CDL RULES

LEVEL UP RULES

These rules exist to:

Protect competitive integrity

Ensure fair play

Maintain professionalism

Create a consistent competitive experience for all participants

All players, teams, substitutes, coaches, and staff members participating in any Level Up ZA event are expected to understand and follow these rules at all times.

Participation in any Level Up ZA competition automatically confirms acceptance of this ruleset and any decisions made by league administration.

League administration reserves the right to revise, clarify, or enforce rules whenever necessary to protect the integrity of the competition.

COMPETITION FORMAT

Series Format

All official matches will be played as a Best of 5 (BO5) series.

The first team to secure three map wins will win the series.

Match Order

Game 1 — Hardpoint

Game 2 — Search & Destroy

Game 3 — Overload

Game 4 — Hardpoint

Game 5 — Search & Destroy

Tournament Structure

This event will operate under a Swiss format leading into a Single Elimination bracket.

Teams will compete through the Swiss stage to determine qualification for the playoff bracket.

Teams will be matched against opponents with similar records throughout the Swiss stage.

The top-performing teams from the Swiss stage will advance to the Single Elimination playoff bracket.

Seeding

No seeding will be used.

All teams will enter the competition on equal footing, with Swiss round pairings determined by tournament records and administration procedures.

OFFICIAL CDL SETTINGS, RESTRICTIONS & GAs

Level Up ZA competitions will operate using:

Official CDL Competitive Settings

Official CDL Restricted Items

Community-agreed Gentleman’s Agreements (GAs)

unless otherwise stated by league administration.

All players are individually responsible for ensuring:

Their loadouts are compliant

Restricted items are not equipped

GA-restricted items are not used

Their settings follow current competitive standards

Level Up ZA reserves the right to adopt updated CDL rules, restrictions, and GAs during the season where necessary to maintain competitive integrity and align with the active competitive scene.

PLAYER ELIGIBILITY & TEAM REGISTRATION

Player Registration

All players must register using their correct Activision ID and gamertag.

False information, alternate accounts, or competing under another player’s identity is prohibited.

Players may only compete on their own registered account.

The following is not permitted:

Account sharing

Smurf accounts

Boosting services

Competing for multiple teams

Roster Management

Teams are responsible for maintaining a complete and accurate roster throughout the season.

Once a roster has been submitted and approved:

Players may not freely move between teams

Emergency substitutes require admin approval

Unregistered players may not compete under any circumstance

Teams may not rotate players to gain competitive advantage

Any attempt to:

Circumvent roster rules

Use alternate accounts

Use unapproved substitutes

Manipulate team rosters

Hide player identity

Borrow players from other teams

may result in:

Immediate match forfeits

Removal of players from the roster

Team disqualification

Suspension from future events

Repeated roster violations or deliberate abuse of the system may result in permanent bans from Level Up ZA competitions.

Name Changes

Players wanting to change their gamertag during the season

must contact league admins for written approval prior to competing again.

If this is not respected, the player will be disqualified.

TEAM MANAGEMENT & RESPONSIBILITIES

Team captains are expected to:

Organise match times

Communicate with opposing teams

Confirm match readiness

Report final scores

Ensure their players follow league rules

Scheduling

Teams should make every reasonable effort to complete matches within the designated match window.

Failure to cooperate with scheduling may result in admin intervention or forfeits.

Match Readiness

Teams should be ready 15 Minutes before the scheduled start time with:

Full roster availability

Correct game settings

Approved players only

Repeated delays may result in penalties.

COMMUNITY STANDARDS & PLAYER BEHAVIOUR

Level Up ZA aims to maintain a competitive environment that is welcoming, respectful, and community-focused.

Unacceptable Behaviour

The following behaviour is prohibited:

Harassment or intimidation

Hate speech or discriminatory language

Racism, sexism, or targeted abuse

Excessive toxicity

Threats toward players or staff

Sharing NSFW or illegal material

Spam or disruptive behaviour

Impersonation of league staff or players

Poor Competitive Sportsmanship

Players are expected to:

Respect opponents and admins

Compete honestly

Follow admin instructions

Avoid behaviour that damages the league environment

Unsportsmanlike conduct may lead to warnings, suspensions, forfeits, or bans.

CHEATING, EXPLOITS & COMPETITIVE INTEGRITY

Any action that provides an unfair competitive advantage is strictly prohibited.

Prohibited Software & Devices

This includes but is not limited to:

Aimbots

Wallhacks

Scripts or macros

Cronus devices

XIM adapters

Unlock tools

External cheat software

Modded controllers

Third-party exploit tools

Exploit Abuse

Glitches

Broken mechanics

Out-of-bounds areas

Unintended game interactions

Competitive Integrity

League administration reserves the right to investigate any team, player, or roster where suspicious activity, account sharing, smurfing, or rule circumvention is suspected.

Failure to cooperate with an investigation may result in immediate removal from the competition.

Investigations

League administration may:

Review gameplay footage

Request evidence

Conduct competitive integrity investigations

Request additional verification if suspicious activity is detected

Refusal to cooperate with an investigation may result in immediate disqualification.

MATCH OPERATIONS

Before the Match

Teams must verify rosters

Captains should confirm veto's

Teams must confirm correct sides

Players should verify legal classes and settings

During the Match

Only authorised players may participate

Deliberate stalling is prohibited

Admin instructions must be followed immediately

Matches should proceed without unnecessary interruption

After the match:

Final scores must be reported

Evidence should be retained until results are confirmed

Any disputes must be submitted within the protest deadline

MAP VETO, HOSTING & SIDE SELECTION

Team Assignment

The higher-seeded team must choose whether they will act as Team A or Team B before the veto process begins.

VETO PROCESS

All map vetoes, map selections, and side selections will be conducted through the official Level Up ZA veto platform:
VETO SYSTEM TO BE CONFIRMED

Teams are responsible for completing the veto process within the allocated time and must follow the results generated by the veto system.

Failure to complete vetoes on time may result in administrative intervention.

MAP POOL CHANGES

The active map pool may be updated during the season if:

Official CDL map rotations change

Maps are removed from competitive play

Competitive balancing requires adjustments

Critical gameplay issues are identified

Any map pool updates will be communicated officially

by league administration before taking effect.

DISCONNECTION POLICY

Early Match Restarts

Hardpoint

If a player disconnects before the first 30 seconds, or before the first kill of the map (whichever occurs first), the map can be restarted.

Search & Destroy

If a player disconnects before the first 30 seconds, or before the first kill of the map (whichever occurs first), the map can be restarted.

Overload

If a player disconnects before the first 30 seconds, or before the first kill of the map (whichever occurs first), the map can be restarted.

Disconnect Rules

If a player disconnects at a later stage, the current round must be completed.

After the round is completed, the map can be ended and then continued from the score at which it ended.

Rejoining

In all game modes, players may rejoin the lobby if they disconnect.

Repeated abuse of connectivity issues, disconnections, or related excuses may result in penalties.

PROTESTS & RULE DISPUTES

Reporting Violations

All reports must:

Include supporting evidence

Be submitted within the protest window

Clearly explain the issue being reported

Evidence

Accepted evidence may include:

Video clips

Screenshots

Stream footage

Match recordings

Edited or misleading evidence may result in penalties.

Admin Decisions

League administration will review all available evidence before issuing a final ruling.

All final rulings made by league administration are binding.

PENALTIES & DISCIPLINARY ACTION

Depending on severity, violations may result in:

Verbal warnings

Official warnings

Map penalties

Match forfeits

Suspensions

Tournament disqualification

Permanent bans

Severe cheating or repeated misconduct may result in removal from future Level Up ZA competitions.

FINAL AUTHORITY

Note - these are not guidelines, this is a competitive ruleset

and competition structure. Rules and protocols must be followed.

Level Up ZA reserves the right to:

Interpret these rules

Issue rulings on undefined situations

Modify league procedures where necessary

Protect the integrity of the competition

Any situation not specifically covered within this ruleset

will be handled at the discretion of league administration.

GA'S

MPC

(MPC) ALL Muzzles - Banned

(MPC) MUST RUN 13.1” RAZORBACK BARREL 

(MPC) VAS Convergence Under Barrel - Banned

(MPC) Flowguard Foregrip - Banned

(MPC) Quickdraw Rear Grip - Banned

(MPC) 25 Round Fast Mag - Banned 

M15

(M15) All Muzzles

(M15) 16" Damage Barrel - Banned

(M15) ONLY IRONHOLD ANGLED GRIP, EAM STEADY GRIP, QUICKSTEP FOREGRIP UNDERBARRELS ALLOWED

(M15) Lasers - Banned

(M15) Rapid Fire - Banned

SNIPER

All attachments banned (Only VS Recon allowed 1 on SND only)

PISTOL

All attachments banned (Only the Jäger 45 allowed)

PERKS ALLOWED

Ninja

Fast Hands

Tac Mask

Flak Jacket

Dexterity 

Lightweight

CANT RUN TAC MASK AND FLAK JACKET TOGETHER - Banned

OVERCLOCKS

All overclocks banned on equipment

Smokes banned On Hardpoint and Overload 1 Allowed on SND

Max 2 Trophy Systems per team Ammo boxes not allowed to be used 1 Mute field allowed