FAQ

What is the Northern League of Legends Championship (NLC)?

The NLC offers a home for all players in the following countries: United Kingdom, Ireland, Iceland, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark (Northern Region) who want to compete with other players on a competitive level. All teams will be given the opportunity to be assigned to a division during a two-day calibration period at the beginning of the split. The NLC will be split into a total of eight divisions and three seasons per year.

• Division 1
• Division 2-5
• Starter Division

What is Division 1?

The best 10 teams of the NLC compete in Division 1. Every Monday and Wednesday the broadcast of the match days takes place. Look forward to exciting League of Legends action.

Division 1, unlike the rest of the NLC, is played in two splits: There is a spring split and a summer split. In Division 1, ten teams will play a best-of-one double round robin. The top six teams in the regular season advance to the playoffs. There, the LEC's gauntlet system is used. The final will be played in a spectacular offline event.

What is Division 2?

Division 2 has the same format as the Division 1 with 10 teams and a best-of-one double round robin. Between Division 1 and Division 2 there will only be a relegation or promotion at the end of the year to give the Pro Teams more planning security.

What about Divisions 3-5?

Each division has several groups with up to eight teams per group. There, the teams play each other in two-game series over seven match days. At the end of the split, teams have the opportunity to be promoted or maintain their place in the league in the playoffs, depending on their ranking in the league.

What is the Starter Division?

The Starter Division is for all teams that are new and have not successfully participated in the Calibration Phase. It is played in a Swiss format over eight weeks. The teams in the Starter Division will be ranked depending on their performance in the Starter Division in the following season.

Seeding

Matches against teams of similar playing strength are important for the fun of all participants. That's why we try to place teams into a division that makes sense for them as quickly as possible via the Starter Divisions and the Calibration Phase.

When can I register for the NLC?

It is only possible to register for our league during a certain period. You can find information about this period on our website. So pay attention not to miss our announcements!

Who is eligible to participate in the league?

A team must consist of at least 5 players and is eligible to play if at least 3 out of 5 players used in a match are so-called Locally Trained Representatives (LTR) of the Northern Region.

What are the requirements to sign up?

You must be registered and logged into our website and have a verified League of Legends account to play on. Additionally, you must be on a team with at least five (5) members. Only the team leader/team captain can register the team for the upcoming split. At least four (4) other team members must then confirm their participation in the split. You can find a detailed guide on how to sign up here.

I can't connect my League of Legends account.

Once you have registered your LoL account with us, you can only change it on your own outside of a season. During a season you can contact us via Support Ticket, we will do our best to help you.

What's the Calibration Phase?

The calibration phase takes place towards the end of the registration phase. It is a two-day tournament in Swiss format that allows teams to be ranked according to their actual skills. Through the calibration phase you can only improve your division - a bad result does not mean that you will be placed in a lower division than achieved through other qualifications before.

How do the games work?

Unless you are assigned to the Starter Division, you will play in a group with up to seven other teams. At the beginning of the season, a schedule is created here so you know exactly which opponent you can play first. However, the dates are not set in stone - use our scheduling system to agree with your opponents on a suitable date within the scheduled two-week period.
If you play with your team in the Starter Division, this works a little bit different: The Starter Division is played in Swiss format - therefore we can't create a complete schedule at the beginning of the season. Instead, you will find out at the beginning of each week against which opponent you will play next. So you can agree on a date for the match with your opponent until the following Sunday.

What is the Swiss-Format and how does it work?

The Swiss format is, in short, a group stage in which not everyone plays against everyone else. On each matchday you play against another team that has the same (or similar) amount of points as your own. You can find a detailed explanation here.

How long does a split last?

A split goes over a period of about 3 months.

What happens after the end of the group stage?

Depending on your result, you will be placed in a division suitable for your team in the next split of the NLC. It is also possible that you will not qualify directly for a higher division, but will have to compete against other teams in a playoff phase.

How many players can play for my team during a season?

There can be a maximum of ten (10) players in your season lineup at any given time. You may add up to four (4) additional players to your team during the season. Furthermore, the use of so-called stand-ins is possible. Stand-ins are players who are not part of the team but help out for individual games. Note that stand-ins cannot be part of a team in a higher division. Also, members of your own group's teams may not fill in for you.

How many times am I allowed to switch teams?

You may switch teams as a full member a maximum of once (1) during a season including the registration stage. Please note that this is only possible up to and including game day 5. Due to the stand-in rule, you can play for up to three (3) teams in total during a season.

How many players are allowed to join our team during the season?

During a season up to four (4) players can join your team. It is important to note that a maximum of ten (10) players can be actively registered on a team at any given time.

My friends are missing a player at short notice, can I help out?

Basically, you can play for up to three (3) teams per season. This includes your own team as well as stand-in appearances. Also, you may not be part of a team in a higher division or the same group.

When do we play? Are there fixed dates?

There are seven match days in the lower divisions. In the Starter Division there are eight match days and each match day must be completed within the respective match week (Tuesday to Sunday). In Division 3 to 5, a matchday in the respective week starts on Monday at 0 o'clock and ends on the Sunday after next at 23:59 o'clock. There, a matchday lasts exactly 14 days. The alternate date is always Sundays at 3 p.m. for the starters and Sundays at 5 p.m. for Division 3-5. Matches can also be rescheduled - please see our rules.

How do I contact the enemy team?

The easiest, fastest and safest way is the comment function on the match page. Of course, you are allowed to communicate via other platforms, but in case of disputes the administration might not consider it.

Our opponents are not getting back to us. What can we do?

It is always advantageous to start very early with the scheduling tool. If there is no reaction from your opponent within 48 hours, your scheduling proposal is automatically accepted.

Can we change a date that has already been confirmed?

An already confirmed date can only be changed with the explicit agreement of both teams. This means that both teams must agree among themselves on a new date. The result must be confirmed by both teams on the match page. Afterwards at least one of the teams has to open a support ticket and inform the administration.

Who opens the lobby?

The lobby is created by a tournament code, which can be requested on the match page. You just have to join the lobby via code and switch to the correct side in-game.

What do I have to consider before the match starts?

Before a match a leader or captain has to specify a lineup for the upcoming match. This lineup must consist of five (5) players. A maximum of two (2) stand-ins are allowed per match as substitutes, which must also be specified in this lineup. After that it is necessary that all five (5) named players confirm their participation in the match. Only when this is done, the match can be played. If a team does not fulfill this requirement within the set time limit, it will automatically lose the upcoming match.

What can we do about problems in the game?

If you have problems with the game, first try to solve them yourself as best you can. Of course, this includes knowing and understanding the rulebook in order to find a fair solution. In addition, in such a case, communicate clearly with your opponent how you will proceed. If you need support, create a Support Ticket and wait for a response from the Administration. If you create a support ticket to the administration, we cannot guarantee that we will intervene in time. If you do not find a solution in such a case, you should, in consultation with your opponent, cancel the game and wait for further instructions from the administration.