> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://countertrade.gitbook.io/docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://countertrade.gitbook.io/docs/leagues-and-seasons/leagues-and-seasons.md). # Leagues and seasons How a season is built from stages and battles, the season page and My competitions, the states a season shows, how it keeps to its schedule, and why a season standing is not your rating. A **league** runs competitions over time. A **season** is one run of it: a registration window, a schedule of battles, rules fixed before the first battle, and a champion at the end. Leagues are under **LEAGUES** in the top bar. Season battles use the same terminal, order types and liquidation as any battle. What a season adds is a path: which battles you play, how each result turns into points, and who goes on. ## The shape of a season A season runs in **stages**, and each stage holds one or more **rounds**. A round is one scheduled battle time; it can be a single room or several rooms that start together. A Creator Cup season has five stages. The rail across the top of the season's **OVERVIEW** names each one with how many go on to it: | Stage | What happens | | ---------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Registration** | Members join until registration closes. | | **Qualifiers** | Three rounds, each an Open Arena battle — one large room for every member. Your best 2 of 3 count, and the top 24 go on to the playoffs. | | **Last chance** | One battle for the members outside the top 24 who traded in a qualifier. It scores no points: the 6 best finishers take the last six playoff seats. | | **Playoffs** | 30 players split across three arenas of 10, one battle each, everyone starting from zero. The top three of each arena and the best fourth place by ROI go on — 10 finalists. | | **Final** | One battle for the 10 finalists. Your place in it is your season result, and the prize split pays the top places. | Other seasons are shaped differently. A Weekly League plays a regular season, a last chance and a final; a Duel Cup plays one-on-one duels and ends in a bracket. The header names the kind, for example **Creator Cup · Paid entry**, and **HOW IT COUNTS** describes the season's own stages and points. ## Where you follow a season The season page has three tabs, and a fourth once a bracket is drawn: | Tab | What it holds | | ------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **OVERVIEW** | Where you stand, the stakes, the next deadline, **HOW IT COUNTS** and **RULES**, and who is in. Before registration closes, this is also where you join. | | **SCHEDULE** | Every round, with filters **all**, **mine** and **ahead**, and a link to each battle's room. | | **STANDINGS** | The table for each stage, and the record of every battle played. | | **BRACKET** | The duel bracket, in seasons that end in one. | **My competitions**, in your account menu, gathers your seasons. **Do now** lists what needs you, most urgent first — a check-in, a live battle, a prize that has not arrived. **Competitions** lists each season with your stage, status, rank, points and next step. **What happened** holds your season notifications, and on a wide screen the bell in the top bar counts the unread ones. Times on the Overview and in My competitions are given in the season's time zone and name it, for example "Oct 31 · 11:00 UTC". The Schedule shows the season's zone too, and **Your time** switches it to yours. ## The states a season shows The badge beside the season's name reads: | Badge | What it means for you | | --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **OPENS SOON** | The season is announced and registration has not opened. The Overview counts down to the opening. | | **REGISTERING** | You can join until registration closes. | | **READY** | Registration has closed and the field is set. The first battle is ahead. | | **IN PROGRESS** | Battles are being played — the qualifiers, the playoffs and the final all read the same. | | **COMPLETE** | The season is over: the final is official, awards are granted and prizes are paid. | | **CANCELLED** | The season will not finish. Money held for it comes back by itself. | The list of leagues tags the same states in more detail: **Not open yet** for OPENS SOON; **Registering**, then **Closed** once the registration window has passed; **Ready**; **In progress**, **Playoffs** and **Finalizing** — the last while the final's result is official but its room still settles — for IN PROGRESS; **Complete**; **Cancelled**. ### When a result is official A battle's result counts once the platform has recorded it — the app's word is **imported** — and the standings move then, not during the battle. The final is "unofficial until imported". Once its places are imported, the Overview calls the result **Official**, though its chip reads **SETTLING** for a while: "The final room still settles on chain", and the prizes are paid as it does. When the season is complete, the chip reads **OFFICIAL**. ## A season keeps to its schedule Registration closes at the time shown, the season starts with its first battle, and each stage hands over to the next shortly after its last battle ends. The **RULES** tab's **Schedule** section says what happens when a stage runs late: the next battles can move up to 15 minutes, and the app shows the new time. A longer delay pauses the season until the organizer re-plans the rest. A schedule change does not refund an entry. A season can be cancelled until its playoffs begin, never after. If it is, the vault returns the money by itself, sponsor top-up included — in full if no prize has been paid yet, otherwise pro rata by money in. See [Paid prize pools](/docs/leagues-and-seasons/prize-pools.md#if-the-season-is-cancelled). ## A season standing is not your rating League battles don't change your global rating, and your rating plays no part in a season. They measure different things: | | Season standing | Rating | | ---------- | ---------------------------------------- | --------------------------------- | | Scope | One season, stage by stage | Every ranked battle you play | | Unit | Season points | A skill score, banded into tiers | | Lasts | Until the season ends | Carries forward | | Decided by | Points, then a fixed chain of tie-breaks | Placement, ROI, and who you faced | There are no tiers, divisions, promotion or relegation in a league. Progression runs through the stages. ## Related * [Entering a season](/docs/leagues-and-seasons/entering-a-season.md) * [Your battles in a season](/docs/leagues-and-seasons/season-battles.md) * [Season scoring](/docs/leagues-and-seasons/season-scoring.md) * [Standings and qualification](/docs/leagues-and-seasons/standings-and-qualification.md)