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LCS Rules RE: starters/reserves

Lushington·4/1/2016, 2:16:27 AM·1 votes·482 views

Yes I nerded out by reading the LCS rules. I was wondering why teams don't carry their full 10 roster spots. I think some KR teams do but not seen in LCS much. I thought it may be a good strategy for teams to carry players so that the team as a whole has a large champion pool. We all know champs come and go in the meta and to me it would make sense to have players to cover as many as possible.

I thought of a world where players were getting swapped in and out a lot depending on team goals for that particular game. A more far out idea that would be kinda cool is to have teams actually declare the starters AFTER picks/bans. It would definitely make it more interesting at least.

Anyways, the rules make a very clear distinction between starter and reserve. I'm not sure why a team can't just be 7-10 players. If the team wants to make the distinction in their contracts with players so be it. It doesn't need to be forced.

Teams have to announce the starters/reserves 72 hrs before the match. Again I'm not sure why this is a rule. I see no problem with doing it by say 1 hr before game time. Most other sports do this.

Another rule is you cannot sub in and out during a series. I always thought of the reason for having a series is the mind games of what comps and strats will be used from game to game. I think being able to sub players in and out would add an extra layer of this and keep teams more on their toes.

I hope the LCS can loosen up on some of these rules as i think they will make picks/bans a bit more interesting.

4 Comments

Guyy Fieri4/1/2016, 2:40:39 AM1 votes

A few comments. First off, if you look a little bit Team Liquid, they have technically been running a 10 man roster all year. While the main five play for TL in LCS, the other five play for TL Academy in CS. With that being said, I think there is one large reason why we don't see the kind of rotating of players that often, synergy. League requires teamwork and synergy and the best way to develop that is play with the same people a lot. Now, thinking to perhaps the two most relevant examples of subbing out regularly, look at 2015 SKT T1 and 2016 AHQ. Both teams have two mid Laners who trade time. One player tended to be more playmajer oriented and flashy (Faker/Westdoor) and the other tended to be all about wave control and farm (Easyhoon/Chawy). In my opinion, mid lane is the easiest position to swap out because mid lane doesn't play an impact on the macro game during a lane swap. Mid laners are just supposed to farm. Further, while there are situations where the mid laners will have different roles in fights, generally, the mid laner wants to handle team fights the same way, staying safe until they are able to show up and deal their damage safely. Because that position, at least in regards to Esports, will have the least amount of macro focus needed (other than maybe ADC), it's easier to swap out.

Now, as far as why teams have to submit rosters. I think the largest reason is to keep pick/ban fair. Take the AHQ example again. If they know Westdoor is playing, the enemy team will ban Fizz. However, if they don't know he's playing, they won't account for that and then their draft strategy (which is usually decided a couple days in advance of the game) is thrown into disarray, as you either give up that players best champion or you have no idea what to take away to make that worth it.

TurquoiseYoshi4/1/2016, 3:23:14 AM1 votes

Teams have tried this, TL actually said that they would do this at the beginning of the split, but it always fails for a number of reasons. First, synergy. 10 people playing together in tons of different setups is much worse than 5 people playing together over and over the same way. Second, every pro should have the same basic champion pool of power picks. If you have two different players for violently different playstyles, it's not hard for a team to look over, see who's playing, and pick a team comp to counter what they can do. At that point, it ends up just being whoever plays the basic champions and playstyles better, which should stay the same throughout the split anyway.

Lushington4/1/2016, 3:45:26 AM1 votes

True that player skill and chemistry trumps all and I think in most cases teams won't do anything different. My point was that the rules don't even allow for it or at least make it much more difficult. Teams should have more freedom in how they sub players in and out IMO

In the end, the rules as they are now give all the power to the starters. Why would they want to change it? kinda screws those good challenger players on shit teams from getting their shot

III BAKURYU III 4/1/2016, 10:37:27 AM1 votes

AGREE Yeah I never understood the penalty of pick ban if a team switches roster out like it really matters. Bjergsen gets Sub out for Reginald and its a big deal why considering its NA and EVERYONE knows the same 5 champions that every will pick. Let me Look at my stat page( LOOKS UP WHAT KOREA IS PLAYING) In sports when teams sub out their players the other team doesn't get 2 free throws at the start of the game because the other team sup out their player. Thats why scouting on the teams players should be important, don't just look at your players when their record is 1-17( COUGH Team Coast) and Say " Yeah guys we are going to bring in a therapist to tell you to close your eyes and picture that you don't suck balls"

DISAGREE THE lcs scene really makes no difference on who is playing SURE Faker is a god but look at his games his support roams at level 2 every game to gank for him and it goes on and on no matter who the players are, TSM mid gets camped from Oddone, Amazing (KINDA santorin if he ever ganked) Sven.
TOP- Everyone on every team camps that lane, it then has to get cs at the enemy 2nd tower at bot lane. JNG-CAMPS top- than goes to MID MID-Gets camped for, gets blue, So hard to play mid BOT LANE- lane swaps top or bot gets tower in first 10 secs of game and goes to the opposite lane to cs for 30 mins. RINSE AND REPEAT.