Split pushing means pushing a side lane alone to take towers and force the enemy to send someone after you. It works when you can beat or escape whoever comes, and when your team can avoid a fight or hold one while you are away. Push with vision around you, watch how many enemies are missing, and leave or join your team before the enemy turns on you.
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Why split pushing works
A split pusher creates a problem the enemy has to answer. If nobody comes, you take towers. If one player comes and loses the duel, you take towers and maybe a kill. If several come, your team gets a numbers advantage somewhere else on the map.
That is why split pushing is strongest on champions who duel well or escape well, and in games where your team doesn't need you in every fight.
Push with the waves, not against them
A single wave is easy for the enemy to catch. Build a bigger wave by slow pushing, then crash it into the tower and keep pushing with the next one. The more minions you bring, the more damage you do to the tower and the longer the enemy has to deal with it.
Ward the jungle entrances near your lane before you push deep. If you can see enemies coming, you can leave in time; if you can't, assume they are coming.
Your team has a job too
While you split, your team should avoid an even fight they cannot win, clear the middle waves, and show on the map so the enemy cannot send everyone to you. A split push fails when your team starts a 4v5 fight and loses it.
Agree on a plan: you push until the enemy sends someone, and then your team takes what is left on the other side. Pinging when you see enemies coming helps everyone move at the same time.
When not to split
Do not split when a major objective like Baron or Elder Dragon is about to start and your team needs you there. Do not split when several enemies are missing and you have no vision around you.
If the enemy has a champion that wins the side lane against you, or their team can force a fight on your teammates quickly, grouping is often better than splitting.
Common split push mistakes
Pushing too far with no vision, staying after three enemies go missing, and splitting while your team fights an objective without you are the mistakes that turn split pushing into feeding.
In a replay, check where the enemy team was each time you died in a side lane. Usually there were warning signs a few seconds before: missing enemies, wards cleared near you, or an objective your team was about to lose.
Practice the decision on real game situations
Splitpush is one of the 51 patterns on MOBA Trainer's Pattern Map, in the Map movement group. It has a video explanation from a coach and training puzzles built from real game situations: you see the map, choose where to go, and learn why the best players choose differently.
Frequently asked questions
- What is split pushing in League of Legends?
- It is pushing a side lane alone to take towers and draw enemies away from the rest of your team, so they have to answer you or lose structures.
- Which champions are good at split pushing?
- Champions who win one-on-one fights, take towers quickly, or escape easily. What matters most is that you can beat or survive the player the enemy sends.
- When should I stop split pushing?
- When a big objective is about to be contested, when several enemies are missing and you cannot see them, or when your team needs you to defend or win a fight.
- Is MOBA Trainer free?
- The daily puzzle and the first lesson are free. The full campaign with every pattern is part of the Season Pass. MOBA Trainer runs on Windows, macOS, iPhone, Android and the web, and the Discord bot Moti brings the daily puzzle to Discord.