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COMPETITIONDecember 2025 • 6 min read

Tournament Rules & Competition Format

Everything you need to know about competing in the Janken Pro League ecosystem.

Competition Overview

🏆
JPL

Seasonal tiered league

🪜
RPSL

Challenge-based ladder

🌍
RPSWS

Knockout tournaments

📊
JWR

Global rankings

Basic Match Format

All official competitions in RPS Online use the same fundamental match format:

First to 3 Wins (Best of 5)

  • • Players compete in individual rounds
  • • Each round: simultaneous Rock, Paper, or Scissors throw
  • • First player to win 3 rounds wins the match
  • • Draws don't count — the round is replayed
  • • Maximum possible rounds: 5 (2-2 going to decisive round)

This format ensures matches are meaningful while remaining quick enough for daily play. A skilled player can complete a match in 2-5 minutes.

Janken Pro League (JPL)

じゃんけんプロリーグ

The JPL is our flagship seasonal competition, modeled after professional football leagues. It features multiple tiers with promotion and relegation.

Season Structure

Duration:

14 days per season

Daily Matches:

2 per player (attack + defend)

Win Points:

+3 points

Loss Points:

+0 points

Tier System

The JPL features multiple tiers (Pro League 1, Pro League 2, etc.). Players are divided based on skill level.

↑ Promotion Zone— Top 2 players move up a tier next season
↔ Safe Zone— Middle players stay in current tier
↓ Relegation Zone— Bottom 2 players drop a tier next season

Attack vs. Defend Games

Each day, you play two matches against different opponents:

  • ⚔️Attack Game: You are the designated attacker. Win to prove aggressive capability.
  • 🛡️Defend Game: You are the designated defender. Win to prove defensive resilience.

Home vs. Away

The schedule also designates Home and Away games. These designations may affect certain situational bonuses and add variety to the season. Home games give a slight psychological advantage — just like in real sports.

RPS Ladder (RPSL)

ラダーランキング

The RPSL is a "King of the Hill" style competition where you challenge players ranked above you and defend against challengers from below.

How It Works

  • Challenge: Once per day, challenge someone ranked 1-3 positions above you
  • Win: Take their position (they drop down one spot)
  • Lose: Stay at your current position
  • Defense: You must defend against challenges from below

Ladder Strategy

Rising through the ladder requires both winning your challenges AND defending your position. A player who climbs quickly but can't defend will yo-yo up and down.

Climbing Tips

  • • Challenge daily — don't waste opportunities
  • • Study opponents before challenging
  • • Time challenges strategically

Defense Tips

  • • Maintain unpredictable patterns
  • • Don't underestimate challengers
  • • Stay mentally fresh for defenses

RPS World Series (RPSWS)

ワールドシリーズ

The RPSWS is a knockout tournament format, similar to tennis Grand Slams or World Cup brackets. It's high-stakes, elimination-style competition.

Tournament Format

  • Seeding: Players seeded based on JWR ranking
  • Byes: Top seeds may receive first-round byes
  • Single Elimination: Lose and you're out
  • Round Deadlines: Each round has a deadline to complete

Tournament Stages

Round 1Full bracket begins
Round 2Field narrows
QuarterfinalsTop 8 remaining
SemifinalsTop 4 remaining
🏆 FinalChampion crowned

Janken World Ranking (JWR)

世界ランキング

The JWR is a global ranking system that tracks player performance across all competitions. Think of it like tennis ATP rankings — your overall standing in the competitive RPS world.

How Points Work

  • Wins earn points: Amount varies by opponent strength and competition type
  • Losses cost points: Losing to lower-ranked players hurts more
  • Giant kills: Bonus points for beating much higher-ranked opponents
  • Comebacks: Bonus for winning from 0-2 down

Ranking Benefits

Your JWR ranking affects several things:

  • Tournament seeding: Higher ranked = better seeds in RPSWS
  • League placement: Affects your starting tier in new JPL seasons
  • Prestige: Leaderboard recognition and bragging rights

General Competition Rules

Fair Play

All players are expected to compete fairly. Using multiple accounts, match-fixing, or exploiting bugs is prohibited and may result in disqualification.

Forfeits

Matches not completed by their deadline may be forfeited. Repeated forfeits affect your standings and may result in removal from active competitions.

Disconnections

If you disconnect mid-match, you have a grace period to reconnect. The match state is preserved. Repeated disconnections may be treated as forfeits.

Ready to Compete?

Now that you understand the rules, it's time to enter the competition. Your league matches await.

View Your Matches

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