SCL 2025: 6v6 Semifinal Ruling - Spartan family vs The Solution

Following a review of the events surrounding the SCL 6v6 semifinal series between teams Spartan family and The Solution, the Regional League Administration is issuing the following official ruling based on the match timeline, rulebook, and communication from both parties. Any quotes mentioned in this article have been translated from Swedish to English and may have been paraphrased to cut to the chase. Teams will be referenced as

 Background

• The semifinal series was originally scheduled to be played between Sunday and Tuesday.
   
• Spartan family requested to play Sunday, but The Solution was unavailable. Both teams then agreed to play Monday and Tuesday at 21:30 CEST.
   
• On Monday, just before the scheduled start, EA servers went down, making gameplay impossible.
   
• To resolve the situation and maintain scheduling for the finals on Thursday, the League granted a one-day extension, allowing the series to be completed on Wednesday.

Refusal to Play on Tuesday

• Although Tuesday was one of the originally agreed match days, The Solution refused to play, stating they only wanted to play all 5 games either Tuesday or Wednesday — but not split.
   
• Spartan family could not accommodate a full BO5 on either day due to their players participating in ECL Pro Qualifier matches, where they represent SSK Esports.
   
• Despite the League’s effort to propose flexible solutions, The Solution refused to compromise, and expressed frustration claiming Spartan family were receiving “special treatment” due to their "Pro status".
   
• While it’s understandable that players may have real-life commitments, the tone and unwillingness to cooperate gave the Administration the impression that The Solution was not engaging constructively in rescheduling efforts.

Scheduling Compromise for Wednesday

• To accommodate both sides, the Administration proposed the following:
  • Play would begin at 20:00 CEST with up to 3 games.
  • A break at 21:30 would allow Spartan family to play their ECL Pro Qualifier matches.
  • Any remaining games would resume around 22:30.
     
• The Solution did not oppose this proposal or suggest alternatives, replying only:
  • “We meet 20 to play 3 and we will see then.”

Matchday: Wednesday

• At 20:00, Spartan family began searching for the first game and messaged The Solution.
   
• With no reply received, Spartan family declared a walkover win for Game 1 at 20:16, in line with the rulebook’s 15-minute lateness rule.
   
• At 20:17, The Solution responded: “ok, see you at 20.30.”
  
• The Solution joined the lobby at 20:39 — 39 minutes after the agreed start time, and with no explanation for the delay.
   
• While the walkover could be viewed as slightly strict, the combination of The Solution’s refusal to play on Tuesday, poor communication, and disregard for the 20:00 start time left the Administration with no choice.
   
• Games 2 and 3 were played without further issues.
   
• At 21:30, Spartan family left for their ECL Pro Qualifier matches, as previously agreed.
  • During this time, The Solution began searching and messaging that Spartan family were not showing up — despite the pre-scheduled break.
     
• Spartan family returned around 22:30 to continue the series, but The Solution had left and refused to complete the remaining games.

Ruling Summary

1. Game 1 is awarded to Spartan family by Walkover
   • The Solution did not communicate within the allowed 15-minute window.
   • Their eventual arrival was 39 minutes late, without explanation.
   • While the walkover was declared at the edge of the 15-minute window and could be viewed as strict, the refusal to play on Tuesday, poor communication, and failure to notify of delays made the decision warranted.
      
2. Games 2 and 3 are considered valid and played results.
    
3. Remaining games are forfeited by The Solution
   • The structure of the night — including the break at 21:30 — was agreed to in advance.
   • The Solution did not raise concerns beforehand, nor give a valid reason for leaving and refusing to continue.
   • This constitutes a clear forfeit of the remaining games.
      
4. Spartan family are awarded the series win and advance to the Finals.

Closing Notes

The Regional League Administration always strives to ensure that series are decided on the ice, not off it. Unfortunately, due to a combination of a server outage, scheduling conflicts, poor cooperation, and tight finals and qualifier deadlines, a ruling was required to keep the competition on track.

We would like to remind all teams:

• Respect the match schedule and your opponents’ time.
• Communicate proactively and clearly with both your opponent and the League.
• Be willing to compromise when scheduling conflicts arise — especially in the playoffs.

We thank both teams for their efforts this season and wish Spartan family and Sunne IK Esport the best of luck in the Finals tonight.

— Regional League Administration