[1009] - Substitutes and Ringers⚓︎

[1009.1] - Rostered Player Match Eligibility⚓︎

A player must be rostered on a team for at least 18 hours to be fully rostered on a team. Players rostered on a team for less than 18 hours (marked as “New’ on the roster page) are not fully rostered and are considered a ringer for any RGL matches. Players that become ringers in this way may be considered a default ringer if they meet the criteria stated in [1009.4.3] - Default Ringers.

In divisions requiring administrator approval to join a roster, the join request is sent to the admin’s queue for review ([1006.2.5] - Sandbagging and Class Restrictions) once the team leader approves the player’s join. A player will be verified as a rostered player if the team's official match was not within the first 18 hours after the roster join request went to the admin's queue and is accepted at any time before the start of the match. Players not approved by an administrator in these divisions are considered ringers for any RGL matches.

Example: Team A approved their player to join their roster 20 hours before their official match start time (has to be submitted at least 18 hours before the match). A division administrator then approved the transaction two hours before the match. The newly rostered player is now fully rostered to play in the match.

[1009.2] - Player Swapping⚓︎

A team can switch a player out with another valid player during a match, with or without a pause. Players may be switched out due to connection/computer issues, sudden life events, etc. A team cannot have extra players on the server. For a team to switch a player out, the replaced player on the server must leave before the new player joins.

[1009.3] - No Live Spectators⚓︎

Players/people in spectator are strictly prohibited in any RGL match. Only RGL admins will be allowed to spectate a match to handle match dispute cases.

[1009.4] - Ringers⚓︎

If a team wishes to use a player not rostered or newly rostered (per [1009.1] - Rostered Player Match Eligibility) on their team as a ringer, they must comply with these regulations to ensure that the match remains fair.

[1009.4.1] - Communicating ringers⚓︎

If a team is going to use a ringer, the team leader must inform the other team through match communications. The team leader must explain who they are ringing, what class(es) they intend to ring them on, and include a link to their RGL profile.

Teams that do not inform the opposing team of ringers before a match will receive a MINOR PENALTY and have their match potentially overturned. A second offense will result in a major penalty. Misinforming the opposing team of a player's skill level or providing incorrect profiles may also have the same penalties as well.

In divisions with default ringers, if the undeclared ringer would have otherwise qualified to default ring, a penalty will be issued rather than forcing an otherwise legitimate match to be replayed. In divisions without default ringers, exceptions may be made if a player is unquestionably not better than the player they replaced.

[1009.4.2] - Maximum number of ringers⚓︎

A team cannot have more than a third of their team be ringers. The maximum number of ringers is as follows:

• Highlander - 3 Players
• 6v6 - 2 Players
• Prolander - 2 Players

Attempting to play with more than the maximum number of ringers will result in an automatic forfeit, regardless of whether the opponent team approves of it or not.

[1009.4.2.1] - Other restrictions on the number of ringers⚓︎

The number of rostered out-of-region players and out-of-region ringers combined may not exceed the below capacity. By the same maximum counts, the number of rostered players on probation and ringers on probation combined may not exceed this capacity.

• Highlander - 3 Players
• 6v6 - 2 Players
• Prolander - 2 Players

Example: If you have two out-of-region players on a 6v6 roster, you cannot ring an out-of-region player as this would exceed the total limit of 2 out-of-region players per 6s roster.

Attempting to bypass these limits will result in an automatic forfeit, regardless of whether the opponent team approves of it or not.

[1009.4.3] - Default Ringers⚓︎

A default ringer is the first ringer a team presents that meets the criteria listed below. Default ringers may not be denied, but if the opposing team believes a ringer does not meet the criteria to be considered a default ringer but is being presented as one, they should contact an admin as soon as possible to resolve the issue.

To qualify to be a default ringer for a match, a player must be:

• Rostered currently in the same or lower division as the match (if a player leaves their roster, they remain eligible to default ring as long as they do not roster on a team in a higher division), and
• Reasonably within the skill range of the player they are replacing.

A player is not a default ringer, even if they otherwise qualify, if:

• They are ringing for a match above the Main division (e.g. Invite, Advanced), or
• Roster locks have passed and the player has already rung once for the same team since roster locks.

Default ringers must abide by any class restrictions placed on them in the division they are rostered in, but the opposing team may not restrict them further. The use of default ringers must still be communicated to the other team and posted in match comms.

Additional ringers must still be approved by the opposing team leader via match comms.

[1009.4.4] - Ringer Approvals⚓︎

Any ringer that does not qualify as a default ringer must be approved by the opponent team. Teams must also inform the enemy team of any class restrictions a proposed ringer currently may have before approval. The opponent team may specify which classes the ringer is allowed to play; if they do not do so, the ringer may play any class.

Ringers must be approved or confirmed by the opposing team in match comms, where the ringer request was posted. Once a ringer has been approved by a team in match comms, they are unable to retract that approval.

Team leaders are encouraged to consider ringers carefully and discuss with their team before approving ringers. Your division admin, moderator, or format head admin may overturn ringer approvals under extenuating circumstances. For example, if a Newcomer team unknowingly approves an Invite ringer.

When a ringer is approved, they are approved for the match. If the match is rescheduled to a different date, the ringer is still approved for that match and does not need to be approved a second time.

Teams are expected to be sportsmanlike when deliberating on ringer requests, including by doing the following:

• Responding to ringer requests promptly and avoiding unnecessary delays, and
• Approving ringers that are reasonable and giving the opposing team the chance to address their concerns, and

If a team fails to do so, especially if the team requesting the ringer has demonstrated that they have attempted to address the other team's concerns and find alternative ringers, admins may select and approve a ringer that is reasonably in the skill range of the player that is being replaced. This is based on factors such as league placement history, a class that the player is ringing for, and whether the player is a fair denial for the match being played.

[1009.4.5] - Ringer Fees⚓︎

If a ringer is playing for a match inside a division with a league fee, and the ringer has not paid league fees for that division and format that season, a one-time ringer fee must be paid. Using unpaid ringers as a first offense will result in a minor team penalty, with the second offense resulting in a major penalty.