ESL’s New Regulation: No More Flip-Flops for Players in Competitions
According to ESL’s new event regulations, players are not allowed to wear sandals with holes in ESL events.
Recently, before the start of the IEM Cologne tournament, ESL made adjustments to the event rulebook. Some of the adjustments were made to further standardize the language used. For instance, considering the upcoming release of CS2, they changed “CSGO” to “CS” in the rulebook.
Additionally, to avoid any trouble, ESL has added a clause to review team names. The event organizers now have the authority to reject certain team names based on certain criteria.
However, the most surprising change is that ESL has banned players from wearing sandals with holes, categorizing them as a variant of flip-flops. In section 4.3 of the dress code rules, it specifically emphasizes that players should be “wearing matching-colored jerseys, long pants, and closed-toe shoes.” The rulebook even mentions the negative example of holey shoes.
At first glance, it may seem like ESL is making a fuss over nothing. But in fact, holey shoes have faced setbacks in other events as well. Last year, the EG team had to suspend a League of Legends match because a player was wearing holey shoes. The player named jojopyun was fined for violating the shoe regulations.
ESL has corresponding fine rules, with a minimum fine of $250 for wearing open-toed shoes.
Many professional players like to feel as relaxed as possible during matches, which is why foam clogs are a popular option. Some players prefer open-toed or flat shoes, as they are more convenient for changing shoes during the competition.
