Time out: Difference between revisions

A '''time out''' refers to the event of when the [[match timer]] reaches zero. When this happens, the screen will display "TIME" ("TIME UP" in the Japanese, Korean and Chinese versions as well as the original ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' in all regions) and the [[announcer]] will call it. [[Time]], [[Coin]], and [[Bonus]] matches all usually require a time out to occur in order to make it official, because the game modes require the player to perform specific tasks within the time limit in order to win; though it is possible to play "unwinnable" matches via the '''∞''' setting for time battles. Within [[Stock]] battles (and [[Stamina Mode]] battles as of ''Ultimate''), matches can also be won via timing out, though this requires the match itself to have a match timer on during it.

If there is a tie of percentages and sometimes points or stocks in all game modes when a time out takes place, [[Sudden Death]] occurs. However, [[Tourney (SSB4-Wii U)|Tourney]]s in {{forwiiu}} instead grant the player who dealt the largest amount of damage overall the win instantly.

==In [[tournaments]]==

Under most circumstances, a time out in tournament play causes the player with more stocks winning the match; assuming both players or teams have equivalent stocks, then the player or team with less damage is declared the winner. Under the rare circumstance that the players or teams have identical damage or otherwise tie a match outside of timing out, a one stock rematch is played on the same stage with the same characters.

The legitimacy of timing out as a strategy, however, is controversial. Intentionally attempting to waste time and go to a time out is known as [[stalling]], which sometimes involves techniques that make characters impossible to reach or attack. While the act of stalling is not necessarily against standard tournament rules, some strategies such as [[camping]] or abusing [[intangibility]] are expressly banned or limited due to being degenerate to gameplay. Beyond these specific techniques, some players have claimed that timing out in general is a [[cheap]] and unsportsmanlike tactic, utilizing methods that are considered annoying to deal with and boring to watch. Others claim that winning via time outs requires its own strategy to consistently pull off, and that characters with relatively poor KOing ability yet great defensive ability, such as {{SSBB|Samus}} and {{SSBB|Sonic}} in ''Brawl'', require the use of timing out in order to remain competitive.

The effectiveness of timing out depends mostly on the length of time specified by the ruleset; the more time is allowed, the less viable timing out is. At the same time however, time limits longer than a certain point do nothing but make matches run longer than necessary; if a player is successfully camping out the opponent, an extra few minutes does nothing but lessen the opponent's drive to counter and delay the camper's win. Also, not all time out strategies are created equal, with some considered more egregious than others. While some are so antithetical to competitively play that they are banned outright, some are more tolerable to an extant and thus players are allowed to do a maximum amount of intervals before being penalized. The game developers have even addressed these timeout strategies, like repeatedly grabbing the [[edge]] in ''Ultimate'' without getting onto a platform will gradually decrease intangibility frames until none remain, with the character eventually no longer being able to grab the edge and [[self-destruct]]ing.