OFFICIAL RULES

1. OVERVIEW

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

The EA SPORTS FIFA 21 GLOBAL SERIES (“FGS” or “Competition”) is sponsored by Electronic Arts Inc. (“EA”), 209 Redwood Shores Parkway, Redwood City, CA 94065, USA and is governed by these FIFA 21 Global Series Official Rules (“Official Rules”). 

The FGS is a video game competition conducted using EA SPORTS FIFA 21 Ultimate Team mode (“Game”) for the Xbox One and/or PlayStation 4 consoles (“Supported Platforms”), depending on Region (defined below). The FGS will have a separate Competition for each Supported Platform (“Xbox Division” and “PlayStation Division” or “Divisions”). 

All federal, state, provincial, and local laws and regulations apply.  Any third party that operates another video game competition incorporating the Game is the sponsor of such competition and will determine the applicable terms and conditions for participation. Non-FGS competitions are governed by separate terms and conditions for participation.

2. REGISTRATION AND ELIGIBILITY

2.1 REGISTRATION PROCESS

To register to be considered for eligibility, Players must register with their valid EA Account at https://futchampions.com (“Registration Site”) and accept the Official Rules. 

Players may register from October 9th at 9:00 AM PDT to December 31st, 2020 at 11:59 PM PDT

2.2 ELIGIBILITY

One must meet the following eligibility requirements to be considered a “Player”:

• Be the minimum age required to have a full (not underage) EA Account in their territory of residence, and be at least 16 years old as of the time of registration;
• Have a valid EA Account;
• Register their valid EA Account for eligibility and accept the Official Rules during one of the registration windows described in Section 2.1;
• For Players under the age of majority in their territory of residence, have a parent or legal guardian review and consent to these Official Rules and any event-specific rules on their behalf and accompany them to any Live Event as defined in section 3.5. 
• Be a resident of one of the eligible countries/territories listed in Appendix B;
• Own or have access to the Game on a Supported Platform;
• Have a valid Gamertag or PSN ID and have it connected it to their valid EA Account;
• Agree to EA’s Privacy and Cookie Policy located at https://privacy.ea.com (“Privacy and Cookie Policy”) and User Agreement located at https://terms.ea.com (“User Agreement”);
• Enable Two Factor Authentication on their EA Account;
• Have a valid Battlefy account (https://battlefy.com/) for online qualification and Live Events, as described in Sections 3.1
• Have a valid Twitch account (https://twitch.tv/) for online qualification
• Agree to any Event Specific Rules for entered events

2.3 EVENT-SPECIFIC RULES

EA may publish from time to time on http://futchampions.com, Event-Specific Rules covering registration requirements, deadlines, gameplay rules, prizes, and other details related to individual Events.

Players are responsible for reviewing these Event-Specific Rules prior to participating in the applicable individual Event. 

2.4 ACCEPTANCE OF OFFICIAL RULES; CHANGES TO THE FGS AND OFFICIAL RULES

To compete in the FGS, Players must accept these Official Rules on the Registration Site to be considered for participation in the FGS, as well as any Event-Specific Rules for each respective Event.

These Official Rules and all Event-Specific Rules may be updated by EA without notice as necessary, including without limitation, to add further clarity, correct errors, comply with changes in applicable law, or address matters that arise after their first publication. 

EA reserves the right to cancel, suspend and/or modify all or part of the FGS, or any part of it, if any fraud, technical failures or any other factor impairs the integrity or proper operation of the FGS, including the safety of Players or fairness of the Competition, as determined by EA in its sole discretion. EA reserves the right to disqualify any Player at any time for any reason, including without limitation, for tampering with the operation of the FGS or acting in violation of these Official Rules. Any attempt by any person to deliberately undermine the legitimate operation of the FGS may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and EA reserves the right to seek damages and other remedies (including attorneys’ fees) from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law.

By participating in the FGS, Players agree to be bound by these Rules and the decisions of EA, Competition officials, and Competition administrators.

2.5 PROOF OF RESIDENCY

Players may be required to provide proof of residency in an eligible country/region to compete in the FGS. The sufficiency of any such proof or documentation will be determined by EA (or its agent) in its sole discretion. The list of eligible countries can be found in Appendix B: Eligible Countries/Territories.

Players invited to participate in Live Events (as described in Section 3.5) may be required to sign and return a Declaration of Eligibility to Travel or a Declaration of Eligibility to Participate (depending on the type of Live Event), and must certify their country of residence by providing two forms of identification/proof as follows:

• Government-issued identification: a document such as a passport, driver’s license, identification card, or work visa with a photo, name and physical address in an eligible country

AND

• Utility Bill: a recent invoice from a utility (energy, telephone, or cable) company with a name and physical address in an eligible country

2.6 EMPLOYEES AND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

Employees of EA and its respective affiliates, subsidiaries, representatives, advertising, promotion and publicity agencies, vendors, Battlefy, Inc., FIFA, and the immediate family members or persons living in the same household of such employees are not eligible to participate in the Competition.

2.7 REGISTRATION DATA AND LEADERBOARD

As part of the registration process, Players will be asked to provide optional information, such as chosen Team of Representation and chosen country/region of representation within FIFA 21.  This information may be used in any leaderboard data created as part of the FGS. The leaderboard will be published on November 11th, 2020 and updated with point totals on a regular basis, as determined by EA in its sole discretion.

2.8 REPRESENTING A CLUB, TEAM, OR ORGANIZATION IN THE FGS

Players may represent a team, club or other organization in the FGS.  If Players choose to compete in the eClub World Cup, such Players must represent the same organization in any FGS event as they do in the eClub World Cup until the next transfer window.  If Players no longer have a relationship with that organization, or wish to represent a different organization, they must compete as a free agent.

Players may also represent or compete for a different organization in a domestic league if the rules of that domestic league allow it, but such representation would be limited to that domestic league.

2.9 REPRESENTING A CLUB, TEAM, OR ORGANIZATION AT A LIVE EVENT

10 days before the start of a Live Event, qualified Players must provide the following information for inclusion in broadcast and web coverage of the event:

• Name of club, team or organization the Players will be representing and authorization for use;
• Club, team or organization logo and authorization for use;
• Contact information for the officer or representative of the club,  team or organization;
• Players’s real name and display name; and
• Photos of Player, including a standard set of headshots following a template to be provided by EA and authorization for use.

EA will inform qualified Players of any other applicable deadlines and required information. It is the Player’s responsibility to submit this information in time for it to be incorporated into the broadcast and web coverage of the event. Submissions after this deadline will not be incorporated into broadcast or web materials. This information may be incorporated into the broadcast and web coverage of the event.

3. COMPETITION STRUCTURE

The EA SPORTS FIFA 21 Global Series (“FGS”) is a competition that spans six Regions--Europe, North America, South America, Oceania, East Asia, and West Asia & South Africa--each with their own qualifiers, prize pool, and ending with a regional playoff event. See Appendix B for a list of countries/territories in each Region.

FGS employs a leaderboard-based system in which players will earn EA SPORTS FIFA 21 Global Series Points (“Points”) through their performance in Events and through FUT Champions online multiplayer mode within FIFA 21. Each Supported Platform and Region will have a separate leaderboard, and earned Points will not be shared between those leaderboards.

Players with the most Points in each Region will earn a seat at the respective Regional Playoff alongside Players who have qualified via a League Event.

3.1 BECOMING ELIGIBLE TO EARN POINTS IN FGS AND FUT CHAMPIONS

To earn Points in FGS, eligible Players must become FUT Champions Verified (“Verified”) by doing all of the following:

• Register at https://futchampions.com during the registration windows described in Section 2.1, and
• Win 27 or more games in a single FUT Champions Weekend League at least once between October 9th, 2020 and December 31st, 2020 (the “Verification Window”). FUT Champions Weekend League dates available during the Verification Window are identified in Appendix D.

Verified Players can earn Points by competing in FUT Champions Weekend Leagues taking place between October 9, 2020 and March 31, 2021 (the “Weekend League Points Window”). Appendix D lists the FUT Champions Weekend League dates within the Weekend League Points Window.

To gain entry into the FUT Champions Weekend League, Players must play Division Rivals within the FUT Champions mode of FIFA 21 to earn FUT Champions points sufficient to gain entry into the FUT Champions Weekend League.

These steps may be completed in any order, but Players will not be awarded any Points until both steps are complete. Eligible Players will receive an email notification confirming their Verified status within 21 days of earning 27 or more wins during a single Weekend League for their first time during the Verification Window. Verified Players will start accumulating Points earned through Events and FUT Champions Weekend Leagues performances, and may be eligible to compete in online qualifying tournaments, as described in Section 3.3.

Players will earn Points only for their best FUT Champions Weekend League performance during a given month, up to a maximum of 30 points per month. Date ranges for each “month,” which may include dates falling within two different calendar months, are defined in Appendix E.

EA reserves the right to qualify or disqualify Players in each Weekend League in its sole discretion in order to maintain a fair and respectful environment for all Players.

3.2 TYPES OF EVENTS

“Events” are competitions in the FGS that award Points or Seats, and include:

• Qualifiers, as described in Section 3.2.1
• League Events, as described in Section 3.2.2
• PlayStation Tournaments, as described in Section 3.2.3
• Third-Party EA Approved Events, as described in Section 3.2.4
• Regional Playoffs, as described in Section 3.2.5

EA is the sponsor of the Qualifier events, eChampions League Event, eLibertadores Event, and the Regional Playoff Events (“Playoffs”) and will grant Points to Verified Players participating in these Events. eChampions League Event and eLibertadores Event may be subject to separate rules to be published by EA separately. 

During Events, eligible Players who qualify and/or are invited to compete in the Event will engage in gameplay that may be broadcasted over the internet or other media, as well as involve competition at live venues (“Live Events”).

Licensed third parties that are approved by EA to sponsor Events may also grant Points or Seats to Verified Players participating in such Events. These sponsors, including FIFA, Sony, Leagues and others will be responsible for their own terms and conditions for participation.

EA reserves the right to cancel or re-schedule Events, and to modify the Events tournament structure if, in its reasonable judgment, such changes are necessary to maintain a fair, safe and respectful environment for all Players. EA also reserves the right to make such changes if it deems they are necessary to comply with applicable law.

Many Events will require a Battlefy account to participate. 

3.2.1 QUALIFIERS

“Qualifiers” include:

• Up to 5 online events in Europe, played on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One
• Up to 5 online events in North America, played on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One
• Up to 5 online events in South America, played on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One
• Up to 3 online events in East Asia, played on PlayStation 4
• Up to 3 online events in West Asia, played on PlayStation 4
• Up to 3 online events in Oceania, played on PlayStation 4
• Up to 3 online events in South Africa, played on PlayStation 4

Players may only play in Qualifiers in one Region through the FGS. This Region must correspond to the Player’s country of residence. The Region under which each country corresponds can be found in Appendix B.

Qualifiers will host a maximum of 1024 Players per vent. If more than 1024 Players apply to compete in a tournament, the top 1024 Players will be selected based on Points.

3.2.2 LEAGUE EVENTS

“League Events” include:

• eChampions League Event, exclusive to Europe and on the PlayStation 4 Console, operated by EA in collaboration with a third party
• eLibertadores Event, exclusive to South America, operated by EA in collaboration with a third party
• TBD number of events sponsored by Partner Leagues, with varying numbers of participants

Eligibility and details will vary from league to league. Please refer to the applicable league websites for more information. Non-registered or non-Verified Players are allowed to compete in League Events, but only eligible, Registered players will be allocated a Seat to the Playoff.

Players are not allowed to compete in more than one domestic League Event.

Players will not earn Points in a domestic League Event. Instead, they will play for a reserved seat in the Regional Playoffs or Regional Playoffs Play-In Event (a ”Seat”)

Europe - PS4

The top four players from the European Play-In event on PlayStation 4 will move on to play in the European Playoffs event on PlayStation 4.

All Other Regions

3.2.3 PLAYSTATION TOURNAMENTS

PlayStation Tournaments will be run in partnership with Sony exclusively for the PlayStation 4. Sony is the sponsor of these events, and Sony will release details about eligibility and rules at a later time. These events may be limited to specific regions or countries. 

Non-registered or non-Verified Players are allowed to compete in PlayStation Tournaments, but they will not be able to earn Points.  The Points earned by non-registered or non-Verified Players will be forfeited and cannot be transferred to other Players.  

3.2.4 EA APPROVED EVENTS

EA Approved Events are Events that are sponsored by third parties where Players can earn Points. The rules for participation and methods of qualification will be determined by the sponsors of these Events, which may be limited to specific regions or countries. Non-registered or Non-Verified Players are allowed to compete in EA Approved Events, but they will not be able to earn Points. The Points earned by non-registered or non-Verified Players will be forfeited and cannot be transferred to other Players.

3.2.5 PLAYOFFS

 The Regional Playoffs will be each region’s penultimate event. Each region and console will have a specified number of players:

• Europe, PlayStation 4 - 64 Players
• Europe, Xbox One - 64 Players
• North America, PlayStation 4 - 16 Players
• North America, Xbox One - 16 Players
• South America, PlayStation 4 - 32 Players
• South America, Xbox One - 16 Players
• West Asia & South Africa, PlayStation 4 - 16 Players
• East Asia, PlayStation 4 - 8 Players
• Oceania, PlayStation 4 - 8 Players

The top 3 players on the South Africa Rankings will join the players of West Asia in their Playoffs event.

A number of seats will be reserved for the top placing players for League Events in each region. The number of Seats reserved for each League Event can be found in Section 3.2.2 League Events.

If a Player earns a Seat at the Regional Playoff through a League Event but also has the required Points to qualify for the event, the next Player on the Regional Rankings will receive an invitation to play in the Regional Playoff.

If a Player is signed to a contract with a team competing in a League Event outside their home region and earns a Seat at the Regional Playoff, that Player will play in their home region unless they do not have the requisite points to do so. The next Player on the Regional Rankings will take the vacated Seat in the region.

If a Player earns a Seat at the Regional Playoff through a League Event on one platform but also has the required Points to qualify for the Event on a different platform, the Player will play in the Regional Playoff of the platform they have the most Points on. The next Player on the Regional Rankings will take the vacated seat in the region.

In the event of a tie on the Platform Leaderboard, the tied Players will be ranked by the following criteria in descending order until the placements are sufficiently differentiated:

• Total points earned at Qualifiers
• Total points earned through FUT Champions
• Total points earned in any PlayStation Event
• Total number of FUT Champions wins from FUT Champions Verification to March 29th, 2021

3.3 EA SPORTS FIFA 21 GLOBAL SERIES POINTS ALLOCATION

Points allocated to Players for each Event and Supported Platform, are detailed in Appendix E.

3.4 PLATFORMS

Players may register and compete in Online Qualification Tournaments on a Supported Platform using a single PSN account on the PlayStation 4 and a single Xbox account on the Xbox One. The PSN account and Xbox account for their respective platforms may share a single EA account.

For each Qualifier, Players may only play and compete on one Supported Platform of their choice.

Not all Events will be available on both Supported Platforms. Points earned on one Supported Platform are not transferable to another.

3.5 PARTICIPATING IN LIVE EVENTS 

3.5.1. Participating in Remote Broadcast Events

For Remote Broadcast Events organized online, qualified and invited Players will be requested to stream live video footage of Player and gameplay footage to a designated location.

To be eligible to participate in such Remote Broadcast Events, qualified and invited Players will have to sign and return a Declaration of Eligibility to Participate, according to the terms of section 3.5.3 below.

3.5.2   Travel for Competing in In-Person Live Events

EA may provide travel accommodations for qualified and invited Players to the EA sponsored Live Events at EA’s expense. For Players with travel expenses paid by EA, the selection of transportation carriers, hotels, and/or related transfers will be in EA’s sole discretion. EA reserves the right to provide ground transportation instead of airfare based on a Player’s travel distance from a Live Event.  If a Player requests special travel or accommodation plans, such as different travel dates, different carriers, or departure/arrival cities other than the designated city for the tournament, and if the cost of the special travel request exceeds that of the standard tournament travel plans, EA may require the Player to cover the difference in cost.

Receiving travel accommodations is contingent upon compliance with these Official Rules. If a Player is disqualified or travel is forfeited for any reason, EA may award that Player’s travel and accommodations to an alternate Player, who may assume that Player’s place in the Competition.

Incidentals for travel, including, without limitation: telephone calls, facsimile charges, Internet charges, spa/beauty salon services, laundry, tours/excursions, gift shop purchases, hotel processing fees, airline service charges and any other expenses not mentioned in these Official Rules are the sole responsibility of the Player or parent/guardian, and the Player may be asked to account for any such incidental charges by providing the applicable hotel with a credit card. Hotel and airfare cannot be used separately. Travel and accommodations are subject to availability and certain restrictions. Any extra nights’ stay and any additional costs associated with an extended stay are the sole responsibility of the Player or parent/guardian. Valid passports and/or other travel documentation may be required, which is the responsibility of each Player. Additional restrictions may apply.

3.5.3   Declaration of Eligibility

Players must sign: 

• A Declaration of Eligibility to Participate for online Live Events, or
• A Declaration of Eligibility to Travel for In-person Live Events prior to accepting travel accommodations to Live Events. 

Together the “Declaration of Eligibility”.

The Declaration of Eligibility will be provided to Players via email to the email address associated with Player’s EA Account. If a Player does not complete the Declaration of Eligibility within seven (7) calendar days of attempted notification, fails to sign and/or return the Declaration of Eligibility within the required time period, refuses travel or participation, is ineligible to accept travel or to participate, or is unavailable to travel or participate on dates appropriate to the Live Events, the Player forfeits travel accommodations or its participation, as well as their place in the Competition.

If a Player is a minor in his or her territory of residence, the Player’s parent or legal guardian will be required to sign all necessary documents to accept travel or participation, and must accompany the Player to the In-Person Live Events. In these instances, travel accommodations will include additional airfare for one (1) parent or legal guardian. Player and parent/legal guardian must travel together on the same itinerary and will share hotel accommodations.

3.5.4  Background Checks

In order to participate in a Live Event, and to the extent permissible in the Player’s country of residence, potential prize winners may first be required to submit to a background check and provide the necessary information that EA requests to be eligible to receive a prize. EA reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any potential winner based on such background check if EA determines, in its sole discretion, that awarding a prize to such winner might reflect negatively on EA.  

3.6 OFFICIAL RULES ENFORCEMENT

EA Accounts, the leaderboard, and match data may be audited, including for malicious behavior and cheating. Any Player may be disqualified immediately from the Competition and related competitions, at the discretion of EA or its designees, for any reason, including for any failure to comply with the User Agreement, Privacy & Cookie Policy, and these Official Rules. Examples of prohibited behaviors, as well as potential penalties are detailed in the Code of Conduct attached in Appendix A. 

EA, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to disqualify any Player at any time, for any reason, including but not limited to tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Competition, or acting in violation of these Official Rules or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner and reserves the right to void all associated entries. EA’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.

4. PRIZES

Prizes for each Event are detailed in Appendix F.

Players will receive a prize payment form if eligible for prizing. Players must complete this form within 90 days or prize money may be forfeit and donated to a charity on the Player’s behalf.

Prizes are not transferable. No substitution of prizes for other goods and services is permitted, except that EA reserves the right to provide a substitute prize of approximately equal or greater value if the advertised prize is unavailable or not allowed by local law. For winning Players with a place of residence in Uruguay, prizes will be awarded in the form of a gift card(s) instead of cash. All federal, state, provincial and local taxes, and international tariffs, are the sole responsibility of the individual winner.

Potential winners will be required to complete and sign a Prize Winner Declaration and Release within 90 days of completion of the Live Event in order to claim the prize. If a potential winner fails to sign and/or return the Declaration and Release, refuses the prize, is ineligible to accept the prize, or the prize is returned as undeliverable, the potential winner forfeits the prize.  

Failure to communicate banking information or delivery method to prize distribution vendor in a timely manner may result in forfeiture of the prize. If a winner is considered a minor in his or her territory of residence, winner’s parent or legal guardian (as required by law) will be required to sign all necessary documents upon verification of identification. Receiving a prize is contingent upon compliance with these Official Rules. In the event a potential winner is disqualified, or the prize is forfeited for any reason, EA retains the discretion to donate the applicable prize to a charity of EA’s choosing. Potential winners may be required to provide a valid shipping address to claim prize. Allow up to three (3) months for delivery of prizes.

In the event EA cancels or suspends the Competition pursuant to Section 2.4 above, prizes will be awarded for all events prior to such cancellation or suspension.

5. GENERAL TERMS

Nothing in these Official Rules shall be deemed to exclude or restrict any Player’s statutory rights as a consumer. 

5.1 PERSONAL INFORMATION

By participating in the FGS, Players acknowledge that EA will process their personal information (including name, address, date of birth, EA Account Name, Platform Username, Display Name, email address, FUT Champions Results, Country of Representation, Team of Representation, Country of Residence) in accordance with the Privacy and Cookie Policy for the purposes listed therein. If Personal information has been collected from Players by an organizing entity, Players agree to the organizing entity transferring such information to EA.

Personal information will be used and processed as described in the Privacy and Cookie Policy, including for the purposes of:

• Organizing, running, and monitoring the FGS and prize fulfillment, including for Players that win a prize, publishing Player names and countries of residence online or in any other media in connection with the FGS, as described further below; and
• Any additional processing activities to which Players consent and/or acknowledge as applicable, such as sharing information designated Competition operators and/or administrators, including for booking travel and soliciting feedback on the FGS, gameplay and features of EA game titles.

Personal information will be processed in the United States or any other country in which EA, its subsidiaries, or third party agents operate. By entering the FGS, Players consent that their personal information may be transferred to recipients in the United States and other countries that may not offer the same level of privacy protection as the laws in their country of residence or citizenship, as further explained in the Privacy and Cookie Policy. 

Please note that we may request background investigations for Players that we invite to Live Events.  We may request Player consent and provide details about such investigations if applicable and necessary.

Players have the right to access, withdraw, and correct their personal information. Players may request such action by contacting the appropriate Privacy Policy Administrator for their country listed at https://privacyadmin.ea.com. If Player’s country is not listed, please contact the Privacy Policy Administrator in the United States at privacy_policy@ea.com.

Applicability of EA User Agreement and Privacy and Cookie Policy:  Player’s participation in the Competition is also governed by the User Agreement found at terms.ea.com. If there is any conflict between these Official Rules and the Privacy and Cookie Policy and User Agreement, then the Privacy and Cookie Policy or User Agreement, as applicable, will control.

5.2 RELEASE AND PUBLICATION OF PLAYER INFORMATION

WINNER’S LIST: EA will post the names of confirmed winners online one to two weeks after the end of each Live Event at https://futchampions.com.

5.2.1. Player grants to EA the right to publish and otherwise use Player’s statistics and rankings in connection with the Competition for any purpose, including for marketing and promotional purposes, without consent or compensation to Player.

5.2.2. By accepting a prize, Player grants EA the right to use their personal information, and any other information provided by Player, without further consent or compensation to Player, for the administration, marketing, and promotion of the Competition, EA, and/or the Game, unless otherwise noted below:

• Background info: Full name, country of residency, age, Supported Platform Username (e.g., Xbox Live Gamertag or PSN ID), position on monthly leaderboard in the month of qualification
• Football fandom info: Favorite professional football club, favorite professional football player, favorite FUT player item
• Social Media info: Twitter handle, YouTube channel, and Twitch account, Instagram username (if applicable)
• Photos: Any photos provided by Player to EA or photos of Player taken onsite at a Live Event
• Other Information for tournament administration only: Shirt size, dietary restrictions, mobile phone number

5.2.3.  EA may provide Player’s EA Account Information (name, Supported Platform ID, age, country of residence, game play stats and scores, and email address) to FIFA, and FIFA may use the account information for the purposes of administering FGS events (such as the FIFA eWorld Cup), including without limitation that FIFA may contact Player by email and/or other means.

5.3 GOVERNING LAW; RELEASE OF LIABILITY

5.3.1.   EA’s decisions will be final and binding on all matters related to the Competition. 

5.3.2.   To the extent permissible by local law, the Competition is governed by the laws of the State of California and all claims must be resolved in the United States.

5.3.3.    To the extent permissible by law, Player agrees to release and hold harmless EA and its agents from any and all liability or any injury, loss, damage, right, claim or action of any kind arising from or in connection with this Competition or any Competition-related activity, or the receipt, acceptance, possession, use or misuse of EA-provided travel or any prize won.

5.3.4.       FOR RESIDENTS OF AUSTRIA, GERMANY, AND POLAND 

Notwithstanding any other provision herein, nothing in these Official Rules shall have the effect to deprive a Player of the consumer protection rights granted by the laws of your residence that cannot be derogated from by agreement. With respect to the Prize and any other products or services given by EA and its affiliates free of charge, EA shall only be liable for intent and gross negligence.

In case of slight negligence, however, EA is only liable for the breach of essential contractual obligations, such as delay or impossibility of performance, which EA can be made responsible for. The liability in the event of breach of such an essential contractual obligation is limited to the typical contractual damage, whose occurrence could be expected by the EA upon conclusion of the contract on account of the circumstances known at that time. “Essential contractual obligations” are those obligations whose fulfillment is essential to enable the proper implementation of the contract and the achievement of its purpose and whose observation you as an end consumer may rely upon. The foregoing limitations of liability shall not apply in the case of explicit guarantees by the EA, in cases of malice and injuries to life, body or health as well as in the case of mandatory statutory regulations.

5.3.5.    FOR RESIDENTS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND FRANCE 

Notwithstanding any other provision herein, to the extent allowable under applicable law, each Player agrees to release and hold harmless EA and its agents from any and all liability or any injury, loss, damage, right, claim or action of any kind arising from or in connection with this Competition or any Competition-related activity or the receipt, possession, use or misuse of any prize won, except with respect to claims resulting from death or personal injury arising from EA’s negligence, and for residents of the United Kingdom, with respect to claims resulting from the tort of deceit or any other liabilities that may not be excluded by law.

5.3.6.   FOR RESIDENTS OF AUSTRALIA

Notwithstanding any other provision herein, to the extent allowable under applicable law and subject to and without excluding, restricting or modifying any rights or remedies to which the Player may be entitled as a consumer under the consumer guarantee provisions of the Australian Consumer Law, each Player agrees to release and hold harmless EA and its agents from any and all liability or any injury, loss, damage, right, claim or action of any kind arising from or in connection with this Competition or any  competition-related activity or the receipt, possession, use or misuse of any prize won.

6. COMMERCIAL RIGHTS

All commercial rights (including without limitation any and all marketing and media rights) relating to the FIFA 21 Global Series are reserved for EA.

Players shall not associate themselves with FGS and/or EA in any commercial manner, nor use any intellectual property rights of EA, nor shall they permit any third parties to do so, without the prior written consent of EA, which may be granted or withheld at EA’s sole discretion.

Any Player or a Player’s sponsor wishing to engage in any promotional or marketing activities with respect to FGS, including at any FGS tournament venue, will need prior written consent from EA, which may be granted or withheld at EA’s sole discretion.

The recording and dissemination of images or footage of FGS for commercial purposes by or on behalf of any Player is strictly prohibited, except when explicitly authorized by EA. 

APPENDIX A: CODE OF CONDUCT

The below Code of Conduct applies to all Players in the FGS at all levels of the Competition, unless otherwise specified. EA reserves the right to levy penalties, sanction, or disqualify any Player in violation of this Code of Conduct in its sole discretion.

As a Verified player, Players may be held to a higher standard than other players, and may face higher levels of penalties than they would otherwise.

A1. PLAYER BEHAVIOR GENERALLY

Players must conduct themselves in a reasonable manner, maintaining an appropriate and respectful demeanor to spectators, members of the press, tournament administrators, and to other Players. 

Players are required to conduct themselves in accordance with commonly accepted standards of decency, social conventions, and morals, and not to commit any act or become involved in any situation or make any statement which brings disrepute, contempt, scandal, ridicule, or distain to the Player, EA, the Competition, or to its Players and sponsors. 

These requirements apply to live, offline, and online interactions, in and out of the Competition, including with respect to social media conduct and activity on live streams, past conduct and during Events. All Players are expected to adhere to these standards of sportsmanship and the EA Rules of Conduct, available at https://terms.ea.com, at all times, including when not participating in EA sanctioned events. 

EA Accounts, the leaderboard and match data may be audited, including for malicious behavior and cheating.  Any Competitor may be disqualified immediately from the FGS and related competitions, at the discretion of EA or its designees, for any reason, including for any failure to comply with the User Agreement, Privacy and Cookie Policy, and Rules of Conduct, which may include but are not limited to:

Player Conduct:    

• Abusive or disorderly behavior, including any use of harassing, negative, or profane language online;
• Harassing, threatening, intimidating, bullying, engaging in hate speech, repeatedly sending unwanted messages, or making personal attacks or statements about race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, heritage, etc.;
• Publishing, posting, uploading or distributing content, or organizing/participating in any activity, group or guild that EA (acting reasonably and objectively) determines is inappropriate, abusive, hateful, harassing, profane, defamatory, threatening, obscene, sexually explicit, infringing, privacy-invasive, vulgar, offensive, indecent or unlawful;
• Use vulgar or offensive language;
• Abusive behavior, including harassment and verbal threats;
• Abusive or disorderly behavior, including any use of harassing, negative, or profane language online, consistent negative, insulting, annoying, trolling, spamming, targeted, and unwanted commentary directed toward an individual or group;
• Any action which would impact negatively the Competition broadcast

In-Game Conduct

• Using any cheats, hacks or other third-party "helper" applications in playing the Game;
• Intentionally disconnecting from the Internet during any Game match;
• Colluding with other players in playing Game matches;
• Taking advantage of known exploits in the Game (it is the responsibility of players to understand and avoid all current illegal exploits);
• Selectively matching up against the same opponent repeatedly; 
• Using any software or program that damages, interferes with or disrupts the Competition or another's computer or property;
• Any external software designed to give the competitor an unfair advantage;
• Interfering with or disrupting another Player's participation in the Competition;
• Publishing, posting, uploading or distributing content, or organizing/participating in any activity, group or guild that EA (acting reasonably and objectively) determines is inappropriate, abusive, hateful, harassing, profane, defamatory, threatening, obscene, sexually explicit, infringing, privacy-invasive, vulgar, offensive, indecent or unlawful;
• Using exploits, cheats, undocumented features, design errors or bugs in the Competition;
• Selling, buying, trading or otherwise transferring or offering to transfer an EA account, any personal access to EA services, or any EA content associated with an EA account, including EA virtual currency and other entitlements, either within an EA service or on a third-party website, or in connection with any out-of-game transaction, unless expressly authorized by EA;
• Playing on behalf of another Player, or allowing someone else to play on Player’s behalf, in any competitive game mode.

General Conduct

• Statements or references that go beyond constructive criticism and seeks to inappropriately disparage, denigrate, abuse, contest or insult EA, EA’s Partners, or sponsors, or their employees or contractors.
• Gambling, including betting on the outcome of Competition matches;
• Disclosing any confidential information provided by EA or any of its affiliates;
• Accepting or giving gifts, bribes, rewards, or compensation for services that are rendered in connection with competing in the Competition (with an exception for Players with sponsors who pay them based on their performance);
• Causing or contributing to scandal, reputational harm or risk to the integrity and reputation of the Competition or EA;
• Engaging in any other activity that significantly disturbs the peaceful, fair and respectful gaming environment of the Competition; 
• Promoting, encouraging or taking part in any prohibited activity described above;
• Violating any applicable law, rule or regulation, as determined by EA in its sole discretion;
• Reference to third-party IP, promotions, or partnerships without EA authorization, third-party permission, or proper disclosure.

A2. EVENT CONDUCT

Players must maintain an appropriate level of respect, in EA’s sole judgment, towards other Players, referees, officials, event staff, and tournament administrators. Threatening or inappropriate behavior towards the referees and the other Players will not be tolerated. Incidents and punishment will be identified at the sole discretion of Competition officials or EA. Players must follow the instructions of Competition officials or EA at all times.

Examples of prohibited conduct includes, but is not limited to:

• Using vulgar or offensive language;
• Abusive behavior, including harassment and verbal threats;
• Physical abuse, fighting, or any other threatening action directed at any Player, spectator, official or any other person;
• Damage and/or abuse to game devices, hardware, peripherals, tournament equipment, or the facility/venue/lodging;
• Interfering with or interrupting the broadcast or broadcast production;
• Interfering with gameplay, including purposely breaking a game station, interrupting a power supply, leaving a station before the conclusion of a match, refusing to play, and abuse of in-game pausing;
• Failure to cooperate with safety and security requirements, such as metal detectors and bag searches;
• Failure to follow instructions given by tournament sponsors, referees, and security personnel at all times;
• Gambling, including betting on the outcome of games;
• Disclosing any confidential information provided by EA or any of its affiliates;
• Accepting gifts, rewards, or compensation for services that are rendered in connection with competing in the FGS (with an exception for Players with sponsors who pay them based on their performance);
• Playing any game other than the copy of the Game provided for use in the tournament; 
• Downloading any software that is not already installed on the provided tournament console;
• Using any software or hardware that gives the player a competitive advantage in the competition; and
• Failing to be available for any post-tournament awards ceremonies, interviews, and the entirety of the Live Event, as well as any promotional activities reasonably requested by EA or other sponsor.

A3. LIVE EVENT DRUG & ALCOHOL POLICY

• Player use of alcohol or drugs is prohibited on the premises, and Players may not be under the influence of drugs or alcohol while participating.
• Smoking, including the use of eCigarettes and vaporizers, is prohibited at all Live Events except in designated areas.

A4. LIVE EVENT DRESS CODE

• Players must wear attire appropriate to the circumstances (as determined by EA).
• Players shall not wear, carry, or bear any items of a political nature, or which in EA's opinion reflect unfavorably upon EA, its partners, or the Competition.
• Players shall not carry out any promotional activity or marketing of brands and services in connection with the Competition unless otherwise approved in writing by EA.

A5. COLLUSION AND MATCH-FIXING POLICY

Any action or agreement to disadvantage other Players in the Competition, to predetermine the outcome of a match, to try to lose a match, to affect the fairness of the Competition or to limit efforts to win a match is strictly prohibited.

Any Players determined by EA to be violating this rule at any phase in the FGS may be removed from the Competition. Such Players may be forced to forfeit or return any compensation and/or prizes and may have their EA and/or Game accounts suspended.

Examples of prohibited conduct include, but are not limited to:

• Intentionally losing a match for any reason at any time during the Competition.
• Playing on behalf of another Player, including using a secondary account, at any time during the Competition.
• Any form of match-fixing.
• “Soft play,” defined as a Player not giving their best effort or not taking reasonable and fair actions to gain an advantage against their opponent(s) in a match.
• Agreeing to split prize money.
• Allowing an opponent to score more or less goals than they normally would.

A6. RULES ENFORCEMENT AND PENALTIES

Violation of these Official Rules and/or the Code of Conduct may, at EA's discretion, result in penalties, change in match results, loss of winner status, and/or forfeiture of prizes. All decisions and rulings of EA relating to the Competition are final and binding. EA reserves the right to penalize any Player in the Competition at any level, at any time for any reason. Penalties may include, but are not limited to, any or all of the following:

• Warning
• Final Warning
• Forfeiture of single match
• Forfeiture of all matches
• Loss of awards (including prize money and paid travel expenses)
• Loss of FGS Rankings Points
• Suspension from FGS
• Disqualification from events, qualifiers or weekend leagues
• Disqualification from the Competition and future competitions

EA also has the right to publicly announce penalties that have been levied on Players, and such Players hereby waive any right of legal action against EA and any of its affiliates.

A7. PLAYER SPONSORSHIP

Players in FGS have the ability to acquire and work with promotional sponsors.  Promotional Sponsorship is limited, however, to exclude certain categories and industries. If the promotional sponsor falls under one of the below categories, the Player may not display or promote the sponsorship in conjunction with EA, its partners, or the FGS.

Subject to these Official Rules and EA’s right in its sole discretion to prohibit, reject, remove, blur, or obscure any mark, logo or signage, Players in the Competition may include the display of promotional sponsors.  Players may not display or promote any products or services in conjunction with EA, its partners, or the Competition that offer or are associated with:

• Gambling or gambling websites
• Alcohol, tobacco, and/or non-“over-the-counter” drugs
• FIFA Ultimate Team Coin promoting or selling websites or companies
• Unauthorized game key selling websites or companies
• High fat, salt, or sugar foods and drinks
• Firearms or any type of weapons
• Pornographic or adult material
• Products or services from direct competitors of EA, its partners, and its other subsidiary brands

The list is illustrative and non-exhaustive. EA reserves the right to add or remove any product or service from the list at any time without notice. 

A8. PLAYER NAMES

Players will be asked to select a unique name to identify themselves for Live Events. This name can be the same as their PSN ID or XBL Gamertag, but is not required to be the same. The name must be unique from other Player names and must not be deemed vulgar by EA and its affiliates. Names must not infringe on a third party’s intellectual property, privacy or publicity rights, or violate the law or EA’s User Agreement.

APPENDIX B: ELIGIBLE COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES

Players must be a legal resident of one of these eligible countries/territories. Players may only play in the Region to which the country they reside in is assigned to.

Europe

• Austria
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Croatia
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Egypt
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Great Britain
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Israel
• Italy
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Netherlands
• Northern Ireland
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Russian Federation
• Slovakia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Turkey
• Ukraine
• United Kingdom

North America

• Canada (including Quebec)
  
• Costa Rica
• Mexico
• Puerto Rico
• United States of America

South America

• Argentina
• Brazil
• Bolivia
• Chile
• Colombia
• Ecuador
• Netherlands Antilles
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Uruguay
• Venezuela

Oceania

• Australia
• New Zealand

East Asia

• China (including Hong Kong and Macau)
• Indonesia
• Japan
• Malaysia
• Philippines
• Singapore
• South Korea
• Taiwan
• Thailand
• Vietnam

West Asia & South Africa

• India
• Kuwait
• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia
• South Africa
• United Arab Emirates

APPENDIX D: FUT CHAMPIONS WEEKENDS ELIGIBLE TO EARN EA SPORTS FIFA 21 GLOBAL SERIES POINTS

All Weekend Leagues begin at 7:00AM GMT on the first date and End at 7:00AM GMT on the last day. Weekend Leagues dates may be revised at EA’s sole discretion.

APPENDIX E: POINTS ALLOCATION

E1. Points for Qualifiers

E2. Points for FUT Champions Weekend League

Players will receive Points based only on their best performance in FUT Champions Weekend League during each eligible month.  The eligible months and Weekend Leagues contained within each eligible month are defined in Appendix D.

• 30 Wins: 30 Points
• 29 Wins: 30 Points
• 28 Wins: 28 Points
• 27 Wins: 27 Points
• 26 Wins: 26 Points
• 25 Wins: 25 Points
• 24 Wins: 24 Points
• 23 Wins: 23 Points
• 22 Wins: 22 Points
• 21 Wins: 21 Points
• 20 Wins: 20 Points

APPENDIX F: FGS PRIZES

F1. QUALIFIER PRIZES

The following prizes for each Qualifier FUT Champions Cup Live Event will be distributed to the Players based on their finishing position/point of exit from the tournament as stated below. Prizing is listed in US dollars (Players from Uruguay, please see Section 4).

Europe (PlayStation 4)

Europe (Xbox One)

South America (PlayStation 4)

West Asia (PlayStation 4)

North America (PlayStation 4, Xbox One), South America (Xbox One), East Asia (PlayStation 4)

Oceania (PlayStation 4), South Africa (PlayStation 4)

F2. REGIONAL PLAYOFFS PRIZING

Europe (PlayStation 4, Xbox One)

South America (PlayStation 4)

North America (PlayStation 4, Xbox One), South America (Xbox One), West Asia & South Africa (PlayStation 4) 

East Asia (PlayStation 4), Oceania (PlayStation 4)