Online Play Penalty: How Long Are You Banned For?

You will be timed out for ten minutes on your first ban for disconnecting in online matches in Nintendo Switch Sports, with longer duration for future offenses. Read on for more information about the length of the bans, and reasons on why you may have been timed out.

How Long Are You Banned For?

Starts at Ten Minutes

If you repeatedly get disconnected from your online matches, you will be timed out for ten minutes at your first offense and will not be able to queue to find matches from any sport.

This penalty is applied after you launch the game and try to matchmake in Play Globally, and is applied to prevent other players from having their experience ruined due to persistent disconnections from your side.

You will receive a warning before getting banned

If you have been disconnecting from matches, you will first be warned that your previous matches have ended abruptly before getting an actual ban.

If you see this message, it is a good idea to check your Internet connection.

Longer Timeouts on Future Offenses

If you keep disconnecting from games after your first ban, you will incur longer penalties on your next timeout.

To prevent this, make sure that your Internet connection is stable before queueing for online matches.

No Penalties in Pro League Rankings

If you keep disconnecting from your Pro League rankings and get a timeout, you will not receive any deductions or demotions in your Pro League rankings.

The only penalty you will get is the restriction to queue for online matches, Pro League or not.

Pro League Guide

No Bans in Trial Mode

If you do not have an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription and are playing in Trial Mode, you will not be timed out if you quit during your matches, as you are playing against CPU-controlled players while in Trial Mode.

What is Trial Mode?

Reasons for Getting Banned

Weak Internet Connection

One reason for getting banned is that you may be experiencing Internet connection problems which may lead to several disconnections when you are playing online matches.

To prevent this, make sure to check if your Internet connection is stable before playing online.

How to Play Local and Online Multiplayer

Closing the Game Mid-Match

Another reason for getting timed out is that you have been repeatedly closing the game in the Switch's Home menu while in the middle of the match, either due to frustration or to protect your Pro League rankings from dropping.

If you feel frustrated in your online matches, we recommend taking a break from the game, or play against CPU-controlled opponents in local multiplayer.

CPU Sportsmates Guide

Pause Pro League progress

If you do want to continue playing against real players but do not want your Pro League rankings to drop, you can simply pause your Pro League progress in the Settings. This will allow you to enjoy online matches without getting Pro League point deductions even if you lose.

Recommended Settings

Switch Sports Related Guides

News and Game Info

Latest News
Release Date & Editions	Pre-Order Bonuses
List of Trailers	Switch Sports Online Play Test
Is Mii Matt in Switch Sports?	Missing Wii Sports Games
Is Free Roam Possible?	Review and Evaluation
Differences from Past Games	-
Game Features
Character Creation Guide	How to Farm Points
Multiplayer Features	Online Pro League
How to Create & Use Miis	Alternate-Color Mode
How to Play Solo	Do You Need Nintendo Switch Online?
Online Play Penalty	-
Software and Hardware Guides
How to Download and Install	Free Software Updates
Leg Strap Update	Switch Sports Accessories
Controller Support	Switch Lite Compatibility