MAJOR UPDATE

A LEAP FORWARD.

A major rules update will be implemented and rolled out.⚠

As the level of competition increased, it became clear that the next step for the sport required more than small adjustments.

Over the past weeks, NSL Sports ( Sonny and Bert ) have spent extensive time evaluating the current state of the game.

The result of that work is the new NSL Rules & Regulations v7.0 that will be rolled out upcoming days. Ofcourse the core identity of NSL remains exactly the same.

The biggest changes are focused on:

• clearer definitions
• more consistent officiating
• restructuring the penalty system
• reducing gray areas and abuse
• improving competitive integrity
• keeping the game flowing cleaner and more professionally

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We also understand that implementing changes of this scale during an ongoing season is normally not ideal.

However, after extensive evaluation, it became clear that the sport genuinely needed these changes now, not next year. There were simply too many loopholes, inconsistencies, and gray areas affecting competitive integrity, officiating, and the professionalism of the game.

Especially with major events like the Nations Cup and the Globals approaching, NSL Sports strongly believes these adjustments were necessary to move the sport forward and create a stronger long term foundation for the future.

Ofcourse this is not a new sport.

This is the next evolution of the sport.

NSL Sports

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PATCH NOTES – MARCH 17, 2026

Second degree penalty structure has been simplified.

– Second degree will now always result in sitting out one round.   
– Second degree penalties are no longer stacked

The only remaining third degree penalty is for a false breakout.

PATCH NOTES – FEBRUARY 13, 2026

VAR Rules updated
– VAR is operated by dedicated VAR Operator
– VAR will only check Major & 1st degree penalties
– Team Captain requests VAR challenge with Head ref
– Head Ref speaks with referee that made the call
– Only Team Captain allowed with Head Ref during VAR check, 1st Degree penalty for interfering players
– Head ref may invite player or players involved in the matter for their point of view, but can also choose not to
– VAR Operator decides independently
– VAR check not clear after two minutes > automatic unsuccessful VAR check, original decision stands
– External evidence (eg. livestream footage) no longer allowed. Ref calls + VAR check is final

3rd Degree Penalty added (non-stacking)
– moved Middle Exit, False Start 2nd > 3rd
– moved Discussing Referee Calls 2nd > 1st

No-Call is now either a Major (Headshot No-cal), 1st or 3rd degree penalty
– 1st when hit on unprotected body part (except head/mask = Major)
– 3rd when hit on protected body part (belt/knee/shoes)
– distinction between Major, 1st or 3rd is made either when stationairy or during movement, there is no such thing as a separate ‘hit during movement’ call.

Patch Notes 05. September 2025

• VAR challenges must be requested before the next match of the other teams start
• the headref will gather in the middle of the field after the round is done
• any time after official pregame chrono a ref can chrono a player and apply penalties if the gun is shooting too hot or too low, players can request checks
• a tolerance of 1.11—1.20 joules is permitted and results in a 1st degree instead of a major
• unsportsmanlike behavior can be classified as a 1st degree or major
• removed overshooting penalty and added it to unsportsmanlike behavior 
• added clear definition for blindfire/ hipfire
• fake snatch/ hang rule clarified
• added when a penalty is applied outside the context of a current round, the weapon class will always be defined as rifle
• clarified if a player receives a major penalty which leads into a stacked penalty, he will miss the next two matches in order to serve both penalties after each other

Patchnotes:
– Adjusted the VAR Checks for 2nd Degree Penalties basing of No-Calls due to the limitation of the VAR
– Added rule for magazine adapter moving the mag in front of the trigger

Patch Notes 11. February 2025

• Clarification on shooting through gaps
• Clarification on jumpable bunkers
• Changed rule for player number (only 01-99 are allowed)
• Limited the maximum number of players per season per team to 12
• Adjusted rule in case of a draw (overtime shootout)
• Added rule that a buzzer press under 15 seconds after a teamkill will be viewed as game-altering
• Updated referee section
• Adjusted and clarified the VAR rules, introduced challenges for teams
• Adjusted seeding points
• Adjust stacking penalties
• Removed the rule that a player has to serve his penalty in the penalty box
• Adjusted the Major Penalty
• Added “overshooting” rule
• Adjusted & clarified game-altering rule
• Removed shotguns as a class, only rifles and pistols with one barrel are allowed
• Only green tracer BBs are allowed
• Adjusted “manual binary” rule
• added NSL Pulse rule set

PATCH NOTES – July 17, 2024

– specified blind fire
– folding the flag is not longer allowed
– specified the rule on how to lay the flag in order to loose flag possession while being alive

Patch Notes 12. APRIL  2024

– Clarified special case for a penalty in the last 30 seconds of a match.
– Clarified players number situation.
– Added overtime shootout adjustment to the 3 vs 3 ruleset.

– Added 3-3 format rules

Patch Notes 08. February 2024

• Added overview of seedingpoints
• Changed First Degree penalty: Team punishment is harder now, First Degree penalties will stack like Second Degree penalties
• Adjusted mercy rule
• Backpacks are not allowed to be used anymore
• Changed bunker jumping rule: Sole can touch the bunker during the jump, pushing the player up is not allowed
• Clarified “game altering play”
• Added VAR to the rules
• Clarified penalties in the last 30 seconds of a match
• Added  teamkill trades in order to force the buzzer to game altering plays
• Clarifed shotgun rules
• Minor wording adjustments

Patch Notes:

• Specified which bunkers are considered as jumpable.
• Clarified how a player needs to jump a bunker.
• Clarified that the head referee also can apply penalties in a situation where the wording of the rules might be incomplete.

Patch Notes:

• Added special rule for 1st degrees and majors picked up in the last 30 seconds of a match.
• Clarified “breakoutwall snatches” – only the buzzer determines if it is valid or not, not the player count of the attacking team.
• Added that hoodies are also not allowed during games – counts as forbidden padding.
• Added finals and the game for place three are always played in 15 minutes.
• Clarified that no player needs to be in the penalty box to sit out an administrative penalty.
• Clarified on replicas with triggers allowing to shoot multiple BBs while touching or wiggling on it can now be pulled by ref. It is up to the players responsibility to not exploit not intended technical misfunctions of FCU and triggerboards (switch bounce).
• Added for the 2024 season only player numbers from 01-99 will be allowed.
• Added for the 2024 season player numbers need to be displayed on the back and on both arms of a jersey.
• General updates.

PATCH NOTES – JANUARY 23, 2023

• Standing or running in the way of the flag runner will result in a hang.
• Attackers can’t switch sides after the 20 second call.
• In case of a draw there will be overtime 1vs1 to determine the winner of the match.
• Added mercy rule.
• Added group standings and seeding point tiebreakers.
• Added the “administrative penalty” as the 4th type of penalty.
• Bonus 1vs1 are always included with NSL tournaments from now on.
• Added fixed score in case of a no-show.
• General updates.

PATCH NOTES – AUGUST 11, 2022

• Specified rules for players in the death tunnel and spectators on the balcony interfering with games.
• Snatch by touching the breakout wall is possible until the buzzer is pressed. It does not matter how many players are still alive. Only thing that denies this option is the buzzer.
• Defined exactly what the starting gate within the breakout wall is.
• Specified that the entire body (including gear) of the player needs to cross the marked lines on the ground to score points.
• Specified that the flag must be touched with the player’s hand only to perform a snatch.
• Pointed out the flag can not be covered intentionally by gear or objects -> automatic snatch.
• If the flag goes out of the defined boundaries of the field (i.e. death tunnel, ref box, penalty box) that it becomes an automatic snatch for defenders.
• The flag can only be possessed one time by a single attacking player, handing the flag over to a teammate does not count as a player losing possession. He still can pick it up again or do more handing overs with his teammate.
• Communication (verbally or non verbally) to teams playing on the field is not allowed 10 seconds before the game starts (once “Feet” is heard everyone needs to shut up and not make any hand gestures)
• Bonus 1vs1 does not count for the penalty counter.
• When a team is awarded an automatic flag hang, the points are awarded based on what attacking try it was (1, 2, or 3). Also award full bonus points, because the 1vs1 round is automatically won as well. 
• Cleaned up the language behind the stacking of second degrees (I.e. it is NOT equal to a first degree because the team only plays with 4x for one round).
• Added a column for penalty box visits where clears up how many times a player needs to be in the penalty box.
• When a player does not call their hit, determined by the referees, the severity is based on the totality of the circumstances (i.e. location of the hit, player position, game situation, etc.). Moreover, if a significantly game altering play was made by the player who “no-called”, the referees may choose to award an instant snatch or flag hang to the other team.
• Added wrong breakout penalties.
• Early buzzer is now a first degree, it will also be an automatic flag hang or snatch, and for flag hang specifically, the points are awarded based on what attacking try it was (1, 2, or 3). Also award full bonus points, because the 1vs1 round is automatically won as well. 
• Teams are allowed to have a MAXIMUM of 3 rifles at any time on the field. Players in the penalty box count as “on the field” in that regard. If a team can’t start a try with 5 players, but no players are in the penalty box, they are allowed to play with three players having three rifles. (The previous writing was misleading)
• Minor word changes.

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