Mission Statement

The Palmdale School District Esports League is dedicated to providing a safe, inclusive, and competitive environment for students to develop valuable skills in teamwork, strategic thinking, communication, and sportsmanship. Our mission is to foster a positive gaming community that complements the academic and personal growth of every student participant.

Section 1: General League Information

1.1. League Divisions

The league is separated into two divisions based on a combination of grade level and release time:

Jr Promise League: (Early Release)

  • Cimmarron
  • Desert Rose
  • Innovations Academy
  • Los Amigos
  • Manzanita
  • Palmtree
  • Tumbleweed
  • Yucca

Promise League: (Late Release)

  • Cactus
  • Cole
  • David G Millen
  • Ocotillo
  • Palmdale Learning Plaza
  • Sage
  • Shadow Hills

1.2. Official Games

Rocket League

1.3. League Schedule

Regular Season Duration: The 7-week regular season will take place during the following weeks:

Week 1

March 2nd, 2026

Week 2

March 9th, 2026

Week 3

March 16th, 2026

Week 4

March 30th, 2026

Week 5

April 13th, 2026

Week 6

April 20th, 2026

Week 7

April 27th, 2026

Division Match Days:

Promise Division: Mondays at 4:00 PM

Jr Promise Division: Tuesdays at 2:00 PM

Championship Event:

Date: May 9, 2026

Location: Quail Valley Esports Arena

1.4. League Administration

All rules are subject to interpretation by the League Administrators. Administrator decisions are final.

Section 2: Team and Player Eligibility

2.1. Player Eligibility

  • All players must be currently enrolled students in good academic and behavioral standing at a school within the Palmdale School District.
  • Players must have a signed permission slip from a parent or guardian on file with their school's coach/advisor.

2.2. Team Formation

  • Each school will register both an "A" and "B" team.
  • Players may not be registered to more than one team.
  • Each team must have a designated adult Coach or Faculty Advisor who is an employee of the Palmdale School District.

2.3. Roster Requirements

Rocket League:

Each team roster must consist of 3 starting players and may (optional) have 1 registered alternate (4 players total).

Section 3: Code of Conduct

3.1. Sportsmanship

All participants are expected to exhibit the highest level of sportsmanship. This includes respect for all other players, coaches, and league officials, and graciousness in victory and defeat.

3.2. Prohibited Conduct

Harassment, cheating, unsportsmanlike behavior, and the use of inappropriate names are strictly prohibited and will result in disciplinary action.

Section 4: League and Match Format

4.1. Regular Season Format

On scheduled match dates both school's "A" teams will face off in a best of three series. Both school's "B" teams will also face off in a best of three series.

These series can be played simultaneously, or one after the other if necessary.

Note: A third match is only necessary if the series is tied 1-1

League standings will be determined by the school's combined match win-loss record for both their "A" and "B" teams.

Note: schools are encouraged to have additional teams face off in unofficial scrimmages on match day, but scrimmages between "C" or lower tiered teams will not be considered towards a school's overall record.

4.2. Standings and Tiebreakers

In the event of a tie, the following criteria will be used in order:

  • 1 Head-to-Head match record among the tied teams.
  • 2 Overall Game Win Percentage.
  • 3 Overall Goal Differential.

If a tie still exists, a tiebreaker match will be scheduled.

4.3. Championship Qualification

The top four (4) ranked schools from each league will be invited to the live championship finals event.

4.4. Match Day Procedure

Check-in (15 minutes prior):

Coaches must confirm readiness with the opposing coach.

Absences:

Teams that are unable to field a full roster have the option of playing short handed or alerting the opposing coach of their intention to forfeit.

Lobby Creation:

The "Home Team" is responsible for creating the game lobby and sending the lobby name and password to the opposing coach.

Forfeits:

If a team fails to check in within 15 minutes after the scheduled start time (4:15 PM for Promise, 2:15 PM for Jr Promise), they will forfeit the entire match. The present team will receive an automatic 2-0 win for both their "A" and "B" teams.

Score Reporting:

Both coaches must report the final stats of each game to the League Administrators.

Section 5: Game-Specific Rules

5.1. Rocket League Rules

Team Format: 3 vs 3

Regular Season Format: Best of 3 games

Championship Format: Best of 3 games

Game Mode: Soccar

Arena: DFH Stadium

Bot Difficulty: No Bots

Region: Recommended

Substitutions: One registered alternate may be subbed in at the start of any game within a series.

Section 6: Technical Rules

6.1. Disconnects and Game Restarts

League officials understand that technical issues can happen. These rules are designed to be fair to all players while preventing a match from being unnecessarily delayed.

Player Disconnects:

If a player disconnects from a game for any reason (e.g., internet outage, power loss, accidentally leaving the lobby), the game will continue.

The disconnected player's team must finish the current game shorthanded (e.g., 2v3 in Rocket League.)

A player who disconnects may not rejoin the game that is currently in progress. They are eligible to play in any subsequent games in that match series (e.g., Game 2 or Game 3).

Game Restarts:

Game restarts are extremely rare and will only be granted by a League Administrator in two specific situations:

  • There is a verifiable, critical bug that significantly alters core gameplay mechanics (e.g., a character becomes invisible or unable to move).
  • There is a verifiable technical issue that poses a safety risk to participants.

Restarts will not be granted for individual player disconnects, non-game-altering glitches (e.g., minor graphical issues), or personal hardware issues (e.g., a controller dying).

If a team believes a legitimate, restart-worthy issue has occurred, they must stop play immediately and contact a League Administrator.

6.2. Equipment

Players and schools are responsible for providing their own equipment, including consoles, controllers, and a stable internet connection.

6.3. Disputes

If a dispute arises, teams should immediately contact their Coach/Advisor. The coaches should attempt to resolve the issue based on these rules. If a resolution cannot be reached, a League Administrator should be contacted. Screenshots and video clips are highly encouraged as evidence for any dispute.

Section 7: Finals Format

7.1. Seeding & Matchups

The top four teams based on regular season standings advance to the finals bracket. Matchups are determined by seed:

Semi-Final 1

Seed 1 vs Seed 4

Semi-Final 2

Seed 2 vs Seed 3

7.2. Participation

Finals matches maintain the dual-roster format. Both the school's "A" and "B" teams must play their respective series to determine the overall winner.

7.3. Tiebreaker

If schools split the "A" and "B" match wins, a One-Game Tiebreaker will occur.

Roster Eligibility:

For the tiebreaker, coaches may select any combination of three players from their existing "A" and "B" rosters to compete.