Bylaws

PHI MU ALPHA OVERWATCH LEAGUE (PMAOWL) BYLAWS

CODE OF CONDUCT

Keep Discord, game chat, and League voice comms free of hate speech, slurs and epithets, unreasonably graphic content, and unreasonably aggressive/mean-spirited chatter.

Do not share fraternity secrets in any medium that may become public-facing or with any non-brothers in the league.

Cheating of any variety will not be tolerated. If a player is determined to have been cheating during a league match, that match will be considered a full forfeit by the offender’s team. The offending player is recommended to be suspended from league membership indefinitely but not necessarily permanently; however, all disciplinary measures, including suspensions, are handled by the elected council.

Players who sign up for a season in the league are expected to make a reasonable effort to attend all regular season and playoff matches, and to communicate with their team captain when they are unable to do so.

• If a player knows they will miss a game, they are expected to inform their captain no later than 48 hours prior to the match start time. This is to give the captain enough time to find a suitable substitute.

• Players who do not inform their captain beforehand have 24 hours after missing a match to contact their captain. Those who do not do so will receive a strike for the unexcused absence.

• Upon receiving a second strike, players will be banned from registering for the next PMAOWL season.

• Players may appeal their ban directly with the Council, explaining why their absences were unable to be excused within the time frame. The Council will vote on whether or not a player’s reasoning is valid, and a majority vote will either uphold or redact the suspension.

• It is the responsibility of captains to report unexcused absences to the Council immediately following the 24 hour grace period.

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Official league communication will be given over Discord. The Discord channels for official business (e.g. #league-news) shall not be muted or you will not receive important information.

Elected Council members will be reviewed by the active membership every two seasons. If an elected councilor is not approved in this review, they will be removed and replaced.

Officers serve four-season terms. There are no limits to the number of terms an officer may serve. At the end of each council’s term, elections will be held. 

Elected Council (hereafter referred to as Tribunal) Positions:

• Commissioner
  The Commissioner is responsible for the overall operation of league activities. They may adjudicate rules questions, direct funds, and make administrative decisions about the league at their discretion. The commissioner may appoint active members to fulfill duties and roles as they see fit. Suggested appointed positions include, but are not limited to:
  — Assistant/Co-commissioner
  — Treasurer (funds management)
  — Stream Manager (technical, staffing, or both)
  — Statistics Manager (Handles match tracking/scheduling)
  — Administrative Advisor (additional staff)

• Community Manager
  The Community Manager (CM) is the representative of the membership to the council and the representative of the council to the membership. The CM is responsible for all community-related activities including pick-up games (PUGS), the All-Star Game, and any other special event that the CM or Council feels is appropriate to run.

• Games Manager
  The Games Manager (GM) is responsible for ensuring matches are in compliance with league rules and adjudicating conflicts about league matches if they arise. The GM serves as the representative of the team captains to the Council. The GM is also responsible for the appointed Referees and will work alongside them to ensure league rules are followed in each match.

  1. 1. • • Referees will be members that are knowledgeable of the PMAOWL Ruleset. Referees will report directly to the Games Manager, and will oversee matches to ensure all rules and regulations are followed.

          • Team Captains will be appointed by the council to manage League teams. Captains are responsible for:
            —Drafting a team
            —Turning in a team logo
            —Reporting match records to the appropriate council member
            —Communicating league rules and expectations to individual members
            —Coordinating with their team and the opposing captain in the event a match can’t be played as scheduled
            Additionally, a Team Captain is expected to be active in organizing practices or scrims with their team to foster community and teamwork.

The Tribunal and appointed council members (except for the Administrative Advisor(s) and Treasurer positions) will have official voting capacity on League matters. All members may bring proposals to the council. General members should make proposals through the Community Manager. The Tribunal are the only members to discuss and vote on disciplinary measures. All rules and regulations will be subject to the voted Tribunal's discretion.

Removal
Any position may be called for removal, e.g: Commissioner, Stream Manager, or Captain. This is not to be used if the reason is performance-based. These positions may be called into question by any member of the Phi Mu Alpha Overwatch League. All claims for removal shall be taken to the Community Manager unless the Officer in question is the Community Manager, in which case it will be taken to the Commissioner. Once it has been brought forth that officer must report it to the council within 72 hours of notification. At this point, an open council meeting will be scheduled to discuss if the claim is legitimate and of harsh enough offense for removal. If so, it will move to a full member vote. 3/4ths of the player base must vote to meet the quorum, where 2/3rds majority must be reached in order for the removal to take place. 

CATCH-ALL
Any league policy not specified in this document can be adjudicated as appropriate by the council or agreed upon (within reason) by team captains if it pertains to their individual matches.

Any conflicts concerning game rules and individual matches will be decided by the Games Manager. If a team feels the GM's decision is unreasonable or against the spirit of the league, that team's captain is encouraged to appeal the decision to the administrative council.