Rules

Contest Format

The 2026 Universal Cup Finals follows the standard ICPC/XCPC competitive programming format. Teams compete to solve as many algorithmic problems as possible within the allotted time.

Team Composition

• Each team consists of up to three members.
• Teams share a single workstation during the contest.
• All team members must be registered and present at the venue.

Scoring

• Teams are ranked primarily by the number of problems solved.
• In case of a tie, teams are ranked by total penalty time. Penalty time is computed as the sum of the time of each accepted submission plus 20 minutes for each rejected submission on solved problems.
• The team with the most solved problems and the least penalty time wins.

Contest Duration

• The official contest lasts 5 hours.
• The warm-up and challenge contests may have different durations, which will be announced before each session.

Allowed Resources

• Teams may bring printed reference materials (team notebooks) as per the specific limits announced before the contest.
• No electronic devices other than the provided workstation are permitted during the contest.
• Internet access is not available during the contest.

Programming Languages

The specific set of allowed programming languages and compilers will be announced before the contest. Typically supported languages include C, C++, Java, and Python.

Submissions and Judging

• Solutions are submitted through the official contest system.
• Each submission is judged automatically against a set of test cases.
• Verdicts include: Accepted, Wrong Answer, Time Limit Exceeded, Runtime Error, Memory Limit Exceeded, and Compilation Error.
• Clarifications may be requested through the contest system during the competition.

Qualification Rules

Teams were qualified for the Finals through four pathways:

• Online Stages (10 teams): Top performers across the Season 3 online training stages.
• Semifinals (8 teams): Winners from the Season 3 semifinal competitions.
• Contributors (2 teams): Teams recognized for their contributions to the Universal Cup community, including problem setting.
• Bonus Quota (3 teams): Additional invitations supported by sponsors.

Code of Conduct

• All participants must behave respectfully and professionally.
• Cheating, plagiarism, or any form of dishonesty will result in disqualification.
• The decisions of the Universal Cup Scientific Committee and on-site judges are final.

Interpretation

All official interpretations and possible clarifications of the rules are reserved to the Universal Cup organizers and the Scientific Committee. For questions, contact admin@ucup.ac.