Can I have substitutes for my team?

Ultimately, the longevity of your esports program will depend largely on the level of consistency your teams are able to develop in the competitive season. Teams that aren't able to field enough players may have to submit forfeitures, and frequent forfeitures can make it difficult to build enthusiasm and momentum in an esports program. 

Substitutes can make a big difference on the overall number of games a team gets to play in a season. 

Team Sizes 

For each game, we have a minimum, recommended and maximum team size.

The minimum team size is what is required for the particular competitive format of each respective game. It's possible for the coaches of the opposing teams to agree on a handicap if one of the teams is unable to field the minimum team size requirement for a match, but they are not obligated to do so - they have the right to request a forfeit.

The recommended and max team sizes are where substitutes come into play. Substitutes would be added to teams the same way a regular player would.

When adding  substitutes to a team, there are a couple of things to consider:

Matches

Substitutes can be swapped in and out between matches. For example, since Rocket League games are best-of-seven, a substitute can be swapped in on the second match of the game, and another can be brought in on the third, etc. This can be a good way to give sub players a fair amount of game time and not remained benched if their full team is present.

Consistency

If a player has expressed interest in joining a team but may not be able to make it to every game, they might make a good substitute. The players that are most able to be consistent should constitute the main players of the team - depending on their level of consistency, a sub may not need to be there every game, but can also be swapped between matches to relieve main players if everyone on the team is present.

Practices

Subs could also be employed in team practices. The maximum team size for every game is two times the minimum team size - this allows coaches to have an ample bench for subs, but also provides them with an extra "team" for their main players to practice against. 

For example: There are six members in Rocket League Team 1. Since Rocket League competitions are in 3v3 format, Rocket League Team 1 can hold 3v3 practices throughout the week by splitting the team in half, and on gameday the three main players of the team will have the option to swap out with any of the three subs during the seven matches.

Questions? We're happy to help. Contact us at support@vanta.gg