We used optical imaging and spectroscopic data to derive substructure estimates for local Universe ( z < 0.11 ) galaxy clusters from two different samples . The first was selected through the Sunyaev-Zel ’ dovich ( SZ ) effect by the Planck satellite and the second is an X-ray selected sample . In agreement to X-ray substructure estimates we found that the SZ systems have a larger fraction of substructure than the X-ray clusters . We have also found evidence that the higher mass regime of the SZ clusters , compared to the X-ray sample , explains the larger fraction of disturbed objects in the Planck data . Although we detect a redshift evolution in the substructure fraction , it is not sufficient to explain the different results between the higher-z SZ sample and the X-ray one . We have also verified a good agreement ( \sim 60 \% ) between the optical and X-ray substructure estimates . However , the best level of agreement is given by the substructure classification given by measures based on the brightest cluster galaxy ( BCG ) , either the BCG - X-ray centroid offset , or the magnitude gap between the first and second BCGs . We advocate the use of those two parameters as the most reliable and cheap way to assess cluster dynamical state . We recommend an offset cut of \sim 0.01 \times R _ { 500 } to separate relaxed and disturbed clusters . Regarding the magnitude gap the separation can be done at \Delta m _ { 12 } = 1.0 . The central galaxy paradigm ( CGP ) may not be valid for \sim 20 \% of relaxed massive clusters . This fraction increases to \sim 60 \% for disturbed systems .