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Event Rules

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Tournament Official Rules

Reminder Attendees are required to bring their own controllers

Set Length

  • All tournament sets will be “best of three” games, until the Top 16 at which point tournament sets will be best of 5 games. Rules below do not change between these two set formats.

Character/Stage Pick Procedure Stages (No Counterpicks):

  • Battlefield
  • Small Battlefield
  • Final Destination
  • Pokèmon Stadium 2
  • Kalos Pokèmon League
  • Smashville
  • Town and City
  • Hollow Bastion

Start of set:

  • Both players will declare their characters before stage banning takes place. If a double-blind pick is required, please seek assistance from a TO or Bracket Manager.
  • Players play Rock, Paper, Scissors (RPS) to determine who bans the first stages.
  • RPS winner bans 2 stages.
  • Other player then bans 4 stages.
  • RPS winner then picks from the remaining 2 stages.

Game 2 onward:

  • Winner of Game 1 declares their character; the other player then does the same.
  • Winner of Game 1 bans 2 stages.
  • Other player picks from the remaining 6 stages. (NOTE: MDSR IS IN EFFECT)*

*Modified Dave's Stupid Rule (MDSR) prevents a player from picking the last stage they won on.Modified DSR (Dave’s Stupid Rule) is turned on. (This means that players are not allowed to counterpick to the most recent stage that they won on).

Stage Agreement Clause

  • Players may select any LEGAL stage if they both agree on it. Players may not play on illegal stages or change the length of a set. If this is violated, both players will be subject to complete disqualification from the event.

Stalling

  • Stalling by intentionally making the game unplayable or delaying the play of a set is banned, and this will be judged at the discretion of tournament staff. Stalling will result in a forfeit of the game for the player that initiated the action.

Self-Destruct Moves

  • If a game ends with a self-destruct move, the results screen will determine the winner. If a sudden death occurs, a standard sudden death playoff game applies.

Sudden Death

  • If a game goes to Sudden Death, the winner is determined by stocks and percentage at the time the game ends. If both players are tied in stocks, the player with the lower percentage is the winner. In the event of a percentage tie, or a game in which both players lose their last stock simultaneously, a 1 stock tiebreaker will be played with a 3 minute time limit. The results of an in-game 300% Sudden Death do not count. If Sudden Death occurs in a Sudden Death game, this process is repeated.

Alting/Smurfing

  • Players will be immediately disqualified from the tournament if they are found using an alternate tag(s) and/or hiding your identity to manipulate the brackets/seeding. The only exception to this rule is if the player notifies a Tournament Organizer prior to the registration end date.

Disqualification Timers

  • The first round of a phase (Pools, Top 64, Top 8) will have a 10 minute automatic disqualification timer. All subsequent rounds, including loser’s bracket, will have 5 minute automatic timers.
  • Players are expected to report to their matches on time and automatic disqualifications will be enforced save for special circumstances (Up to TO discretion).

Collusion

  • Players suspected of colluding may be immediately disqualified from the tournament. This includes intentionally throwing a game, splitting a payout/prizes(s), or committing any other form of bracket manipulation. The TO reserves the right to deny payout of event winnings/prize(s) to any player suspected of colluding.

Competitive Integrity

  • In all competitions there should be a fair playing field for all players.
  • Every encounter, whether a ladder match or other competition, must be played according to the rules until it is complete and the result on the result sheet is completed. Any encounter that did not take place, should be deleted. Matches will be opened only by admins to delete exceptions. Matches that did not take place will be considered fake matches and will be punished.
  • It is not allowed for participants to bet on matches in their own competition. Betting against yourself (or in team leagues: against your own team) will get you (or in team leagues: your team) disqualified and the betting player(s) banned.
  • Organizers reserve the right to withhold payout/prize(s) if any of these are violated.

Misinterpretation/Misconfiguration

  • Games or sets are not to be replayed due to a misinterpretation of the rules or misconfiguration of game settings, excluding player-specific settings. Game settings should be configured according to WTX It is the players’ responsibility to ask the TO for any clarification of the rule set in the event of a disagreement, and the outcome of a game or set will not be changed after the fact unless under extreme circumstances. Judgment is reserved for tournament staff discretion.
  • In the event players begin a game with misconfigured player-specific controls (controller settings, etc), players may not back out of a game to correct their settings once ten seconds have passed. After this time limit has passed, players must use their misconfigured settings, subject to tournament staff discretion.

Force Majeure Clause

  • In the event of a game being interrupted by external, impartial conditions (e.g. power gets cut, safety concerns arise, LAN cable is disconnected, etc) the player at fault for the disconnection will forfeit the game and it will be considered a loss. If play cannot be quickly re-established, the set will also be forfeit. It is the player’s responsibility to ensure they are playing in a stable environment.

Final Rulings

  • If any unforeseen situations occur, the judgment of tournament staff is final. Rules may be altered between phases of a tournament in the best interests of the event. (Example: A game-breaking glitch is discovered on a stage mid-tournament that could be exploited. The stage may need to be removed from legal play for the remainder of the event.)

Game Rules Game Settings

  • Stock and time are set to 3 stock and 7 minutes Final Smash Meter: Off Spirits: Off Damage Handicap: Off Stage Selection: Anyone Items: Off and None First to: 1 Win Stage Morph: Off Stage Hazards: Off Launch Rate: 1.0x Underdog Boost: Off Pausing: Off Score Display: Off % Show Damage: Yes Custom Balance: Off Mii Fighters: All moveset combinations are legal Stage List

Additional Rules Glitch Clause

  • If anything occurs within any game that results in unforeseen consequences (e.g. characters become invisible, sudden teleportation occurs, characters become affixed to other bodies, etc), gameplay should continue uninterrupted unless the change renders the game unplayable for one or more players. In this situation, players should inform their pool captain or tournament staff for resolution.

Mii Fighter Clause

  • Any player who intends to use a Mii during a set must declare so before the set. Players are required to inform their opponent of their chosen Mii’s moveset, listed in the format “XXXX.” Any combination of moves may be used, but any movesets that any player may want to use during a set must be created before the set begins. If a move outside of the proposed moveset is used, it is the responsibility of the opponent to immediately end the game and save the replay, then inform a tournament organizer of the situation.

Patch

  • This Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament will use whichever patch is currently live when the tournament takes place.
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Tournament Rules

Code of Conduct

We have a zero tolerance policy toward violence, threats of violence, intimidation, inappropriate contact, harassment (sexual or otherwise), derogatory language, and other forms of personal misconduct. Any incident or threat of violence, harassment, aggressive intimidation, or inappropriate contact of any kind will result in a minimum 1-event to lifetime attendance ban.

Alcohol, Smoking, and Vaping are prohibited inside of the venue. If you are possession of it inside the venue we will ask you to please exit the venue to dispose of it. Multiple warnings may lead to a ban from the event and will not be given a refund.

When in a set with your opponent or watching a set as a spectator. You are not allowed to disturb or make distracting motions towards your opponent. General cheering and clapping are acceptable, however anything that is beyond the realm of general excitement is prohibited and may result in your DQ or asked to leave the venue. Please cheer responsibly.

TL;DR Don't be a jerk, be nice and have fun

There is a maximum of 60 seconds allowed between games in a set.

Terminology

Round - A round is a unit of measurement that exists within games for certain titles. In general, players need to win a certain number of rounds in order to be declared the winner of the game.

Game - A game is a single head-to-head competition between 2 players, ending with a special win screen for the victorious player. There are multiple games in a set.

Set - A set is a match between two competitors in the tournament. The two competitors play each other in a series of games until a winner is determined.

Controllers

Controllers must be plugged in, regardless if they offer wireless or not. In the event your playing on a console instead of a PC, you MUST desync your controller before leaving the station. Failure to do so might result in a round loss or DQ.

Turbo and program (macro) functions in all controllers are banned. In-game macros are allowed (Dash button in Guilty Gear: Strive is acceptable, a macro doing two forward inputs is not). If you are caught using them you will be disqualified for cheating. You are only allowed to have one button per input. You cannot have two L1 buttons for example. If your found to have it in your controller, your controller will be DQ'ed and you must play with another controller.

SOCD Cleaning

All controllers must be set to Neutral SOCD Cleaning (Left + Right = Neutral, Up + Down = Neutral). This applies to ALL games hosted through FGL Events and West Texas Throwdown 2025. Controllers like the DualShock 4 and DualSense (commonly know as Pads) are exceptions to the rule. However if the game is qualified under a qualifier or Official Sanctioned Event (Tekkken World Tour, Capcom Pro Tour, etc.) at West Texas Throwdown 2025, you MUST follow their ruleset instead.

Bugs and Glitches

Intentionally triggering a bug or glitch that stops the game from being played counts as a loss for the triggering player. Discovering a bug or glitch in tournament does not count as a loss.

Special Tournament Rules

Pausing a match will result in a game loss on the player who paused. If you wish for a button check round, you MUST consult with your opponent before the round starts. A game loss won't be issued unless a player has taken damage before the request of a button check. By that point, the offending player who wishes to pause the match and check their button will receive that loss. If you believe there is something wrong with the setup you are playing on, please grab the nearest T.O. to have them assist you.

Any event taking place at "West Texas Throwdown 2025" that has 5 or less players will be converted to a round robin. It will result into a Winner take all payout as well. Any events that have no signups/attendees present at the time of starting will be delayed up to 15 minutes to 35 minutes. Afterwards all attendees of said event, who paid, will be refunded of their game entry and the game will be cancelled at the event. Thank you for understanding.