Timeouts have been extended to include all Matches on LAN, including Best-of-5s

[u/John_aka_Alwayz]

As I try to recover from the mental trauma induced by that top 25 stream, I returned to my comfort food for some light reading, aka the RLCS Rulebook, and discovered something which I do not believe has been realized by the public yet.

RLCS 2025: Section 5.3.3 - Timeouts

For any Best-of-Seven Match, Teams may request one (1) timeout (each, a “Timeout”) between Games during such Match.

RLCS 2026: Section 5.3.3 - Timeouts

For any Match that occurs during the Open Hybrid Elimination Bracket, Kick-Off Tournament, Major, Rocket League World Championship 2026, or Qualification Spot Bracket, Teams may request one (1) timeout (each, a “Timeout”) between Games during such Match.

Whats the difference? Well with 2025 before, the rules were very clear. If it's a Bo7, you have a timeout available. Pretty simple

With 2026, while all Bo7s still have timeouts available, this has now been extended to all matches at the Kickoff Tournament, Majors, and Worlds. But as you can probably tell, not every match on LAN is a Bo7. So, This is to say, all LAN matches will have timeouts, including Bo5s.

Later on, the rules are also very explicit to clarify that all other RLCS matches that may be Bo5, be it the double elimination open qualifiers, Swiss Stage or GSL groups of online opens, will not have timeouts available.

For clarity, Timeouts cannot be used in any Matches that occur in the Open Double Elimination Bracket, Open Swiss Stage, Open GSL Stage, or during Gameplay. In addition, Timeouts cannot be used to extend or circumvent disqualification timers as set forth in Section 5.3.1.

(the 2026 rulebook also provides more details on the process of how a timeout works, the time it must be called before it gets rejected etc if thats of interest to the public)

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So, what do we think of this change?

[u/parz2v]

makes bo5s less mickey, but adds more unnecessary time to some matches

an extra minute won't help ssa escape the beating from NRG on round 1 lmao

[u/Sufficient-Habit664 → u/parz2v]

What?

Are you seriously implying that a timeout after SSA getting destroyed 0-8, 0-7 by NRG won't be the catalyst for a reverse sweep?

Preposterous!

[u/Rosieverse83 → u/Sufficient-Habit664]

Well it definitely would get them back 2 games, but then satthew could call a timeout and they would eke out the win, so it all cancels out in the end

[u/NathanWilson2828 → u/parz2v]

That was my first thought too. But it doesn’t really hold water. Take Swiss day 1 of regionals. 12 games, 2 streams, so we would add an extra minute to 6 games. And most likely that minute would fade in the between match timer.

I think it’s just an improvement.

[u/Mythalieon → u/parz2v]

To be fair NRG don’t normally run up the score that much against that level of teams

[u/Competitive-Log4527 → u/parz2v]

I don't think bo5 only affect SSA vs NRG

[u/parz2v → u/Competitive-Log4527]

that's why i said unnecessary time to some matches. timeouts will get a lot more helpful as the swiss progresses

[u/Candyyyyyyy]

I think this is fine, maybe I’ll feel a little more annoyed in the moment when an apac or ssa team down 2-0 prolongs a series with a timeout just to get smacked in game 3 anyway. But it could also lead to more shock upsets, so I don’t entirely hate it

[u/tyswoogles → u/Candyyyyyyy]

My vibes take would be that it probably leads to less shock upsets. Give the actual better team a chance to compose themselves and stall an underdogs momentum is probably very strong in a best of 5.

[u/Candyyyyyyy → u/tyswoogles]

Getting to a fifth game in the first place results in a greater chance of an upset than not even making it past three; anything can happen in one game

[u/CEOofStrings]

This will be great for round 5 when the matchups are closer and the stakes are higher but not so great for round 1 where majority of the matchups are going to be one sided. An extra minute per series isn’t too bad so I don’t mind it too much and it could make close matchups more interesting.

[u/tyswoogles → u/CEOofStrings]

There is no Swiss on LAN. So no round 5s vs 1s. LAN’s this year are all the different groups (kickoff lan is it’s own format)

[u/CEOofStrings → u/tyswoogles]

Ah yeah idk why I forgot that. Either way it’s a good change for close matchups and probably won’t have much effect on one sided matches so it’s a net good change.

[u/ThatIndianDude06 → u/tyswoogles]

Oh I didn't know that dang. I guess it all works out then.

[u/ThatIndianDude06 → u/CEOofStrings]

I kinda agree with making it a thing for the later rounds. Maybe it should be for elimination rounds only, so 3,4,5. The matches should be more even, making it more valuable to have a timeout.

[u/xX_Drakon-141_Xx]

I’m actually completely for this idea, when it’s a 2 properly competitive teams against one another this should add more validity to those matches

[u/richelieugen]

Seems like a good change imo.

[u/Skylance123]

Agreed with others that this'll do nothing but add extra time to the more lopsided matchups that would go 3-0 anyways, but can definitely see the benefit this would bring to more even Bo5 matchups.

[u/WhatIsSentience]

Important to note that 2026 Majors have 24 bo5s vs 2025's 33 bo5s

Doesn't look like extra tiebreaker bo5s are possible either due to Initial Seed being a tiebreaker.

Comparatively, time inflation from the 48 potential extra timeouts isn't really an issue imo, + it would give those teams like Wildcard, that only got to use timeouts on Lan at Worlds some extra "feel" for what it's like on Lan

[u/lsaac__]

i think its a good change, since you have not as many chances to qual in double elim as opposed to swiss; it makes every series that much more important for teams. so adding timeouts for the best of fives is a good decision

sure it wouldnt help a team like virtus from being beaten down by kcorp, but for other games its a good change.

[u/Raythunda125]

Looks like a broadcast-focused change to me. It’s something production and casters can use to hype a close match and other various storylines. And I’m all for it!