Ranked Bridge Rulebook

Version 1.1.1 | Last Updated: 2026-01-28 | Effective: 2026-01-28

Welcome to Ranked Bridge

Welcome to Ranked Bridge! Please review the following rules to ensure a positive and respectful experience for everyone.

Role Expectations:

All roles are expected to act professionally, avoid abuse, and be open to feedback.

Chat & Voice Rules

These rules apply to all public and private channels, including voice chats and in some cases, DMs involving server members.

Zero Tolerance for Discrimination:

• Absolutely no racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, xenophobia, or other forms of hate speech.
  • This includes the use of hate symbols and the denial of historical mass atrocities.
  • We define hate speech to include any expression that degrades, vilifies, or dehumanizes individuals, incites intense feelings of hostility towards defined groups, or promotes harm based on protected characteristics. These characteristics may include but are not limited to age, caste, color, disability, ethnicity, family responsibilities, gender, gender identity, housing status, national origin, race, refugee or immigration status, religious affiliation, serious illness, sex, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class and status, source of income, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual violence, or stalking, as well as weight and size.
• This includes direct slurs, coded slurs, disguised language (e.g., leetspeak or numerical substitutions) and inappropriate emojis, profile pictures, bios, and Discord statuses.
• Users who attempt to bypass filters (e.g. by sending slurs inside an image/video) will still be punished.
• We recognize that context matters. Limited exceptions may be made for the use of clearly educational or documentary content, or unmistakable satire, provided the intent is plainly evident and non-malicious.
• Plausible deniability (e.g., "it was a joke") is not a valid defense; users cannot retroactively claim ironic or humorous intent to excuse discriminatory behavior.
• Reclaimed slurs and similar terms are not permitted on this server, even if used by members of the affected group.

Avoid Inflammatory Topics:

• Political, religious, or ideologically charged discussions are prohibited.
• Includes inflammatory jokes, debates, hot takes, or baiting others into arguments.

This rule exists to maintain a neutral, inclusive space and avoid unnecessary conflict.

No Harassment or Threats:

• Includes direct harassment, stalking, manipulation, targeted bullying, or threats of violence.
• Threats involving doxxing, swatting, blackmail, suicide, or rape will result in immediate bans.
• Plausible deniability will not be accepted.
• Harassment in DMs may be punished on a case-by-case basis.

Keep Chats Clean:

• No spam (text, image, GIF, emoji, or command spam).
• No NSFW or shock content, even as jokes.
• No links that redirect to malware, IP grabbers, scams, or suspicious sites.
• Inappropriate usernames or profile pictures will be flagged and must be changed immediately. Until the content is corrected, Staff may apply temporary punishments or even permanent bans as necessary to maintain community standards.

Use Voice Responsibly:

• No mic spam, excessive noise, yelling, or disruptive behavior.
• Soundboards, voice changers, and music bots are not allowed during ranked games or events. Abuse of these features in any voice channel may be punishable.

No Self-Promotion:

• Do not advertise Discord servers, Twitch streams, YouTube videos, or anything else in non-designated channels unless given permission by staff.
• Self-promotion may include but is not limited to sneak promotions (e.g., dropping links casually, suggesting "check out my content").

Discord Rules

Safety and Compliance:

• Follow Discord ToS and Community Guidelines.
  • All users must be 13+ and meet the legal age for digital use in their country (Age requirements | Discord ToS)

Server Rules:

• Don’t abuse permissions, authority, or tools granted to you
• Do not impersonate Staff, Screenshare team, or Manager members.
• Do not set nicknames that imitate pingable role names (e.g., "1v1", "Private", “everyone”, etc.).
• Do not attempt to bait users into rulebreaking (e.g., getting them to log during SS, share private info).
• Exploiting rule wording or looking for technicalities will not protect you. Staff judgment overrides loopholes.
• If you find a loophole or missing rule, open a Support ticket to have it fixed.
• Do not attempt to scam, phish, steal, or deceive any server members. This includes, but is not limited to: fake rank/items giveaways, requesting credentials, fake verification bots,, "middleman" scams, or impersonating staff/players.
  • Scope: This rule is strictly enforced even if the action occurs outside of this server (e.g., in DMs, on other Discord servers, or in-game) and involves any type of account or financial gain.
  • Penalty: Any evidence of attempted or successful scamming will result in an immediate, permanent ban.

Alting

• Discord alt accounts are strictly forbidden to maintain integrity in ranking, gameplay, and moderation.
• Sharing Minecraft accounts is strictly forbidden. This includes having multiple Discord accounts for one Minecraft account and playing on a Minecraft account that is linked to a different player.
• If a shared Minecraft account is linked to any Discord account other than your own, both accounts may be banned.
• Plausible deniability does not exempt users from the alt rule.
• Disclaimer: Using purchased, borrowed, shared, or gifted accounts (even temporarily) risks alt detection and ban.

Staff Conduct

All Staff members are expected to:

• Follow all server rules and screenshare procedures
• Remain neutral and respectful in all interactions
• Avoid favoritism, power abuse, or retaliation
• Refrain from baiting or provoking members

Ranking System

The Ranked Bridge Managers oversee role progression and certain community events. Managers are expected to uphold professionalism, neutrality, and fairness. The following rules ensure the integrity of the ranked system and protect its members from undue pressure.

Impersonation:

• Do not impersonate Managers or mislead others into believing you are a Manager.
• Do not forge fake messages, IDs, or screenshots claiming to be from a Manager.

Manager Interaction:

• Do not harass Managers in-game, in DMs, or elsewhere for any reason. This may include but is not limited to pressure regarding duels, staff decisions, or requests for special treatment.
• Managers are not obligated to respond to unsolicited messages about rankings or votes.
• Do not spam or pester a Manager for any kind of favor

Manager Decisions:

• Manager rulings (e.g. rank denials, purge votes, etc.) are final and not open to public debate. If evidence of abuse is present, report it to Staff in a Support Ticket.
• If you believe a decision was biased or unfair, open a support ticket with a clear and respectful explanation.
• Do not harass, threaten, or mass-report Managers because of a decision.

Manager Conduct:

• Managers must uphold all rules, and are subject to the same punishments as any regular member.
• Any misuse of powers (e.g., rigging decisions, insider favoritism, elo manipulation, etc.) may result in demotion and possible ban. Any such cases will be handled on a case-by-case basis by the Staff team
• Members are encouraged to report abuse by opening a Support Ticket

Elo Manipulation

• Elo manipulation is the intentional exploitation of matchmaking algorithms through techniques such as smurfing, win-trading, intentional losing, or selective scoring to artificially inflate or deflate a player’s rating
• Any form of elo manipulation is prohibited and will result in punishment at the discretion of Staff.
  • Elo manipulation will almost always result in a partial or complete Elo wipe.

Screenshare Expectations

Screenshare Eligibility

Screenshares (SS) may be requested at any time in Ranked Bridge events or games. This includes the following:

• Games played in a Ranked Bridge voice queue
  • You may be screenshared while playing in any Ranked Bridge queue, even if you are not in a voice call. Being outside of VC does not exempt you from SS procedures. (Details and implementation subject to updates).
• Games played in tournaments that utilize the Ranked Bridge screenshare service
• Games played in a Ranked Bridge bullet tournament
• Games played during any Ranked Bridge event (if applicable)

This does NOT include:

• Games played in the Scrims Network Casual Queue
• Tournaments and events that are NOT hosted by Ranked Bridge
• Unranked games between members of the Ranked Bridge discord.

All other duels are considered casual unless covered by another rule.

Screenshare Conduct

• Refusal or intentional delay may be considered SS refusal or stalling, which will result in a refusal ban being administered.
• You must cooperate fully during an SS. This includes following the Screensharer’s instructions and not interfering with the screenshare process.
• Staff may record or take evidence during SS for documentation purposes.
• All SS logs and evidence are private and shared only with relevant staff. Leaking, tampering with, or falsifying SS content is a punishable offense.

Intentional Evasion

Players who deliberately avoid official matchmaking methods in order to bypass screenshare eligibility, while continuing to engage in competitive-level matches, may still be subject to investigation and be Screenshared by the Staff team..
This includes but is not limited to:

• Repeated queue dodging or leaving queues when known Screensharers are active
• Arranging matches in DMs or private servers to avoid SS-eligible formats
• Back-to-back /duel matches with ranked players instead of queueing
• Leaving the Ranked Bridge Discord server while playing (e.g., during or shortly before a match)
• Admitting to or joking about intentionally avoiding SS or voice queues

Clear evidence of intent is required for enforcement. Any screenshare resulting from an evasion investigation must be initiated by a Staff member, and only after appropriate evidence has been gathered.

Punishments

Server Bans vs. Ranked Bans

• A Ranked Ban is a punishment administered through the official Ranked Bridge Discord bot that removes a user's access to the Ranked queueing system. It may limit, but will not entirely remove, their access to certain chat and voice channels. Users that are ranked banned will not be allowed to participate in ranked games for the duration of their ban.
• A Server Ban is a more severe punishment issued as a Discord account and IP ban, barring access to the entire Discord server.

Ranked Bans are issued for most rule violations, but may be escalated to a Server Ban at Staff discretion if a user continues to attempt to circumvent their punishment or otherwise break the rules.

General Punishments:

• Severe Offenses: Posting extreme NSFW content, doxxing, hate speech, or violating Discord TOS can result in immediate Server Bans.
• Chat Violations: Repeated harassment, slurs, or threats may lead to escalating mutes, kicks, or bans based on severity and prior behavior.
• Profile Violations: Inappropriate usernames, statuses, or avatars may result in warnings and more severe punishments until corrected.
• Punishments escalate with repeat offenses and may be issued even if behavior occurs across different contexts (e.g., VC + chat).

Game Punishments:

For all infractions listed below (or unlisted), Staff may void any game in which a player obtains an unfair advantage. However, Staff may waive this penalty if it is evident that the player's actions did not impact the game's result.

• Glitch Abuse (e.g. block phasing, ghost blocks, illegal movement, item/kit duplication):
  • First offense: Warning + Game Void
  • Second offense: 3-day Ranked Ban + Game Void.
  • Third offense: 7+ day or permanent Ranked Ban depending on severity + Game Void
• Sniping (intentionally targeting or queuing against specific users or teams). Sniping through the use of unfair advantages (e.g. cheats) is punishable in any gamemode and server, depending on context and supporting evidence. “Legitimate” sniping (without unfair advantages) is not inherently punishable, but still discouraged and may still result in restrictions if it becomes disruptive,
  • First offense: 30-day Ranked Ban.
  • Second offense: 90-day Ranked Ban.
  • Third offense: Permanent Ranked Ban.
• Ghost Communication - Any form of ghost communication is stricly prohibited
  • Ghost communication is defined as providing any information to a match participant about the ongoing match. This includes but is not limited to providing information about another player's position or health, about the status of the map or blocks placed
  • If a player is communicating in place of a match participant, they may not spectate the game. They must watch through Discord screenshare.
  • Ghost communication may reuslt in the following punishments:
    • First offense: 1-day Ranked Ban to all players involved & Game Void
    • Second offense: 3-day Ranked Ban & Game Void
    • Third offense: 7-day Ranked Ban & Game Void
• Dodging - Dodging or refusing to play on a map that is in the map pool in a Ranked game is prohibited.
  • This includes any method of forcing a map to be played or excluded from play (e.g. refusing to accept a duel request, sending multiple duel requests to trick a player into selecting a specific map, etc.)
  • If a player does not join a game due to circumstances out of their control (e.g. server does not warp them in), the game may be restarted on the same map.
  • Map bans or mutual vetoes are not permitted. To expand our map selection, all maps in the rotation must be played, regardless of their "competitive" status. We encourage players to test new maps and submit constructive feedback directly to the Ranked Bridge Staff.
    • This may not be enforced during Season 0, but players are still strongly encouraged not to cycle maps if possible.
• Cheating (the use of any external tool that provides an unfair advantage to the user)
  • Cheating bans are most often issued through screenshares, but may be issued otherwise with sufficient evidence.
    • Includes: autoclickers, macros, ghost clients, hacked clients, and other unfair advantages. If you have any questions about what counts as “cheating”, please see the SS Code of Ranked Bridge or open a Support Ticket.
  • Cheating penalties may vary based on the circumstances:
    • First offense: 30-day Ranked Ban (can be reduced to 21 days if admitted immediately).
    • Second offense: 90-day Ranked Ban.
    • Third offense: Permanent Ranked Ban.
    • All cheating bans result in a purge down by at least one role. This includes cheating in Ranked games.
    • Cheating in a tournament may result in an elo removal, regardless of current role.
    • Cheating may also result in a blacklist from gaining skill roles in the future.
• Attempting to SS evade, leave mid-screenshare, or interfere with the screenshare in any way will result in an automatic cheating ban.

Reporting

If you witness rulebreaking or abuse, please report it through the appropriate channel:

• For standard rule violations, open a Support Ticket.
• If your concern involves a Staff member, do NOT open a Support Ticket. DM an Owner directly (Contact Directory).
• If your concern involves a Screensharer, Open a Support Ticket and request a Head of Screenshare (Contact Directory).
• If your concern involves a Manager, Open a Support Ticket.

False or bad-faith reports (e.g., framing others, spamming tickets) may result in punishment.

Appeals

Ranked Bans and Mutes:

If you believe your punishment was unjust or due to misunderstanding, you may submit a ban appeal through the ticket system.
Appeals should include:

• A respectful explanation
• Any relevant evidence
• Acknowledgment of wrongdoing (if applicable)
• Spamming tickets or being dishonest in your appeal may result in a denied or extended punishment.

Server Bans:

For server bans, use this appeal form to submit an appeal. Allow the staff team up to 7 days to process your appeal. If this time period has passed, ask a current server member to open a Support Ticket on your behalf.

Miscellaneous Rules

• Don’t ask for moderation or Manager positions; apply when applications are open.
• Threatening to break rules or joking about it may result in punishment.
• Players are responsible for staying active in their games. Opponents are not required to pause if a player lags out or goes AFK.
  • However, if a player is clearly not moving for the first 15 seconds of a game, or leaves the game within that timeframe, the game must be replayed on the same map.
• You may not play a Ranked game prior to a match channel being created. Doing so will invalidate the match score and result in your being unable to score the game.

Contact Directory

See Reporting when considering an appropriate manner of contact.

Owner – @WhatCats / @tphere / @cybqrnetic / @ameowy / @mrjaxser