Resolving Disputes

Introduction

Many people on smashladder take their ranked matches seriously. When they put in effort and time to win a match, they want their points. Because of this, when you choose to resolve a dispute, it is important you follow the correct steps and resolve it to the best of your ability.

The first thing you need to do is read the section of the site rules regarding ranked matches, which can be found here: https://www.smashladder.com/help/terms-and-conditions. You are now responsible for upholding these rules. You are encouraged to refer back to these rules whenever you feel unsure about a decision.

The Dispute Tab

When two players disagree on their ranked match result a dispute is formed. These disputes will be available to you from the Disputes tab present along the top of your screen, next to your Direct Messages tab. Click on the tab and click on one of the open disputes.

The Dispute Interface

When viewing a dispute there are several pieces of valuable information. In the following order, check:
The results submitted by the players (Who claims to have won/lost or tried to cancel/dispute)
The dispute messages by the players. These are messages to you, the moderator, where the players will try to summarise the happenings in the game and why they made their decision.
The match chat. Often times, players’ genuine intentions are revealed in the way they spoke to their opponent and the things they say.
The results of the games so far. For example, if a Bo5 match is disputed on the third game, and the first two games were won by the same player, it is fair to assume that the winning player is not trying to be a dick and has a legitimate claim.
The previous infractions of both players. It is important you check this last to avoid bias, but a player with a history of toxicity is probably still toxic.

Once you have examined all available information, you are ready to decide the result.

Deciding on a result

You ultimately have three options. Player 1 wins, player 2 wins, or cancel. It is likely that you will often not be able to resolve a match with 100% certainty and will have to make an assumption or two in the process. Only time and experience will make this easier for you and you are strongly encouraged to ask more experienced mods for help and second opinions whenever you are unsure.

Additionally, you should be aware that occasionally players will be unhappy with the results you decide on. If this ever happens, listen to what they have to say and reevaluate the match, but don’t just bend to the pressure and do what they want; be understanding, but confident. If you are uncertain, ask another moderator for a second opinion on the match.

Consequences

Players who break the rules are landed with consequences. The severity of these consequences depends on the severity of their violation, as well as how many times they have broken the rules in the past. Every rule violation is met with an infraction. If players frequently break ranked rules, you can set a public message on their infraction to warn other players of their misbehaviour.

If players show no desire to change their behaviour, or commit a serious offence such as blatant cheating, these players will need a ranked match ban. Ranked match bans can only be distributed by red mods (or admins, whatever you want to call them). If you find a player is in need of a ranked match ban or is using an alternate account, you must inform a red mod.


Remember: We do not find it annoying when you ask us a lot of questions, we appreciate the enthusiasm and willingness to learn.