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Hack University Hacker Guide

Rules and Guidelines

These rules protect fairness, make judging easier, and keep the event usable for every team. Read them as submission requirements plus behavior requirements, not as optional suggestions.

Back to Hacker Guide Submission Requirements Code of Conduct

Official Rules

These are the baseline rules judges and organizers expect every team to follow throughout the event and during submission review.

1

Team Size

Teams can have up to 4 members.

2

Fresh Code

Projects must be started and completed during the hackathon window.

3

Thematic Compliance

Submissions must follow the event theme and published requirements.

4

Respectful Environment

Participants must maintain a respectful and inclusive environment throughout the event.

5

Original Work

Plagiarism and fully pre-existing projects are not allowed.

6

Legal Agreement

By submitting, teams agree to the hackathon terms and conditions.

7

Competition Type

Teams must clearly identify whether they are competing in Technical, Start-Up, or Analytics.

8

AI Usage

AI tools are allowed, but meaningful use must be cited in the README, slides, or appendix.

9

Required Media

Teams must provide a 10-minute feature video and a 5-minute backup demo video in MP4 format.

10

Submission Visibility

GitHub, YouTube, Google Slides, and Devpost links must all be public and working before the deadline.

Important Notice

Violations can result in disqualification, score reductions, or removal from consideration. Judges should not need to request access, missing materials, or clarification for baseline compliance.

Submission Structure Rules

A good submission is reviewable in one pass. If judges have to hunt for files, permissions, or credits, the team has not packaged the project correctly.

What Must Be in the Public Repo

  • Source files, notebooks, or prototype assets.
  • A complete README with setup, theme alignment, and competition type.
  • Slide deck file plus public Google Slides link.
  • Videos, screenshots, diagrams, datasets, and supporting assets.

What Must Be Cited

  • AI tools used for coding, writing, design, or analysis.
  • External datasets and third-party APIs.
  • Starter templates and borrowed open-source components.
  • Any outside help that materially shaped the deliverable.

Conduct and Enforcement

Behavior Expectations

All teams are expected to follow the event code of conduct during building, live demos, online communication, and final review. Respect for judges, volunteers, and other teams is part of competition readiness.

  • Do not misrepresent what your team built or who contributed what.
  • Do not use disrespectful, harassing, or exclusionary language.
  • Do not hide AI usage, borrowed code, or external sources.

Read the Full Code of Conduct

The code of conduct expands the behavioral expectations behind these rules and explains how organizers may respond to violations.

Open code of conduct