5. Rules of Play
Map Veto
- Teams alternate banning maps from the Active Duty pool
- BO1: Ban-Ban-Ban-Ban-Ban-Ban, remaining map is played
- BO3: Ban-Ban-Pick-Pick-Ban-Ban, remaining map is decider
- BO5: Ban-Ban-Pick-Pick-Pick-Pick, remaining map is decider
- Higher-seeded team chooses first ban or first pick (varies by tournament)
Round Structure
- Each match half consists of 12 rounds (MR12 format, introduced in CS2)
- Total regulation rounds: 24 (teams switch sides after 12 rounds)
- Round time: 1 minute 55 seconds
- Bomb timer: 40 seconds after plant
- Freeze time: 20 seconds (buy period at round start)
Economy System
- Players earn money through kills, bomb plants/defuses, and round results
- Starting money: $800 (pistol round)
- Maximum money: $16,000
- Loss bonus increases with consecutive round losses (up to $3,400)
- Team-based economy decisions (eco rounds, force buys, full buys) are a core strategic element
Tactical Timeouts
- Each team receives 4 tactical timeouts per match (30 seconds each)
- Coaches may communicate with players during timeouts
- Technical pauses may be called for hardware/software issues (referee approval required)