Section 01
League Overview
The CHECK UP Ascend 5v5 Draft League is a competitive, organized, and fair Pro-Am league. Failure to comply with any rule below may result in fines, suspensions, forfeits, or removal from the league.
The league consists of 16 teams, split evenly between the Eastern Conference and Western Conference (8 teams per conference). §
The season includes 4 weeks of regular-season play, followed by playoffs. All games are played in 5v5 Pro-Am. §
Playoff qualification, seeding, and format are determined by league standings and the official playoff rules below. §
Section 02
League Fees & Eligibility
League fees: Player Entry $20 · Franchise Owner $50 · Personalized Branding Package $75. §
Required fees must be paid by the deadline set by league staff. Failure to pay may result in loss of eligibility, removal from draft consideration, or removal from ownership. §
By entering, each player confirms they are at least 16 years old and that they own or have authorized access to NBA 2K. §
Players may only be rostered on one team per season. §
Players must use their registered gamertag(s) unless staff approves a change. §
Section 03
Platform Rules
Section 04
Regular Season & Series
Standard season format: the regular season is 3 weeks, with 12 required series each week (W1: 12 · W2: 12 · W3: 12). Each team must complete 36 required series. Teams may play up to 3 optional series per week, for up to 45 total series. §
Season One uses an adjusted format: W1: 10 Series · W2: 12 Series · W3: 12 Series. Each team must complete 34 required series. Teams may still play up to 3 optional series per week, for up to 43 total series in Season One. §
Optional series do NOT count toward: series record, playoff seeding, playoff placement, or awards voting/eligibility. §
- Optional series only count toward personal player stats and the game-to-game team record.
Standings tiebreakers, in order: 1) Series Points (1 per series win); 2) Game-to-Game Record — game differential (required and optional games both count); 3) Head-to-Head record versus the tied opponent; 4) Point Difference. §
Section 05
Playoffs & Prize Pool
Top 4 seeds from each conference qualify directly for the playoffs. The #1 and #2 seeds also earn a first-round bye. §
Seeds 5–8 in each conference play a Best-of-1 Play-In for the last 2 playoff spots: #5 vs #8 and #6 vs #7. The two winners enter the bracket as that conference's #5 and #6 seeds — six teams advance per conference, for a 12-team playoff. §
The Play-In is Best-of-1. All playoff rounds and the Finals are Best-of-7. §
The final prize pool is set by total league entries and fees collected, paid out as: Champion 80% of the pool, Runner-up 20%. Within each team's share, 75% goes to the players and 25% to the franchise owner. §
Section 06
Gameplay Rules
Enforced every game.
No tempo shooting. The setting must be off in the team's Pro-Am settings. §
No shot meter. The setting must be off. §
Layup meter is allowed (this is intentional — only the shot meter is banned). §
No post scoring or post moves. §
Zero tolerance for cheating, exploiting, or game manipulation. §
- Cheating includes: lag switching, save-state manipulation, build / takeover / animation glitch exploits, controller scripts or macros, mid-series alt accounts, deliberate desync, and any third-party assistance not permitted by NBA 2K's terms.
- Any player caught cheating faces immediate suspension, match forfeits, and/or permanent removal from the league. Entry fees are forfeit on a cheating removal.
Section 07
Match Rules
Regular-season series: Best of 5. Playoff series and the Finals: Best of 7. §
Every game is first to 21. §
Game 1 ball possession is decided by a coin flip. Ball-first alternates each game thereafter. §
If a Best-of-5 reaches Game 5 (or a Best-of-7 reaches Game 7), ball-first is awarded to the team with the higher cumulative point differential in the series. If point differential is tied, a fresh coin flip decides. §
Teams must check in for scheduled matches on the official website at least 15 minutes before tipoff. §
Match scheduling: the higher-seeded team proposes the time; the opposing team must accept or counter within 24 hours. If no agreement is reached 48 hours before the scheduled game window closes, the match defaults to Sunday at 8:00 PM EDT. §
Late-arrival window: 15-minute grace from scheduled tipoff. Teams not ready to start at the 16-minute mark forfeit the game (and may forfeit the series at admin discretion). §
All league games are played in the official CHECK UP Discord server, in 5v5 Pro-Am on the home team's team-specific court with proper jersey and court branding applied. §
Section 08
Streaming Requirements
At least one player per team is required to stream every match. §
Team audio (in-game and party chat) must be included in the stream. §
Acceptable streaming platforms: Twitch, YouTube Live, or Kick. Minimum 720p60 at 3,500 kbps. §
VODs must be enabled for every match stream and must remain publicly accessible for at least 14 days after the match, so disputes and rule reviews have evidence to pull from. §
Streams may be reviewed by league admins for rule enforcement at any time. §
If the assigned streamer lags out, a teammate must take over streaming. If no teammate is able to stream, the match continues and admin reviews evidence from the opposing team's VOD. §
Section 09
Team Requirements
Teams must use their official Ascend jerseys for every match and play home matches on their official Ascend court. §
A team must field at least 5 available players to start a game. Falling below 5 mid-series counts as a forfeit for the affected games unless an emergency Fill-In is approved by an admin. §
Substitutions are permitted between games of a series. No mid-game substitutions, except when an in-game lag-out leaves a player unable to return (see Lag-Out Rules). §
Section 10
Free Agency
Players not selected during the draft enter the Free Agency pool. §
Free agent signings are open during the regular season, with a cap of 1 signing per team per calendar week (Monday 00:00 EDT through Sunday 23:59 EDT). §
Roster size is capped — to sign a free agent once the roster is full, an existing roster player must be released first. §
Section 11
Trade Rules
Section 12
Lag-Out Rules
A “lag-out” is any unexpected disconnect, hard freeze, app crash, or lobby drop that removes a player from an in-progress game.
First lag-out (per game): the game is restarted from the exact point the lag-out occurred. Both teams are responsible for accurately recreating the score, time remaining, fouls, and any other relevant statistics. If they cannot agree on the state, the most recent broadcast / VOD timestamp is used as the source of truth. §
Second lag-out (same game): the affected team must finish the game with an AI-controlled player in the dropped slot. §
Third lag-out (same game): the affected team automatically loses that game. §
Lag-out counts reset at the start of each new game in a series. §
Section 13
Player Retention
At the end of every season, franchises can carry players forward into the next draft. How many they can keep scales with where they finished.
Champion franchise: retains all 5 players from their roster. §
Runner-up franchise: retains 3 players, with the option to retain a 4th by forfeiting their 1st-round pick in the next draft. §
Every other franchise: retains 2 players, with the option to retain a 3rd by forfeiting their 1st-round pick in the next draft. §
Retention selections must be declared to league staff before the next draft begins. Players not retained re-enter the draft pool as free agents. §
If a franchise owner has declared themselves as one of the 5 roster slots (see Draft Rules — owner-as-player), the owner-player counts toward the retention cap. A runner-up owner-player retaining 3 means themselves + 2 other players. §
Section 14
Draft Rules
Owners have 2 minutes to make each draft selection. If the timer expires, an Auto-Draft Selection is made on the owner's behalf. §
Owner-as-player declaration: if a franchise owner intends to play on their own team, they must declare it to league staff in advance. The owner-player occupies 1 of the 5 roster spots and the franchise automatically forfeits its 1st-round pick. §
- Declaration must be received by league staff before the draft begins. An undeclared owner playing on their own team is treated as a roster violation and may forfeit their entry, at admin discretion.
- Roster math: the owner-player counts as 1 of 5 roster spots. The franchise fills the remaining 4 via the draft (without their 1st-round pick) and free agency.
- The penalty applies on participation, not on timer expiry — the franchise forfeits its 1st-round pick regardless of whether picks are made on time.
Coach-as-player penalty: if a coach is also playing as a player on their own team, the team forfeits its 1st-round pick. §
- Coaches receive front-office and scouting access that regular players do not. Dual-rolling as a player creates an insider-information advantage, so the cost is a 1st-round pick the team would otherwise hold.
- The penalty applies whether or not the coach made the pick on time — it triggers on participation, not on timer expiry.
Section 15
Open Combine
Optional — but the fastest way to move up a draft board.
Section 16
Screenshot & Reporting Rules
Teams are responsible for uploading screenshots of every win, within 30 minutes of the match ending. §
Failure to upload proof of victory within the window results in a $25 fine. Repeat offenses escalate. §
Screenshots must clearly show the final score, the winning team, and individual player statistics. §
Section 17
Disputes & Filing
League admin has final say on all disputes. There is a defined process for getting your case in front of them.
All disputes are filed in the #disputes channel of the official CHECK UP Discord, OR via the dispute form on your team page on checkup.gg. §
Disputes must be filed within 24 hours of the disputed match ending. Disputes filed after the 24-hour window will not be reviewed. §
Every dispute must include a written description, screenshots, and the VOD timestamp(s) of the relevant moment(s). Disputes without VOD evidence may be dismissed. §
League administration reviews disputes within 48 hours and issues a ruling. All admin rulings are final. §
Section 18
Fines & Discipline
Standard conduct enforcement ladder: 1) Warning (first offense, minor); 2) $25 fine (second offense, or any single moderate offense); 3) 1-game suspension (third offense, or any serious offense); 4) Removal from the league (cheating or repeated serious offenses). §
Team owners are responsible for ensuring all of their players follow league rules. Fines may be paid by the individual player or by the team owner — payment responsibility is at the owner's discretion. §
Unpaid fines are deducted from the team's prize-pool payout at season end. Teams with outstanding fines may be barred from their next match until paid. §
Late to scheduled match: $25. Mid-season gamertag change: $10 (admins need updated rosters and stat-tracking continuity). §
Section 19
Sportsmanship Policy
All players, owners, and league staff are expected to maintain professionalism and sportsmanship at all times. §
The following will not be tolerated: toxic conduct, harassment, excessive arguing with players, opponents, or league staff, match manipulation, intentional griefing, and any unsportsmanlike behavior. §
League administration reserves the right to make final decisions on all disputes and disciplinary actions. §
Section 20
Refunds, Media Rights & Final Notes
Entry fees are non-refundable once the first regular-season match of the season has been played. Players removed from the league for cheating or repeated serious offenses forfeit their entry fee. §
By entering the Ascend league, you grant CHECK UP / ModernGrindTech the right to use your gamertag, in-game footage, stream clips, and match results for league promotion, recap content, and broadcast. §
By participating in the Ascend league, every player and owner acknowledges and agrees to follow every rule listed above. §
League administration reserves the right to modify rules when necessary, address situations not specifically outlined in this rulebook, and make final rulings in the best interest of league integrity and fairness. §