Format and Rules
Qualifying
The tournament is open to the top 24 teams in World 72 that sign up.
Group Stage I (Groups A-D)
Teams finishing in the top 2 of their country will receive a bye to the next round. All other remaining teams will be placed in four-team pods. Each team will play the other team's twice, once home, once away. The two teams with the most points in each Group advance to Group Stage II.
Group Stage II (Groups E-H)
Same set-up as Group Stage I with the first and second place teams thrown into the mix. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Knockout Rounds.
Knockout Rounds (8 Teams)
The teams will be placed into an 8-team bracket. The quarterfinals and semifinals will be home-and-home aggregate score. The final will be one game at the team that has accumulated the most points in Group Stage II, the quarterfinals and the semifinals, so getting wins will be advantageous to you.
Group Stage Tie-Breakers
1. Head-to-Head Points
2. Head-to-Head Goal Differential
3. Overall Goal Differential
4. Goals Scored
5. Goals Allowed
6. Head-to-Head Road Goals
7. Total Road Goals Scored
8. Coin Flip (I don't think we should need this)
Knockout Tiebreakers
1. Road Goals
2. Rematch Game
3. Rematch Game will be played at the stadium of the team that has accumulated the most points in Group Phase II and previous knockout rounds.
4. If the Rematch Game ends in a tie, the team scoring first in that game will be the winner.
Final Tiebreaker
Games at alternating location until there is a winner.
72-Hour Rule
All games must be scheduled within 72 hours of the sitemail being sent. If you have not received a challenge or sent an unaccepted challenge, you must let me know to get the win via forfeit. All other situations will be double forfeits.