What are some good ways to tell if ppl are soft throwing in your group

Competitive Discussion
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Whether it be solo queue or LFG? Thanks.

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what is “soft throwing” ?

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Soft throwing intentionally usually looks like doing something to lose that isn’t clearly defined as a bannable offence. Things like picking a hero that’s bad against the enemy team comp, not using parts of a hero’s kit, intentionally missing shots, intentionally positioning oneself poorly…

But remember just because someone is playing poorly doesn’t mean they are intentionally soft throwing.

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Soft throwing is unintentionally playing worse than you usually do and functionally throw a match. For example when people get tilted from past matches, try to carry on roles they don’t usually play, try to flex to heroes they aren’t good at… They are soft throwing. Not trying to lose on purpose, but just significantly underperforming.

Edit: I got this wrong. Look below for actual definition.

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There is no such thing as “intentional soft throwing”. The definition of soft throwing is throwing unintentionally. You’re talking about discreet hard throwing.

Most people just try to notice if particular players seem to be tilted. That is the only reliable way to guess they are soft throwing.

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Soft throwing is a form of throwing, which is intentional.

If they are not doing it intentionally, it isn’t throwing, and it isn’t soft throwing. The word you’re probably looking for is “underperforming”. In which case, if one isn’t completely blind to reality and convinced it’s actually ‘soft throwing’, saying, ‘I’m not sure x is working’ is a good start.
If they say they have 83,316 medals, that hero may not be the problem. If they don’t, ask them kindly to swap.

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As taco said, throwing is intentional. You can’t throw unintentionally, only underperform or make bad decisions. This is the fault of the player’s skill, not a conscious decision to underperform. The definition of throwing is to lose on purpose. Someone underperforming isn’t trying to lose on purpose.

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That’s why there is a distinction between throwing and soft throwing. Soft throwing is unintentional. You’re playing significantly worse because of functions outside of your control or outside your knowledge. You still may lose 80%+ of your games because of it. It’s just not fair for overwatch to punish you for it. It’s why the devs can’t simply punish players for performing significantly below their level (to throw). They cant mathematically tell the difference between hard throwing and soft throwing.

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Then by your definition soft throwing is NOT a form of throwing. Soft throwing is unintentionally playing significantly worse as to cause lost matches. If ladder players run into players they think are soft throwing (are tilted, flexing outside their comfortability…) They won’t report them. But they will try to avoid the player in queue.

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No it is not.

Example. Some guy doesn’t like a Sym one-trick so he swaps to Torb and goes, ‘oh look at me! I’m just playing what I want too! I’m not throwing!’ … and surprise, surprise, the team loses.
Now that is soft throwing: They stay within the rules (or think they do), but their intent is clear to everyone: They’re trying to prove a fallacious point that puts everyone in a bad spot. They’re not trying to create synergy with Torb. They don’t know how to play Torb. They don’t know what they’re doing. They say they’re trying to try to justify themselves, but they aren’t, whereas that Sym is.

This was laid out clearly by r/CompetitiveOverwatch quite a bit back. While the definition isn’t super official, that is the sort-of-proper definition that’s been around for ages. Seagull had a short twitch exert on the differences a while back but I can’t find it.

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Throwing = jumping off map
Soft throwing= not healing as mercy

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No, that is straight up throwing. The blizzard team has said before that the reason they can’t internally search for and punish throwers is that the can’t mathematically tell the difference between actual throwers and those performing significantly worse unintentionally (soft throwers). They can’t tell if the diamond rein is constantly charging into 6 to purposely derank or because they are literally drunk. That’s the actual definition.

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Throwing= jumping off the map, not healing as mercy, purposely playing a hero you don’t know in comp

Soft throwing= playing while tilted, playing while drunk, flexing out of your comfort zone too far, thinking you’re better at a hero when youre not.

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Soft throwing looks like.
Intentionally avoiding the point specifically in overtime.
Trying hard to make big plays that are specifically no benefit to the group to make sure you lose (potg when no one is around to take advantage) Emp when no one is around to follow up. Picking healer not healing. Specifically not shooting weapon at enemies.

In the attempt to specifically lose.

Soft throwing is not just playing badly or tilted. Its when someone is specifically losing but making it look like they are participating in the game.

The only way to identify it is observing what your team is doing. As a healer or backline character you have advantage to spot people throwing.

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Throwing= what you said
Soft throwing= Rezing in front enemy team, play as soldier while being tracer, never using ult,…

well soft throwing is difrent in evry rank
Rezing in front enemy team might work in bronze while above gold you will most certinly die and be reported, pocketing pharah will probably work in gold but not in diamond and get you reported

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It seems like we have different definitions for soft throwing in the responses. Did you mean discreet throwing or unintentional throwing?

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to me soft throwing IS discreet throwing
unitentional throwing is underprforming

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There is no such thing as unintentional throwing. If someone is throwing by definition they are trying to lose.

Playing badly or tilted or making bad character picks is never throwing unless its with the intention of losing the game.

The word “throwing” specifically implies losing on purpose.

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To me soft throwing IS unintentional throwing. Discreet throwing is just actual throwing.

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Then it’s a bit of a missnomer. Streamers queue dodge soft throwers all the time. If they thought they were doing it on purpose they would report them. But they don’t, so they just want to avoid following them on their loss streak.

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