ISML 2012 Rules and Guidelines

ISML Rules and Guidelines - FAQ

International Saimoe League is governed by a Constitution and supported by Annual Charters. Please read both documents for a full understanding of our processes, but if you are short on time, the highlights are summarized in a brief, convenient FAQ below.
Last updated: 30 December 2011

What is ISML and how do I participate?

ISML hopes to find the most moe among anime girls, and it's up to you to decide by casting your vote!
Voting is free of charge; you are not required to register an account.
Join the forum to discuss ISML with fellow fans. Subscribe to the news blog for tournament updates.
Your participation means that you agree to our rules and policies.

What has changed since 2011?

The League now consists of two Divisions, Nova and Stella.
Nova Division features new characters within the last two years, plus some exceptions.
Our Preliminary Period has a different structure.
Each Division has 36 Contestants, for a total of 72 competing for the Tiara in ISML 2012.
Regular Season has been reduced to 5 Periods.
Inter-divisional matches will occur during the Necklace Showdown.
Postseason will have two phases. Phase I decides the division champion; Phase II combines the top 8 in each Division to form the championship bracket for the Tiara.

What is the schedule of 2012?

The calendar at right highlights all the scheduled match days.
Matches start at 1500 GMT on the scheduled day and last for 24 hours.
Results will be released 12 hours after a match ends.
The schedule is tenative and may change in the future, but we'll keep you updated on the news blog.

Where do I vote?

Our voting page is http://www.internationalsaimoe.com/voting/.
Please check our event calendar to confirm when matches are running.
You may submit only one ballot per voting round.

How should I format my nominations?

Any language is acceptable, but we highly prefer you write them in romaji (English).
Name order does not matter. "Katsura Hinagiku" is the same as "Hinagiku Katsura."
Please give the full name and series of the character, so we know exactly who you're nominating.
You do not have to use macrons over the vowels (e.g. ō and ū); "ou" and "uu" are sufficient.

Are nominations important?

Yes! Extremely! Who you nominate at the beginning of the year will be the ones competing throughout the year for the Tiara. No characters will be added to the tournament in the middle of the year.
If you want to see new faces in ISML, please send in your nominations and let all your friends and contacts know.
After the girls pass nominations, you will have to vote for them during prelims so they make it to the regular season.

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How does the Regular Season work?

Each of our 72 Contestants faces the other 35 girls in her Division, one opponent per round.
Vote for the more moe girl of the two, or abstain if you just can't decide.
The 16 girls in each Division with the most points (wins) at the end of the Regular Season advance to the Postseason.
The season is divided into 5 Periods, each with a Necklace as a prize for the best performance during the Period. Necklaces don't count towards Postseason eligibility, but they're still nice status symbols.
The Necklace Showdown (Round 8) is a free-for-all match with the Top 7 Contestants of the Period, consisting of 3 Stella, 3 Nova, and 1 wild card from either Division. A Necklace Score is calculated from the results of that round and the strength of schedule during the Period to determine the winner of the Necklace. So note that merely "winning" the Necklace Showdown alone does not necessarily guarantee the Necklace.

How do Preliminaries work?

In each Division, 84 girls (Candidates) are seeded into 12 groups of 7 for Phase I.
Phase I is a series of free-for-all matches where you select 2 Candidates per group.
Candidates are regrouped after each round. The winner of each group at the end of 3 rounds enters the Regular Season.
Everybody else moves on to Phase II for another chance at making it to the Regular Season.
Some seeding rounds will take place after Phase I to balance our new Contestants and the remaining Candidates.
Candidates are sorted into 8 groups of 9 in Phase II. Each group has a round-robin tournament where each Candidate battles the other 8 in four 1-vs-1-vs-1 matches.
Points are earned for winning matches. The winner of each group at the end of Phase II enters the Regular Season.
Phase III is a series of single-elimination matches. After three rounds, the final 16 Regular Season Contestants in each Division are decided; the rest go home.