General Division Hokkaido/Tohoku Block

• Tournament Name
Inter-Prefectural Esports Championship 2024 SAGA: Puyo Puyo Division (General Division)

• Game Software to Be Used
Game Title:
Puyo Puyo eSports for Nintendo Switch™

• Tournament Overview
The Inter-Prefectural Esports Championship is a national Esports tournament composed of players who have made it through their regional qualifiers and earned the right to represent their prefecture. This tournament is designed to determine the top esports prefecture as determined by various competitive events and divisions.
The Inter-Prefectural Esports Championship 2024 SAGA: Puyo Puyo Division is a tournament for players who reside in Japan,and who meet all of the necessary conditions. The tournament will proceed according to the outline detailed below.

1. Inter-Prefectural Esports Championship 2024 SAGA: Puyo Puyo Division - Online Regional Qualifiers
→ With the seven regional blocks, the Saga Prefecture (host prefecture) block, and the Pro Player (JeSU Pro License holders) block,
a total of nine online tournaments will be held throughout the country in order to determine each prefecture's representatives.

2. Inter-Prefectural Esports Championship 2024 SAGA: Puyo Puyo Division - Regional Finals
→ Offline (in-person) tournaments will be held at seven Aeon Mall stores throughout the country in order to determine the representatives
for each prefectural block.
The Inter-Prefectural Esports Championship 2024 SAGA: Puyo Puyo Division - Local Regional Qualifiers will also be held on the same day.
* The Saga Prefecture and Pro Player (JeSU Pro License holders) blocks are exempt from these qualifiers. These players will automatically advance to the Championship Finals.

3. SAGA 2024 Culture Program of Saga National Sports Festival and National Sports Festival for People with a Disability
Inter-Prefectural Esports Championship 2024 SAGA: Puyo Puyo Division - Championship Finals
→ The Championship Finals will be held on Saturday, December 14, 2024 and Sunday, December 15, 2024
in order to determine the top player in the nation from the pool of prefectural representatives.

• Sponsors, Supporting Companies, In Cooperation With
Sponsors: Inter-Prefectural Esports Championship 2024 SAGA: Puyo Puyo Division - Executive Committee
(Japan esports Union, SEGA CORPORATION)
Supporting Companies: I-O DATA DEVICE, INC., PUMA Japan K.K.
In Cooperation With: Tekwind Co., Ltd., Harman International Japan Co Ltd

• Entrance Qualifications

Age: 12 years or older (junior high school student or above)
Entrants who meet the requirements listed below will be eligible to participate in the General Division tournament.
- Reside in Japan and be able to communicate in Japanese (there are no restrictions on the entrant's nationality).
- Agree to the Inter-Prefectural Esports Championship 2024 SAGA: Puyo Puyo Division (General Division) - Terms of Entry.
- Have a Nintendo Switch™ console as well as a copy of the Puyo Puyo eSports game software, and be able to play online.
- Be able to pay the fees, communication charges, etc. and software costs required for the online game platform, and the costs for attending the tournament.
- Be able to use Discord on a PC, smartphone, or other device for the online tournament.
- Be able to use an official Nintendo controller or a controller officially licensed by Nintendo when playing in the online tournament.
- Be able to use an X (formerly Twitter) account that is capable of sharing videos of the match in case they are needed to determine the match's outcome.
- If the player is a minor, have the permission of a parent or guardian in order to participate in the tournament.
- Be able to follow the instructions provided by Sega and/or the event staff.

• Awarding of Puyo Puyo RANKING POINTS
Puyo Puyo RANKING POINTS will be given out based on each participant's Championship Finals entry and final results.

* The points awarded will be based on each participant's final results upon the conclusion of the Inter-Prefectural Esports Championship 2024 SAGA - Championship Finals.
* Participants must register for Puyo Puyo Camp in order to receive the points. (https://puyo-camp.jp/)
- All participants must register via the external website in order to receive the points.
Register here →https://puyo-camp.jp/events/15240
- The points will not be awarded if the registration deadline is missed, regardless of the reason.
- The points will be awarded to players who actually participate in the tournament. Participants who do not attend the tournament or quit during tournament play will not receive the points.

• How to Enter the Tournament
Participants must register with a prefectural block.
Separate regionals rounds will take place for Saga Prefecture (as the tournament host) and for professional players
(JeSU Pro License holders).
The participants that emerge from these blocks are exempted from the Regional Finals and may advance directly to the Inter-Prefectural Esports Championship 2024 SAGA - Championship Finals.
- Entry Websites

* The pro players (JeSU Pro License holders) will be given separate instructions on an individual basis.　
The entrant's registered prefecture must be one of the following locations:
1) Residence  2) Place of school or work  3) Birthplace (hometown)

- If the above locations for the entrant are in different prefectures and are also assigned to different prefectural blocks, then as a special exception, the entrant may register to enter a maximum of two blocks.
* All entrants must check in by the required time on the day of the Online Regional Qualifiers.
* The check-in time is scheduled to be one hour before the start of each tournament.
- Entrants may be asked without prior notification for documentation proving that their registered location (1, 2, or 3 above) is correct.
* If the event staff can confirm the location to be accurate, then no official proof needs to be submitted.
* Entrants who are unable to prove the validity of their location may be disqualified from the tournament at the event staff's discretion.
- Pro players (JeSU Pro License holders) may not enter any other block. (They may only enter their dedicated block).
- "3) Birthplace (hometown)" definition: a prefecture where the entrant has lived at least once in the past.

• Participation of players without Japanese nationality or permanent residency
Participants without Japanese nationality or permanent residency are welcome to enter the tournament as long as they agree to the conditions listed below.
Regardless of nationality, players who are currently living or staying within Japan and meet all of the entry requirements may participate in the tournament, but the following conditions will apply:
- Financial assistance for the associated transportation and accommodation fees will be calculated from the address in Japan where they are currently staying.
- Tournament prizes cannot be shipped overseas.
- The issuing of official JeSU Pro Licenses may be prohibited depending on the rules for such JeSU Pro Licenses.　
* Entrants may be asked without prior notification for documentation proving that their registered location is correct.

- Start Date/Deadline

• Participants with a disability/color blindness
Please see here for more information.
- A request for all participants
The event staff may make adjustments to the match format or procedure if they deem it necessary to provide additional support to accommodate players with disabilities or other special circumstances.
* This may include online participation, use of a wheelchair, etc.

Our goal is to provide a fair and open competition to all players, so we appreciate everyone's understanding regarding this matter.

• Entrance Fee
Free
* When attending the online tournament, all associated costs, including the fees, communication charges, etc. and software, game console,and peripheral costs required for the online game platform, are the responsibility of each participant.
* Transportation and accommodation costs
Regional Finals: Subsidies will be provided to assist with the cost of public transportation to the tournament venue.
Championship Finals: Subsidies will be provided by the event's designated travel agency to assist with the cost of round-trip transportation and accommodations at the tournament venue.
* The subsidy amounts shall be determined by a standardized formula. They cannot be adjusted according to the particulars of each individual participant.

• Number of participants

• Regional Finals Event Date/Location

• Local Regional Qualifiers
The Online Regional Qualifiers can be attempted again at the Regional Finals venue via the Local Regional Qualifiers.
This tournament is open to any eligible participant for same-day entry.
- The participant must register for a prefecture that is included within an available block.
- A total of two participants may advance to the Regional Finals from each Local Regional Qualifier.
- Players who have already been selected to represent their prefecture may not enter this tournament.
- Pro players (JeSU Pro License holders) may not enter this tournament.

• Basic Regulations

 Format Details by Tournament

Inter-Prefectural Esports Championship 2024 SAGA: Puyo Puyo Division - Online Regional Qualifiers

Event Format: Online tournament
Tournament Format: Single elimination tournament
(The tournament will be organized according to the number of prefectural representatives.)
Victory Conditions: First player to 5
Determination of Prefecture Representatives: First place in each tournament shall bypass the Online Regional Qualifiers.
Determination of Tournament Bracket: Randomly generated using a dedicated tournament tool.　

• Necessary Items
- Puyo Puyo eSports game software for Nintendo Switch™
- Nintendo Switch™ console
* The matches will be held concurrently. In order to ensure the tournament proceeds smoothly, we ask that all participants bring their own Nintendo Switch™ console. We appreciate everyone's assistance regarding this matter.
* Participants should keep this in mind when family members or siblings are also participating in the tournament.
- Nintendo controller or a controller officially licensed by Nintendo
- Nintendo Switch Online membership
* Online play requires a Nintendo Switch Online membership.
- Monitor that can be used to display the Nintendo Switch's screen.
- Internet connection (in order to ensure smooth gameplay, we recommend using a wired Ethernet connection)
- Player name
- Email address where the participant can be reached
- Necessary tools
1. Discord: Used for communication between players and with the event staff.
* Participants may use either a PC or smartphone.
2. X (formerly Twitter): Used to share videos of the match.
(If any problems arise during a match, the event staff may ask for a video of the match.)

• Saved replays
Participants are required to save replays of their matches.

• Starting online matches, resuming matches, and other concerns
- If a participant is unable to begin the match for any reason, they should contact the event staff immediately. The event staff will decide how to proceed after assessing the matter.
- If the connection is lost during a match or a participant is unable to continue for some reason, the responsible player
shall be disqualified. However, if both participants agree, the match may be resumed, up to one time only. If both participants agree to resume the match,the match will continue from immediately before the last confirmed point of progress in the match. If a participant is unable to continue once the match has been resumed,the player responsible shall be disqualified.
- If it cannot be determined which participant is responsible for the inability to continue the match, the event staff will decide how to proceed after assessing the matter.
The event staff may ask that a video of the match be submitted in order to make a decision.
- If a problem or other issue occurs during the course of the tournament that cannot be resolved by the participants,they should contact the event staff immediately. The event staff will decide how to proceed after assessing the matter.
- The event staff may use the game's Spectate mode in order to make a decision regarding a match. If the event staff experiences a network error and its account is inaccessible, they will have the match resume based on the last confirmed point of progress.

• Tournament Progression
The event staff will send an email to all players with information about the tournament progression and a detailed schedule.
In addition, on the day of the tournament, a Discord chatroom will be used to facilitate communication between the event staff, players, and other participants within the same tournament grouping. The match's progress shall be determined by the participants, and the match results shall be submitted via the provided tournament tools after being agreed upon by both parties.
Regarding livestreaming over the internet: The event organizers have no plans to livestream this tournament online.

Inter-Prefectural Esports Championship 2024 SAGA: Puyo Puyo Division - Local Regional Qualifiers (same day as the Regional Finals)

Event Format: The tournament is scheduled to be held offline (in-person).
Tournament Format: The Score Attack mode included within CHALLENGE Mode > Official Challenge will be played twice, with the highest score being recorded. The Official Challenge time limit will be set to 2 minutes, with the participants competing on the highest score earned from clearing Puyos.
Out of the participants, the top two players will be given the right to participate in the Regional Finals that are scheduled to be held on the same day.
* In the event that multiple participants have the same score, the two with the highest total scores from the two attempts will advance.
If the total score is also the same for multiple players, the participants will compete one time only via CHALLENGE > Official Challenge,and the participants that earn the highest score will advance.

Entrance Qualifications
- Be 12 years or older (junior high school student or above) at the time of the Local Regional Qualifiers.
- Reside in Japan and be able to communicate in Japanese (there are no restrictions on the entrant's nationality).
- The registered prefecture must be one of the following locations:

　1) Residence  2) Place of school or work  3) Birthplace (hometown)

- If the player is a minor, have the permission of a parent or guardian in order to participate in the tournament.
- The entrant and his or her parent or guardian must agree to the Championship Finals Terms of Entry.
- The entrant cannot have been named as a prefectural representative following the Online Regional Qualifiers.
- The entrant cannot be a JeSU Pro License holder.

Inter-Prefectural Esports Championship 2024 SAGA: Puyo Puyo Division - Regional Finals

Event Format: The tournament is scheduled to be held offline (in-person).
Tournament Format: Single elimination tournament
Victory Conditions: First player to 5
Determination of Tournament Bracket: Drawn randomly on the day of the tournament.　
• Playing side
The participants are able to select their playing side (left or right) for the match. Please toss a coin, play a round of rock-paper-scissors, or agree upon some other method to decide who gets the right to choose their side. Once the playing sides have been determined, they cannot be changed for the duration of the match.
• Quitting the game
If a participant presses the HOME Button or otherwise quits the game during a match, that player will be declared the loser of the current set, with the other player being awarded 1 set. The match will then continue.
• Hardware or software issues
If a participant experiences unavoidable hardware or software issues, the event staff will attempt to rectify the situation. If the issue occurs during a match, the event staff will analyze the match's progress at the time of the incident and decide how to proceed.
• Player absence
If a participant is absent from the match, the event staff will declare the other player the winner by default.
Regarding livestreaming over the internet: The event organizers have no plans to livestream this tournament online.

Culture Program of Saga National Sports Festival and National Sports Festival for People with a Disability
Inter-Prefectural Esports Championship 2024 SAGA: Puyo Puyo Division - Championship Finals

Event Format: The tournament is scheduled to be held offline (in-person). Tournament Format/Victory Conditions:
A lottery will be held to divide the 20 participants from the regionals and this tournament into four blocks (A, B, C, and D) of 5 players each.
The top player in each block will advance to the Championship Finals (First-to-5)
* One pro player (JeSU Pro License holders) will be assigned to each block at random.
* The rankings will be determined by the players with the most match wins in each block.
In the event of a tie, the player with the greater win differential (wins - losses) will be given the higher ranking. If multiple players have the same win differential...
Two players are tied: The winner of a direct match-up will be given the higher ranking.
Three or more players are tied: Another league match will be held, and the first two players to win 1 set will be given the higher ranking.

Championship Finals: Single elimination tournament (First-to-10) - The semifinals shall serve as the first round of the tournament and will consist of a match between the first-place player from one block and the second-place player from another. There will be no match held to determine third place.
* If it is determined that the tournament is unable to proceed according to the format explained above once the details of the Championship Finals have been finalized,
the event staff reserves the right to make changes to the tournament without prior notice.
Awards: Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 players.
* If an amateur player takes first place in the tournament, they will be awarded the right to obtain a Puyo Puyo series Japan Esports Pro License from JeSU.
* If an amateur player who is in junior high school takes first place in the tournament, they will be awarded the right to obtain a Japan Esports Junior Pro License.
* The champion and first runner-up will be awarded the right to enter the planned "PUYO PUYO GRAND PRIX FINAL" tournament sanctioned by SEGA.
Other: All participants in the Championship Finals will receive special tournament uniforms embroidered with their representative prefectures as well as their player names. (They will be able to wear the uniforms on the day of the tournament.)

• Playing side
The participants are able to select their playing side (left or right) for the match. Please toss a coin, play a round of rock-paper-scissors, or agree upon some other method to decide who gets the right to choose their side. Once the playing sides have been determined, they cannot be changed for the duration of the match.

• Quitting the game
If a participant presses the HOME Button or otherwise quits the game during a match, that player will be declared the loser of the current set, with the other player being awarded 1 set. The match will then continue.

• Hardware or software issues
If a participant experiences unavoidable hardware or software issues, the event staff will attempt to rectify the situation. If the issue occurs during a match, the event staff will analyze the match's progress at the time of the incident and decide how to proceed.

• Player absence
If a participant is absent from the match, the event staff will declare the other player the winner by default.
Regarding livestreaming over the internet: The tournament is scheduled to be livestreamed over the internet.