VRC.LOL

Fast team communication

League pings, clearly explained

Each ping shares a plan, warning or piece of map information. Use the smallest clear signal, leave room for teammates to decide, and update the call only when the situation changes.

8
smart-wheel calls
5
context pings
4
useful sequences

Start with the controls

Place a ping where the information matters

These are Riot's documented default controls. Custom bindings and client layouts can differ; check your in-game Hotkeys settings before practising.

Open, choose and release

Hold Alt or Ctrl and left-click to open the wheel. Drag toward the signal you want, then release. Right-click cancels the selection if you chose the wrong message.

Use a quick location signal

G is the documented simple-ping shortcut; V is the caution shortcut. Check your bindings if they do something else. A location signal can be enough when you do not need a full tactical call.

Terrain or minimap?

Both can carry pings. Use terrain for a nearby ward or precise entrance; use the minimap to warn another lane or show a distant destination. Aim at the place that helps your ally respond.

Network ping is different

Latency measures connection delay, not a team signal. Ctrl+F displays latency and FPS with the default binding. Rebind it under Hotkeys, Display, Toggle FPS Display if needed.

Riot's Smart Ping controls

Current smart pings

Eight calls, eight different jobs

The main wheel combines movement, fighting and vision calls. Names and wheel placement can change between patches or client layouts, so the live client remains authoritative.

01
Leave this area

Retreat

What it meansWarn allies that a position, fight or route is becoming unsafe.

Best use

Place it on the danger or along the escape route. Ping again only if the threat moves.

Avoid

Following a teammate with repeated Retreat pings after they have already responded.

02
I am moving there

On My Way

What it meansTell allies where you intend to arrive so they can judge timing before committing.

Best use

Ping where you are going. If your route changes or you turn back, update the call.

Avoid

Leaving the ping active when you are no longer travelling to that location.

03
I need help here

Assist Me

What it meansRequest help with a lane, objective, defence, vision route or nearby fight.

Best use

Ping the exact lane, objective or entrance where help is needed. Give allies time to move.

Avoid

Repeating it at a teammate because they cannot leave their current lane or fight.

04
My opponent is no longer visible

Enemy Missing

What it meansWarn other lanes that an enemy may have left vision or begun a roam.

Best use

Ping your lane first, then the likely route if you saw one. The ping warns about uncertainty.

Avoid

Using the question mark on a teammate to blame or mock them.

05
Move the wave or advance

Push

What it meansSuggest clearing minions, applying lane pressure or moving a wave before another play.

Best use

Ping the wave you want moved. Check that nearby allies do not need to recall or hold it.

Avoid

Repeating the call when pushing would expose the team or ruin a planned wave state.

06
Commit to the fight

All-In

What it meansSignal that you intend to use major resources and fully commit rather than trade briefly.

Best use

Ping just before committing, while allies are close enough to respond. Use Retreat if the opening closes.

Avoid

Calling for the fight after allies have backed away or spent their important abilities.

07
The enemy can see here

Enemy Vision

What it meansMark a known or strongly suspected enemy ward or revealed area.

Best use

Ping the ward position as closely as possible so allies know which route is exposed.

Avoid

Presenting a guess as a confirmed ward location. Use Caution when you are unsure.

08
We need a ward here

Need Vision

What it meansRequest safe vision before an objective, rotation, lane push or jungle entry.

Best use

Ping the exact brush, entrance or objective edge that needs vision. Move with the warding player when it is unsafe.

Avoid

Expecting one teammate to walk into unguarded fog alone.

Short sequences

Combine location and intention

Two relevant signals can be clearer than repeating one signal across the screen.

Enemy Missing → Retreat

Your opponent left lane, and you believe a specific allied route is in danger.

Need Vision → Assist Me

You need an ally before entering fog around an objective or jungle entrance.

On My Way → All-In

You first communicate arrival, then confirm commitment only when the engage is actually available.

Push → Retreat

The wave should move first, but the call changes when enemies disappear or the push becomes unsafe.

Read the situation

Four calls, with the decision behind each one

These are tactical examples, not mandatory sequences. Give new information, allow time to respond, and change the plan when the map changes.

Your mid opponent disappears

Enemy Missing → warning near the threatened lane

Mark the disappearance promptly. If you saw movement toward bot, warn that approach; if you did not, keep the route uncertain. Do not chase through dark river just to confirm a guess.

Update the warning if the opponent reappears or turns back.

Your jungler approaches a warded lane

Enemy Vision → the observed ward

Mark the ward location before the gank enters its coverage. The jungler can reroute, wait for a safe clear, or choose a different play. Do not use a ward ping as an accusation when you only suspect vision.

Link the warning to the watched entrance, not an ally's champion.

You need cover to ward dragon

Need Vision → Assist Me at the entrance

Ask while allies can still move, rather than after you have entered fog. Wait for someone to cover the approach. If lanes cannot move or opponents are missing, delay or use a safer vision check.

Requesting a ward does not require Support to face-check alone.

An engage window closes

On My Way → Retreat when the plan changes

You planned to arrive, but the ally loses health or an enemy reinforcement appears. Cancel the commitment with a clear warning. An earlier arrival ping is not a reason to force a losing fight.

Use All-In only when you actually intend to commit resources.

When a signal does not work

Check the controls, audience and timing

Why does the wheel not open?

Check your current hotkey bindings and practise the press, drag and release sequence away from a fight. Custom layouts can change the defaults. Avoid changing several bindings at once without testing them.

Why can I not ping an ally's state?

Targeted ally pings are an Honor 5 privilege under Riot's current Honor guide. Other audience restrictions can depend on the information being pinged. Use a relevant map location or your own readiness instead of assuming every scoreboard signal reaches everyone.

Why are pings temporarily locked?

Your Honor level affects the allowance within five seconds. Honor 1 through 5 currently allow 2, 4, 6, 7 and 7 pings respectively before temporary lockout. Save signals for new information; the allowance is not a target to fill.

What if a teammate does not respond?

They may be busy, too far away, muted, or choosing another play. Check their position and the wave before repeating a call. A relevant warning can help; repeated blame cannot create an available teammate.

Beyond the wheel

Ping the fact your team needs

The scoreboard, map and interface can expose contextual pings. Visibility to the whole team can vary by information type and Riot's current anti-harassment rules.

Caution / AlertMark immediate danger at a location without attaching a larger movement or fight plan.
Objective and respawn timersPoint to the next dragon, Baron or structure timing before the team needs to move.
Your own readinessShare your ultimate, Summoner Spell or item state when it changes whether a play is available.
Enemy informationMark a visible enemy, known Summoner Spell use or other information the client allows you to share.
Ward informationMark seen enemy vision accurately; do not present a guess as a confirmed ward.

Use pattern, purpose and target

What is and is not ping spam?

Riot's published 2026 boundary is behavioural rather than a simple public number. Normal strategic, playful and celebratory use is not the target; extreme, sustained and clearly disruptive frustration-pinging at teammates can be penalised.

Usually normal

Clear repetition with a purpose

  • A short urgent cluster as a gank reaches the lane.
  • Repeating a retreat call because the threat moved.
  • Updating an objective call after new vision appears.
  • Occasional celebration, humour or friendly hype.
  • Pinging your own readiness before a coordinated play.
Can become disruptive

Sustained targeting driven by frustration

  • Following one teammate with unrelated pings after a mistake.
  • Repeatedly pinging to blame, mock or provoke rather than communicate.
  • Continuing across the match after the information is already clear.
  • Using every available ping as a substitute for harassment.
  • Changing locations only to keep targeting the same person.
No invented threshold

The client's rate limit is not the conduct verdict

Riot has adjusted technical lockouts for particular ping types over time. Reaching a client limit does not automatically prove misconduct, and staying below one does not make sustained harassment acceptable.

When the match becomes noisy

Mute first, report the pattern if needed

You do not need to endure disruptive pings to collect evidence. Mute them, keep playing, and use League's built-in report when the repeated conduct reasonably fits the available category.

  1. 1
    Mute the player's pings

    Protect your focus immediately. Muting does not stop Riot from reviewing its own information.

  2. 2
    Separate disagreement from harassment

    Ignoring your call, choosing another target or making a bad play is not ping abuse by itself.

  3. 3
    Describe the repeated conduct

    State that the player repeatedly targeted a teammate with unrelated frustration pings across the match. Do not demand a penalty.

Open the reporting guide

Riot has the final say. VRC.LOL explains the public guidance but cannot decide whether a specific account broke a rule.

Official references

Follow Riot's current client and patch notes

Expanded tactical wheelRiot's introduction of the eight-call communication system. Vision ping changesEnemy Vision and Need Vision moved onto the main wheel. Rate-limit adjustmentsTechnical ping limits have changed and should not be treated as a permanent conduct threshold. Disruptive ping detectionRiot's 2026 explanation of normal use and sustained disruptive spam.

Honor affects ping and emote allowances

Honor levels 1 to 5 allow 2, 4, 6, 7 and 7 pings within five seconds before temporary lockout. Emote allowances are 2, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Targeted ally pings require Honor 5.

Full Honor comparison and recovery guide