Talent gets a team into the qualifiers, but routine keeps it there. The squads that climb from open lobbies to finals share a handful of habits. None of them requires special equipment, only discipline.
1. Practise in structured scrims
Playing public matches is useful for mechanics, but scrims are where you rehearse the team's real plan. Join a lobby with a similar standard and treat it like a tournament day:
- Use the same drop and rotation plan you will use in the event.
- Play six matches in a row with the same points table, so that you feel the pressure of a running total.
- Do not change the plan after a single bad match. Change it only after you see a pattern.
2. Record everything
Record your gameplay or your teammates' screens. A VOD (video on demand) is the single most useful tool a team has, because memory is unreliable after a stressful match. Keep recordings of every scrim and label them with the date and map.
3. Review with a method
Reviewing without a plan turns into watching highlights. Use a checklist:
- How did the team die? Name the cause: caught in the open, out of position, bad rotation, bad trade or simply outplayed.
- What was the first mistake? The death is usually the end of a chain that started minutes earlier.
- What would we do differently? Write one concrete change, not a general wish.
- Did we win the fights we chose? Early fights that were not planned cost more than losses in the final circle.
Aim for a 30 to 45 minute review per session, with the IGL leading and every player allowed to speak.
4. Track the right numbers
Numbers do not play the game for you, but they show trends that feel invisible during play. Useful figures to follow week by week:
- Average points per match. The overall measure of progress.
- Average placement. Shows survival and decision quality.
- Kills per match and damage per player. Show how aggressive and effective the team is.
- Chicken dinners per tournament. Shows closing ability.
Compare these over several tournaments, not one. A team that goes from an average of 8 to 11 points per match has improved, even if the weekend result looks the same. Tournament histories for players and teams on SSPpedia make this easy, because every event is listed with its results.
5. Set goals the team controls
"Win the tournament" is a result, not a goal. Better goals describe behaviour: "fewer than two deaths before the third circle", "rotate before the second circle", "no fights outside our plan". Pick one or two goals for the week and check them in the review.
6. Look after the basics
Sleep, hydration, screen breaks and a stable device and connection affect reaction time more than most people expect. Agree on a schedule, keep your device cool and close background apps before matches.
7. Communicate clearly
Short, specific callouts beat long descriptions. Agree on names for locations, use a single caller during fights and keep voice chat for information. After a loss, discuss the cause rather than who is to blame.
A sample week
- Monday: review the weekend's matches.
- Tuesday and Wednesday: two scrim sessions with a fixed plan.
- Thursday: review and adjust.
- Friday: light practice and rest.
- Weekend: tournament or a long scrim block.
Teams that keep this loop going for a few months usually see a clear improvement in points per match.