• These regulations govern all Monkey League matches and are enacted/enforced by the organizer and a team of volunteer judges.
    Updated: November 16, 2021

    Equipment:
    1. Puzzle: 3x3x3 Cube adherent to WCA Regulations Article 3. Competitors must have an additional cube for every mis-scramble.
    2. Cube Cover: An opaque box with an open side to cover the cube during scramble-checking and before inspection. Example: hard box cube packaging.
    3. Timer: StackMat Gen4, StackMat Gen5, or GAN Smart Timer (with bluetooth disabled). Batteries should be charged and precautions should be taken to avoid resets and malfunctions.
    4. Inspection Timer (optional): A device that can be used to self-time inspection. Examples: Smartphone or computer.
    5. Display: SpeedStacks Tournament Display or CSTimer display of 3.5mm output.
    6. Lighting: Competitors must be well lit. The cube must be clearly visible and colors must be distinguishable. Use appropriate lighting to supplement ambient light if necessary. Make sure camera exposure settings are ok.
    7. Live Camera: any decent quality camera that can be used in VDO.ninja. Examples: Webcam, Smartphone (using built-in camera in phone browser), GoPro (using HDMI capture card).
    8. Recording Camera (Masters and Championship Only): High Quality (1080p 60fps) camera with view of table up to above head. Examples: GoPro, iPhone, Mirrorless camera.

    Format:
    1. Each match will consist of sets of 3-5 counted solves. Competitors will alternate starting solves within a set and alternate starting sets. On each solve, the competitor with the faster time gets 1 solve point. The first competitor to get 3 solve points wins the set. Ties (0.01 accuracy) are not worth points and will result in a resolve.
    2. In a bo5 (best out of 5) match, the first to win 3 sets wins the match. In a bo7, the first to win 4 sets wins the match. In a bo9 the first to win 5 sets wins the match.
    3. Challengers:
      1. Round Robin - everyone faces everyone once.
      2. Matches are bo5 sets.
    4. Masters:
      1. Round Robin - everyone faces everyone once.
      2. Matches are bo5 sets.
    5. Championship:
      1. Top 3 of Masters in a Ladder Tournament.
      2. Seeded by total match wins with the following tiebreaks:
        1. Total set wins
        2. If 2 competitors are tied: head-to-head match result.
        3. If 3 or more competitors are tied, the tiebreaks are:
          1. Total wins against the tied group
          2. Total set wins against the tied group
          3. Season median
          4. Best match median
          5. Best single
      3. 2nd seed vs 3rd seed in Finals Playoff (bo7 sets)
      4. Winner of Finals Playoff vs 1st Seed in Grand Final (bo9 sets) 

    Procedure:
    1. During Round-Robin the competitor with the better match median in the previous round chooses who starts the first set. If it is the first round, a coin-flip will determine who chooses the starting order.
    2. During Championship, the competitor with the better seed (lower number) chooses who starts the first set.
    3. Judges will inform competitors when a “new scramble is posted”.
    4. Competitors scramble their puzzle according to the scramble provided to them.
      1. When the puzzle has been scrambled, the competitor must place their cube inside the cube cover with the open face pointing towards the judge’s camera.
      2. The judge must confirm the scramble by saying “correct”. If the scramble is not correct, the judge will say “mis-scramble”.
      3. In case of a mis-scramble, the competitor must use another cube to re-attempt the scramble. They must have an additional cube for every mis-scramble. They may only solve the mis-scrambled cube after they have completed the solve for that round or the round is over.
    5. After the scramble has been confirmed, the competitor must fully cover the cube with their cube cover.
    6. The competitor will receive a “15 second warning” to start their inspection. The competitor will receive a “3 second warning” if they have not started after 12 seconds. The competitor must not start inspection until they have received a "15 second warning".
    7. The competitor will remove the cover once they are ready to begin inspection.
      1. Competitors may choose to time their own inspection, receive inspection warnings from a judge, or receive no warnings.
      2. Maximum inspection time is 15 seconds. Standard judge callouts are at "8 seconds" and "12 seconds".
      3. The competitor is responsible for starting their solve before inspection time is over.
    8. WCA Regulations apply for solving and penalties. (timer start/stop, +2 and DNF rules, etc.)
      1. If the Judge cannot clearly see the entire cube (to check for penalties) after the solve is completed, the competitor must take a picture and show the judge without touching the cube.
      2. The competitor must not touch the cube or reset the timer until the judge has correctly recorded the result.
      3. If a timer display is not working/not used, the competitor must immediately verbally announce their time at the conclusion of their solve, and show the stackmat timer display to the judge’s camera for validation.
    9. Competitors will have a 2 minute break between every set. Each competitor gets one 5 minute timeout. Competitors must signal to their judge if they are taking a timeout by saying “timeout” or typing an equivalent message in room chat.
      1. A timeout starts once both solves of a scramble are completed and recorded.
      2. The competitor must call the timeout prior to the completion of the round or before the generation of a new scramble.

    Malfunctions:
    1. A technical malfunction during an attempt that keeps the judges from seeing and or verifying the legitimacy of an attempt will call for both competitors to do a “resolve” on an extra scramble. Any solve done during the malfunction round will not count.
    2. If a malfunction does occur but the judge is still able to confirm the legitimacy of the time. The solve is recorded as normal.
    3. If a timer resets or powers off during a solve, it is deemed a “resolve” for both competitors.
    4. If the display shows a number below 0.1 on starting or the judge perceives an unintentional malfunction, it is deemed a “resolve” for both competitors.
    5. In any case not specifically covered in the regulations, the competitors can agree to a "resolve" for both competitors.
    Fair Play:

    If a judge notices an attempt to intentionally malfunction the timer, the competitor fails to follow the regulations or otherwise demonstrates bad faith during competition, the issue will be resolved by the judging team and appropriate action will be taken. Intentional malfunction is considered “sabotage” and will likely result in a temporary ban from Monkey League.