# Setting Success Criteria and Building Effective Teams

  

## Introduction

In esports, individual skill will only take you so far. The best teams win through **communication**, **coordination**, and **cohesion**. To perform at a high level, teams must plan together, train together, and reflect together.

This guide explores how to:

* Plan for team performance with clear success criteria
* Identify and develop team strengths
* Improve in-game communication and decision-making
* Prepare for the pressure of competitive matches
* Align individual roles with team goals

> 🔍 Real-world insight: Teams like *G2 Esports*, *Fnatic*, and *Team Liquid* succeed not just due to mechanical skill, but because of **well-planned strategies**, **defined roles**, and **strong team culture**.

  

## What Is Team Performance in Esports?

Team performance means how well players:

* **Work together** under pressure
* **Communicate** during matches
* **Understand and fulfil roles**
* **Execute strategies** against opponents
* **Adapt** to different scenarios

Good team performance results in **better consistency**, **higher placements**, and **stronger in-game synergy**.

  

## Step 1: Define Team Success Criteria

Before a team can improve, it must define **what success looks like** — this gives direction, purpose, and structure.

### A. Team-Wide Success Criteria

| Category | Example Success Criteria |
| ------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------- |
| **Communication** | Team uses callouts effectively with minimal overlap |
| **Strategy Execution** | Correct site executes in Valorant 80% of the time |
| **Objective Control** | Win 60% of dragons in LoL over 3 matches |
| **Teamfight Efficiency** | At least 3v1 trade ratio in 70% of skirmishes |
| **Consistency** | Achieve top 3 placements across 5 tournaments |

### B. Individual-to-Team Mapping

Each player should know how their individual success feeds into team success. For example:

* A Rocket League defender’s “save %” supports team-wide goal prevention
* A LoL support’s vision score affects map awareness for the whole team
* A Valorant entry fragger’s duel win rate shapes team push potential

> Pro Tip: Track progress with **shared dashboards** (Google Sheets, Notion) where each player logs metrics tied to team objectives.

  

## Step 2: Gelling as a Team

Team “gel” refers to the ability of a group to work together smoothly — **without confusion, ego clashes, or communication breakdowns**.

### Characteristics of Well-Gelled Teams

| Trait | Description |
| ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Role Clarity** | Each player knows their responsibilities |
| **Trust** | Players rely on one another’s decisions |
| **Chemistry** | There’s synergy in movement, strategy, and communication |
| **Supportive Culture** | Mistakes are analysed, not blamed |

### Activities to Improve Team Gel

* **Scrims with reflection time** after each game
* **Team-building exercises** (e.g. "What’s your playstyle?" discussions)
* **In-game challenges** like playing with comms only (no pings)
* **VOD reviews together** to assess how decisions were made as a team

> Classroom Idea: Ask learners to complete a “Player Type Quiz” (aggressive, passive, support, shot-caller) and share their findings with teammates.

  

## Step 3: Setting Team Targets

Targets give teams **short-term and long-term goals** to aim for.

### A. Short-Term Targets

| Target | Timeframe |
| ------------------------------- | ----------------------- |
| Improve first blood rate to 70% | Next 2 scrims |
| Achieve faster rotations | Next tournament cycle |
| Increase team-wide KDA | Over the next 3 matches |

### B. Long-Term Targets

| Target | Timeframe |
| ----------------------------------------- | ------------- |
| Qualify for top 4 in regional league | End of season |
| Increase team win rate by 20% | Over 3 months |
| Transition from amateur to academy league | Within a year |

  

## Step 4: Analysing Player Impact on the Team

Understanding how each player contributes helps coaches make better decisions about roles, synergy, and focus areas.

### Tools for Analysing Player Impact

| Tool | Use |
| ------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| **Mobalytics (LoL, Valorant)** | Assesses individual impact vs team win rate |
| **BallChasing (Rocket League)** | Shows who holds possession, rotates well |
| **Shadow\.GG** | Heatmaps for utility, positioning, and contribution |
| **Custom Stat Sheets** | KDA, clutches, damage, vision, etc. |

> 📈 Case Study: In *League of Legends*, a team may lose lanes but win games due to a jungler who controls map tempo and vision — their impact goes beyond kills.

  

## Step 5: Assessing Team Strengths and Weaknesses

### A. Strengths

Identify what gives your team a competitive edge:

* Great shot-calling
* Strong early game control
* Excellent map awareness
* Solid clutch mentality under pressure

### B. Weaknesses

Common areas for improvement:

| Weakness | Effect |
| ------------------ | -------------------------------------- |
| Poor communication | Confusion during fights |
| Late rotations | Loss of site/map control |
| Over-aggression | Wasted advantage and team wipes |
| Tunnel vision | Ignoring objective in favour of fights |

> Activity: Hold a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) as a group.

  

## Step 6: Improving Communication Skills

Communication is the glue of every esports team. Effective communication = **faster reactions, clearer strategies, and fewer mistakes**.

### A. Types of Communication

| Type | Example |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Callouts** | “One mid, one long!” |
| **Rotational Info** | “I’m rotating through spawn” |
| **Cooldown Status** | “No flash for 12” |
| **Shotcalling** | “Go A now, I have ult!” |
| **Non-Verbal** | Pings, minimap signals, body movement (peeking, faking, etc.) |

### B. Communication Drills

* Play scrims with **assigned comms roles** (e.g. IGL, strat caller, info relay)
* Use **recorded comms sessions** to review efficiency and clarity
* Eliminate **cross-talk and overtalking** through structured speech rules

> Pro Tip: Develop “team language” — consistent phrases for smokes, pushes, timing (e.g. “hard clear”, “soft hold”, “fast rotate”).

  

## Step 7: Coping with Pressure of Team Performance

Pressure can impact focus, communication, and execution. Teams must learn to manage stress in competitive settings.

### A. Pressure Situations

* Tournament games with prize money
* Playing in front of spectators (live or streamed)
* Facing rivals or previously lost matchups
* Game-deciding moments (e.g. match point, overtime)

### B. Strategies for Managing Pressure

| Strategy | Effect |
| --------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| **Routine-building** | Familiar routines reduce pre-match nerves |
| **Mindfulness & breathing** | Improves focus and clarity |
| **Team support culture** | Keeps morale high |
| **Timeout strategies** | Calm down, reset mentally |

> Esports Example: In *Valorant Champions Tour*, coaches often use tactical timeouts to stop team tilt and reinforce game plans under stress.

  

## Step 8: Developing Team Strategies

Team strategies are the **gameplans** and **decision paths** that a team relies on. Strong teams not only have strategies — they know how to **adapt** them in real-time.

### A. Common Strategic Themes

| Genre | Strategies |
| ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **FPS (Valorant/CS2)** | Execute A-site smokes, split push, slow defaults, double duels |
| **MOBA (LoL/Dota)** | 1-3-1 split push, objective control, pick comps |
| **Rocket League** | Pass-heavy play, boost starvation, backboard pressure |
| **Battle Royale** | Zone hold, passive rotations, storm edge play |

### B. Decision-Making Training

* **Review VODs** of past games — where were the wrong calls?
* Use **pause drills** — freeze gameplay and ask, “What would you do next?”
* Hold **strategy sessions** off-server — planning rotations, comp ideas, timing

> Suggested Resource: Watch pro-level breakdowns like [Valorant's Pro Play Analysis](https://www.youtube.com/@VALORANTChampions) for strategic insights.

  

## Team Performance Planning Template

| Planning Area | Example Notes |
| ------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| **Team Objective** | Win 3/5 matches in NUEL group stage |
| **Player Roles** | Duelist, Controller, Support, Entry, IGL |
| **Success Criteria** | Team KDA > 2.0, 75% site retakes successful |
| **Communication Targets** | Clear post-plant roles, reduce comm overlap |
| **Strengths** | Great early-game site control |
| **Weaknesses** | Poor eco rounds, over-peeking |
| **Tactics to Practice** | B-site push with layered flashes |
| **Next Steps** | Run 5 scrims, review 3 VODs, team-building quiz |

  

## Final Activities

### 1. **Team Communication Audit**

* Record a match’s team comms
* Identify moments of confusion, silence, or overlap
* Create a comms improvement plan

### 2. **Team Reflection Session**

* Each player lists 1 strength and 1 improvement area
* Build a SWOT table and match it to upcoming matches

### 3. **Create a Gameplan Board**

* Use Miro or paper to plan out strategy for your next scrim
* Include default plays, eco strats, retakes, and role assignments

### 4. **Tournament Simulation**

* Simulate pressure with timed match scenarios
* Run a mini-tournament and rotate leadership roles to evaluate team flexibility

  

## Tools and Resources

| Tool | Use | Link |
| ------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------- |
| Mobalytics | Team stat tracking and roles | [https://mobalytics.gg](https://mobalytics.gg) |
| Shadow\.GG | Tactical heatmaps and strategy | [https://shadow.gg](https://shadow.gg) |
| Notion | Planning and logging team objectives | [https://notion.so](https://notion.so) |
| NUEL | UK university/college league | [https://nuel.gg](https://nuel.gg) |
| Aim Lab (team leaderboard mode) | Practice and assess accuracy | [https://aimlab.gg](https://aimlab.gg) |
| Coach Paint / Nacsport | Tactical analysis overlays | [https://analysispro.com](https://analysispro.com) |
| Discord | Voice comms and chat | [https://discord.com](https://discord.com) |

  

## Final Checklist for Team Planning

Before your next match or tournament:

* [ ] Have you set team-wide success criteria?
* [ ] Have players been assigned roles with clarity?
* [ ] Are your strategies and rotations planned?
* [ ] Have you assessed communication skills and pressure points?
* [ ] Have you scheduled time to reflect and review together?

  

## Final Thoughts

Strong team performance is built through **purposeful planning**, **open communication**, and **shared accountability**. Whether your team is preparing for its first scrim or an official tournament, your planning process is what sets the foundation for **success — or stress**.

Every great team started where you are now. The difference? They stuck together, reviewed their progress, and got just a little bit better every day.