Do you plan to play FUT Champions? Maybe you should read the FIFA 17 Championship Series Official Rules first.
FIFA 17 – Championship Series Official Rules
1.OVERVIEW
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY
The EA SPORTS™ FIFA 17 Ultimate Team™ Championship Series (“UTC Series” or “Competition”) is sponsored by Electronic Arts Inc. (“EA” or “Sponsor”), 209 Redwood Shores Parkway, Redwood City, CA 94065, United States. If any third party assumes legal risk and liability for a tournament associated with this UTC Series, then they are considered “Sponsor” and will determine their own terms and conditions for participation.
The UTC Series is a video game competition conducted using EA SPORTS FIFA 17 FIFA Ultimate Team mode (“FIFA 17”) for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles (“Supported Platforms”). The UTC Series will have a separate Competition for each Supported Platform (“Xbox Division” and “PlayStation Division” or “Divisions”).
Participants must register at www.futchampions.com to be considered for eligibility for the Ultimate Team Championship Series. Participants who meet the eligibility requirements in Player Eligibility section below (individually a “Player” or Competitor” or “Participant”) must also (1) own or have access to FIFA 17 on Xbox One or PlayStation 4; (2) have a valid Gamertag or PSN ID; (3) have agreed to EA’s Privacy and Cookie Policy and User Agreement; (4) have registered their valid EA Account for eligibility before the end of the month in which they would have finished in a qualifying place; and (5) be residents of a jurisdiction which does not prohibit the conduct of or participation in this Competition by law.
2. PLAYER ELIGIBILITY
2.1 REGISTRATION AND ACCEPTANCE OF OFFICIAL RULES
Participants must register with their valid EA Account at www.futchampions.com to be considered for eligibility and to be placed in the respective Regional Monthly Leaderboard for qualification within the FUT Champion Season.
Player must register once prior to the end of the Monthly Leaderboard Registration End dates listed below. Once a Player has registered, they are considered for eligibility for the subsequent months until the end of Season 2.
Monthly Leaderboard Registration End Dates
Monthly Leaderboard Registration End Dates
Season 1 11:59 PM GMT on November 30, 2016
Season 2 11:59 PM GMT on January 31, 2017
Players who are considered for qualification into the Regional Finals will be sent the Official Rules for review and acceptance prior to the following due dates.
Players must have read and accept the Official Rules by:
Monthly Leaderboard Registration End Dates
Season 1 11:59 PM GMT on December 21, 2016
Season 2 11:59 PM GMT on February 21, 2017
2.2 AGE
Players must be at least 16 years old as of November 1, 2016 and above the minimum age needed to have a full (not underage) EA account in their given territory in order to be eligible for the Ultimate Team Championship Series. All players under the age of 18 who attend EA Tournaments or Third Party Linked Tournaments must have their parent or legal guardian accompany them and consent to the rules on their behalf.
2.3 RESIDENCY & REGIONAL RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT
The Ultimate Team Championship Series is a Regionalized competition. Participants must confirm their Country of Residence is accurate upon entering the FUT Champions online mode within FIFA 17.
Participants may be required to provide proof of residency to determine their eligibility in the UTC Series. A Participant is determined to be a resident of a Region if such player has had their legal primary residence in a specific country for no less than twelve months out of the twenty-four months immediately prior to a Participant’s registration in the UTC Series.
All potential winners will be required to sign and return a Declaration of Eligibility, as well as to certify their residency by providing two forms of identification or proof of residency, such as:
Government-Issued Documentation: Identification such as a passport, driver’s license, identification card, or work visa with a name and address.
Utility Bill: Recent invoice from a utility (energy, telephone, or cable) company with a name and address.
The list of eligible countries and their associated Region in game can be found in Appendix B: Regions & Countries
2.4 EMPLOYEES & CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Employees of Electronic Arts Inc., FIFA, and/or their respective affiliates, parent, subsidiaries, representatives, advertising, promotion and publicity agencies (“Sponsor and its agents”) and the immediate family members or persons living in the same household of such employee are not eligible to participate in the UTC Series.
3. COMPETITION STRUCTURE
All details and rules for each EA-Sanctioned Regional Qualifiers, Regional Finals and Championships Live Event will also be available on site at those events. These Official Rules shall apply to such EA-Sanctioned Regional Qualifiers Event, Regional Finals and Championships Live Event, unless specifically stated otherwise.
3.1 SEASONS
The qualification process takes place over two separate one-month-long Seasons (“Season”). Online qualification for the UTC Series is scheduled to begin on or about November 1, 2016 (EA reserves the right to amend this start date in its sole discretion). For the avoidance of doubt, any progress in-game in FUT Champions by Players prior to November 1, 2016 shall not contribute to the Leaderboard placement for eligibility for the UTC Series Online Qualification.
Season 1: 12:01 am GMT on November 1, 2016 through 11:59 PM GMT on November 30, 2016
Season 2: 12:01 am GMT on January 1, 2016 through 11:59 PM GMT on January 31, 2017
The exact timings and further details for the UTC Series and its Seasons will be communicated on the official FUT Champions site (www.futchampions.com).
3.2 QUALIFICATION METHODS FOR THE REGIONAL FINALS
Qualification for the Ultimate Team Championship Series may be a combination of online in-game play using the FUT Champions game mode (“Online Qualification”) and, possibly, Live Events.
The Live Events that make up the UTC Series are:
EA-Sanctioned qualification events that are sponsored by a third party (“Regional Qualifiers”) that are approved by Sponsor at their sole discretion.
EA SPORTS FIFA 17 ULTIMATE TEAM REGIONAL FINALS (“Regional Finals” or “Season Regional Finals”).
EA SPORTS FIFA 17 ULTIMATE TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (hereafter “Championship”).
Online Qualification and Regional Qualifiers may place Competitors into the UTC Series at the Regional Finals level.
3.2.1 “ONLINE QUALIFICATION”
Participants may only compete in Online Qualification using a single EA account on one platform (Xbox One or PlayStation 4). Using the FUT Champions mode within FIFA 17 on Supported Platforms and by completing and winning any associated Daily Knockout Tournament during the week, Participants can earn entry into each FUT Champions Weekend League competition. Participants may also earn entry into each FUT Champions Weekend League competition using the Online Seasons mode on Supported Platforms by reaching a defined Division within the mode. EA reserves the right to qualify or disqualify Participants into each Weekend League via any or additional means at its sole discretion. Each Weekend League competition results in a Weekly Leaderboard which is based on the number of wins a player earns with tiebreakers determined by Skill Rating, a GLICKO 2 Rating System (“Skill Rating”). Sponsor in its sole discretion, may extend or cancel any FUT Champions Weekend League competition and Online Qualification periods. Sponsor does not guarantee that all players will be able to play in all FUT Champions Weekend League competitions for any purpose, such as online qualification into Live Events or otherwise.
The Weekly Leaderboards are aggregated into a Monthly Leaderboard, with all of the weekends in a given month added together. A full calendar of the Weekend Leagues and the corresponding Monthly Leaderboards is available in Appendix C: FUT Champions Calendar. As in the Weekly Leaderboards, Skill Rating is used to determine tiebreakers.
All matches within the FUT Champions mode are to be played using the default match settings, with the squads meeting the minimum requirements posted in game.
Players will be divided into three Regions (“Regions”) throughout the qualification process. For the duration of the Ultimate Team Championship Series up until the Championship, Players are divided into three Regions: Americas, Europe, and Rest of World. Players may not change their region once the Online Qualification begins.
Periodically, each Region’s leaderboard and match data is audited for malicious behavior and cheating. Any Player may be disqualified immediately from the UTC Series and further competitions, at the discretion of Sponsor or its designees, for any reason, including for any failure to comply with the EA User Agreement, Privacy & Cookie Policy, or cheating, which may include but is not limited to:
a) using any cheats, hacks or other third party “helper” applications in playing games;
b) intentionally disconnecting from the Internet during any game;
c) colluding with other players in playing games;
d) taking advantage of known exploits in the game (it is the responsibility of players to understand and avoid all current illegal exploits); or
e) selectively matching up against the same opponent repeatedly.
Abusive or disorderly behavior, including any use of harassing, negative, or profane language online, will not be tolerated and will also constitute grounds for immediate disqualification.
EA reserves the right to disqualify any player at their sole discretion.
After the audit is complete, at minimum, the top 12 eligible Players from each Region’s leaderboard and from each Division will qualify for the associated Season’s Regional Final event (each a “Qualified Player”). Qualified Player will be contacted and sent the Declaration of Eligibility at the email address that they provided EA upon registration for the UTC Series. The Declaration of Eligibility and any associated documentation requested must be sent back to EA within 7 calendar days to accept the invitation and confirm their attendance.
If the form is undeliverable, or if a Qualified Player is contacted but fails to sign and/or return the Declaration within the allotted time period, refuses the prize, is ineligible to receive the prize, or is disqualified or forfeited for any reason and deemed ineligible, EA reserves the right to award the prize to the next highest ranked eligible Qualified Player from the same Region and Supported Platform.
After the 24 Qualified Players have been confirmed, EA will publicly announce the Qualified Players on the official FUT Champions site (www.futchampions.com).
There are 32 seats in each Season’s Regional Finals. In the event there are open seats in the Regional Finals, Sponsor reserves the right to select and include additional eligible Qualified Players to participate in the Regional Finals.
3.2.2 “REGIONAL QUALIFIERS”
In addition to the two Seasons, there may be a number of EA-sanctioned events that serve as qualifiers into one of the Regional Finals. These may be run by a third party other than EA but will require approval from EA to become EA-sanctioned.
All EA-sanctioned Events will seed Players into each Season’s Regional Finals to fill up the Regional Qualifier slots at each event. The number of Regional Qualifier slots a given Premier Qualifier can fill at a Regional Final varies from event to event, with details for each event announced on the official FUT Champions site (www.futchampions.com).
There will be a maximum of 4 Regional Qualifier slots per division available per season.
3.2.3 “REGIONAL FINALS”
Each Season’s Regional Final is made up of 16 Competitors from each Division (32 total). A minimum of 12 of each Division’s Competitors will come directly from Online Qualification, and a maximum of 4 Competitors from EA-sanctioned Regional Qualifier Events.
The Ultimate Team Championship Series’ two Seasons and three Regions result in a total of six Regional Finals.
Players who qualify for the Championship during Season 1 Regional Finals are not eligible to qualify for the Season 2 Regional Finals.
3.2.4 “CHAMPIONSHIP”
Qualification for the EA SPORTS FIFA 17 Ultimate Team Championship is based on performance in the Regional Finals. The number of Players who qualify from each Regional Final is based on proportional allocations decided by EA. These allocations are detailed below:
Americas (12): Top three finishers in each Division from both Season 1 & Season 2 Regional Finals
Europe (16): Top four finishers in each Division from both Season 1 & Season 2 Regional Finals
Rest of World (4): Top finisher in each Division from both Season 1 & Season 2 Regional Finals
4. LIVE EVENTS: MATCH RULES & TOURNAMENT FORMAT.
4.1 MATCH RULES
All Regional Finals and the Championship Live Events are played using the FIFA Ultimate Team Friendly Seasons mode on a version of FIFA17 provided by the sponsor. Details about FIFA Ultimate Team Friendly Seasons mode can be found in Section 4.2 Pre-Match Setup.
Additional rules that apply to all Regional and Championship Live Event matches:
Unless express permission has been given by EA, no coaching is allowed (for example, people in the audience may not advise a Player while playing).
Players are not allowed to plug any devices into the console.
Players are allowed to wear headsets if they are approved before the tournament commences by a tournament official.
All videogame consoles and televisions are supplied by EA.
Competitors may provide their own controller so long as the controller does not provide an unfair competitive advantage to the competitor, does not interfere with the operations of the game or tournament, does not require any special configuration, cabling or adapters to function and is designed to work natively on the console the competitor competes on. The Sponsor may, at its sole discretion, disallow any controller and require the competitor to use an approved controller.
Any action designed to disrupt the opposing Player’s view of the field or ability to select controlled Players is prohibited.
Each game will begin play at its designated start time, and as designated on-site at the tournament.
Players not present at the designated start time for any match will be disqualified, and their opponent shall be granted a 3-0 score.
Players are encouraged to be in the designated play area 15 minutes prior to designated start time.
Players will be shown their designated station, shall set up the game, and begin play only when instructed to do so by a tournament official.
Each Player will have 2-3 minutes to configure controls, adjust line-ups and settings in accordance with the rules described above under Section 4.3 “Gameplay Settings”. Custom lineups cannot be used, nor can anything else that is not available in the in-game pause menu.
In all situations possible, tournament referees will monitor the game situation so that it may be restored in the event of game interruptions. o Example: A player disconnects at the 50th minute. The score of the game was 2-1. Sponsor instructs the game to resume in 1st half with the implied score to be 2-1 and the implied half to be the 2nd. The competitors will play until halftime to determine the winner.
Players shall raise their hands at the end of the game so a referee can record their score. Only scores reported to the referee are official.
4.1.1 GAME INTERRUPTIONS AND PAUSES:
Each Player is allowed to pause the game up to three times. If a Player pauses the game, it must be to make a tactical change to their squad, which can include substitutions, formation changes, or tactic adjustments.
Players are only allowed to pause the game when the ball is not in play, meaning it has left the field of play or a foul has been committed and it’s a dead ball situation.
If a game is paused or interrupted intentionally while the ball is in play by any Player, EA has the right to immediately disqualify that Player.
If a game interruption is caused by outside circumstances such as a machine error or loss of power, the game shall be continued from a point determined by the Sponsor.
Notwithstanding the above, a Player can pause the game to change strategy and/or formation in the event that i) a player of his team is sent off ii) a player of his team is injured.
4.1.2 REFEREES:
Referees will be on-site to monitor all game play. Referees will begin play, and will record scores for each game.
Referees will be clearly identified by a special ID tag or badge as indicated by EA.
The decision of a referee is final and binding.
4.2 PRE-MATCH SETUP
The game mode to be used is FIFA Ultimate Team Friendly Seasons.
Squad building requirements for the Competition matches may vary at the discretion of EA and will be announced one week prior to the start of each Live Event.
4.2.1 ACCOUNT USE AND SQUAD CREATION
Competitors will use accounts provided by EA for their sole use at the tournament. Competitors will not receive any log-in details for the accounts. The accounts are the sole property of EA and are not to be used for personal use by any individual, including Competitors.
Competitors will have an opportunity to set their squad of 11 staring players, 7 bench players and 5 reserve players. These squads will remain unchanged throughout the tournament and will be subject to any squad building restrictions announced.
4.2.2 CONSUMABLE RESTRICTIONS
Competitors will be limited in which consumables they can use for their squad. Changes to consumables restrictions may be announced one week prior to the start of each Live Event.
Competitors will be allowed to use the following consumable types
Contract Consumables
Position Change Consumables
Healing Consumables
Chemistry Style Consumables
Manager League Consumables
Fitness Consumables
Competitors will not be allowed to use the following consumable types:
Training Consumables
4.3 GAMEPLAY SETTINGS
The below match rules apply to every match in the Regional Finals and Championship. Some of these rules are defined by the game mode, FIFA Ultimate Team Friendly Seasons, and some are user definable.
Difficulty Level: World Class
Half Length: 6 minutes
Specific Controller Setting Exceptions: Legacy Defense prohibited
Commentary Volume: 0
Music Volume: 0
Time/Score display: On
Camera: Tele Broadcast
Radar: 2D
HUD: Indicator
Custom tactics are allowed
Custom formations are disallowed
Extra Time:
In Group Play: No Extra Time
In Bracket Play: Extra Time rules as follows: extra time of two (2) minute halves will be played in the event of a draw after regulation time. Penalties will decide the winner if after extra time the scores are level.
In the Championship: Another match will be played with golden-goal rules in effect and the match stopped after the first goal determines the winner.
Custom formations are not permitted. Custom tactics and set pieces are available, however, EA can decide to turn them off at any point in its absolute discretion.
4.4 REGIONAL FINALS FORMAT
The format of the Regional Finals determines the winner of each Division. Each Division will go through a standard group stage round-robin format with four teams in each group, playing each other once. The top two finishers in the group will advance to the double-elimination knockout rounds.
The Xbox Division and PlayStation Division remain fully separated until the final match of the Regional Finals where the Xbox Division Winner shall play the PlayStation Division winner.
4.4.1 GROUP STAGE
In the group stage, a win is worth three points, a draw is worth one point, and a loss is worth zero. Each Player plays the other three Players in their group once. In the event of a draw at the end of regular time, the game will be stopped manually as the game mode may not allow draws.
After all four Players have played their three matches, the two Players with the most points will advance to the knockout round. If there’s a tie between the number of points a player has earned and a clear first and second place finisher in each group cannot be determined, the following tie breakers are employed in order until the tie is broken:
Goal Difference in Group Matches: Goals For (“GF”) minus Goals Against (“GA”) from the three matches combined.
Greatest Number of Goals Scored in Group Matches: Total number of goals scored (GF) by a player from the three matches combined.
Head to Head Record: When the teams engaged in the tie played each other, the player who scored the most goals wins to break the tie.
Goal Difference Head to Head: Only applies if three teams are tied, the goal difference from the matches against each tied team combined.
Coin Flip: If none of the four above methods can break the tie, a one-time coin flip will determine the outcome. The player whose last name starts with a letter closest to A will call the side of the coin.
4.4.2 KNOCKOUT ROUNDS
The knockout round tournament bracket pits the winner of a group against the runner up of another group. Group A and Group B winners play the runners up, and Group C and Group D winners play the runners up.
The knockout round is a standard double-elimination format, where a player must lose twice to be eliminated. Upon the first loss, a player will move from the winner’s bracket to the loser’s bracket. If a player loses a second time they will be eliminated from the tournament. If the match is still tied at the end of regular time, the match moves to a standard non-golden goal extra time. If the match is still tied after extra time, a standard penalty shootout is used to determine the winner.
The Xbox Division Champion and PlayStation Division Champion face off to determine the overall winner of the Regional Final.
This matchup is unique and is played out as a two-legged fixture with one fixture on each Division. At the end of regulation for the two matches, the player with the higher aggregate score from the two matches combined is the winner.
If the aggregate scores are tied, the player with more goals scored on their “non-native” platform (away goals) is the winner. If the match is also tied on away goals, a third fixture will be started on the same platform as the second game and the winner will be decided by the first goal scored.
4.5 CHAMPIONSHIP FORMAT
The format of the Championship determines the ultimate winner of the UTC Series, including combining the two Divisions for the final match to end the competition. The two Divisions are kept separate until the final match with each Division going through a standard group stage round-robin format with the top two finishers in the group advancing to the knockout rounds.
4.5.1 GROUP STAGE
The rules of the group stage are the same as in the Regional Finals. In the group stage, a win is worth three points, a draw is worth one point, and a loss is worth zero. Each player plays the other three Players in their group once.
After all four Players have played their three matches, the two Players with the most points will advance to the knockout round. If there’s a tie between the number of points a player has earned and a clear first and second place finisher in each group cannot be determined, the following tie breakers are employed in order until the tie is broken:
Goal Difference in Group Matches: Goals For (“GF”) minus Goals Against (“GA”) from the three matches combined.
Greatest Number of Goals Scored in Group Matches: Total number of goals scored (GF) by a player from the three matches combined
Head to Head Record: When the teams engaged in the tie played each other, the player who scored the most goals wins to break the tie
Goal Difference Head to Head: Only applies if three teams are tied, the goal difference from the matches against each tied team combined
Coin Flip: If none of the four above methods can break the tie, a one-time coin flip will determine the outcome. The player whose last name starts with a letter closest to A will call the side of the coin.
4.5.2 KNOCKOUT ROUNDS
The knockout round tournament bracket pits the winner of a group against the runner up of another group. Group A and Group B winners play the runners up, the same applies for Groups C & D, Groups E & F, and Groups G & H.
The knockout round is a standard double-elimination format, where a player must lose twice to be eliminated. Upon the first loss, a player will move from the winner’s bracket to the loser’s bracket. If a player loses a second time they will be eliminated from the tournament. If the match is still tied at the end of regular time, the match moves to a standard non-golden goal extra time. If the match is still tied after extra time, a standard penalty shootout is used to determine the winner
The Xbox Division Champion and PlayStation Division Champion face off to determine the winner of the Ultimate Team Championship.
This matchup is unique and is played out as a two-legged fixture with one fixture on each Division. At the end of regulation for the two matches, the player with the higher aggregate score from the two matches combined is the winner.
If the aggregate scores are tied, the player with more goals scored on their “non-native” platform (away goals) is the winner. If the match is also tied on away goals, a third fixture will be started on the same platform as the second game and the winner will be decided by the first goal scored.
4.6. GLITCHES
4.6.1 GLITCHES
Any attempt to glitch the game in order to gain an advantage is prohibited.
4.6.2 POST-GLITCH PROCEDURE
Procedure After a Glitch Penalty: In the event that Sponsor determines that an action, goal, move, penalty or any other in-game action was caused by an unauthorized glitch, Sponsor will make a decision in its sole discretion to return the game to a fair state depending on the result of the play.
4.7 MAJOR OUTAGE MITIGATION
In the event of a major outage effecting any infrastructure required for gameplay in the designated mode, EA reserves the right to change the format in which the tournament is played.
5. PRIZES
5.1 PRIZE TRIPS
5.1.1 REGIONAL FINALIST PRIZE
Regional Finalist Prize: There are up to 192 Regional Finalist winners.
Up to 32 Season 1 Regional Finalist from each Region will each win a trip to their respective Region’s Finals Live Event in Paris, Miami or Sydney for a chance to compete in the Ultimate Team Championship’s Live Event.
Up to 32 Season 2 Regional Finalists from each Region will each win a trip to a Regional Finals Live Event in locations to be determined by Sponsor for a chance to compete in the Ultimate Team Championship’s Live Event.
Specific dates and locations of Season 1 and Season 2 Regional finals will be made available on www.futchampions.com.
Prize trip includes economy class airfare for 1 person to/from the major commercial airport nearest to the residence of the player who has qualified to their respective Regional Final city (excluding transport between such airport and finalist’s place of residence), hotel accommodation for one standard room at a hotel of EA’s choosing in or near the Regional Final city for a minimum of 1 night, transport between such hotel and the venue(s) of the Regional Final; and 3 catered meals. If Regional Finalist is a minor in his or her state, country or providence of residence, the winner’s parent or legal guardian must accompany the winner, in which prize trip will include an additional airfare for 1 parent or legal guardian. Winner and parent/legal guardian must travel together on the same itinerary and will share hotel accommodations.
The approximate retail value (ARV) of each Regional Finalist Prize is $3,000 USD.
5.1.2 CHAMPIONSHIP FINALIST PRIZE
Championship Finalist Contestant Prize: All 32 Champion Finalist Contestants will each win a prize trip to compete in the Ultimate Team Championship Live Event in Berlin, Germany. Prize trip includes economy class airfares for one person (Competitors) to/from the major commercial airport nearest to the winner’s residence to the Championship city, hotel accommodation in a standard room at a hotel of EA’s choosing in or near the Championship city for a minimum of 2 nights, transport between such hotel and the venue(s) of the Championship; and 2 days of catered meals consisting of 3 meals per day. If Championship Finalist is a minor in his or her state, country or providence of residence, the winner’s parent or legal guardian must accompany the winner, in which prize trip will include an additional airfare for 1 parent or legal guardian. Winner and parent/legal guardian must travel together on the same itinerary and will share hotel accommodations.
The ARV of each Championship Finalist Contestant Prize is $4,000 USD.
For all Prize Trips, incidentals, including, without limitation: telephone calls, facsimile charges, Internet charges, spa/beauty salon services, laundry, tours/excursions, gift shop purchases, hotel processing fees and airline service charges, are the sole responsibility of the Winner and parent/legal guardian (if Winner is a minor). Hotel and airfare cannot be used separately. Travel and accommodations are subject to availability and certain restrictions, so Sponsor cannot guarantee prize trip will be available on the exact dates specified by Winner. Any extra nights’ stay and any additional costs associated with an extended stay are the sole responsibility of the Winner and parent/legal guardian (if Winner is a minor). Valid Passport and/or other travel documentation may be required.
Sponsor and its directors, officers, employees, agents and representatives shall not be responsible for any cancellations, delays, substitutions or any act of omission by the purveyors of the Prizes. Sponsor and its directors, officers, employees, agents and representatives shall not be responsible for any cancellations, delays, diversions or substitutions, or any act or omission whatsoever by air carriers, hotels, transportation companies, or other persons providing services or accommodations, and shall not be responsible for any results thereof, including changes in services or accommodations necessitated by the acts or omissions of third parties. It is recommended that Winner obtain their own travel insurance. Additional restrictions may apply.
Actual value of Prize Trip may vary depending on Winner’s residence and seasonal rates.
Potential winners may be required to complete and sign a Declaration of Eligibility and, except where prohibited, Liability/Publicity Release, in the form provided by Sponsor, within 7 days of attempted notification in order to claim the prize. If a minor wins a prize, it will be awarded in the name of the minor’s parent or legal guardian, who will also be responsible for signing any necessary releases, consents and affidavits. Parent/legal guardian will also be required to sign a Liability/Publicity Release at least 7 days prior to travel. If a potential winner cannot be contacted at the email address provided, is contacted and does not respond as directed within 7 days of attempted notification, fails to sign and/or return the Declaration of Eligibility, refuses the prize, is ineligible to accept the prize or prize is returned as undeliverable, the potential winner forfeits the prize. If a winner is 16 or older, as required, but a minor in his or her state, country or providence of residence, winner’s parent or legal guardian will be required to sign all necessary documents. Receiving a prize is contingent upon compliance with these Official Rules; all prizes claimed in accordance with these Official Rules will be awarded. In the event that a potential winner is disqualified or the prize is forfeited for any reason, Sponsor will award the applicable prize, time permitting given the nature of the prize, to an alternate winner by random drawing from all remaining eligible Contestants. Only 3 alternate drawings will be held, after which EA retains the discretion to donate the applicable prize to a charity of Sponsor choosing. Potential winners may be required to provide a shipping address to claim prize. Allow up to 3 months for delivery of the Regional and Championship Finalist prizes.
5.2 LIVE EVENT PRIZES
5.2.1 REGIONAL FINALS LIVE EVENT PRIZES
Each Regional Finals Live Event will have two separate divisions, the Xbox Division and PlayStation Division. The following prizes for each Division within each territory’s Regional Finals Live Event will be distributed to the Players based on their finishing position/point of exit from the tournament as stated below:
Xbox One Division PlayStation 4 Division
1st Place: US$20,000
2nd Place: US$12,000
3rd Place: US$6,000
4th Place: US$4,000
Quarter Finals (5th – 8th Place): US$2,000
1st Place: US$20,000
2nd Place: US$12,000
3rd Place: US$6,000
4th Place: US$4,000
Quarter Finals (5th – 8th Place): US$2,000
As mentioned in the above Section 3.2.4 “Championship”, performance in the Regional Finals Live Event also can result in qualification in the Championship, which has its own associated cash prizes and a trophy.
5.2.2 CHAMPIONSHIP LIVE EVENT PRIZES
The Championship Live has a total prize pool of US$400,000. Unlike the Regional Finals, this prize pool is not split in half across the two Divisions.
The prize money is distributed to the Winners based on their finishing position/point of exit from the tournament as stated below:
1st Place: US$160,000
2nd Place: US$80,000
3rd Place & 4th Place: US$30,000 each
Quarter Finals (5th – 8th Place): US$8,000
Round of 16 (9th – 16th Place): US$5,500
Group Stage (16th – 32nd Place): US$1,500
The overall winner of the Ultimate Team Championship Series shall also be awarded a trophy.
Prizes are not transferable. No substitution of Prizes for cash or other goods and services is permitted, except Sponsor reserves the right to provide a substitute Prize of approximately equal value if the advertised prize is unavailable. All expenses not specified above, including, without limitation, all federal, state and local taxes, and international tariffs, are the sole responsibility of the individual Winner.
The top 4 Players from each Division may be eligible to compete in the FIFA Interactive World Cup 2017 Grand Finals tournament, which is sponsored by FIFA. FIFA will provide their own terms and conditions for participation.
Potential winners will be required to complete and sign a Declaration of Eligibility and at the end of the Event in order to claim the prize. If a potential winner fails to sign and/or return the Declaration of Eligibility, refuses the prize, or is ineligible to accept the prize, the potential winner forfeits the prize. If a winner is 16 or older, as required, but a minor in his or her state, country or providence of residence, winner’s parent or legal guardian will be required to sign all necessary documents upon verification of ID. Receiving a prize is contingent upon compliance with these Official Rules; all prizes claimed in accordance with these Official Rules will be awarded. In the event that a potential winner is disqualified or the prize is forfeited for any reason, Sponsor will award the applicable prize, time permitting given the nature of the prize, to the next eligible runner- up Contestant. Only 3 alternate runner-up winners will be chosen, after which EA retains the discretion to donate the applicable prize to a charity of Sponsor choosing. Potential winners may be required to provide a shipping address to claim prize. Allow up to 3 months for delivery of prizes.
6. GENERAL TERMS
Entrants’ personal information will be subject to Sponsor’s Privacy and Cookie Policy, available at https://www.ea.com/privacy-policy for the purposes listed therein. Furthermore, entrants’ personal information will be processed for the purpose of organizing, running and monitoring the Competition and prize fulfillment, including, if entrant wins a prize, publishing (i) their name on the Winner(s) List and (ii) their name and country of residence online or in any other media in connection with the Competition.
Personal information will be processed in the United States or any other country in which EA, its subsidiaries, or third party agents operate. By entering the Competition, you consent that your personal information may be transferred to recipients in the United States and other countries that may not offer the same level of privacy protection as the laws in your country of residence or citizenship.
EA participates in the U.S.-Swiss Safe Harbor Framework for the collection, use, and retention of data from Switzerland. While EA relies on various mechanisms to effectuate cross-border transfers, we continue to adhere to the Safe Harbor Privacy Principles of notice, choice, onward transfer, security, data integrity, access, and enforcement. To learn more about the Safe Harbor program, and to view our certification, please visit https://www.export.gov/safeharbor.
Entrants have the right to access, withdraw, and correct their personal information. Entrants may request such action by sending a message with the request, subject line Ultimate Team Championship Series to [email protected].
For Residents of France: Personal information provided to the Sponsor in the course of this Competition shall be processed according to the Legislation “Informatique et Libertés n°78-17” of January 6, 1978.
For Residents of Spain: The United States privacy laws apply to the collection, processing and transfer of personal information that may be required by this Competition. Yet, for the aspects of those activities that may fall under specific Spanish privacy law (including the Ley Orgánica 15/1999 de Protección de Datos de Carácter Personal of December 13th, 1999), it is agreed that Electronic Arts Software S.L., Calle Via de los poblados, 3 edificio 3, 28033 Madrid, SPAIN (the ‘Data Processor”) may also collect and/or process the participants’ personal information for purposes of administration of the Competition and prize fulfillment, in the terms set forth above. The collection and processing of personal information may be performed in areas such as the United States, which laws may not ensure the level of data protection applicable in the European Union. The personal information may be transferred to the Sponsor and its subsidiaries (in Spain and other territories such as the United States, which laws may not ensure the level of data protection applicable in the European Union) for purposes of supporting the Sponsor with the administration of the Competition. Personal Information may also be publicly distributed in all media, including, but not limited to, the Internet, in order for the Competition to be properly performed (this is applicable to territories such as the United States which laws may not ensure the level of data protection applicable in the European Union). Any right related to privacy law that may be available to participants (including, but not limited to, right to access, correct, withdraw and object) should be brought before the Sponsor at the abovementioned direction.
By participating in this Competition, each Participant further agrees:
(a) (To the extent permissible by law) assumes sole liability for injuries, including personal injuries and/or damage to property, caused or claimed to be caused by participating in any tournament or acceptance, possession, or use of any award; and
(b) To the extent allowable under applicable law and, in Australia, subject to and without excluding, restricting or modifying any rights or remedies to which the participant may be entitled as a consumer under the consumer guarantee provisions of the Australian Consumer Law in relation to the operation of the Competition and any prize won, to release and hold harmless Sponsor and its agents from any and all liability or any injury, loss, damage, right, claim or action of any kind arising from or in connection with this Competitions or any Competition-related activity or the receipt, possession, use or misuse of any prize won, except for residents of the United Kingdom and France with respect to claims resulting from death or personal injury arising from EA’s negligence and for residents of the United Kingdom with respect to claims resulting from the tort of deceit or any other liabilities that may not be excluded by law;
By participating in this Competition, each participant acknowledges: (1) In regard to the Prize and any other products or services given by Sponsor and its affiliates free of charge, the Sponsor shall only be liable for intent and gross negligence. (2) In all other cases, the Sponsor shall only be liable to cases of intent and gross negligence. In case of slight negligence, however, the Sponsor is only liable for the breach of essential contractual obligations, such as delay or impossibility of performance, which the Sponsor can be made responsible for. The liability in the event of breach of such an essential contractual obligation is limited to the typical contractual damage, whose occurrence could be expected by the Sponsor upon conclusion of the contract on account of the circumstances known at that time. “Essential contractual obligations” as previously stated are those obligations whose fulfillment is essential to enable the proper implementation of the contract and the achievement of its purpose and whose observation you as an end consumer may rely upon. The foregoing limitations of liability shall not apply in the case of explicit guarantees by the Sponsor, in case of malice and injuries to life, body or health as well as in the case of mandatory statutory regulations.
(c) That EA’s decisions will be final and binding on all matters related to this Competition;
For Residents of Austria, Germany Poland, notwithstanding, nothing in these Official Rules shall have the effect to deprive you of the consumer protection rights granted to you by the laws of your residence that cannot be derogated from by agreement.
(e) EA reserves the right to cancel, suspend and/or modify the Competition, or any part of it, if any fraud, technical failures or any other factor impairs the integrity or proper functioning of the Competition, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. If terminated Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, determine the winners from among all non-suspect, eligible entries received up to time of such action using the judging procedure outlined above. Sponsor, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Competition or to be acting in violation of these Official Rules or those of any other Competition or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner and void all associated entries. Any attempt by any person to deliberately undermine the legitimate operation of the Competition may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages and other remedies (including attorneys’ fees) from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.
(f) By accepting any of the prizes, EA has the right to use the below information and any other information provided in the UTC Series in the administration, marketing, and promotion of the UTC Series, without further consent or compensation to you, unless otherwise noted below:
Background info: Full name, country of residency, age, platform, persona (Xbox Live Gamertag or PSN ID), position on monthly leaderboard in the month of qualification
Football fandom info: Favorite professional football club, favorite professional football player, favorite FUT player item
Social Media info: Twitter handle and Twitch account (if applicable)
Photo: A standard set of headshots following the template provided by EA must be submitted by each player
Other Information for Tournament Administration: Shirt size, dietary restrictions, mobile phone number
(g) Participant acknowledges and agrees to EA providing your Account Information (Online ID, age, country, game play stats and scores, and email address) to FIFA and to FIFA using your Account Information for the purposes of administering the event, including but without limitation FIFA contacting Participant by email and/or other means.
(h) The Players acknowledge that giving and taking bribes are illegal. EA reserves the right to disqualify, at their sole discretion, any Participant that is involved with any illegal actions.
Nothing in these Official Rules shall be deemed to exclude or restrict any of the Winner’s or the Entrant’s statutory rights as a consumer.
Winners List.
We will post the names of confirmed winners online one to two weeks after the end of a qualification month at www.futchampions.com. This list will remain posted until at least the end of the 2017 Ultimate Team Championship Series.
COMMERCIAL RIGHTS
All commercial rights (including without limitation any and all marketing and media rights) relating to the Ultimate Team Championship Series belong to EA.
Participant shall not associate themselves with the Ultimate Team Championship Series and/or EA in any commercial manner, nor use any intellectual property rights of EA, nor shall they permit any third parties to do so, without the prior written consent of EA, which may be granted or withheld at EA’s sole discretion.
Any Participant or Participant ad sponsor wishing to carry out or facilitate any promotional or marketing activities with respect to the Ultimate Team Championship Series, including at any Ultimate Team Championship Series tournament venue, will need prior written consent from EA, which may be granted or withheld at EA’s sole discretion.
The recording and dissemination of images or footage of the Ultimate Team Championship Series for commercial purposes by or on behalf of Participant is strictly prohibited.
APPENDIX A: CODE OF CONDUCT
The below Code of Conduct applies to all Players in the Ultimate Team Championship Series at all levels of the competition unless otherwise specified. EA reserves the right to levy penalties, sanction or disqualify any player at its discretion.
PLAYER BEHAVIOR
Players must conduct themselves in a reasonable manner, maintaining a friendly and polite demeanor to spectators, members of the press, EA SPORTS ULTIMATE TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP officials, and to other Players. All players are expected to adhere to the standards of good sportsmanship
Players will refrain from using vulgar or offensive language.
Abusive behavior, including harassment and threats is prohibited.
Physical abuse, fighting or any threatening action or threatening language, directed at any Player, spectator, official or any other person is prohibited.
Damage and/or abuse to game consoles, controllers, or any tournament equipment is prohibited.
Any action that interferes with play of a game, including but not limited to purposely breaking a game station, interfering with power, and abuse of in-game pausing, is prohibited and can result in match forfeiture and/or disqualification from the competition
Gambling, including betting on the outcome of games, is prohibited.
All Players must not disclose any confidential information provided by EA SPORTS or any of its affiliates to any other people or groups of people, including via social media.
No Players may accept any gifts, rewards, or compensation for services that are promised to be rendered in connection with competing in the Ultimate Team Championship Series. The only exception to this rule is for players with sponsors who are paying them based on their performance.
All Players must be available for any post-tournament awards ceremonies, interviews, and the entirety of the live event and any promotional activities reasonably requested by EA. A Player who if having been invited by EA fails to attend such ceremonies shall forfeit the right to any award that may be granted, or the benefit that may accompany such award.
COLLUSION POLICY
Collusion is defined as any agreement among two or more Players to disadvantage other Players in the Competition. Collusion between Players is strictly prohibited. Any Players determined by EA at any phase of the Ultimate Team Championship Series to be engaging in Collusion will be removed from the competition, be forced to return any compensation and prizes they’ve received from Live Events, and will have their FIFA 17 account suspended.
Examples of collusion include, but are not limited to:
Intentionally losing a match for any reason, either during Online Qualification or at Live Events.
Playing on behalf of another competitor, including using a secondary account, to aid them in Online Qualification or Live Events.
Any form of match-fixing.
Soft play, defined as a player not trying their hardest in an attempt to allow an opponent to run up the score and gain a Goal Differential advantage.
Agreeing to split prize money.
Allowing an opponent to score more or less goals than they normally would in order to impact the Goal Differential tiebreaker.
LIVE EVENT DRUG & ALCOHOL POLICY
Player use of alcohol or drugs is prohibited on the premises of, or during the attendance of, Live Events for the duration of the event.
Players must not be under the influence of drugs or alcohol while participating.
Smoking, including the use of eCigarettes and vaporizers, is prohibited at all Live Events except in designated areas.
LIVE EVENT DRESS CODE
Players are required to wear a uniform, either provided by EA or from an approved ad sponsor at Live Events, and all Players shall upon request wear their provided or approved uniform.
Any Player who wishes to wear apparel from an ad sponsor must submit a written request to EA at least two weeks before the Live Event takes place. EA has the right to grant permission or deny these requests at their sole discretion. More details about Player Sponsorship can be found in Player Sponsorship section below.
Players must wear attire appropriate to the circumstances and location at which an event is taking place. This includes any and all events that Players attend in association with the Regional Final or Championship.
Players shall not wear, carry or bear any items of a political nature, or which in EA’s opinion reflect unfavorably upon EA, its partners, or the competition.
Players shall not carry out any promotional activity in connection with the competition unless otherwise approved in writing by EA. Penalties
PENALTIES
Violation of any part of these Official Rules will, at EA’s election, result in (a) sanction(s) and/or (b) loss of winner status. All Players must follow EA’s directions. All decisions and rulings of EA are final and binding. EA reserves the right to sanction any Player in competition at any level, at any time for any reason. Sanctions may include, in no particular order, the following:
Warning
Reprimand
Forfeiture of single match
Forfeiture of all matches
Loss of awards (including prize money and paid travel expenses);
Disqualification from the Ultimate Team Championship Series.
EA also has the right to publically announce penalties that have been levied on Players. Players who have been penalized by EA hereby waive any right of legal action against the Ultimate Team Championship Series and Electronic Arts, and/or any of its affiliates.
PLAYER SPONSORSHIP
Players in the Ultimate Team Championship Series have the ability to acquire ad sponsors. Ad Sponsorship acquisition is limited, however, to exclude certain categories and industries. If the ad sponsor falls under the below limited categories, then the ad sponsorship may not be displayed by the Player in conjunction with or during the Ultimate Team Championship Series. EA has the ability to update the below list at any time. The following is a nonexclusive list of prohibited ad sponsors:
Gambling or gambling websites
Alcohol, Tobacco, and/or Non-“over-the-counter” Drugs
FIFA Ultimate Team Coin promoting or selling websites or companies
Firearms or any type of weapons
Pornographic or adult material
Products or services from direct competitors of EA, its partners, and its other subsidiary brands
Direct competitors of FIFA’s Official Marketing Partners
EA reserves the right to prohibit any third party at their sole discretion.
GAMERTAG/PSN ID
Competitors will be asked to select a unique name to identify themselves for Regional Finals and Champions live events. This name can be the same as their PSN ID or XBL Gamertag, but is not required to be the same. The name must be unique from other competitor names and must not be deemed vulgar by Sponsor and its affiliates