1. Sign-up
On the tournament page, check the requirements (game account, age, roster size) and click Register team — or Sign up in a 1v1 tournament. Official tournaments are free. A team is registered by its captain or manager. When all slots are taken, the entry goes onto the waitlist. Details: How to sign up your team or yourself.
2. Check-in
Before the start, the check-in window opens — usually 30 minutes; the exact time is in the schedule on the tournament page. Click Check in. An entry without a check-in loses its slot, and a team from the waitlist takes it. More: Check-in and the waitlist.
3. Match room
When check-in closes, the bracket is generated and every match gets a match room: a chat for both teams and the referee that also serves as evidence if there is a dispute. You will find the room on the match page and under Messages.
4. Match lineup
The captain or manager selects who plays this match and clicks Submit the lineup. A submitted lineup means the team is present. A team that has not submitted its lineup in time loses by walkover. More: The match room and the match lineup.
5. Map veto
In games with a map pool, the teams take turns banning and picking maps. Each move has a time limit — after that, the move passes to the opponent, and if they also run out of time, the system takes the first available option in pool order. More: How map veto works.
6. The match and the result
After the match, the captain or manager submits the result with a screenshot of the scoreboard, and the other team confirms or disputes it. In CS2 matches on a match server, the server sends the result. More: How to submit a match result.