League terms, explained

The solo lane at the top of Summoner's Rift. Top champions usually need to survive a long lane and often become durable fighters, split-pushers or team front liners.

The area between lanes. The Jungler defeats neutral monsters for gold and experience, helps lanes, controls vision and contests major objectives with Smite.

The short solo lane through the centre of the map. Mid champions often clear minion waves quickly and can reach either side of the map.

The lower lane, usually occupied by a sustained-damage carry and a Support. Bot is also commonly called ADC, although not every Bot champion is a traditional marksman.

The Bot-lane partner who earns income through a support item instead of taking most minions. Supports protect allies, start fights, control space and place vision.

One of the three main paths where minion waves travel: Top, Mid and Bot.

The waterway crossing the map between lanes and jungle areas. Dragon, Baron and other neutral objectives are found here.

Top or Bot, especially after the early laning phase. A player may collect a side-lane wave before returning to their team.

A surprise visit to a lane, usually by the Jungler, to pressure or eliminate an opponent. A good gank needs a reachable target and a nearby ally who can help.

Leaving your usual lane to help another part of the map. Clear or safely position your minion wave first so the move does not cost too much farm.

Move from one area to another as a team or small group, usually to defend, attack, collect a wave or contest an objective.

Two teammates agree to exchange their normal lanes or assigned positions. In queues with assigned positions, trade during champion select so each player receives the intended role quest. A temporary gank, roam or wave cover is not a lane swap.

Temporarily defend another lane or collect a wave that would otherwise be lost. Covering does not permanently change your assigned role.

The planned route a player takes across the map. Jungle pathing usually describes the order of camps, lanes and objectives in a clear.

Defeat a group of minions or jungle monsters. A first clear is the Jungler's opening route through camps.

Channel the return to base so you can heal and buy items. Damage or certain effects interrupt it.

The ability to make the opposing lane play cautiously. Health, minion position, available abilities and the threat of an engage all affect pressure.

Your lane can move before the opponent because your minion wave is controlled and you are not trapped under your turret. Priority helps nearby fights and objectives.

Positioned far from the safety of a friendly turret or team. An overextended player has a longer escape route and may be easier to gank.

Walk into an unwarded brush or dark area without first checking it safely. This is dangerous because opponents may be waiting there.

A group of lane minions travelling together. Managing the wave changes where players must stand to collect gold and experience.

Damage enemy minions quickly so your wave moves towards the opposing turret.

Keep the minion wave in roughly the same safe position by controlling how quickly minions die.

Move your minion wave fully into the opposing turret. This can create time to recall, roam, ward or attack the turret.

Collect gold and experience, usually by defeating minions or jungle monsters.

Creep Score: the number of lane minions and certain monsters a player has last-hit.

Experience points used to gain champion levels. You can receive lane experience without landing the final hit if you are close enough.

The currency used to buy items. Minions, monsters, structures, objectives and champion takedowns can award gold.

A short exchange of damage or abilities. A good trade costs the opponent more health or resources than it costs you.

Commit most available abilities and movement to try to win a fight or secure an elimination. Leaving may be difficult if it fails.

Start a fight, usually with movement or crowd control that gives allies a target they can reach.

Stop or escape a fight using distance, movement, shields, healing or crowd control.

Protect a teammate by stopping, moving or discouraging enemies who are attacking them. For Blitzcrank, Power Fist can peel an enemy away from a carry.

An effect that restricts movement or actions, such as a stun, root, knock-up, silence, slow or fear.

The damage, movement or control an ally contributes after another player starts the action. An engage is poor if teammates cannot follow.

Durable champions who stand between opponents and more fragile teammates, controlling space and absorbing pressure.

Fragile damage or utility champions who usually operate behind their team's front line.

A teammate expected to provide a large share of the team's damage or winning pressure. The Bot player is often a carry, but any role can become one.

The order in which opponents should be pressured. The best target is usually valuable, reachable and safe for teammates to attack, not simply the lowest-health enemy.

Deal damage from range before committing to a full fight.

A large amount of damage dealt in a short time.

Healing, shielding or other recovery that lets a champion remain active through repeated damage.

Information provided by wards, allied units and revealed areas. Vision helps the team move without walking blindly into opponents.

A placed unit that reveals an area. The yellow trinket and support items are common ward sources.

Map areas your team cannot currently see. Opponents inside fog may be hidden.

A map target that gives a useful reward, such as a turret, Dragon, Void Grubs, Rift Herald or Baron Nashor.

A neutral monster in the lower river that grants a permanent team bonus. Later dragons can lead to a Dragon Soul.

The permanent elemental reward earned by the first team to defeat four elemental dragons. Its effect matches the Elemental Rift and is added on top of the dragon buffs already collected.

A late-game dragon that begins spawning after a team claims Dragon Soul. Its temporary buff burns damaged enemy champions and can execute targets at low health.

Baron Nashor is a powerful late-game neutral monster in the upper river. Its buff strengthens nearby minions and helps a team attack structures.

The Jungler's summoner spell for dealing large damage to monsters. Teams often preserve Smite to secure major neutral objectives.

Enter the opposing jungle to take camps, place vision or pressure the enemy Jungler. Invading is safer when nearby allied lanes can move first.

Arrive as the opposing team attempts a gank, turning the fight with an unexpected extra player.

The dependable early group of completed items that supports a champion's normal role. Situational items may replace a later slot when the match demands it.

A moment when a champion becomes noticeably stronger, often after gaining a level, completing an item or unlocking an important ability.

The waiting time before an ability, item or summoner spell can be used again.

How a champion's strength changes as levels, items and game time increase. A scaling champion generally becomes more effective later.

The opening part of a match, focused on first clears, lanes and early objectives. Exact timings vary by match.

The stage when players leave their original lanes more often and fight around completed items, structures and neutral objectives.

The stage when several items are complete and one lost fight can decide major objectives or the match.

A champion, role or build outside its common established use. Off-meta does not automatically mean impossible, but it needs a clear plan and may be less reliable.

Effects that apply Grievous Wounds and reduce healing received. Buy it only when meaningful enemy healing is actually changing fights.

A stat that lets physical damage ignore some enemy armour. It becomes more useful as opponents build armour.

A stat that lets magic damage ignore some enemy magic resistance.

Player shorthand for forfeit: asking the team to start or accept a surrender vote. The vote itself is private; another player or companion app should not claim to know how a specific teammate voted.

A team vote to end the current match before the Nexus is destroyed. League decides when a vote is available and how many votes are required for the current queue.

An early vote that may end a match when an eligible player failed to connect or remained inactive near the start. A remake is different from a normal surrender.

Away from keyboard: a player who is inactive or not participating. Briefly disconnecting is not automatically proof that somebody intentionally abandoned the match.

Disconnected: the player has lost connection to the match. The cause is not visible to other players, so a disconnect should not automatically be treated as deliberate.

Good game. Players commonly use it at the end of a match as a brief sign of sportsmanship.