Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

Part A — Tournament Terms and Conditions

1. Defined terms

In these Terms, the following capitalised words have the meanings given below:

• Bracket — the playing field of selected Participants for a Tournament, as published on the Couch Cup website.
• Bracket Draw — the moment at which the Bracket is finalised and published.
• Couch Cup / we / us / our — Drummond Holdings (Pty) Ltd, registration number 2026/209853/07, trading as Couch Cup.
• CPA — the Consumer Protection Act, 2008.
• ECTA — the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, 2002.
• Participant / you — a person who has signed up to a Tournament and accepted these Terms.
• POPIA — the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013.
• Promotional Competition Rules — the specific rules document for a Tournament published under section 36 of the CPA.
• Privacy Policy — Part B of this document.
• Terms — these Tournament Terms and Conditions (Part A).
• Tournament — any tournament, league, or competition operated by us under the Couch Cup brand, including Couch Cup: EA FC.
• Tournament Director — the person designated by us to administer a Tournament, who acts on our behalf.
• Waitlist — the list of persons who have completed signup for a Tournament and are eligible to be considered for the Bracket.

2. Who we are

Couch Cup is a trading name of Drummond Holdings (Pty) Ltd, a private company incorporated in South Africa under registration number 2026/209853/07. Email: hello@couchcup.co.za.

Couch Cup is an independent operator. We are not sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Electronic Arts Inc., Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC, PlayStation, Microsoft Corporation, Discord Inc., YouTube LLC, or any other platform or game publisher referred to in these Terms. EA SPORTS FC and EA SPORTS FC 26 are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc.

3. What these Terms cover

These Terms apply to your participation in any Tournament. By signing up to a Waitlist, entering a Tournament, or otherwise participating, you accept these Terms in full. If you do not accept these Terms, do not sign up.

We may update these Terms from time to time. The version that applies to your participation in a given Tournament is the version published on the Couch Cup website at the time you signed up. If we make a material change after you have signed up that is adverse to you, we will notify you and offer you the opportunity to withdraw without penalty.

4. Skill-based competition

Each Tournament is a competitive video gaming event in which the outcome of every match is determined by the skill of the participating players. Matches are played using the relevant game title's competitive online mode with default settings, without features that rely on chance-driven game mechanics.

Couch Cup is not a casino, sports book, or gambling operator. We do not offer games of chance and we do not hold a gambling licence under the National Gambling Act, 2004, because no such licence is required for skill-based competitive gaming as we operate it.

5. Promotional competition status

Where a Tournament offers a prize to members of the public and the entry fee (if any) does not exceed the reasonable cost of communication required to enter, that Tournament is conducted as a "promotional competition" as contemplated by section 36 of the CPA and the Promotional Competition Regulations, 2010. The first Tournament (Couch Cup: EA FC) is free to enter and is conducted as a promotional competition.

6. Eligibility

To sign up to a Tournament, you must:

• Be at least 18 years old at the time of signup.
• Be a resident of South Africa, for any Tournament marked as "South Africa only."
• Own a legitimate copy of the game title required for the Tournament, on the platform specified.
• Have a valid gaming account registered in your own name and under your own control, on the platform specified for the Tournament.
• Have a valid email address and an active South African mobile number.
• Provide accurate, complete, and current information when signing up.
• Not be on any applicable international sanctions list.

You may sign up to the Waitlist for a given Tournament once only. Employees, contractors, and members of the immediate household of Drummond Holdings (Pty) Ltd are not eligible to participate.

7. Waitlist and Bracket selection

Signing up to a Tournament adds you to the Waitlist. Signing up does not guarantee you a place in the Bracket. Participants will be randomly selected from the Waitlist, recorded on video and published publicly. If selected, you will be notified by email.

8. Entry fees and prizes

For Couch Cup: EA FC, entry is free and the prize for the winner is R500. All prizes are paid in South African rand by EFT or PayShap to a South African bank account in the winner's name.

9. Prize payment

We will pay the prize within 14 business days of the final being concluded and the winner providing valid banking details and proof of identity. If the winner does not respond within 60 days despite at least three communication attempts, the prize is forfeited. The winner is solely responsible for any tax obligations arising from receipt of the prize.

10. Rules of play

The specific rules of play for each Tournament — including game title, platform, match format, and settings — are set out in the Promotional Competition Rules published for that Tournament at couchcup.co.za/rules. The following apply to all Tournaments unless the Promotional Competition Rules state otherwise.

Format: Single elimination bracket. One match per round. If a match ends in a draw, it is replayed immediately until a winner is found. There is no extra time and no penalty shootout.

Streaming and proof: Each Participant must stream their match live on YouTube and submit the stream URL when submitting their score. Minimum: 480p, 30fps, full match continuously. Within 4 hours of the match ending, both Participants must submit the final score and confirmation of who won.

Disconnections: Disconnection by a Participant results in disqualification and advancement of their opponent, unless caused by a verifiable server outage or a local power utility failure. In that case, the match will be replayed once services are restored.

Match scheduling: You and your opponent are responsible for coordinating within the window set by the Promotional Competition Rules. Coordination is managed via email through the Tournament Director. If a Participant fails to complete their match despite the opponent's reasonable efforts, the Tournament Director may disqualify that Participant.

11. Conduct and prohibited behaviour

You may not engage in any of the following, on pain of disqualification and potential ban from future Tournaments:

• Account sharing or "boosting" — having another person play on your account.
• "Smurfing" — using a secondary or alternative account different from the one registered at signup.
• Intentionally disconnecting from a match to avoid a loss.
• Exploiting bugs, glitches, or unintended game behaviour to gain an unfair advantage.
• Failing to stream your match as required.
• Submitting falsified screenshots, fake stream URLs, edited footage, or any other manipulated evidence.
• Harassing, threatening, or abusing any other Participant, in any channel.
• Colluding with another Participant to pre-arrange a match result or share a prize.
• Engaging in betting on any Tournament match, including your own.
• Providing false or misleading information at signup, including false age, false identity, or duplicate entries.
• Accessing the Tournament via a VPN or proxy to circumvent geographic eligibility restrictions.

12. Discord and community conduct

By joining the Couch Cup Discord, you agree not to harass or threaten any other member, use hate speech, share personal information about other members ("doxxing"), spam or advertise unrelated services, or share Tournament information before official announcements. We may mute, remove, or ban any member who breaches these rules. Breach of Discord rules may also result in disqualification.

13. Disputes

If you disagree about the result of a match, you must submit a dispute via the Participant dashboard within 12 hours of the match ending. The Tournament Director will review evidence from both Participants and make a ruling within 24 hours. The Tournament Director's decision is final for the purposes of advancing the Tournament. Nothing in this clause limits any rights you may have under the CPA.

14. Withdrawal

You may withdraw from a Tournament at any time before the Bracket Draw by emailing hello@couchcup.co.za. For paid-entry Tournaments, your entry fee will be refunded in full less a reasonable administration fee not exceeding 5%. After the Bracket Draw, withdrawal means your opponent advances by walkover.

15. Force majeure and Tournament cancellation

We are not liable for delays or failures caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including EA server outages, natural disaster, extended load shedding, cyber attack, pandemic, or government action. If a Tournament is cancelled, any paid entry fees will be refunded in full within 14 business days.

16. Communications

By signing up, you consent to receive transactional communications relating to that Tournament by email. We will only send marketing communications if you separately and explicitly opt in. You can withdraw marketing consent at any time by emailing privacy@couchcup.co.za.

17. Operator rights

We reserve the right, acting reasonably, to modify Tournament rules, schedule, or prizes with reasonable notice; to cancel any Tournament; to disqualify any Participant who has breached these Terms; and to refuse signups where we have reasonable grounds to suspect fraud or ineligibility.

18. Use of name, likeness, and content

By accepting a prize, the winner grants us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence for 3 years to publicly announce their name (or chosen alias), country, and gaming ID as the winner, and to use submitted stream footage or screenshots in promotional content. By signing up, all Participants grant us a licence for 3 years to use their gaming ID or alias, country, and match results in Tournament communications and Bracket displays. By streaming your matches, you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence for 3 years to record, reproduce, edit, and publicly use any gameplay footage from your match streams in marketing and promotional content across any medium.

19. Indemnity

You indemnify and hold us harmless against any claim, loss, or liability we actually suffer arising from: your breach of these Terms; your infringement of any third party's rights in connection with your participation; your breach of any third-party platform terms where that breach gives rise to a direct claim against us; or your unlawful conduct in connection with a Tournament. This indemnity is limited to direct losses and excludes indirect or consequential loss. It does not apply to claims arising from our gross negligence, fraud, or wilful misconduct.

20. Risk and limitation of liability

You participate in each Tournament voluntarily and at your own risk. Subject to the carve-outs below, our aggregate liability for any single Tournament is limited to the greater of the entry fee you paid or the advertised prize value. We are not liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, or special losses.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability for: fraud or wilful misconduct; gross negligence; death or personal injury caused by our negligence; or any liability that cannot be lawfully excluded under South African law.

21. Termination

We may terminate your participation in a Tournament where we reasonably believe you have materially breached these Terms. Termination means immediate disqualification and forfeiture of any prize.

22. Chargebacks (paid Tournaments)

For paid-entry Tournaments, initiating a chargeback after you have completed at least one match may result in disqualification and recovery of the chargeback amount with reasonable administrative costs. Please email hello@couchcup.co.za before initiating any chargeback.

23. Severability and entire agreement

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full force. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy (Part B) and any Promotional Competition Rules for a particular Tournament, constitute the entire agreement between you and us in relation to your participation.

24. Governing law and dispute resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa. The parties consent to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of South Africa. Nothing in these Terms limits any right you may have under the CPA.

25. Contact

General questions: hello@couchcup.co.za

Privacy or data questions: privacy@couchcup.co.za

Part B — Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how Couch Cup (a trading name of Drummond Holdings (Pty) Ltd) collects, uses, stores, and shares your personal information when you sign up to or participate in a Tournament. We process your personal information in accordance with POPIA and other applicable South African law.

2. Responsible Party and Information Officer

Drummond Holdings (Pty) Ltd, registration number 2026/209853/07, is the Responsible Party. The Information Officer is Hugo Drummond, sole director. Contact: privacy@couchcup.co.za.

3. What personal information we collect

At signup (mandatory): Full name, email address, South African mobile number, gaming ID, date of birth, country of residence, acknowledgement of Terms and Privacy Policy, acknowledgement of indemnity and limitation of liability.

At signup (optional): Discord username, opt-in to marketing communications.

During the Tournament: Match results, screenshots, stream URLs submitted as result proof, dispute correspondence.

If you win: Banking details for prize payout, proof of identity.

Technical information: IP address, device type, browser, site activity.

4. Why we collect your information

• Name, email, mobile, gaming ID, Discord — to administer the Tournament and communicate with you.
• Date of birth — to verify your age eligibility.
• Country — to verify eligibility for geographically-restricted Tournaments.
• Screenshots, stream URLs, dispute correspondence — to adjudicate match results and disputes.
• Banking details and proof of identity — to pay the prize.
• IP address and technical information — for security, fraud prevention, and site analytics.

5. Justification for processing under POPIA

We process your personal information on the grounds of: your consent (by signing up); necessity for the performance of a contract; compliance with a legal obligation; and legitimate interests of the Responsible Party (fraud prevention, security, site analytics).

6. Who we share your information with

• Your opponent — your gaming ID is shared for the duration of your match.
• Public Bracket display — your gaming ID or alias, country, and match results are shown publicly on the website.
• Service providers — third-party providers that process data on our behalf to operate the platform. Current list at couchcup.co.za/providers.
• Law enforcement or regulators — where legally required.

We do not sell your personal information to any third party.

7. Cross-border transfers

Some service providers store data on servers located outside South Africa, including in the European Union and the United States. By signing up, you consent to such transfers. Where data is transferred to a country with weaker protections than South Africa, we comply with section 72 of POPIA through your consent, contractual data protection commitments, and/or the service provider's compliance with recognised international frameworks.

8. How long we keep your information

• Promotional competition records (winner and finalists) — 3 years from end of Tournament.
• General signup data for non-finalists — 12 months from end of Tournament.
• Match results, screenshots, stream URLs — 12 months from end of Tournament.
• Dispute correspondence — 3 years from end of Tournament.
• Banking details and ID copies — deleted within 30 days of prize payment.
• Tax and accounting records — 5 years from end of relevant tax year.
• Marketing communication preferences — until you withdraw consent.

9. Your rights under POPIA

You have the right to access, correct, or request deletion of your personal information; to object to processing on legitimate interest grounds; to withdraw consent at any time; to object to direct marketing; and to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa.

To exercise any of these rights, email privacy@couchcup.co.za. We will respond within 30 days.

10. Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to secure your personal information. If we become aware of a security compromise that materially affects your personal information, we will notify you and the Information Regulator as soon as reasonably possible and within 72 hours of discovery where achievable.

11. Cookies and analytics

The Couch Cup website uses minimal cookies — only what is necessary to operate the site. We use a privacy-respecting analytics provider. We do not use advertising cookies, third-party tracking pixels, or session-replay tools. The current analytics provider is listed at couchcup.co.za/providers.

12. Children

Under POPIA, a "child" is any person under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from any person under 18. Couch Cup Tournaments are open only to Participants aged 18 and over. If we become aware that we have processed personal information of a person under 18, we will delete it as soon as reasonably possible.

13. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The current version will always be available on the Couch Cup website. If we make a material change, we will notify you by email.

14. Contact

Email: privacy@couchcup.co.za

Information Regulator (South Africa): inforegulator.org.za