❓ Frequently Asked Questions

MRL is a competitive 5v5 Rematch esports league with a structured season format including showcases, a player draft, regular season matches, an All-Star event, and playoffs — all with a real money prize pool.

Sign-ups open immediately after the previous season's playoffs. Join the MRL Discord server and follow the registration instructions posted there. You'll need to provide your in-game username and platform ID.

The entry fee is $15.00 for both players and managers/GMs. Payment is processed through Square and must be completed before the draft. All fees are non-refundable.

The draft uses a snake draft format with 5 rounds per tier. Draft order is determined by a wheel spin/lottery. Before the draft, you'll play in a Showcase (minimum 3 games) where managers evaluate your skills.

Every registered and eligible player gets drafted — no one is left without a team.

Each organization runs three connected teams across three competitive tiers:

• Pro Tier — Top-level competition with the largest share of the prize pool.
• Academy Tier — Mid-level competition focused on developing talent for Pro.
• Development Tier — Entry-level tier for newer or developing players.

Players can be promoted or demoted between tiers during the season, subject to ELO eligibility limits and Salary Cap rules.

Each match consists of 3 individual games (not a best-of-3). All 3 games count separately toward standings. Games are 5v5 with a 6-minute duration, infinite overtime, and no mercy rule.

Once the goalkeeper releases the ball, the team has 30 seconds to initiate an offensive play. Additionally, a team may NOT have 4 defenders in the penalty box simultaneously (except during the final 30 seconds of regulation). Violation = game DQ.

Each team gets ONE restart per match. If the disconnect happens within the first minute, a full restart is allowed. After the first minute, the game must be restarted with the correct score and remaining time. Both the original and restarted game must be screenshotted.

Match dates are set at the start of each season. Managers coordinate exact times using the /schedule command in Discord. Times must be confirmed by 7:00 PM EST on match day. If no agreement is reached, the default start time is 10:00 PM EST.

Each tier has its own Salary Cap based on player Final Elo ratings. The five players fielded for any match must have a combined Elo less than or equal to that tier's cap. The cap is set to the highest Top-5 team total after the draft. Exceeding the cap = invalid lineup and potential forfeit.

The regular season runs approximately 2–3 weeks, followed by an All-Star event and then playoffs. The full cycle from sign-ups to offseason typically takes about 4–5 weeks.

The top 8 teams in each tier qualify. Playoffs are single-elimination with reseeding — highest seed always faces the lowest remaining seed. All series are Best-of-7 (first to 4 wins). Teams with 3+ forfeits are disqualified.

Tiebreakers are applied in this order:

• 1. Head-to-Head Record
• 2. Goal Differential
• 3. Total Goals Scored
• 4. Fewest Forfeits
• 5. Golden Goal Tiebreaker Match

Yes. Trades can be negotiated at any time but are only officially processed on Transaction Days (Mondays and Thursdays). The trade deadline is the halfway point of the regular season — all rosters are frozen after that through playoffs.

Yes, through the Promotion & Demotion system. Teams can promote or demote players during the regular season if ELO eligibility and Salary Cap rules are met. Players above 800 ELO can't be demoted to Academy, and above 600 ELO can't go to Development. Tier movement locks before playoffs.

Teams must field 5 eligible players within 10 minutes of the lobby code being posted. Failure to do so results in a forfeit. Teams are allowed a maximum of 3 forfeits before being disqualified from playoffs.

MRL uses a disciplinary card system:

• 🟨 Yellow Card — Warning for minor infractions (spamming, light toxicity)
• 🟥 Red Card — Suspension for next match (3 games). triggered by 2 Yellow Cards
• 3 Red Cards in a season = suspended for the remainder of the season

A forfeit occurs when a team can't field 5 eligible players within the 10-minute grace period, uses un-rostered/ineligible players, or fails to submit required screenshots. The non-offending team gets +1 goal scored per forfeited game (no individual stats credited).

It depends on the severity:

• 1-match suspension: Sit it out or pay a $10 fee
• 2-match suspension: Serve it or pay $20 total
• Season suspension: May request reinstatement next season ($50 fee)

The current prize pool is $2,500+ (varies by total players). 70% goes to player winnings across tiers, 30% is retained for league operations. Pro Tier gets the largest share (49% of total), Academy gets 14%, and Development gets 7% + 5 free entries next season.

Awards at the end of each season include:

• 🏆 MVP
• ⭐ Rookie of the Season
• 📈 Most Improved Player
• ⚡ Clutch Player of the Season
• 🛡️ Defensive Player of the Season
• 🧤 Golden Glove & 👟 Golden Boot
• 📋 Manager of the Season
• 💪 Ironman Award & more

Winners receive exclusive Discord roles. Selection is based on stats, staff evaluation, and community input.