Ultimate Formats Manual: 3-17 Team Tournament Structures
Table of Contents
- Format Overview
- 4-Teams Formats
- 5-Teams Formats
- 6-Teams Formats
- 7-Teams Formats
- 8-Teams Formats
- 9-Teams Formats
- 10-Teams Formats
- 11-Teams Formats
- 12-Teams Formats
- 13-Teams Formats
- 14-Teams Formats
- 15-Teams Formats
- 16-Teams Formats
- 17+ Teams Formats
---
Format #
(Number of Teams)
Number of Bids # of Days
Formats Manual or Alternate
Alternate Format Overview
(Use in order to avoid formats that call for 5 games in a day and/or 8 games in a weekend)
3.1 1-3 1 Use Formats Manual n/a
4.1 1 1
Alternate See 4-Teams Tab
Eliminate option to play round robin followed by bracket in one day.
Use either straight round robin (more games, higher potential to use tie-breakers for elimination), or
start with bracket (fewer games, no need for tie-breakers).
4.1 2 1 Use Formats Manual n/a
4.1 3 1 Use Formats Manual n/a
4.1 4 1
Alternate See 4-Teams Tab
Eliminate option to play round robin followed by bracket in one day.
Use either straight round robin (more games, higher potential to use tie-breakers for elimination), or
start with bracket (fewer games, no need for tie-breakers).
4.2 1 1
4.2 2 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
4.2 3 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
4.2 4 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
5.1 1 2 Use Formats Manual Preference for last round of pool play on 2nd day (to spread games out).
5.2 2 2 Use Formats Manual Preference for last round of pool play on 2nd day (to spread games out).
5.3 3 2 Use Formats Manual Preference for last round of pool play on 2nd day (to spread games out).
5.4 4 2 Use Formats Manual Preference for last round of pool play on 2nd day (to spread games out).
5.5 5 1 Use Formats Manual Strong preference for 2 day event (must get ND and Club Manager approval for 1 day)
5.5 5 2 Use Formats Manual Preference for last round of pool play on 2nd day (to spread games out).
6.1 1 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
6.2 2 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
6.3 3 2
Alternate See 6-Teams Tab 2 pools of 3 into bracket play. 6 rounds total.
6.4 4 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
6.5 5 2
Alternate See 6-Teams Tab 2 pools of 3 into bracket play. 6 rounds total.
6.6 6 1
Alternate See 6-Teams Tab
Strong preference for 2 day event (must get ND and Club Manager approval for 1 day)
2 pools of 3 into clipped bracket. 5 rounds total.
6.6 6 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
7.1 1 2
Alternate See 7-Teams Tab 1 pool of 3 and 1 clipped pool of 4 followed by bracket play.
7.2 2 2
Alternate See 7-Teams Tab 1 pool of 3 and 1 clipped pool of 4 followed by bracket play.
7.3 3 2
Alternate See 7-Teams Tab 1 pool of 3 and 1 clipped pool of 4 followed by bracket play.
7.4 4 2
Alternate See 7-Teams Tab 1 pool of 3 and 1 clipped pool of 4 followed by bracket play.
7.5 5 2
Alternate See 7-Teams Tab 1 pool of 3 and 1 clipped pool of 4. Finals and pool play completion.
7.6 6 2
Alternate See 7-Teams Tab 1 pool of 3 and 1 clipped pool of 4. Finals and pool play completion.
7.1 7 2
Alternate See 7-Teams Tab 1 pool of 3 and 1 clipped pool of 4 followed by bracket play.
8.1 1 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
8.2 2 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
8.3 3 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
8.4 4 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
8.5 5 2
Use Formats Manual with one adjustment Leave off the 2nd place game and have finals loser finish second.
8.6 6 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
8.3 7 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
8.3 8 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
9.1 1 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
9.2 2 2
Alternate See 9-Teams Tab Pools of 4 and 5 as in Formats Manual. Then Bracket 6.2.
9.2 3 2 Use Formats Manual
9.3 4 2 Use Formats Manual
9.4 5 2
Alternate See 9-Teams Tab Pools of 4 and 5 as in Formats Manual. Then Bracket 8.4.
9.5 6-9 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
10.1 1 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
10.2 2 2
Alternate See 10-Teams Tab Pools of 5 as in Formats Manual. Then Bracket 6.2.
10.2 3 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
10.3 4 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
10.4 5 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
10.5 6 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
10.6 7 or 10 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
10.7 8-9 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
11.1 1 2
Alternate See 11-Teams Tab Pool of 5 and 2 pools of 3 which cross to create combined 1-6 ranking. Then Bracket 8.1.
11.2 2 2
Alternate See 11-Teams Tab Pool of 5 and 2 pools of 3 which cross to create combined 1-6 ranking. Then Bracket 6.2 and pool play completion.
11.2 3 2
Alternate See 11-Teams Tab Pool of 5 and 2 pools of 3 which cross to create combined 1-6 ranking. Then Bracket 8.2.1 (no 2nd place game).
11.3 4 2
Alternate See 11-Teams Tab Pool of 5 and 2 pools of 3 which cross to create combined 1-6 ranking. Then Bracket 8.4.
11.4 5 2
Alternate See 11-Teams Tab Pool of 5 and 2 pools of 3 which cross to create combined 1-6 ranking. Pool winners to finals. Bracket 6.2 for 3rd-8th.
11.5 6 2
Alternate See 11-Teams Tab Pool of 5 and 2 pools of 3 which cross to create combined 1-6 ranking. Top 2 from pools to semis. Bracket 6.2 for 5th-11th.
11.6 7 2
Alternate See 11-Teams Tab Pool of 5 and 2 pools of 3 which cross to create combined 1-6 ranking. Top 2 from pools to semis. Bracket 6.1.2 for 5th-11th.
11.7 8 - 10 2
Alternate See 11-Teams Tab Pool of 5 and 2 pools of 3 which cross to create combined 1-6 ranking. Top 2 from pools to semis. Bracket 6.2 for 5th-11th.
12.1 1 2
Alternate See 12-Teams Tab Run 16.1 with 4 pools of 3.
12.2 2 2
Alternate See 12-Teams Tab Run 16.2.2 pool option with 4 pools of 3. Move Day 2 Round 1 from 2nd place bracket to Day 1.
12.3 3 2
Alternate See 12-Teams Tab Run 16.3.2 pool option with 4 pools of 3. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
12.4 4 2
Alternate See 12-Teams Tab Run 16.4.2 pool option with 4 pools of 3. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
12.5 5 2
Alternate See 12-Teams Tab Run 16.8 with 4 pools of 3. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
12.6 6 2
Alternate See 12-Teams Tab Run 16.9 with 4 pools of 3. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
12.7 7 2
Alternate See 12-Teams Tab Run 16.8 with 4 pools of 3. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
12.8 8 2
Alternate See 12-Teams Tab Run 16.9 with 4 pools of 3. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
12.9 9 2
Alternate See 12-Teams Tab Run 16.8 with 4 pools of 3. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
12.3 10 2
Alternate See 12-Teams Tab Run 16.9 with 4 pools of 3. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
12.3 11 2
Alternate See 12-Teams Tab Run 16.8 with 4 pools of 3. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
12.3 12 2
Alternate See 12-Teams Tab Run 16.8 with 4 pools of 3. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
13.1 1 2
Alternate See 13-Teams Tab Run 16.1 with 3 pools of 3 and 1 clipped pool of 4.
13.2 2 2
Alternate See 13-Teams Tab Run 16.2.2 with 3 pools of 3 and 1 clipped pool of 4.
13.1 3 2
Alternate See 13-Teams Tab Run 16.3.2 with 3 pools of 3 and 1 clipped pool of 4.
13.4 4 2
Alternate See 13-Teams Tab Run 16.4.2 with 3 pools of 3 and 1 clipped pool of 4.
13.1 5 2
Alternate See 13-Teams Tab Run 16.5 with 3 pools of 3 and 1 clipped pool of 4. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
13.5 6 2
Alternate See 13-Teams Tab Run 16.6 with 3 pools of 3 and 1 clipped pool of 4. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
13.6 7 2
Alternate See 13-Teams Tab Run 16.5 with 3 pools of 3 and 1 clipped pool of 4. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
13.5 8 2
Alternate See 13-Teams Tab Run 16.6 with 3 pools of 3 and 1 clipped pool of 4. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
13.7 9 2
Alternate See 13-Teams Tab Run 16.5 with 3 pools of 3 and 1 clipped pool of 4. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
13.1 10 2
Alternate See 13-Teams Tab Run 16.6 with 3 pools of 3 and 1 clipped pool of 4. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
13.1 11 2
Alternate See 13-Teams Tab Run 16.5 with 3 pools of 3 and 1 clipped pool of 4. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
13.1 12 2
Alternate See 13-Teams Tab Run 16.5 with 3 pools of 3 and 1 clipped pool of 4. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
13.1 13 2
Alternate See 13-Teams Tab Run 16.5 with 3 pools of 3 and 1 clipped pool of 4. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
13.1 14 2
Alternate See 13-Teams Tab Run 16.5 with 3 pools of 3 and 1 clipped pool of 4. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
14.1 1 2
Alternate See 14-Teams Tab Run 16.1 with 2 pools of 3 and 2 clipped pools of 4.
14.2 2 2
Alternate See 14-Teams Tab Run 16.2.2 with 2 pools of 3 and 2 clipped pools of 4. Move Day 2 Round 1 from 2nd place bracket to Day 1.
14.3 3 2
Alternate See 14-Teams Tab Run 16.3.2 with 2 pools of 3 and 2 clipped pools of 4. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
14.4 4 2
Alternate See 14-Teams Tab Run 16.4.2 with 2 pools of 3 and 2 clipped pools of 4. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
14.5 5 2
Alternate See 14-Teams Tab Run 16.5 with 2 pools of 3 and 2 clipped pools of 2. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
14.6 6 2
Alternate See 14-Teams Tab Run 16.6 with 2 pools of 3 and 2 clipped pools of 2. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
14.7 7 2
Alternate See 14-Teams Tab Run 16.5 with 2 pools of 3 and 2 clipped pools of 2. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
14.6 8 2
Alternate See 14-Teams Tab Run 16.6 with 2 pools of 3 and 2 clipped pools of 2. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
14.8 9 2
Alternate See 14-Teams Tab Run 16.5 with 2 pools of 3 and 2 clipped pools of 2. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
14.9 10 2
Alternate See 14-Teams Tab Run 16.6 with 2 pools of 3 and 2 clipped pools of 2. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
14.10 11 2
Alternate See 14-Teams Tab Run 16.5 with 2 pools of 3 and 2 clipped pools of 2. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
14.11 12 2
Alternate See 14-Teams Tab Run 16.5 with 2 pools of 3 and 2 clipped pools of 2. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
14.11 13 2
Alternate See 14-Teams Tab Run 16.5 with 2 pools of 3 and 2 clipped pools of 2. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
14.10 14 2
Alternate See 14-Teams Tab Run 16.5 with 2 pools of 3 and 2 clipped pools of 2. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
15.1 1 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
15.2 2 2
Alternate See 15-Teams Tab Run 16.2.2 with 1 pool of 3 and 3 clipped pools of 4. Move Day 2 Round 1 from 2nd place bracket to Day 1.
15.3 3 2
Alternate See 15-Teams Tab Run 16.3.2 with 1 pool of 3 and 3 clipped pools of 4. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
15.4 4 2
Alternate See 15-Teams Tab Run 16.4.2 with 1 pool of 3 and 3 clipped pools of 4. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
15.5 5 2
Alternate See 15-Teams Tab Run 16.5 with 1 pool of 3 and 3 clipped pools of 4. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
15.6 6 2
Alternate See 15-Teams Tab Run 16.6 with 1 pool of 3 and 3 clipped pools of 4. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
15.7 7 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
15.4 8 2
Alternate See 15-Teams Tab Run 16.6 with 1 pool of 3 and 3 clipped pools of 4. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
15.8 9 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
15.9 10 2
Alternate See 15-Teams Tab Run 16.6 with 1 pool of 3 and 3 clipped pools of 4. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
15.9 11 2
Alternate See 15-Teams Tab Run 16.5 with 1 pool of 3 and 3 clipped pools of 4. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
15.9 12 2
Alternate See 15-Teams Tab Run 16.5 with 1 pool of 3 and 3 clipped pools of 4. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
15.10 13-15 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
16.1 1 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
16.2.1 2 2 Use Formats Manual Note: Pool Play Option in Formats Manual is not to be used
16.2.2 2 2
Alternate See 16-Teams Tab Run 16.2.1 Bracket. No pool or clipped pool option (clipped pools essentially same as straight bracket).
16.3.1 3 2
Alternate See 16-Teams Tab Run 16.3.2 Pool Option with clipped pools.
16.3.2 3 2
Alternate See 16-Teams Tab Run 16.3.2 Pool Option with clipped pools.
16.4.1 4 2
Alternate See 16-Teams Tab Run 16.4.2 Pool Option with clipped pools.
Format #
(Number of Teams)
Number of Bids # of Days
Formats Manual or Alternate
Alternate Format Overview
(Use in order to avoid formats that call for 5 games in a day and/or 8 games in a weekend)
16.4.2 4 2
Alternate See 16-Teams Tab Run 16.4.2 Pool Option with clipped pools.
16.5 5 2
Alternate See 16-Teams Tab Run 16.5 with clipped pools. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
16.6 6 2
Alternate See 16-Teams Tab Run 16.6 with clipped pools. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
16.7 7 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
16.4.2 8 2
Alternate See 16-Teams Tab Run 16.6 with clipped pools. Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1.
16.8 9 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
16.9 10 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
16.7 11 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
16.9 12 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
16.10 13-15 2 Use Formats Manual n/a
17+ various TBD Email National Director and USA Ultimate HQ
page updated 3/27/2023
2023 College and Club Championship Series
Games per Day: No more than 4 (follow prescribed formats).
Games per Weekend: No more than 7 (follow prescribed formats).
Game Totals: All Games to 15 (unless otherwise specified in the manual or variations due to extreme circumstances approved by National Directors)
Round Lengths:
Recommended - Soft cap 90 minutes; Hard cap 105 minutes; Next round begins at 120 minutes. (Must be 30 min between soft cap
and start of next round.)
Minimums - Soft cap 75 minutes; Hard cap 90 minutes; Next round begins at 105 minutes. (Must be 30 min between soft cap and
start of next round.)
Halftime: Recommended - 7 minutes (minimum 5; maximum 10)
Halftime length does not include the time between pulls (Rule 9.C). For example, the receiving team must signal readiness (rule 9.C.3) 8:10 after
the start of halftime.
NOTE: You can add minutes before the next round if you have time.
Consistency: Remember that all pool play games within a pool must be the same length and time. If your pool runs into the first round
on Sunday, for example, then it must be the same as the Saturday games.
Caps:
Please familiarize yourself with the current
cap rules and get clarification before the start
of your event
At the halftime cap, play continues until the current scoring attempt is completed. If, after the current scoring attempt is completed, the halftime
target has not yet been reached by one team, one is added to the higher score and the resulting number is the new halftime target.
At the soft cap, play continues until the current scoring attempt is completed. If, after the current scoring attempt is completed, the game total has
not yet been reached by one team, one is added to the higher score and the resulting number is the new game total.
At the hard cap, play continues until the current scoring attempt is completed. If, after the current scoring attempt is completed, the score is tied,
play continues until one additional goal is scored. Otherwise, the game ends. The team with the most goals at the end of the game is the winner.
Timeouts: 2 / half for each team regardless of game length or point totals
Example: Half time cap should be at halfway point to soft cap.
Game to 15
Start at 9:00 am
Half time cap at 9:45am
Soft Cap at 10:30 am
Hard Cap at 10:45 am
Next round at 11:00 am
page updated 3/27/2023
Clipped Pool
Used to reduce number of games and rounds needed to place a group/pool of 4 teams in order before proceeding into the next stage of a competition.
A clipped pool requires a total of 4 games (2 games/team) over 2 rounds, rather than 6 games (3 games/team) over 3 rounds required in a typical group/pool of 4 where every team plays every other team.
Schedule
Round 1: The highest seed plays the lowest seed and the two middle seeds play each other.
Round 2: The winners play each other and the losers play each other.
Results
1st - Team that is 2-0
2nd/3rd - Two teams will be 1-1. Determining who finishes second and third is simple if they played each other in the first round; the winner of that game is 2nd and the loser 3rd.
If they didn’t play in the first round, reference the “Tie breakers for round robins” in the Formats Manual.
-First use point differential against their common opponents (the two teams both lost to the clipped pool winner and both beat the clipped pool loser). Whichever team had the better point differential in these games finishes 2nd in the clipped pool.
-If the differential is the same, but the scores of the two games were different, the team that scored more total points in that game finishes 2nd in the clipped pool.
-If the scores were identical, a disc is flipped to determine placement.
-Note that the tie breaker between the 2nd and 3rd teams will not be used to eliminate teams, only to seed them going into elimination play.
4th - Team that is 0-2
Building Clipped Pools in the Event Builder (video tutorial)
Pools should be created First as the schedule is built
Add Pool Groups first. EMS will default to naming these Pool A, Pool B, et cetera.
For Round 1 the games are 1 seed v 4 seed and 2 seed v 3 seed
Schedule the remaining four games for Round 2 by entering the same start time for all remaining games.
In Round 2 the two Round 1 winners play and the two Round 1 losers play. The other 2 games should be deleted from the EMS
The EMS will calculate the tie-breakers appropriately after the unplayed games are deleted.
Pools of Three
Used when total team numbers allow to reduce the number of pool games needed before proceeding into brackets for elimination.
Except for 3-team formats (follow Formats Manual), the schedule for a 3-team pool in other formats should be 1v3, 1v2, 2v3.
(Note this is different than the schedule in the formats manual because these 2v3 games are often followed by crossovers for both of those teams.)
There is potential for the teams to all go 1-1, with the same exact scores between games. See explanation below for how to recognize and mitigate against having this unbreakable tie.
page updated 3/27/2023
The following instructions are for 4 team events, held on one day, where either 1 team or all 4 teams are advancing.
For 4 team events held over two days or for one day events where 2 or 3 teams are advancing, please follow the Formats Manual.
Option A - Straight Round Robin - 3 games per team; 3 rounds
Use tie breakers in the Formats Manual if teams have the same record after the round robin.
Teams should be aware that elimination can result from point differential or other tie breakers, so they understand that every point may matter.
Option B - Bracket - 2 or 3 games per team; 3 rounds
The following instructions are for 6 team events where 3 or 5 teams advance, and for 1-Day formats (with special approval). A 2-day event is strongly preferred to accurately determine the advancing teams. 2 pools of 3, (2 games each over 3 rounds) and then either A 1-day option is provided at the bottom of the sheet below. The following 6 team formats should use 2 pools of 3 instead of a single 6 team pool. 1) 1v1, 2v2, 3v3 and be done after 3 games for everyone, or A Pool Seeding: 1/4/6 2) 3v3 in the bottom, 4 team pool completion for the Top-4 B Pool Seeding: 2/3/5 Pool Schedule: 1v3, 1v2, 2v3 3 games total for bottom seeds and either 3 or 4 depending on whether you just want the crossover or go into a 4 team bracket.
In a small tournament like this without bid worries, we want to avoid repeated games. 3 or 5 Teams Advancing - 2 Day Format (Preferred) Pool Play as described above. Use Bracket 6.1.2 with the following clarifications and modifications. The first round of bracket play can be played on Day 1.
1-6 Teams Advancing - 1 Day Format (Must be approved by National Directors) Pool Play as described above. Use Bracket 6.4 with the following clarifications and modifications. After Pool Play, match up the bracket placements with pool results as follows: A1=1, B1=2, B2=3, A2=4, B3=5, A3=6
Loser of e is 5th. Loser of d is 6th.
The following instructions are for all 7 team events. Do not use the 7 team formats described in the Formats Manual.
A 2-day event is required to accurately determine the advancing teams.
All 7 team formats should use 1 pool of 3 and 1 clipped pool of 4. See Clipped Pool and Pools of 3 tab in this document.
Seeding for all 7 team formats except 4 advance:
- Pool 4-team formats except 4 advance:
- Clipped Pool B - 2-3-6,7
Pool and clipped pool Schedule for 7 team formats except 5 and 6 advance:
- Round 1 - A1vA3; clipped pool Game 1 - B1vB4; clipped pool Game 2 - B2vB3
- Round 2 - A1vA2; clipped pool Game 3 - Winner Game 1 vs Winner Game 2; clipped pool Game 4 - Loser Game 1 v Loser Game 2
- Round 3 - A2vA3; cilpped pool Game 5 - game between the two clipped pool teams that lost to the bracket winner*
* These two teams will not have played each other. Playing this game on the first day means the bottom three teams will have all played each other.
This helps set up pool play completion for 3rd-7th (see below).
On Day 2, the winners of pool A and clipped pool B play finals. The winner finishes 1st and the loser 2nd.
Re-seed the remaining teams (every team except the two pool winners) based on their finish on day 1.
From those seeds, play pool play completion according to the following schedule:
Round 1: 2Bv3A; 2Av3B
Round 2: 2Bv2A; 3Av4B
Round 3: 2Av4B; 3Av3B
The results of these games, along with results of Day 1 games between these 5 teams, determine placement for 3rd through 7th.
The following instructions are for 9 team events where 2 and 5 teams advance. Follow Formats Manual for all other bid numbers.
2 Teams Advancing
Pool A: 1, 4, 6, 7 (table 4.1 for schedule)
Pool B: 2, 3, 5, 8, 9 (table 5.1.2 for schedule)
On the second day the top 3 teams in each pool advance and play Bracket 6.2 as described below.
The loser of Game e is 3rd. The loser of Game d is 4th.
The losers of Games b and c can play for 5th/6th.
The bottom team from the pool of 4 and the bottom 2 teams from the pool of 5 can play a 3 team round robin on Day 2 for 7th-9th.
5 Teams Advancing
Use Table 9.1.3 for pools.
On the second day the top 4 teams in each pool advance and play Bracket 8.4 as described below.
Game f is the Game-to-Go. The loser of Game g is 5th.
Game g can be left unplayed if approved by the competition coordinator and both teams agree.
The bottom team from the pool of 5 and losers of d and e should be scheduled to compete for 7th-9th. The teams that have not played
each other should be scheduled to play. Results from prior matchups should be carried over and the record between the 3 teams used to
determine final placement.
The following instructions are for 10 team events where 2 teams advance. Follow Formats Manual for all other bid numbers.
2 Teams Advancing
Pool A: 1, 4, 6, 7, 10 (table 5.1.2 for schedule)
Pool B: 2, 3, 5, 8, 9 (table 5.1.2 for schedule)
On the second day the top 3 teams in each pool advance and play Bracket 6.2 as described below.
The loser of Game e is 3rd. The loser of Game d is 4th.
The losers of Games b and c can play for 5th/6th.
The bottom 2 teams in each pool can play a 4 teams pool bracket on Day 2 for 7th-10th.
Round 1: A4vB5, B4vA5
Round 2: Winners play against winners and losers play against losers. Use tie breaks to determine 8th/9th placement between 1-1 teams.
The following instructions are for all 11 team events. Do not use the 11 team formats described in the Formats Manual.
A 2-day event is required to accurately determine the advancing teams.
All 11 team formats should use 1 pool of 5 and 2 pools of 3.
Pool Schedule: 1v3, 1v2, 2v3
Pools of 3 play crossver games to created standings for a mixed pool (BC).
In brackets from the manual, mixed pool "BC" takes the seeding listed for "B"
Follow seeding and scheduling instructions for the various numbers of teams advancing below.
1 or 3 Teams Advancing
Day 1
Pool A: 1, 4, 6, 7, 9 (Table 5.1.3 for schedule)
Pool B: 2, 8, 10
Pool C: 3, 5, 11
After pool play, 2 rounds of crossovers for B&C - Requires four games over 5 rounds
(#1) 1B v 1C, (#2) 2B v 3C, (#3) 2C v 3B
(#4) W#2 v W#3, (#5) L#2 v L#3
Mixed BC results (1-6): W1, L1, W4, L4, W5, L5
Day 2 - 1 Team Advancing
Use Bracket 8.1 for 1st - 8th
The bottom 3 teams play pool play a round robin for 9-11
Day 2 - 3 Teams Advancing
Use Bracket 8.2.1 for 1st - 8th
Do not play the final second place game (game i). The loser of the finals finishes second and the winner of game h finishes third.
The bottom 3 teams play pool play a round robin for 9-11
2 Teams Advancing
Day 1
Pool A: 1, 3, 6, 8, 9 (Table 5.1.3 for schedule)
Pool B: 2, 7, 10
Pool C: 4, 5, 11
After pool play, 2 rounds of crossovers for B&C
(#1) 1B v 1C, (#2) 2B v 3C, (#3) 2C v 3B
(#4) W#2 v W#3, (#5) L#2 v L#3
Mixed BC results (1-6): W1, L1, W4, L4, W5, L5
Day 2
Use Bracket 6.2 for 1st - 6th as outlined below (BC = B)
The remaining 5 teams play pool play completion according to the following schedule:
4Bv5A 4Av5B
4Bv4A 5Av6B
4Av6B 5Av5B
The results of these games, along with results of Day 1 games between these 5 teams, determine placement for 7th -11th.
4 Teams Advancing
Day 1
Pool A: 2, 3, 6, 8, 9 (Table 5.1.3 for schedule)
Pool B: 1, 7, 10
Pool C: 4, 5, 11
The following instructions are for all 11 team events. Do not use the 11 team formats described in the Formats Manual.
A 2-day event is required to accurately determine the advancing teams.
All 11 team formats should use 1 pool of 5 and 2 pools of 3.
Pool Schedule: 1v3, 1v2, 2v3
Pools of 3 play crossver games to created standings for a mixed pool (BC).
In brackets from the manual, mixed pool "BC" takes the seeding listed for "B"
Follow seeding and scheduling instructions for the various numbers of teams advancing below.
After pool play, 2 rounds of brackets for B&C
(#1) 1B v 1C, (#2) 2B v 3C, (#3) 2C v 3B
(#4) W#2 v W#3, (#5) L#2 v L#3
Mixed BC results (1-6): W1, L1, W4, L4, W5, L5
Day 2
Top 2 from each pool (A and BC): 1A v 2BC and 1BC v 2A in semis; Finals for 1st - 2nd; 3rd Place Game for 3rd - 4th
Use Bracket 6.2 to determine 5th - 11th as outlined below. (BC = B)
*Note that for 8 teams advancing only, the loser of Game d should play the winner of Game f in the last round in an 8th place "game-to-go".
The following instructions are for all 11 team events. Do not use the 11 team formats described in the Formats Manual.
A 2-day event is required to accurately determine the advancing teams.
All 11 team formats should use 1 pool of 5 and 2 pools of 3.
Pool Schedule: 1v3, 1v2, 2v3
Pools of 3 play crossver games to created standings for a mixed pool (BC).
In brackets from the manual, mixed pool "BC" takes the seeding listed for "B"
Follow seeding and scheduling instructions for the various numbers of teams advancing below.
7 Teams Advancing
Day 1
Pool A: 1, 3, 6, 8, 9 (Table 5.1.1 for schedule)
Pool B: 2, 7, 10
Pool C: 4, 5, 11
After pool play, 2 rounds of crossovers for B&C
(#1) 1B v 1C, (#2) 2B v 3C, (#3) 2C v 3B
(#4) W#2 v W#3, (#5) L#2 v L#3
Mixed BC results (1-6): W1, L1, W4, L4, W5, L5
Day 2
Top 2 from each pool (A and BC): 1A v 2BC and 1BC v 2A in semis; Finals for 1st - 2nd; 3rd Place Game for 3rd - 4th
Use Bracket 6.1.2 to determine 5th - 11th as outlined below. (BC = B)
The following instructions are for all 11 team events. Do not use the 11 team formats described in the Formats Manual. A 2-day event is required to accurately determine the advancing teams.
All 11 team formats should use 1 pool of 5 and 2 pools of 3. Pool Schedule: 1v3, 1v2, 2v3
Pools of 3 play crossver games to created standings for a mixed pool (BC).
In brackets from the manual, mixed pool "BC" takes the seeding listed for "B"
Follow seeding and scheduling instructions for the various numbers of teams advancing below.
7 Teams Advancing
Day 1
Pool A: 1, 3, 6, 8, 9 (Table 5.1.1 for schedule)
Pool B: 2, 7, 10
Pool C: 4, 5, 11
After pool play, 2 rounds of crossovers for B&C
(#1) 1B v 1C, (#2) 2B v 3C, (#3) 2C v 3B
(#4) W#2 v W#3, (#5) L#2 v L#3
Mixed BC results (1-6): W1, L1, W4, L4, W5, L5
Day 2
Top 2 from each pool (A and BC): 1A v 2BC and 1BC v 2A in semis; Finals for 1st - 2nd; 3rd Place Game for 3rd - 4th
Use Bracket 6.2 to determine 5th - 11th as outlined below. (BC = B)
The following instructions are for all 12 team events where 1, 2, 3, and 4 teams advance.
For all 12 team formats, including the alternate formats listed below, refer to the Pools of 3 instructions in the pool brackets and pools of 3 tab
of this document. Seed teams into pools as instructed below.
1 Team Advancing
Follow the format for 16.1 with pools of 3 instead of pools of 4.
Seed according to Table 16.1.2.
Play 2v3 crossovers according to format 16.1.
Final 8 teams play single elimination bracket according to seeding in Bracket 16.1.
2 Teams Advancing
Follow the format for 16.2.2 with pools of 3 instead of pools of 4.
Seed according to Table 16.1.3.
Play Bracket 16.2.2.
Move Day 2 Round 1 from 2nd place bracket (Games h and i) to Day 1 Round 5 to reduce max games on Day 2 to 3 games.
3 Teams Advancing
Follow the format for 16.3.2 with pools of 3 instead of pools of 4.
Seed according to Table 16.1.5.
Play Bracket 16.3.2, paying attention to all of the contingent matchups described in format 16.3.2.
Note typos in the Formats Manual for 16.3.2 re-seed with contingent matchups. Should be:
1) Winner of A1vC1
2) Winner of B1vD1
3)Loser of A1vC1
4)Loser of B1vD1
5)Winner of C2vA3 IF A1 won the A1vC1 game, otherwise winner of A2vC3
6)Winner of D2vB3 IF B1 won the B1vD1 game, otherwise winner of B2vD3.
7)Winner of A2vC3 IF A1 won the A1vC1 game, otherwise winner of C2vA3.
8)Winner of B2vD3 IF B1 won the B1vD1 game, otherwise winner of D2vB3."
Play the Round 1 game of the 16.3.2 bracket to the last round of Day 1.
Losers of 2v3 crossovers play semis and finals for 9th - 10th.
Losers of 9th semis play semis and finals for 11th - 13th.
4 Teams Advancing
Follow the format for 16.4.2 with 3 pools of 3 and one clipped pool of 4.
Seed according to Table 16.1.1.
Play Bracket 16.4.2.
Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1 Round 5 (Games f, g, l, m) to reduce max games on Day 2 to 3 games.
Losers of Games l and m play for 9th - 10th.
Losers of Games j and k play team round robin with 4D for 11th - 13th.
5, 7, 9, 11-13 Teams Advancing
The following instructions are for 13 team events.
For all 13 team formats, including the alternate formats listed below, refer to the Pools of 3 and clipped pools instructions in the
Clipped Pool and Pools of 3 tab of this document. Seed teams into pools as instructed below.
Follow the format for 16.5 with 3 pools of 3 and 1 clipped pool of 4.
Seed according to Table 16.1.1
Play Bracket 16.5.
Loser of clipped pool D (D4) plugs into 5th place bracket in Game o vs C3. Other 3v4 bracket games are byes.
Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1 Round 5 (Games e, f, h, i, r, s) to reduce max games on Day 2 to 3.
Losers of Games v and w playe for 7th. Losers of Games t and u play for 9th.
Losers of Games p, r, and s play 3 team round robin for 11th - 13th.
6, 8, or 10 Teams Advancing
Follow the format for 16.6 with 3 pools of 3 and 1 clipped pool of 4.
Seed according to Table 16.1.4
Play Bracket 16.6.
Loser of clipped pool D (D4) plugs into 6th place bracket in Games q and r. Other 3v4 bracket games are byes.
Move Day 2 Round 1 to Day 1 Round 4 (Games e, f, h, i, t, u) to reduce max games on Day 2 to 3 games.
Losers of Games v and w play.
-- Winner plays loser of Game x for 8th.
-- Loser players winner of Game z for 10th.
Losers of Games p, q, and r play 3 team round robin for 11th - 13th.
page updated 4/24/2025
The following instructions are for 17 team and larger events.
1. Total bids are awarded to the original section and assigned per original ranking.
2. Divide the Section into 2 Sections use the best splits described below.
2a. Note: Reverse snake teams below the bid cut-off line.
2b. Any unranked teams will be assigned a ranking by random draw below all ranked teams.
3. Bids “stay with the team” in the new sections.
4. The new sections will play at the same location, but as two separate tournaments
5. Format both tournaments per the Format Guide.
6. If both formats have fewer than 7 games for the first place finisher, a 1v1 placement game between the first place finishers should occur
Number of Teams Best Split
17 9 & 8
18 10 & 8
19 10 & 9
20 10 & 10 (12 & 8 for 3, 5, 7, or 9 bids due to proportionality)
21 12 & 9
22 12 & 10
23 13 & 10
24 12 & 12
25 13 & 12
26 14 & 12
27 14 & 13
28 14 & 14 (even # of bids) or 16 & 12 (odd # of bids)
29 15 & 14 (even # of bids) or 16 & 13 (odd # of bids)
30 16 & 14
31 16 & 15
32 16 & 16
Algorithm to split subsections
Subsection A has x teams, Subsection B has y teams, where x>y
Assign values 1/(x+1), 2/(x+1),...., x/(x+1) to A, 1/(y+1), 2/(y+1),...., y/(y+1) to B, assign seeds to pools in
size order of these values.
If x=y, snake the subsections.
This process stops at the “bid line” and lower teams get “paired” until a pool is filled or pairs run out (snake
after). Example: If bid line is at 11, 11 pairs with 12 in pool, 10 pairs with 13, 9 pairs with 14, etc.
17 Teams:
9 8
A B
1 2
3 4
5 6
7 8
9 10
11 12
13 14
15 16
17
18 Teams:
10
8
A
B
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9 11
10 13
12 15
14 17
16
18
19Teams:
10
9
A
B
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9 10
11 12
13 14
15 16
17 18
19
20Teams (10/10):
10 10 A B 1 2 4 3 5 6 8 7 9 10
12 11
13 14
16 15
17 18
20 19
20Teams (12/8):
12
8
A
B
1
2
3
4
5
7
6
9
8 12
10 14
11 17
13 19
15
16
18
20
21 Teams:
12
9
A
B
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
9
8 11
10 13
12 16
14 18
15 20
17
19
21
22 Teams:
12 10 A B 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 13
12 15
14 17
16 19
18 21
20
22
23 Teams:
13 10 A B 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 8 11
10 13
12 15
14 18
16 20
17 22
19
21
23
24 Teams:
12 12 A B 1 2 4 3 5 6 8 7 9 10
12 11
13 14
16 15
17 18
20 19
21 22
24 23
The document above contains a comprehensive set of rules and variations for scheduling, pools, clipped pools, crossovers, brackets, and day-by-day structures for different team counts from 3 up to 32, including 17+ with advanced batching and seeding. It includes multiple sections highlighting the use of Alternate Formats, references to “See 4-Teams Tab” and analogous tabs for other team counts, the intent to minimize games per day and per weekend, and the general goal of balancing competitive fairness with practical scheduling ensures, as well as special provisions around time caps, halftimes, and break rules. It also provides explicit examples of bracket progressions for 4-team, 6-team, 7-team, 8-team, 9-team, 10-team, 11-team, 12-team, 13-team, 14-team, 15-team, 16-team formats and beyond, including how to move days, how to handle tie-breakers, and how to seed to brackets.
The 2023 College and Club Championship Series section sets the baseline constraints:
- Games per Day: No more than 4 (follow prescribed formats).
- Games per Weekend: No more than 7 (follow prescribed formats).
- Game Totals: All Games to 15 (unless otherwise specified in the manual or variations due to extreme circumstances approved by National Directors)
- Round Lengths: Soft cap 90 minutes; Hard cap 105 minutes; Next round begins at 120 minutes (with a 30-minute gap between soft cap and next round). Minimums: Soft cap 75 minutes; Hard cap 90 minutes; Next round begins at 105 minutes.
- Halftime: Recommended 7 minutes (min 5; max 10); Halftime time does not include the time between pulls.
- Consistency: All pool play games within a pool must be the same length and time across days.
- Caps: Clarification around halftime/soft/hard caps and tie-breakers.
- Time example: A sample timeline showing caps and rounds throughout a day.
Clipped Pool definitions elucidate how a clipped pool reduces games and rounds by using four games total (two games per team) over two rounds for a pool of 4 teams, with a described Round 1 and Round 2 structure, and tie-break scenarios for 2nd/3rd place in a clipped pool. The document also covers Pools of Three, scheduling for 3-team pools, and notes about potential 1-1 ties and how to mitigate them.
The document also includes numerous notes about scheduling specifics for different team counts, including the Bracket structures for 4-team, 6-team, 7-team, 8-team, 9-team, 10-team, 11-team, and 12-team events, and the use of Pool and Clipped Pool instructions for 16.1 to 16.9 formats and the 12-, 13-, 14-, 15-, and 17-team variations. There are additional diagrams and references, including video tutorials for Building Clipped Pools in the Event Builder and various flow diagrams for bracket progressions across multiple days.
The entire document is designed to guide organizers on selecting formats that minimize game counts per day and weekend, while maintaining the integrity and competitiveness of the tournament structure. It provides alternative approaches (Alternate Formats) to the standard Formats Manual, with explicit examples of how to structure pools, clipped pools, and brackets to support various team counts, ensuring that the final placement is consistent with the stated seeding and tie-break rules.
The document notes the page updates on 3/27/2023 and provides the latest guidelines for 2023 events, including the required approach to 4-team events and 5- to 7-team events, and the rules for 11-, 12-, 13-, 14-, 15-, 16-, and 17+ team events, with the use of Pools of 3 and clipped pools, and the interplay between bracket progression and pool results to determine final placements across 9th to 15th places and beyond.
The material is highly procedural and references multiple tabs (Formats Manual, 4-Teams Tab, 6-Teams Tab, 7-Teams Tab, 9-Teams Tab, 12-Teams Tab, 16.1-16.9 tables, etc.) that would be present in the event builder tool or manual. It emphasizes the importance of planning for tie-breakers and the sequencing of rounds to ensure that all matches are scheduled efficiently while respecting time constraints and the capacities of facilities and officials.
Overall, this document is an exhaustive compendium of official scheduling formats and alternate formats for a wide range of team counts, with explicit instructions, diagrams, and procedural steps needed to execute a tournament in alignment with USA Ultimate guidelines. The aim is to standardize formats across events and seasons and to provide explicit pathways to adapt the sequence and structure of competition to the number of teams participating, while preserving fairness and feasibility.
73
The document contains many pages with tables and diagrams illustrating the progression of matches and the layout of brackets for each format. It also includes sections that show how to interact with the EMS (Event Management System) to create pools, schedule rounds, and apply tie-breakers. It includes detailed guidelines for the clip and pool scheduling, and the cross-table rules are explained for the various team counts and advancement numbers. The table diagrams show the typical bracket progressions, including first-place matches, finals, semi-finals, third-place matches, and the game-to-go style of deciding brackets, along with notes on how to seed and cross to ensure fair distribution of games, and how to handle crossovers for BC mixed pools.
The document also notes that the 7-team, 9-team, 11-team, 12-team, and 16-team event formats include many variants and options for day-by-day progression. It includes special instructions about cross-pool brackets, day 2 crossovers and day 2 pool play completions, with the goal of making sure that all participants have a fair schedule with no more than a specified number of games per day and per weekend.
The last pages summarise trustable formats for 12-, 13-, 14-, 15-, and 16-team events, and how to implement clipping and bracket structures for efficient scheduling. The document closes with the continuing updates to the Formats Manual as of 3/27/2023 and 4/24/2025 for later updates.
page updated 3/27/2023
The following instructions are for all 4 team events. Do not use the 7 team formats described in the Formats Manual.
A 2-day event is required to accurately determine the advancing teams.
All 4 team formats should use 1 pool of 3 and 1 clipped pool of 4. See Clipped Pool and Pools of 3 tab in this document.
Seed teams into pools as instructed below.
Pool A - 4 teams advancing: 1-3 and 4
Pool B - 2-3-6,7
Pool of and clipped pool Schedule for 7 team formats except 5 and 6 advance:
- Round 1 - A1vA3; byes for clipped pool b
- Round 2 - A1vA2; clipped pool Game 3 - 1v B1; clipped pool Game 2 - B2vB3
- Round 3 - A2vA3; clipped pool Game 3 - 1 or 2 depending on winners
The following notes are for future reference and cross-checking with the Formats Manual for 4-team events to ensure the correct application of clipped pools, pool play, and bracket structures. The rest of the page is aimed at providing context on how to implement these formats within an Event Builder system and how to handle cross-over rounds for minimal total games while keeping the event fair and balanced.
The line notes for 4-team formats include a diagram and text describing option A (Straight Round Robin) and option B (Bracket) for four-team events.
The following is the main content for the 4-team formats and their explanation.(Positioned in the midsections for 4-team events, with the clipped pool and pool of three explanations.)
The following instructions are for all 7 team events. The first round of bracket play should be played on Day 1. See bracket to the right.
The 5-team, 7-team, 9-team, 11-team, and 13-team flows include defender-specific bracket structures and the mix of pool and clipped pool to determine placements. There are diagrams in the later pages and a general flow across all event sizes (e.g., 7-team formats including 3 pools of 3 and a clipped pool of 4).
This document is a living document and includes the latest updates, cross-checking with the Formats Manual, and additional video tutorials for constructing, seeding, and mapping out the event flow, with the aim of ensuring a smooth operational workflow for USA Ultimate events.
The document includes cautions about potential issues in tie-breakers, the necessity of time management across rounds, and the importance of standardizing pool length across weekend play.