Smash Ultimate Tournament Rules

To register, go to https://www.start.gg/tournament/ithacon-smash-fest/details

Best of 3, until top 8

Loser’s bracket included

  1. Players select their characters. Either player may elect to do Double Blind Character Selection (see section 1.4)
  2. Use Starter Stage Striking to determine the first stage
  3. The players play the first game of the set
  4. Winning player of the preceding game bans 2 stages (see 2.3.2). The losing player of the preceding game picks a stage for the next game, adhering to Stage Clause (see 2.3.3) and bans.
  5. The winning player of the preceding game must announce their character selection for the next game.
  6. The losing player of the preceding game must announce their character selection for the next game.
  7. The next game is played.
  8. Repeat Steps 4 through 8 for all subsequent games until the set is complete.

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/terms of a set. If this is violated, both players will be subject to complete disqualification from the event.

Double Blind Character Selection

Either player may request that a double blind selection occur. In this situation, players announce their character selection through using their smartphones.

Stage Striking

Player one is determined by a best of 1 game of RPS or a coin toss. Stages are stuck in a P1-P2-P2-P1 order.

Pausing and the Home Button

Pause setting is to be set to off. If it is not and a pause happens, the player who pauses takes a loss for that game.

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 play-off game applies (see 1.8).

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..

Character Color/Team Color Selection

If there is a dispute in character colors or team colors (e.g. both players want to use green Fox), Players should RPS or coin toss to decide who gets first pick.

Tardiness

Anyone who is not present for their set by 10 minutes past the scheduled start time is subject to a total disqualification from the event.

Collusion

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

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 section 2.1. 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.

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.

Final Rulings

If any unforeseen situations occur, 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

Stage List

Starter Stages Counterpick Stages
  • Battlefield*
  • Final Destination*
  • Small Battlefield
  • Pokémon Stadium 2
  • Smashville
  • Town & City
  • Hollow Bastion

* The only acceptable alternative forms of Battlefield and Final Destination (chosen through the Omega/BF Form option on stage select) are versions of the 7 stage choices above.

Additional Rules

Starter Stage Striking

See section 1.5 for details on choosing who strikes first. Players may strike from the legal stages (each person strikes stages in a P1-P2-P2-P1 format) to determine the starting stage for the first game. If Battlefield or Final Destination is chosen, either player may require that it be played on an acceptable alternative form. If there is a dispute about what form to play it on, you must select the default version of the stage.

Counterpick Stage Banning

After each game of the set, before counter-picking, the player who won the previous game may ban two stages from the full stage list. These bans do not persist throughout the set. The loser of the previous game then chooses from the remaining stages. If Final Destination or Battlefield is chosen as a counterpick, a variant may be chosen by the loser of the previous game, following the list of banned variants listed in 2.1.

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 tournament staff for resolution.

Mii Fighter Clause

Mii Fighters must use their default costumes (though players may select any color for their Mii in accordance 1.10) and must use a Guest Mii. Any player who intends to use a Mii during a set must declare they are creating Mii Fighters before the set. Mii Fighters should be named after the combination of special moves chosen, 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, and revealed to the opponent.

Patch

We will use whatever patch is currently live.

Last updated March 30, 2023