How the day works
Tournament format
Built for a 32-team field on eight lanes, and honest about the fact that every number here is settled by the committee, not by tradition. Yet.
Four stages
From first toss to the banner
- 1Pool play
Eight pools of four
Every team plays 3 pool games, guaranteed, no matter how the morning goes. Pools are drawn after registration closes and published a week before event day.
- 2The cut
Top two advance
Pool standings rank on wins, then head-to-head, then point differential. The top two from each pool cross into the championship bracket, seeded by pool finish.
- 3Championship
Sixteen teams, single elimination
First-round matchups avoid same-pool rematches where the draw allows. No time cap; bracket games play to the full 21, win by two.
- 4Consolation
The other sixteen keep playing
Teams outside the cut enter their own sixteen-team consolation bracket with its own modest hardware. Everybody plays at least four games, and nobody drives home before they're done throwing.
The fine points
Fair play, spelled out
Scoring
Cup 3 (that's a suey), box 1, cancellation scoring, first to 21, win by 2. Pool games carry a 25-minute cap; bracket games don't.
Tie-breaks
Wins, then head-to-head, then point differential, then points scored, then a single sudden-death end if it's still knotted. Configurable by the committee before pools are drawn.
Lanes
Assignments balance travel between lanes and rest between games. Nobody plays back-to-back unless a delay forces it, and the schedule recalculates if weather intervenes.
Late & no-show
Ten minutes past a called match is a forfeit at the director's discretion. Trucks break down; call the check-in tent and we'll shuffle what we can.
Substitutions
One player substitution allowed before your first toss of the day, approved at check-in. After that, the roster is the roster.
Prizes
Champion: $500 · Runner-up: $250 · Third place: $100. Paid on the podium, plus trophies and medals.