Expat China League
Rules
Official rules for ECL Split One. These guidelines exist to keep the tournament fair, balanced, competitive, and enjoyable for everyone involved.
Tournament
ECL Split One
Server
Ionia
Match Reporting
KOOK Bot
Section 01
Overview
The Expat China League (ECL) is a community League of Legends competition for expat players on the Chinese server. Split One is designed to be competitive, fair, and enjoyable, while remaining accessible to a wide range of players.
The goal of the tournament is to provide structured matches, balanced teams, and a clear ruleset that ensures a smooth and fair experience for all participants.
Section 02
Split One Format
- • Split One begins with a single round-robin stage
- • Regular season matches are Best of 2
- • After the round-robin stage, teams progress into a single elimination knockout stage
- • Knockout matches are played as Best of 3
- • Fearless Draft is active during knockout matches
- • Fearless Draft resets in the Semifinals
- • Fearless Draft resets again in the Finals
Section 03
Match Scheduling
- • Matches must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance
- • Scheduling must be submitted through the official ECL reporting system
- • Teams must use KOOK to confirm match time and coordination
Delays & No-Shows
- • A no-show results in an automatic 2-0 loss
- • Cancelling without agreement results in an automatic 2-0 loss
- • If a team causes a delay of more than 1 hour, the opposing team may leave and request an admin-awarded win
Section 04
Match Results
- • After each match, the winning captain must submit the result through the official ECL reporting system
- • Captains must provide the final match score when reporting
- • Admins may request a screenshot or additional proof if needed
Reporting Note
Screenshot system currently under construction — exact screenshot source / website confirmation will be finalized before April 20.
Result Finality
Match results are considered final once submitted, unless a formal dispute is raised and reviewed by admins.
Section 05
Roster Rules
Each team may register a maximum of 7 players.
Rank Determination
Classification Rule
A player’s tournament rank will be determined using their highest proven rank across any region within the past three seasons, including CN, NA, EUW, and other major servers.
Admins may also consider a player’s higher rank between Solo Queue and Flex Queue when evaluating current level.
Players with fewer than 30 ranked games may be treated as provisional. In these cases, admins may review previous seasons, off-region rank, and known competitive level.
Admins reserve the right to place a player in a higher competitive tier if their declared or current rank does not accurately reflect their true level.
Important — Roster Restrictions
Maximum Allowed On Roster
- • 1 Masters+ player maximum
- • 1 Diamond player maximum
- • 2 Emerald player maximum
Required Rule
- • At least one substitute on the 7-player roster must be Silver or below
Special Case
If a team does not have a Masters+ player, that team may instead have up to 2 Diamond players on the full roster, provided all match-day lineup restrictions are still respected.
Active Lineup Restrictions
Per Game
- • All rank restrictions apply to the 5 players actually playing in each game
- • A lineup may include a maximum of 1 Masters+ player
- • A lineup may include a maximum of 1 Diamond player
- • A lineup may include a maximum of 2 Emerald player
- • Every lineup must include at least 1 Silver-or-below player
Substitution Rule
Substitutions are only legal if the new five-player lineup remains fully compliant with all active lineup restrictions. Teams may not substitute in a player if doing so would make the lineup illegal.
Section 06
Substitutions & Lineups
- • Teams must confirm their match lineup at least 1 hour before the match
- • Any substitution between games in a BO2 or BO3 must be communicated before the next game begins
Substitute Rules
- • At least one substitute must be Silver or below
- • Additional substitutes must still follow all roster rank restrictions
- • Every game lineup must still remain legal after any substitution
Section 07
Gameplay Rules
Server
All matches must be played on Ionia.
Registered Accounts Only
Players must play on their registered account. Use of an unregistered account results in an automatic 2-0 loss.
Tournament Draft & Role Flex
- • All matches must be played using Tournament Draft Mode
- • Role swaps are allowed, but must be decided before entering champion select
- • Teams must still comply with role setup requirements enforced by the client
Section 08
Remakes & Pauses
Remakes
- • Games may only be remade within the first 5 minutes
- • After 5 minutes, the game cannot be remade
Pauses
- • There are no pauses
- • There is no chronobreak system
- • Teams are expected to play through issues unless admins intervene
Section 09
Competitive Integrity
ECL enforces strict standards for fair competition.
Prohibited
- • Account sharing
- • Smurfing or incorrect rank declaration
- • Fraudulent registration
- • Hiding off-region rank history or providing misleading rank evidence
- • Any attempt to gain an unfair competitive advantage
Reporting Suspicion
If suspicious activity occurs, teams should record evidence where possible and submit it to admins for review. Violations may result in match forfeits, tournament removal, or bans from future events.
Section 10
Conduct Rules
Zero-Tolerance Conduct Standard
- • Insults
- • Harassment
- • Excessive toxicity
- • Abusive or offensive language
- • Unsportsmanlike behaviour
Possible Penalties
- • Warnings
- • Match penalties
- • Tournament disqualification
- • Bans from future tournaments
Severe cases may result in immediate multi-tournament bans.
Section 11
Disputes & Admin Decisions
If a team wishes to raise a dispute, they must contact:
Admin
Joe
Admin
Soul
Final Authority
Admin decisions are final. This applies to roster rulings, gameplay rulings, conduct rulings, rank rulings, and all tournament-related decisions.