Definitions
Series
A set of games played between two teams (Best-of-3 or Best-of-5).
Game
A single League of Legends match played within a Series.
Main Account
The primary League of Legends account registered by a player and approved for use in official MSL matches.
Substitute
A rostered player who replaces a starting player for a game within a Series.
Emergency Substitute (eSub)
A player added to the roster less than 12 hours before the scheduled match time and used as a Substitute for that Series.
First-Phase Bans
The initial three bans each team receives at the start of champion select.
Fearless Draft
A draft format where champions selected in previous games of the same Series may not be selected again by either team.
1. Player Eligibility
1.1 Account Requirements
To be eligible, a player must designate one Main Account that meets the following:
30 Ranked Solo/Duo games in Season 16 (2026)
Returning players (defined as players who participated in the previous MSL season): minimum 5 Ranked Solo/Duo games in Season 16 (2026)
Either:
End of Season 15 (2025) rank, or
300+ games in Season 16 (2026)
Either:
End of Season 14 Split 3 (2024) rank, or
End of Season 14 Split 1 and 2 (2024) rank (appealable)
Account Level 300 (Level 200–299 appealable)
PLATINUM LEAGUE EXCEPTION - Account Level 200 (Level 150 - 199 appealable)
MSL may deny eligibility for insufficient recent ranked activity at its discretion.
1.2 Account Registration
All League of Legends accounts level 30 or higher must be reported.
One account must be designated as the Main Account.
Only the Main Account may be used in MSL matches.
Accounts must be individually owned and accessible by only one player.
Failure to report accounts may result in suspension, tier adjustment, or match forfeits.
Use of an unapproved alternate account results in match forfeits.
1.3 Suspicious Accounts
MSL may deny registration for accounts associated with:
Smurfing
Rank sitting
Boosting or being boosted
Scripting
Other suspicious account history
All eligibility decisions are at staff discretion.
1.4 Player Tiers
Player tiers are assigned based on peak Solo/Duo ranks in current and recent seasons, and past MSL performances.
Tier adjustments occur during the offseason only.
Tiers are locked upon player registration on the official website.
1.5 Discord Requirement
A Discord account is required.
All players must join the official MSL Discord server.
2. Match Structure
2.1 Regular Season Format
Regular season is a single round-robin format, where every team will play against every other team in their division once.
Regular season Series are Best-of-3.
The first team to win 2 games wins the Series.
A 2–0 Series win awards 3 game points.
A 2–1 Series win awards:
2 game points to the winner
1 game point to the loser
Game points are used for Playoff seeding tiebreakers.
2.2 Playoff Format
Playoff format will be announced during the Regular season.
Playoff Series are Best-of-5.
The first team to win 3 games wins the Series.
2.3 Fearless Draft
MSL uses Full Fearless Draft:
A champion selected in a game may not be selected again by either team for the remainder of the Series.
Banned champions do not count toward the Fearless restriction.
2.3.1 Best-of-5 Ban Modifications
Game 4: B1/R1 picks happen before First-Phase Bans in pre-game lobby chat.
Game 5: B1/R1 picks happen before First-Phase Bans in pre-game lobby chat.
Additional ban penalties related to substitutions or rule violations are applied as defined in their respective sections.
2.4 Seeding
Playoff seeding is determined in the following order:
Series Win/Loss record in the Regular season
Game point total in the Regular season
Head-to-head record
Average Player KDA in the Regular season
2.5 Forfeits and Seeding Adjustments
If a team forfeits during the Regular season and that forfeit affects Playoff seeding:
Series involving the forfeiting team will be removed from tiebreaker calculations between affected teams.
Adjusted records will determine final seeding.
3. Rosters
3.1 Roster Size
Each team must maintain a minimum of 5 active players.
Maximum roster size is 10 players.
All roster changes must be submitted through the official website (See 3.4).
Players may not be rostered on more than one team in the same league.
3.2 Team Manager
Each team must designate at least one Team Manager.
The Team Manager is responsible for:
Making contact with other Team Managers to schedule Series
Scheduling Series date and time on the official website
Reporting scheduled match times in Discord
Reporting match results in Discord
Managing the team roster and substitutions on the official website
Acting as the team’s primary point of contact and being responsive to Discord communications from staff
The Team Manager is responsible for ensuring that all players fielded in matches are eligible under league rules.
The creator of the team on the official website is the default Team Manager. A second Team Manager (“Co-Manager”) may be appointed with staff assistance. To change the Team Manager(s), the team must contact staff for approval.
3.3 Roster Eligibility
Teams must maintain a roster that complies with the tier requirements defined by the League they are competing in. The tier requirements for each League are listed below:
NOBLE - 33333, 23334, 22345, 22444
DIAMOND - 44444, 34445, 33456, 33555
EMERALD - 44555, 34566, 35556
CYANIDE - 55555, 45556, 44567, 44666
PLATINUM - 66666
It is the responsibility of the Team Manager to ensure that their roster remains compliant at all times. Failure to field an eligible roster may result in penalties, including game or Series forfeiture.
3.4 Roster Changes & Transfers
Roster changes are permitted throughout the season, with no roster change deadline.
All added players must meet Player Eligibility requirements.
A maximum of 1 Starter change can happen in a single week, and must be made at least 12 hours before the scheduled match time.
Playoff rosters must consist of at least 3 Starters that played during the Regular season.
Once a player participates in a Playoff match, they are locked to that team for the remainder of the season.
Players transferring from another team must be reviewed by staff prior to participation.
Teams are responsible for ensuring roster compliance. Use of an ineligible player may result in match forfeits or additional penalties.
4. Match Participation & Substitutions
4.1 Substitution Limits
Teams may use a maximum of 2 substitutions per Series.
A substitution is defined as replacing one Starting player with another eligible Rostered player for any game within a Series.
Players may not substitute for multiple teams in the same league.
Players may not change roles mid-Series. This restriction remains in effect when a substitution occurs.
4.1.1 Disclosing Substitutes
Teams must disclose any substitutions to their opponent at least 6 hours prior to the scheduled match time.
Disclosing a Substitute is required when using a Rostered Substitute, an Emergency Substitute, or when substituting a Starter back into the line-up.
If substitutions are not disclosed before the draft starts, the opposing team will be allotted 10 minutes of scouting time for each non-disclosed Substitute player after the scheduled match time or intermission time.
All Substitutes must meet Player Eligibility and roster requirements.
4.2 Emergency Substitutes (eSubs)
A player added to the roster less than 12 hours before the scheduled match time is considered an Emergency Substitute (eSub) for that Series.
Teams may use a maximum of 1 eSub per game.
eSubs are not permitted in Playoff matches.
For each game an eSub plays, the team incurs a -3 First-Phase Ban penalty for that game only.
The 12-hour threshold is determined by the scheduled match time listed on the official website.
4.3 Fearless Draft – Mid-Series Substitutions
Any player entering a Fearless Draft Series after Game 1 receives one additional Fearless ban for each game they did not participate in earlier in the Series.
These additional bans:
Are chosen by the opposing team and applied before draft begins.
Apply only to that player. (The champion may still be picked or played by either team, but not by that player.)
Carry over for the remainder of the Series and do not change between games.
These penalties stack with standard Fearless Draft restrictions and any other applicable ban penalties.
4.4 Playoff Substitute Ban Penalties (Skyset Rule)
Rostered Substitutes are permitted in Playoff matches.
Substitute ban penalties are determined by the total number of games the Substitute has participated in during the season (including Playoff games):
0–1 total games played: -2 First-Phase Bans
2–3 total games played: -1 First-Phase Ban
4 or more total games played: no ban penalty
Games played accumulate mid-Series and in Playoffs.
One player designated before the beginning of Playoffs is exempt from Playoff Substitute ban penalties.
eSubs are not permitted in Playoff matches.
5. Match Operations
5.1 Series Scheduling
Series are assigned to a designated match week.
Team Managers are responsible for scheduling their Series through the official website and approving the time. (This will get you tournament codes.)
The scheduled match time must be reported in the respective league’s scheduling Discord channel.
All match times listed on the website are considered official.
5.1.1 Scheduling Process
Team Manager is responsible for reaching out to the opponent Team Manager about scheduling before the designated match week begins on Wednesday.
Both teams are required to provide at least 2 days of availability during the designated match week, outside of the Fallback Day (See 5.1.2).
Series are played at 8 PM EST by default, unless both teams agree to a different time.
All attempts must be made to schedule the Series before deciding to schedule for the Fallback Day.
5.1.2 Fallback Day
The Fallback Day is Sunday at 8 PM EST of the designated match week.
If neither team has communicated to their opponent by the end of the night on Friday, the Fallback Day will be adjusted to Tuesday at 8 PM EST.
Each team will then be required to offer Sunday or Monday as an additional option.
5.1.3 Rescheduling
If both teams agree to change the date of a scheduled Series, staff must be notified.
Series may not be scheduled outside of the designed match week without staff approval.
Teams are expected to make a good-faith effort to schedule within their designated match week. Involve staff if scheduling disputes arise and the Series has not been scheduled by the end of the day on Friday.
5.2 Punctuality & No-Shows
Teams must have five eligible players ready (present in the client tournament code lobby and in the Discord) at the official scheduled match time. If a team is not ready at the match time and begins to accrue penalties, notify staff with a screenshot that clearly shows the missing players and current time.
If a team is late, the following penalties apply:
10 minutes late: –1 First-Phase Ban
15 minutes late: –2 First-Phase Bans
20 minutes late: Game 1 forfeit
30 minutes late: Series forfeit
Ban penalties apply to the first game played in the Series.
Staff may issue additional penalties for repeated tardiness or abuse of scheduling rules.
5.3 Voice Communication Requirements
All players must be present in their team’s designated Discord voice channel during each game.
Players must remain in the voice channel for the full duration of the game unless instructed otherwise by staff.
Coaches, analysts, and any non-playing members may be present during draft, but must leave the voice channel once the game enters the loading screen.
Failure to comply may result in penalties at staff discretion.
5.4 Lobby & Draft Procedure
All Series must be played using Tournament Draft mode unless otherwise instructed by staff.
Tournament codes are provided on the official website for each Series, and each game must be played on a separate tournament code.
The lobby host must confirm that the opposing team and production team (if applicable) are ready before starting the draft or the game.
5.4.1 Side Selection
Regular Season
The team that has choice of side is predetermined for Game 1. It is denoted as the team on the left in the schedule.
The loser of the previous game selects their side for the next game.
Playoffs
The higher seed selects their side for Game 1.
The loser of the previous game selects their side for the next game.
5.4.2 Draft Procedure
Draft penalties (including substitution or Fearless penalties) must be declared in the pre-game lobby prior to draft start.
Prior to the start of draft, all players must comply with the following:
Players must line up in LCS order within the pre-game lobby (Top, Jungle, Mid, Bot, Support).
Players must select the correct role assignment in the pre-game lobby.
Players must start the game immediately following draft, subject to grace period and penalties (See 5.5).
5.4.3 Champion Select
During client champion select, players may not trade champions.
Banned champions selected by players in client champion select should match those selected in the third-party draft (if applicable).
Failure to follow lobby and draft procedures may result in penalties, including draft penalties, game forfeiture, or Series forfeiture at staff discretion.
5.5 Game Start Requirement
Teams must start the game immediately after draft completion.
If a team delays the start of the game after draft, the following penalties apply:
2 minutes after draft: –1 First-Phase Ban
7 minutes after draft: –2 First-Phase Bans
12 minutes after draft: Game 1 forfeit
22 minutes after draft: Series forfeit
If Game 1 is forfeited due to this rule:
Game 2 must be played using the same completed draft.
Game 3 will be played regardless of the result of Game 2.
5.6 Intermission
Teams are allowed up to 10 minutes between games in a Series.
At the conclusion of the 10-minute intermission, teams must be ready to begin the next draft.
Failure to be ready will result in penalties following the same structure as Section 5.5 Game Start Requirement:
2 minutes after intermission: –1 First-Phase Ban
7 minutes after intermission: –2 First-Phase Bans
12 minutes after intermission: Game 2 forfeit (or Series forfeit if Game 3)
22 minutes after intermission: Series forfeit
If Game 2 is forfeited due to this rule:
Game 3 will be played regardless of the result of Game 1.
5.7 Remakes
Remakes may occur, with staff approval, under the following circumstances:
A game-breaking bug significantly impacts competitive integrity.
Server issues affect the Series.
A player is unable to enter the game due to technical issues (such as Vanguard errors).
Staff must be notified immediately. Staff will assess the situation and determine whether a remake will be granted.
5.8 Pauses
Each team may pause a maximum of 3 times per game.
Total pause time per team may not exceed 15 minutes per game.
Pauses are intended for legitimate technical issues only.
Players must provide a ready check before resuming a game. Failure to provide a ready check may result in penalties.
Pauses may not occur during combat.
5.8.1 Pausing in Champion Combat
Champion combat is defined as being affected by or affecting an opponent with a skill, attack, or ability.
Champions are considered out of combat when they have not affected or been affected by an enemy champion for 5 seconds.
Champions are also considered in combat while channeling certain abilities, summoner spells, or item actives.
Examples include:
Shen — Stand United
Ornn — Call of the Forge God
Caitlyn — Ace in the Hole
Redemption item activation
Summoner Spell Teleport
5.8.2 Pause Disputes
If a team believes that the enemy team has performed an illegal pause and would like to dispute the pause, the team contesting the pause must screenshot the game and contact MSL staff immediately.
The team contesting the pause should alert the enemy team that they are in the process of disputing the pause.
While staff reviews the pause, the game must be resumed in order to save time, in the case that staff decides the pause was legal.
If it were to apply, the game and Series must be continued as if the pause were legal, until notified otherwise by staff.
5.9 New Champions and Reworks
New and reworked champions will not be available for play for at least 1 designated match week after being released.
Champions released during or 1 week before Playoffs will be disabled for the entirety of Playoffs.
Any disabled champions will be announced in the Discord server.
5.10 Technical Issues
Players are responsible for the stability of their own:
Hardware
Internet connection
Game client
Technical issues do not automatically warrant remakes. Staff will determine appropriate rulings when technical issues occur.
5.11 Forfeits
A team may forfeit a game or Series under the following conditions:
Failure to appear within the lateness thresholds defined in Section 5.2
Inability to field five eligible players
Refusal to continue a Series
Use of an ineligible player
A Series forfeit results in:
2–0 scoreline in Regular season
3–0 scoreline in Playoffs
Staff may adjust results if necessary to preserve competitive integrity.
5.11.1 Excessive Forfeit Consequences
If a team forfeits 3 series in the Regular season for any reason, that team will be ineligible for Playoff consideration and will be unable to participate in the rest of the MSL season. If a team is removed from an MSL season more than once, they will be banned from the MetaShift League.
5.12 Reporting Results
Teams must report the following immediately after the Series:
‘Team 1 2-0 Team 2’
GameIDs
Draft link
Post-game screenshots (all uploaded into a single message)
The Team Manager is responsible for reporting results in the respected league match-reporting Discord channel.
Failure to report Series results in a timely manner may result in penalties.
5.13 Staff Authority
Staff rulings on match operations are final.
6. Competitive Conduct
6.1 Account Usage
Players must compete only on their registered Main Account, as shown on the official website.
The use of alternate accounts (Smurfs) to bypass rank restrictions or gain a competitive advantage is strictly prohibited.
Players may not switch accounts during the season without staff approval for any reason.
Violations of this rule may result in severe penalties, including player disqualification, match forfeiture, or removal from the league.
6.2 Competitive Integrity
All participants must compete with the intent to win and uphold the integrity of the league.
The following actions are strictly prohibited:
Use of cheats, scripts, or unauthorized third-party software.
Account sharing or allowing another player to compete on your registered account.
Smurfing, defined as competing on an account significantly lower ranked than a player’s true competitive level in order to bypass league rank restrictions.
Match fixing, including intentionally losing games or manipulating match outcomes.
Team collusion, defined as coordination between teams to manipulate match results, standings, or Playoff outcomes.
Violations of competitive integrity rules may result in penalties including game forfeits, Series forfeits, suspensions, or removal from the league.
6.3 Team Responsibility
Team managers and organizations are responsible for ensuring that all players on their roster are eligible and competing legitimately.
Managers are expected to perform reasonable verification of their players. If a player’s skill level appears significantly above the league’s rank restrictions, teams should verify the player’s account history and identity.
Failure to properly audit players may result in penalties against the team.
6.4 Player Conduct
All players, team staff, and managers are expected to behave respectfully toward:
Opponents
Teammates
Tournament staff
Community members
The following behavior may result in penalties:
Harassment or abusive language
Discriminatory or hateful speech
Repeated unsportsmanlike conduct (See 6.4.1)
Attempting to exploit rule loopholes in bad faith
Attempting to exploit rule wording, technicalities, or unintended loopholes to gain an unfair advantage may result in penalties at staff discretion.
6.4.1 Unsportsmanlike Conduct
Unsportsmanlike conduct is not permitted.
Abuse of All Chat. All Chat is permitted at the beginning and end of the game, only for simple statements such as “GLHF” and “GG”. Light chat is permitted during pauses.
Emote spamming of the Dance and Laugh emotes, defined as using the emote 5 or more times in quick succession. Dancing at the beginning and end of the game is permitted, and emotes that can be turned off in settings is not punishable.
6.5 Exploits
The intentional use of in-game bugs or exploits that provide a competitive advantage is prohibited.
If a team encounters a potential exploit during a match, they must immediately notify staff.
Failure to report known exploits may result in penalties.
7. Broadcasts and Streams
7.1 Official Streams
Each League has a Host that broadcasts at least one Series each designated match week.
Hosts are expected to stream each team at least once, schedules permitting.
Any additional content provided will be at the Host’s discretion.
7.2 Stream Conduct
7.2.1 Results of Streamed Games
No player, Team Manager, coach, friend, or anyone else affiliated with either of the teams may post the results of the streamed game in Twitch chat or Discord prior to the game’s completion on stream.
7.2.2 Interviews or Other Guest Content
If a player, or anyone associated with a team, is brought on as a guest for an interview or any other official MSL content, they are expected to uphold sportsmanlike conduct and may not make any racist, sexist, or other discriminatory remarks.
7.2.3 Stream Delays
All streams covering MSL games (Host streams and player streams) are required to have a minimum of a 3-minute delay. If a team and/or player is found to have streamed their game without the proper delay, they must show staff the VOD with comms for the game(s) that are in question. Failure to provide VODs of the stream will result in the game being forfeited.
8. League Authority
8.1 Staff Authority
League staff are responsible for enforcing all rules and maintaining competitive integrity.
Staff may issue penalties including:
Draft penalties
Game forfeits
Series forfeits
Player suspensions
Team removal from the league
All staff rulings are final.
8.2 Rule Updates
League rules may be updated during the season if necessary to maintain competitive integrity or address unforeseen issues.
Any rule changes will be communicated to teams through the Discord server..
8.3 Unforeseen Circumstances
Situations not explicitly covered in the rulebook will be resolved at the discretion of league staff.
Decisions will be made with the goal of preserving fairness and competitive integrity.