Tactical timeout
How it works:
- A timeout usually lasts 30 seconds.
- Each team gets a small number per map. The exact number, and whether extra timeouts are given in overtime, depends on the tournament's rulebook.
- The timeout starts at the beginning of the next round's freeze time.
When teams call one:
- after losing several rounds in a row, to break the opponent's momentum;
- to plan how to spend money, for example before an important eco or force round;
- to set up a specific play late in a close map.
A tactical timeout is different from a technical pause, which is called when something is wrong with a computer, the game or the connection. Tech pauses can last much longer and are not limited in the same way.
Calling timeouts at the right moment is part of the job of the in-game leader and the coach.
Timeouts are one reason a pro match takes longer than the sum of its rounds. See How Long Is a CS2 Match?
Related guides
How Long Is a CS2 Match?A Premier match takes 30 to 50 minutes. In pro play one map takes 40 to 60 minutes and a BO3 often 2 to 3 hours. What makes a CS2 match longer or shorter.
IGLAn IGL is the in-game leader of a CS2 team: the player who calls strategies, decides buys and adapts mid-round.
EcoAn eco round is when a CS2 team spends little or nothing to save money for a full buy next round.
Reviewed by the R1GG team
