LCK referees hit with suspensions over crucial mistake

Several LCK assistant referees have received a 10-game suspension by the KeSPA referee committee for messing up side selection sheets in a League of Legends match on Feb. 5, Riot Games outlined today.

This error, according to Riot, forced BRION to “make a quick decision” in side selection. The error happened during the best-of-three series between BRION and KT Rolster. KT lost the match 0-2.

LCK assistant referees mistakenly filled in KT’s side selection spreadsheet from another match, according to Riot.

Normally, spreadsheets are double-checked by another assistant referee. “The person in charge of checking missed the mistake due to having other work on that day,” the LCK explained.

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BRION noticed the mistake and spoke about it with the staff, but it wasn’t reported to the management team and wasn’t fixed in time.

Side selection plays a crucial role in building up a team’s strategy, especially in best-of-three series. Playing on either the blue or red side can impact the efficiency of the jungler pick and early-game rotations, for example.

The decision was taken by KeSPA due to referees being employed by the Korean association. In addition to a 10-game suspension, safe-checking selection side spreadsheets filed by teams will now involve one more assistant referee.

Additionally, side selections will be sent to both teams via email ahead of time so any confusion is sorted out beforehand.