Queue dodging in League of Legends is no longer something to judge from old forum posts or memories of previous seasons. Riot’s current support page, updated June 2, 2026, uses a three-step penalty ladder and a 24-hour-per-tier decay system. The most important detail is that the penalties are shared more broadly than many players expect: a Normal dodge can make your next Ranked dodge count as a second dodge.
What counts as a queue dodge?
Riot defines a queue dodge as leaving Champion Select for any reason. Failing to lock in during Champion Select also counts as a dodge. Once a player dodges, everyone else returns to matchmaking and the dodging player receives the penalty for the queue and current penalty tier.
Ranked dodge penalties in 2026
- 1st dodge tier: 6-minute queue penalty + -5 LP.
- 2nd dodge tier: 30-minute queue penalty + -15 LP.
- 3rd+ dodge tier: 720-minute/12-hour queue penalty + -15 LP.
Apex Tier is different
Riot’s current page explicitly marks an Apex Tier exception. Apex means Master, Grandmaster and Challenger. For these ranks, Riot says queue-dodge penalties use a -20 LP loss instead of the -5 LP loss and also affect MMR scoring.
Normal queue penalties
- 1st dodge: 6 minutes.
- 2nd dodge: 30 minutes.
- 3rd+ dodge: 720 minutes/12 hours.
Normal queues do not list an LP penalty because there is no Ranked LP to lose, but the dodge tier itself still matters because it can carry into Ranked.
ARAM dodge penalties
- 1st dodge: 15 minutes + lose Blessed Card.
- 2nd dodge: 30 minutes + lose Blessed Card.
- 3rd+ dodge: 720 minutes/12 hours + lose Blessed Card.
Riot also notes that if you had a Blessed Card, an ARAM dodge means you are not guaranteed that third champion option. The page says this can apply even when somebody else dodges the game.
The penalty tier does not reset at midnight
This is one of the biggest sources of confusion. The system drops one penalty tier every 24 hours. It does not simply reset all dodge history when the calendar day changes.
How the 24-hour decay works
Riot gives a direct example: after one Ranked dodge with no recent dodges, you remain in the one-dodge tier for 24 hours. If you dodge again during that period, you move into the two-dodge tier and another 24 hours is added. From there it takes 24 hours to fall to tier one and another 24 hours to return to normal—48 hours total.
Your hidden dodge tier can keep climbing
Even though the visible penalty at 3+ dodges stays at 12 hours and -15 LP for standard Ranked, Riot says the penalty tier can continue to rise if you dodge faster than it decays. That means repeated dodges can leave you waiting through multiple 24-hour tier reductions before returning to normal.
Normal and Ranked dodges stack
Riot explicitly states that if you dodge a Normal game and then dodge a Ranked game, the Ranked penalty is treated as if it were your second dodge. Queue type does not give you a clean slate.
Ready Check penalties also affect the whole account
Ready Check is the confirmation screen that appears after matchmaking finds a game. Riot says Ready Check penalties from any queue affect the entire account, including Ranked.
Repeated Ready Check misses can escalate much further
Riot does not publish a simple LP/timer table for every Ready Check miss on the current page. Instead, it warns that repeatedly missing Ready Checks can escalate from timed queue bans to temporary game bans and even a permanent ban.
Failing to lock in is not the same as a free exit
If you reach Champion Select and fail to lock a champion in time, Riot counts it as a dodge. Closing the client, intentionally timing out or simply not locking in does not avoid the dodge system.
Do dodges from other modes affect Ranked?
Yes. Riot’s own Normal-to-Ranked example confirms cross-queue escalation. The safest interpretation is to treat dodge and Ready Check history as account-level state rather than separate counters you can reset by switching modes.
What about LP in multiple Ranked positions?
Riot’s current page says you lose LP in any positions for which you have already placed. The key point is that a dodge is not necessarily isolated to the exact screen you were looking at when Champion Select ended.
Does an emergency or disconnect remove the penalty?
Riot describes the listed penalties as applying when a player leaves Champion Select for any reason. If the client or Riot service itself appears unstable, the practical move is to stop re-queueing repeatedly and check service status rather than stack more penalties.
Example 1: first Ranked dodge
You have no recent dodge tier. You leave Champion Select. Under the standard Ranked table, the result is a 6-minute queue lock and -5 LP. The one-dodge tier then remains for 24 hours.
Example 2: another Ranked dodge 8 hours later
Because the first tier has not decayed yet, this counts at the second tier: 30 minutes and -15 LP under the standard Ranked table. You now need two separate 24-hour tier drops to return fully to normal.
Example 3: Normal dodge, then Ranked
A Normal dodge followed by a Ranked dodge is treated by Riot as two dodges for the Ranked penalty. The Ranked dodge therefore receives the second-tier Ranked penalty rather than a fresh first-tier penalty.
Example 4: three or more rapid dodges
The displayed standard Ranked punishment becomes 12 hours and -15 LP at the third tier and above. But the internal tier can keep rising, so one 24-hour wait may not be enough to return to a first-dodge state.
Example 5: Apex player
Master, Grandmaster and Challenger are Apex tiers. Riot applies the Apex exception: -20 LP rather than the normal -5 LP baseline and an MMR-scoring impact. Do not use standard low-tier assumptions here.
Example 6: ARAM dodge
The first ARAM dodge is 15 minutes instead of the Normal/Ranked six-minute timer, and Riot says you lose the Blessed Card benefit if you had it.
How long should you wait to return to a clean tier?
There is no single answer unless you know your current hidden penalty tier. One tier falls every 24 hours. If you reached tier two, Riot’s own example shows 48 hours from that point to return fully to normal. Higher hidden tiers can take longer.
What not to rely on
- Midnight resets: Riot uses 24-hour tier decay, not a calendar-day reset.
- Switching queues: Normal and Ranked can stack.
- Old -3/-10 LP tables: Riot’s current standard Ranked table is -5/-15/-15.
- Blanket claims that dodging never affects MMR: Apex Tier explicitly has MMR-scoring impact.
- Repeated Ready Check misses as harmless: Riot warns they can escalate to game bans.
Before you queue again
- Check whether you recently dodged in any mode.
- Remember that each penalty tier needs 24 hours to drop.
- If the client is unstable, stop retrying until service is stable.
- In Ranked, expect LP loss in addition to the timer.
- If you are Apex Tier, use the Apex-specific rule.
- Do not repeatedly miss Ready Checks or fail lock-in to avoid Champion Select.
Bottom line
In 2026, League’s dodge system is best understood as an account-level escalation ladder. A standard Ranked dodge starts at 6 minutes and -5 LP, rises to 30 minutes and -15 LP, then reaches 12 hours and -15 LP at tier three and above. One penalty tier decays every 24 hours, other queues can push the next Ranked penalty higher, Apex Tier has a harsher LP/MMR rule, and repeated Ready Check misses can escalate beyond queue timers. If you are unsure of your tier, assume recent dodges still matter.
Official sources
Riot Games Support — Queue Dodging: https://support.riotgames.com/en-us/league-of-legends/gameplay/queue-dodging/ | Master, Grandmaster, and Challenger: The Apex Tiers: https://support.riotgames.com/en-us/league-of-legends/gameplay/master-grandmaster-and-challenger-the-apex-tiers