There will be a 5 minute grace period between games to allow time for disconnected players to return, to wait for additional team members to arrive, and to allow strategy discussion between team members. If both teams agree this 5-minute grace period can be ignored or cut short. However, after 5 minutes have passed the next game should begin.

If a game is forfeited due to a team not showing up for a match with at least 2 members, the winning team receives the maximum possible point total achievable in the game and the forfeiting team receives no points. (The maximum totals are explicitly stated in the rules on scoring for each game type.) If a match is forfeited, the winning team receives points for forfeits of all games in the match. Note that the number of points gained in forfeited matches is not at all important, as they are never used (the average-points value used for seeding the first double-elimination round does not include matches won by forfeit). Forfeits can only be declared by a MWC99 Judge or Assistant Judge, and only at the officially scheduled match deadline. If teams fail to show up for an independently scheduled match time, there is no penalty and the teams should both turn up at the fallback match time. Such inconsiderate behavior is strongly discouraged.

If a team leaves a match before all games have been completed, they receive no points and their opponent receives points equal to the maximum possible points that could have been scored in any games that were not completed.

The members of both teams present for a match should try to agree on a player to host the match. If agreement cannot be reached, the higher-seeded team will provide the host for the first game. After the first game, the teams will alternate hosting duties unless both teams agree to retain the current host for subsequent games.

The use of non-playing (neutral observer) hosts is encouraged but not required. However, non-playing hosts must be sponsored by one team or the other, to determine possible penalties after a host drop. If the neutral host is furnished by a team, that team is responsible for the host. If a third-party host is used, one of the participating teams must assume responsibility for the host before beginning play.

It is possible that during the later rounds of the tournament, the Triumvirate may provide high-bandwidth neutral hosts. In this case neither team is responsible for sponsoring the host, and it is assumed that all host disconnections will be sanctioned.

If any game should go out of sync, that game shall be replayed with no penalty to any team as if the out of sync game had never been started. However, should the Triumvirate determine that any team/player is intentionally causing games to go out of sync, that player and their team will forfeit all games and matches and be immediately expelled from the tournament.

If the replay game also goes out of sync, the game will not be replayed again. Teams should submit the film of the replayed OOS game with their results. The Triumvirate will watch the film of the game on a neutral "reference computer" and make a ruling which may or may not be based on the outcome of the film.

In these rules, the term "disconnect" refers to a player leaving the game for whatever reason (connection failure, system crash, or pressing the quit button). No malicious intent is implied by the term. The term "host disconnect" refers to the host (whether player or not) prematurely ending the game for whatever reason without the prior consent of both team captains.

Intentionally disconnecting from games completely violates the spirit of competitive online gaming. Should the Triumvirate determine that any team/player is intentionally dropping games or matches to gain an advantage, that player and their team will forfeit all games and matches and be immediately expelled from the tournament.

As long as a team has players remaining in a game, the game will continue. (Exception: a team may demand one restart during a match if a player fails to load or is disconnected during planning time; see below.)

If all players on a team disconnect from the game, and all original players from the opposing team are still present in the game, the disconnected team loses the game and scores no points, and the remaining team wins the game and receives the maximum possible points for the game.

If all players on a team disconnect from the game, and at least one player from the opposing team has also disconnected, the game does not count and must be replayed with a different host (unless both teams agree to continue using the same host).

Teams should try and get the game settings right. Check that everything is all okay before you hit the ready button. It's much easier to change things before the game is started.

A match must be played on the maps and games that are specified in the rules. You can't agree between you to play another map or another game; it doesn't work that way. Any films submitted on incorrect maps or games will be ignored, and neither team will receive any points.

Games should be played with the right planning time and game time settings. If anyone notices that these time settings are wrong during planning time or within the first two minutes of the game, they should call for a restart (see the next section). However if this is not noticed until later in the game, or possibly even until after the game, then no restart will be entered into.

Each team has the right to demand that a game be aborted and restarted during planning time if one or more of their players is disconnected or lags out before the end of planning time (this includes players failing to load). Because crash-related disconnections may cause the other computers to believe that the player is still in the game, an unresponsive player is sufficient grounds for a restart. Only one restart of this nature is permitted per team per match. The restart must be requested within one minute of the end of planning time; teams may not decide to restart a match after it is nearly over! After a team has received one such restart, additional restarts are allowed only if agreed to by the opponent (see below).

At any time during a game, for any reason, both teams may agree to a restart by Yelling to each other. If both team captains agree to the restart, the host will abort the game with no penalty and it will be replayed.

Games with errors such as balls falling through the mesh or Out of Sync (see above) shall be aborted and replayed with no penalty to either side UNLESS it is determined by the Triumvirate that this error was caused intentionally by a team. In this case the offending team will forfeit all matches and be immediately expelled from the tournament. Teams suspecting that such irregularities were deliberately caused should submit films and an explanation to the Triumvirate along with their match results.

If the host of a game disconnects during the game for reasons other than those described above under "Restarting a Game" the game must be replayed. The team that did not provide/sponsor the offending host may assume the hosting duties for the replayed game and any subsequent games if they so desire.

After the replay is complete, the team that provided/sponsored the original disconnecting host is penalized by forfeiting 50% (round up) of the points they accumulated during the replayed game. If this results in their point total being less than that of their opponent, they receive a loss for the game and their opponents receive a win, regardless of the original outcome of the replayed game. If after the adjustment the point totals are exactly equal, the game is scored as a tie. For example, order A hosts order B, but the host disconnects during play. Order B hosts the replay, in which A scores 15 points and B scores 8. Order A then forfeits 8 points (50% of 15 rounded up) so the final score of the game is 15 - 8 = 7 to 8 and order B is ruled the winner of the game.

If a second unsanctioned host disconnection occurs during the replay of the game, no further replays will be attempted (simply for time considerations). The team that provided/sponsored the host of the disconnected replay game receives 0 points and a loss for the game, while their opponent receives a win and 50% (round up) of the maximum possible points for the game type. The opponent of the offending team can also assume hosting duties for any subsequent games in the match if they so desire.