ESL change controversial rule to allow play in Major qualifiers and EPL with different teams *

A rule that seems to indirectly police rosters in non-ESL tournaments has come under fire.

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Update 18:40 : ESL changes rulebook to allow players to participate in RMR qualifiers and EPL with different teams

ESL has adjusted the rulebook to address the issue and allow players to represent two different teams in the RMR qualifiers and EPL. The following clause has been added:

"ESL considers contracts or agreements between players and teams to commence two (2) days before their first tournament match (notwithstanding any actual contracts)."

This means players will be able to represent two different teams at tournaments as long as their last and first matches are at least two days apart. For example, agreements of teams playing in Group A of ESL Pro League begin on February 20 according to the new rule — the day after most of the RMR closed qualifiers finish. Previously, this date was set for February 8, the time of the EPL roster submission deadline, for all 32 teams playing in EPL.

Other rules and limitations still govern changes between teams within the ESL Pro Tour circuit.

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Over the course of the past few hours, ESL has come under fire over a rule which apparently prevents a player from participating in qualifiers for the BLAST.tv Paris Major and being registered as a player for a different team in the upcoming ESL Pro League Season 17 at the same time.

Prodigy Agency CEO Jérôme Coupez took to Twitter to alert players who wish to be listed as a substitute at ESL Pro League that they cannot participate in both as part of two different teams: "It seems you can't participate in the RMR open qualifiers (even as a mix) or you won't be able to stay registered in the EPL," he said.

In the official rulebook for ESL Pro Tour tournaments, section 2.2.2 of the CSGO Roster Restrictions document named 'Multiple contracts' states:

"For a player competing in ESL Pro Tour CS:GO competitions to have a contract or agreement to compete in professional tournaments [...] and their qualifiers with 2 or more teams is strictly forbidden, may it be written or oral."

The rule affects even players without a legal contract tying them to an organization. It is enough for a player to participate in a tournament with a mix team to be considered to have "an agreement to compete in professional tournaments" and to be forbidden from being registered in an EPT competition with a different team, as a paragraph of the same section outlines:

"ESL defines an agreement as 5 or more players competing together. For example, signing up to and playing in a professional competition’s qualifier with a group of friends."

The rule also indirectly polices rosters in non-ESL tournaments, as players competing in non-ESL tournaments are devoid of an opportunity to be registered with other teams in ESL Pro League or other ESL Pro Tour competitions.

It seems to confirm Mr. Coupez's assessment that if a player participates in the upcoming qualifiers for the Regional Major Ranking tournaments hosted by BLAST, they cannot be registered (to follow the rulebook's wording, to have an agreement) with a different team in ESL Pro League, which only coincides with the Middle Eastern closed qualifier for the Asia RMR.

In a now-deleted response, SVP of Game Ecosystems at the ESL FACEIT Group Ulrich Schulze originally said, "I don't see why EPL has any impact on a BLAST RMR qualifier but happy to hear about why that would be the case."

Later on, Schulze explained why he deleted the comment by saying, "it just means we are looking into the rule and its application now," suggesting a change of said rule might be on the horizon.

ESL's rulebook states teams have until 14 days before the first match of a tournament to submit their rosters, which means the deadline for ESL Pro League Season 17 falls on February 8. Qualifiers for the BLAST.tv Paris Major begin on February 13.