Terms of Service

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the EZ Esports website (ezesports.org) and your participation in any EZ Esports league, tournament, event, program, or activity (together, the "Services"). EZ Esports ("EZ Esports," "we," "our," or "us") is a student-run, non-profit high-school esports league based in New York City. Please read these Terms carefully. By using the Services, registering a school or club, submitting an application, or attending an event, you agree to be bound by these Terms.

These Terms work alongside our Privacy Policy and our League Rulebook & Code of Conduct, which explain how we handle data and govern competitive play. By agreeing to these Terms you also acknowledge the practices and guidelines described in those documents. Where a specific tournament ruleset or event-specific policy applies, that document supplements these Terms; if there is a direct conflict, these Terms control unless the other document expressly states otherwise.

1. Acceptance & Eligibility

The Services are intended for enrolled high-school students and for the adult advisors, coaches, teachers, and school administrators who support them. By using the Services you represent that:

• Student participants are currently enrolled at a recognized secondary school and meet any grade, age, and academic eligibility requirements set out in the applicable league rulebook.
• Advisors, coaches, and staff are at least 18 years old, are affiliated with the school or club they represent, and have that school's authorization to act on its behalf.
• You will provide accurate, current, and complete information when registering or applying, and will keep that information up to date.

Consent for minors. Any participant under the age of 18 must have a parent or legal guardian review and consent to these Terms, including the event waiver in Section 3, before participating. We may require a signed parent or guardian consent form, and a school-affiliated adult advisor must supervise student participation. A parent or guardian may withdraw consent for their child at any time by contacting us, after which that student's participation will end.

We may refuse, suspend, or terminate access to the Services for any participant, team, club, or school that does not meet these eligibility requirements or that violates these Terms or the applicable rulebook.

2. Acceptable Use & Conduct

EZ Esports is built on positive, inclusive, and educational competition. Everyone who uses the Services is expected to treat other participants, volunteers, staff, opponents, spectators, and broadcast talent with respect. You agree that you will:

• Practice good sportsmanship, whether winning or losing, in text, voice, and stream chat.
• Follow the instructions of tournament administrators, referees, event staff, and school advisors.
• Compete only in the division and role for which you are properly rostered and eligible.

The following behavior is prohibited on our platforms, in official communications, and at our events:

• Harassment and hate — bullying, threats, sexual harassment, doxxing, or discriminatory or hateful speech targeting race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or age.
• Cheating — use of unauthorized software, hacks, exploits, bug abuse, or third-party assistance that provides an unfair competitive advantage.
• Roster and identity fraud — smurfing, account sharing, ringers, playing under another person's identity, or misrepresenting a participant's school enrollment or eligibility.
• Match manipulation — match-fixing, intentional losing, collusion, or any form of wagering or betting on EZ Esports matches.
• Disruptive conduct — spamming, ban evasion, impersonating EZ Esports staff, sharing sexually explicit or otherwise age-inappropriate content, or promoting illegal activity, including underage use of alcohol, tobacco, or controlled substances.
• Security abuse — attempting to gain unauthorized access to our systems, admin portal, or another user's account, or interfering with the normal operation of the Services.

We may issue warnings, adjust match results, remove players or teams from competition, revoke awards, and issue temporary or permanent bans for conduct violations. Serious violations may be reported to the participant's school and, where appropriate, to law enforcement or the relevant game publisher.

3. In-Person / LAN Tournament Waiver & Event Disclaimers

This Section applies to any participant, and to the parent or legal guardian of any participant under 18, who attends or competes in a physical EZ Esports event, including LAN tournaments, finals, showcases, meetups, and watch parties (each, an "Event"). By attending or allowing a child to attend an Event, you agree to the following:

• Assumption of risk. Attendance at an Event involves inherent risks, including travel to and from the venue, crowded spaces, equipment and cabling, physical activity, illness, and the actions of other attendees. You knowingly and voluntarily accept these risks on your own behalf and, if applicable, on behalf of the minor participant.
• Release of liability. To the fullest extent permitted by law, you release and agree not to sue EZ Esports and its organizers, volunteers, staff, directors, partner schools, and venue hosts (the "Released Parties") from claims for injury, illness, loss, or damage to person or property arising out of participation in or attendance at an Event, except for injury or damage caused by a Released Party's gross negligence or willful misconduct.
• Medical and emergency treatment. If you or the minor participant needs medical attention during an Event and a parent or guardian cannot be reached, you authorize EZ Esports staff to seek and consent to emergency medical care, and you are responsible for the resulting costs. You are responsible for disclosing relevant medical conditions, allergies, and emergency contact information on the Event registration form.
• Media and photo release. Events may be photographed, recorded, and streamed. You grant EZ Esports permission to capture and use your (or the minor participant's) name, image, likeness, voice, gameplay, and in-game handle in photos, video, broadcasts, highlights, and promotional materials, in any medium, without additional compensation. If you do not want a participant featured, notify us in writing before the Event and identify the participant to Event staff on arrival; we will make reasonable efforts to accommodate, though incidental capture in wide or crowd shots may still occur.
• Conduct at the venue. Attendees must follow venue rules, staff directions, and any code of conduct provided for the Event. We may remove any attendee for unsafe or disruptive behavior without refund.

4. Limitation of Liability & "As Is" Warranty

The Services are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. EZ Esports is a volunteer-run non-profit and does not guarantee that the Services will be uninterrupted, error-free, secure, or free of delays, and we may modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Services, including seasons, divisions, schedules, or features, at any time. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, express or implied, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, EZ Esports and the Released Parties will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for lost data, lost opportunities, or lost standing or prizes, arising out of or related to your use of the Services. Our total aggregate liability for any claim relating to the Services will not exceed one hundred U.S. dollars (US $100), or the amount you paid to EZ Esports in connection with the matter giving rise to the claim, whichever is greater. Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations, so some of these limitations may not apply to you.

Game clients, publisher platforms, Discord, streaming services, and other third-party tools we use to operate the league are governed by their own terms and are outside our control. We are not responsible for the availability, accuracy, or conduct of those third-party services.

5. Intellectual Property & Submissions

The EZ Esports name, logo, brackets, broadcast overlays, written content, and other original materials are owned by EZ Esports or its licensors and are protected by intellectual-property laws. You may not use our marks in a way that suggests sponsorship or endorsement without our prior written permission. Game titles, characters, and related assets are the property of their respective publishers, and nothing in these Terms grants you rights in that material.

Your content and feedback. If you submit content to us, such as team logos, highlight clips, screenshots, written entries, artwork, or forum and application-form responses, or if you send us feedback, suggestions, or ideas, you grant EZ Esports a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable, sublicensable license to use, reproduce, display, distribute, adapt, and create derivative works from that content for the purposes of operating, promoting, and improving the league and its broadcasts. You retain ownership of your content.

• You represent that you own or have the rights to any content you submit and that it does not infringe the rights of others or violate Section 2.
• Feedback you provide is voluntary, and we are free to use it without obligation, attribution, or compensation to you.
• We may remove or decline to use any submitted content at our discretion, and we are not obligated to store or return it.

If you believe content on our Services infringes your copyright, contact us at info@ezesports.org with a description of the work and the material at issue.

6. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Subject to the arbitration provision below, you agree that the exclusive venue for any dispute that is not arbitrated will be the state or federal courts located in the County of New York, State of New York, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts.

Informal resolution first. Before starting a formal proceeding, you agree to contact us at info@ezesports.org and give us at least 30 days to resolve the issue informally.

Binding arbitration. If we cannot resolve a dispute informally, it will be settled by final and binding arbitration administered in the County of New York under the rules of a recognized arbitration provider, before a single arbitrator, rather than in court, except that either party may bring an individual claim in small-claims court. Disputes will be handled on an individual basis; to the extent permitted by law, you and EZ Esports each waive any right to a jury trial and to participate in a class or representative action. Nothing in this Section prevents either party from seeking injunctive relief in court to protect intellectual-property rights or address unauthorized access to the Services. Where a participant is a minor, this Section is agreed to by the participant's parent or legal guardian on the participant's behalf. If any part of this Section is found unenforceable, the remainder stays in effect, except that if the class-action waiver is held unenforceable, this arbitration provision will not apply to that dispute.

7. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page, and we may provide additional notice for material changes through our website or league communications. Changes are effective when posted. Your continued use of the Services after an update means you accept the revised Terms; if you do not agree, you should stop using the Services.

8. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms, or need to provide notice regarding participation, consent, or content, please reach out to: