Tournament rulesets (SSBB)
- This is the ruleset for SSBB. For other rulesets and general info on tournament legal settings, see Tournament legal.
Tournament legal describes the rules and settings that are accepted for use in competitive Smash tournaments. The following is the current SBR ruleset for Super Smash Bros. Brawl, as written on the Smash World Forums on August 7, 2010.
General Rules
- 3 stock.
- 8 minutes.
- Items are turned to off and none.
- If time runs out, the winner is determined by stock, and then by percentage.
- If both stock and percentage are identical, or a game ends with both players being KO'd simultaneously (typically because of a Sacrificial KO via Bowser's Flying Slam or Ganondorf's Flame Choke), then a tiebreaker is played. A tiebreakers is a 1 stock, 3 minute match with the same characters and the same stage.
- All sets with the exception of winner's finals, loser's finals, and the championship are best of 3 matches (best of 5 and above should be played out for any "finals" matches).
- Controller ports are determined by Rock-Paper-Scissors if there is a dispute.
- All people are responsible for their own control scheme/name tag and must make sure it is set before the match begins. Both players must agree to restart a match on account of a controller problem.
- Extending Meta Knight's Dimensional Cape is banned.
- Stalling is banned. (Stalling is defined as any action that deliberately avoids all conflict as to make the game unplayable. Running from an opponent to get to a better position is not considered stalling, but using chain grabs infinitely against a wall beyond 300% or using Sonic's Neutral B repeatedly underneath the stage is.)
- Any action that prevents the game from continuing results in a forfeiture of the match for the offender.
- Some interactions (for example, interrupting a throw with a wind attack) can cause one character to become frozen until being hit. If this happens, the free character is expected to capitalize on this in a timely manner; a failure to do so is considered stalling.
Set Format
- Both players choose their characters (as well as their sub-character and costume) for the first game. A double-blind pick may be requested by either player.
- Players start the stage-striking procedure in order to select the first stage. The optimal procedure for striking stages depends on how many starter stages are allowed. In the following list, "1" is player 1 and "2" is player 2.
- 3 Stages: 2-1
- 5 Stages: 1-2-2-1
- 7 Stages: 1-1-2-2-2-1
- 9 Stages: 1-1-1-2-2-2-2-1
- Each player may ban a stage from the counterpick list for the match.
- The first game is played using the stage chosen by step 2.
- The loser of the previous game chooses a stage from the starter or counterpick list. No player may choose a stage they have already won on unless the other player agrees.
- The winner of the previous game chooses their character.
- The loser of the previous game chooses their character.
- Steps 5-7 are repeated.
Doubles Play
- Team attack is on.
- Sharing stocks is allowed.
- Controller ports are determined in a 1221 fashion, with 1 being the team that won the Rock-Paper-Scissors.
- If the clock expires and the total number of stocks of each team is equal, use the sum of the final percentage of players on each team as the tiebreaker; whichever team has a lower sum wins. (A player who has been eliminated has 0 stocks and 0%).
- Causing both characters of a team to become frozen (i.e. by interrupting a throw with a wind attack) is to be treated the same way as freezing the opponent in singles. Leaving only one of the opponents' characters frozen is legal since the teammate can work to undo the freeze.
Optional Rules
- Port slob picks: On a player's counterpick, that player may choose to redo the port selection process, with that player/team picking their port first.
- The Mages DQ rule: After a match has been called, if a player is 2 minutes late he will receive a warning. At 4 minutes late, he will be given a loss for the first game of the set. After 6 minutes, he will be given a loss of the entire set.
- Colorblind Rule: In team games, it may be requested that certain characters be assigned a specific team color in order to prevent any unnecessary confusion. For instance, Sonic, Lucario, or Falco may be requested to be assigned the blue team.
Stages
For an explanation as to why stages are counter-picked or banned, see Banned stage
Stages are divided up into starter, counterpick, and banned. Starter stages are the only stages that are used in the first game of a match. After that, the loser may pick any stage, starter or counterpick, that is not banned. Additionally, each player announces a single stage each match that s/he wants banned from the counterpick list.
The Counter pick list is split into three "tiers" of stages. All counter picks listed should be considered and are preferably universally used. However stages of a higher tier (i.e. Frigate Orpheon / all unused starters) should be more prioritised in a tournament's rule set. The higher tier stages are more commonly seen in tournaments, each individual tier is explained further below.
The Banned list is a list of stages that should be universally banned from tournament play.
Starter/Counterpick
This list is divided into four groups. The first group is always used as starter stages. The tournament organizer may add subsequent groups to the list of starter stages, the rest being placed in the counterpick category. However, the groups must be added in order: one cannot choose for group 1 and group 3 to be starter stages without including group 2 as well.
- Group 1
- Group 2
- Group 3
- Group 4
Counterpick
Group One
These stages are typically used as counter picks, alongside any starters that might not have been in the starter list. TOs looking for a reliable set of counter picks are recommended to at least include these.
Group Two
These counter picks are less of a standard, but still relatively commonly used. They are considered to be perfectly playable in a competitive environment in the sense that they provide consistent results when used properly. However, they typically require extensive stage knowledge more so than the stages not in this category and have interfering or perhaps over-centralizing hazards which some consider unsuitable for competitive play. Note that they have been ordered in terms of overall acceptance in the BBR, which also holds true for tier three.
Group Three
These stages vary in the amount they're used in the competitive scene today. While some are adopted by MLG and the Midwest, others are rarely seen, if at all. The BBR is split on their competitive viability as the scene at large. Otherwise, the same applies as with tier two stages.
Banned
- 75m
- Big Blue (Melee)
- Bridge of Eldin
- Corneria (Melee)
- Flat Zone 2
- Green Hill Zone
- Hanenbow
- Mario Bros.
- Mario Circuit
- Mushroomy Kingdom (1-1 and 1-2)
- New Pork City
- Onett (Melee)
- Rumble Falls
- Shadow Moses Island
- Skyworld
- Spear Pillar
- Summit
- Temple (Melee)
- WarioWare, Inc.
Also, the Sample Stages included with Brawl to demonstrate the Stage Builder are not rated, and as a result, they're banned from tournaments.
Notes
- Except as noted in the definition of stalling, the BBR is opposed to the banning or restriction of any character's infinites.
- The Bowser suicide klaw rule present in the SBR Ruleset 2.0 has been removed. The BBR now recommends that the game's verdict should always be honored; a victory screen should decide the winner. Any Sudden Death (excluding time-outs) should be treated as a tie; which are resolved with a 1 stock, 3 minute, same characters, same stage rematch.
- The BBR is opposed to the institution of a Ledge Grab Limit of any number (for any character) for use in determining the winner of a match by time out.
- Although the BBR disapproves of players "coaching" other players during a tournament match, the universal and fair enforcement of a rule to prevent it appears to the BBR to be improbable.
Different areas and stages
The two US coasts are known for the different selection of stages chosen by the tournament organizers in those areas. The East Coast, specifically the Northeast, normally runs using rules laid down by smashers Inui and Atomsk, and they usually only allow a few stages - Final Destination, Battlefield, Yohsi's Island, and Smashville (possibly also Pokemon Stadium 1 or Lylat Cruise if stage striking is used) as neutrals while Brinstar, Rainbow Cruise, Halberd, Frigate Orpheon, Delfino Plaza, Castle Siege and Pokemon Stadium 1 are the permitted counterpicks.
On the contrary, Texas, usually run by smasher Xyro, and areas of the South are known to include other stages for use as neutral, such as Norfair, Green Greens, and possibly Pokemon Stadium 2. There was also a debate between the coasts over whether Luigi's Mansion, usually allowed on the West Coast, but banned on the East Coast, should be a legal stage.
Stage legality is often affected by the popularity of certain characters within an area. The Northeast is dominated by Meta Knight and Falco players, but has very few Wario and only a moderate number of Snake players. This is likely the reason that Green Greens, considered a difficult stage for Meta Knight and Falco, and a good stage for Wario and Snake, is not allowed. Texas, where Green Greens is legal, has more Wario and Snake players.
