There are two ways to qualify into the Honda Scouting Grounds: through LCS Proving Grounds or through Solo Queue. For more information about the LCS Proving Grounds circuit, please read this [LoL Esports article][1]. For more information about qualifying, continue reading!
We are planning to return to an in-person event in Los Angeles this November (COVID restrictions permitting). A total of 20 players, 10 qualifying from Proving Grounds and 10 qualifying from Solo Queue, will be invited to participate in our premier scouting event held at Riot’s facilities in Los Angeles.
**TL;DR**
- This year’s format is mostly unchanged from previous events, with the exception of players from Proving Grounds being able to qualify.
- Last year’s rules around solo queue are still in effect (full rules below)
- Selection period: Tuesday, July 27 through Tuesday, October 5 at 11:59pm PT
- A total of five snapshots of the Solo Queue Ladder will be taken throughout the qualification period.
- Invites sent to top players and several back-ups: Early October
**Event dates:**
- Sunday, November 7 (player arrival)
- Monday, November 8 - Saturday, November 13 (Honda Scouting Grounds)
- Sunday, November 14 (player departure)
Qualifying Through LCS Proving Grounds
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Players that are participating in LCS Proving Grounds also have a chance to qualify for Honda Scouting Grounds. The top 2 players in each role from LCS Proving Grounds, based on the final standings, will be invited as long as they meet the eligibility requirements outlined at the end of this article. For example, the Top Laners from the 1st and 2nd Place teams will be invited. If one of them does not meet the eligibility requirements, the Top Laner from the 3rd Place team will be invited instead, and so on.
Scouting Grounds Solo Queue Selection Period
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The selection period will begin on **Tuesday, July 27** and continue through **Tuesday, October 5, at 11:59pm PT.**
We’ll take snapshots of the ranked ladder every two weeks on Tuesday at 11:59pm PT, keeping with the typical patch schedule and making a total of five competitive segments. Your place on the ladder earns you points - see the next section for detail.
Your worst snapshot will be removed from your score. This is to compensate for instances of exams, travel, or other unavoidable circumstances.
Scores will be posted in a public [Google Doc][2]. Scores may take longer to update after each segment ends. In order to settle ties, we will use a player’s placement within the last cycle on the Solo Queue ladder.
At the end of the selection period, **the top two players in each role** will be invited to the 2021 LCS Honda Scouting Grounds. Additional players may be contacted as backups and in case of emergencies.
Non-eligible players (pros, academy, secondary accounts, etc.) will be factored into point totals, but will be removed from the final ranking. Additional accounts will not be added to the main account total.
Scoring
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We will keep the same scoring system as the past two years, outlined in the graphic below.
[1]: https://lolesports.com/article/2021-summer-lcs-academy--amateur-updates/blt7eb03ee1a414ba7e
[2]: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRd8Qxzgd9lL4C_ONXL4brR9JyxDSqVxCtrCF3AAGCSakjn4GQXRhEv-0qo-5wMpf0WWPo6xe6rfqgr/pubhtml
We’ll be taking snapshots on Tuesdays at 11:59pm PT every two weeks, which is typically the last day of each patch. Note this is subject to change pending any adjustments to the patch schedule.
At the end of all five competitive segments, players will have the points from four periods summed up and compared once the 2021 selection period ends on October 5.
Champion Pool Restrictions, e.g. “The One Trick Rule”
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Last year, we updated the one trick rule to require a minimum of 15 games on four champions. This worked out well, so we’re keeping it the same for 2021. Please refer to the graphic below for the full explanation of the One Trick Rule.
Eligibility Requirements
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This year’s eligibility requirements will remain the same as last year’s. Let’s take a look at those requirements now.
To be eligible for Honda Scouting Grounds 2021, regardless of qualification method, you must:
- Be 16 years of age by January 14, 2022
- Have not played more than two League matches in a semi-professional or academy league in the past two splits and/or more than two League matches in a professional league during the past six splits.
- A professional league is any league that directly feeds into the World Championships.
- A semi-professional league is any league that promotes or feeds into a professional league (e.g., NA Academy or EU Masters but not ERLs or Proving Grounds).
- For clarity, Proving Grounds is considered an Amateur event. Amateur players participating in Proving Grounds are eligible to attend Scouting Grounds if invited.
- There is an exception that will allow NA residents who played in an Emerging Region (as defined in 2.2.9 in our ruleset [here][1]) to attend Honda Scouting Grounds.
- Have not played more than two League games in the preceding Mid-Season Invitational or preceding World Championship.
- **Have not appeared in three Honda Scouting Grounds events in the last five years**
- Be a North American resident as determined by the [Interregional Movement Policy][2]
- Pass a behavior check, similar to LCS and Academy players, which reviews in-game behavior and Terms of Service violations, and looks at previous bans and/or suspensions
[1]: https://cmsassets.rgpub.io/sanity/files/dsfx7636/news_live/488b881344f2c2e4675d7e173da1c13ccb007d29.pdf
[2]: https://nexus.leagueoflegends.com/en-us/2016/08/changes-to-the-interregional-movement-policy/
