or toxic behavior will result in immediate disqualification.

Article 7: Technical Issues & Scheduling

7.1 – Technical Issues

In case of disconnection or a technical problem during a match:

• Before Half-time: The match is replayed entirely.
• After Half-time: The score at the time of disconnection is maintained. A new match is launched with the remaining time to be played (e.g., if disconnected at the 60th minute, the new match is played until the 30th minute of the first half, then the score is added).

Procedure in Case of a Technical Problem (EA FC 26 – PS5 Online)

In case of a technical problem (disconnection, game bug, server issue, significant lag, score error, power outage, or any other type of problem preventing the match from continuing, etc.), participants must follow the following procedure for their complaint to be considered:

1. Report the problem immediately
   • The player must inform the organization as soon as the problem occurs, and not upon resumption or the end of the match.
   • Any late complaint may be refused.
2. Use the official channel
   • The report must be made exclusively via the official tournament channel (Discord → #support-technique).
   • Private messages will not be considered.
3. Provide mandatory evidence
   • Screenshot or video clearly showing the problem (disconnection, bug, score, error message, etc.).
   • Without proof, the request cannot be processed.
4. Information to be provided
   • PSN ID of both players
   • Match concerned (round)
   • Score at the time of the incident
   • Timing of the technical problem
   • Clear description of the problem
5. Wait for the organization’s decision
   • Participants must wait for the official decision of the admins.
   • Any resumption of the match without authorization may result in a sanction.
6. Final Decision
   • The organization’s decision is final and made in the interest of the smooth running of the tournament.

7.2 – Scheduling

Any player participating in the tournament must strictly adhere to the match schedule and the official kick-off time communicated by the organization. In case of delay, the player concerned must immediately notify the organizers and is granted a maximum tolerance of 30 minutes. Any player absent or whose delay exceeds 30 minutes will be declared the loser by forfeit, and their opponent will be declared the winner with a score of 3–0. Additional sanctions may also be applied. If a player has a conflict and wishes to advance or delay the initially scheduled time, both players must agree on a new time on the same day and inform the organization for validation.

Article 8: Prizes (Cash Prize)

The MASTERS CUP Tournament has a global Cash Prize of 40,000 Moroccan Dirhams (MAD), distributed among the best participants as follows:

The prizes will be paid to the winners within 90 to 120 days after the end of the Tournament and verification of the results.

The Organizers (maplab agency and lgaming.ma) are the sole referees of the interpretation of these Rules. Their decisions are final and non-appealable.