How to run a League of Legends in-house night

Getting ten players

The hardest part of an in-house is the tenth player. Ask early in the day with a time attached ("Tonight at 21:00?"), and let people answer in, maybe or out, so you know by the afternoon whether it is on. Keep a list of who usually plays, and ask the maybes directly.

Making fair teams

Two captains picking players is fun but slow, and the last pick never enjoys it. A fairer split weighs each player's rank and their main role, so both teams get a jungler and similar strength. After a few nights, use how players actually did in your games instead of their solo-queue rank.

Rotate who plays with whom. Fixed teams make the same game every week.

Setting up the lobby

• Create a custom game on Summoner's Rift, 5v5.
• Pick Tournament Draft for picks and bans in the client, or Blind Pick if you draft elsewhere and only lock in what was decided.
• Add spectator slots for anyone waiting or streaming.
• Give the lobby a password, and post it in your group's chat.

Drafting like a tournament

For a best-of series, a fearless draft keeps it fresh: a champion picked in one game cannot be picked again in the series. Let the losing team choose its side for the next game. A separate draft room with timers and captain links keeps the client lobby simple.

Keeping score across nights

Save the replays of every game, and the night becomes a record: who won, who carried, what everyone played. Over a few weeks you get a rating, champion pools and rivalries that make the next night matter more.

In-House Lab does the poll, the team split, the draft room and the stats in one place. It's free to start.