TFS Cups: Rules & Regulations

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COPPA CONFEDERAZIONE
Rules & Regulations​

Format
The TFS Coppa Tradizione ("Tradition Cup") and TFS Coppa Confederazione ("Confederation Cup") is a 32-team group and knockout style tournament. It will include all teams within the TFS leagues. The format and rules is similar to the FIFA World Cup, in that there will be 8 groups of 4 (or occasionally, 5) teams, with the top 2 from each group advancing to the knockout rounds.

Cup Structure
There are 3 "phases" to the current cup strcuture. Coppa Tradizione Qualification (also referred to as Cup Qualification) will be the group stage. Once the qualification round has been played out and all matches have been completed, teams will then either advance to the Coppa Tradizione or the Coppa Confederazione. The Coppa Tradizione is the premier version of the two cups, and will be the knockout stage consisting of 16 teams. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Coppa Tradizione. The Coppa Confederazione will be the knockout stage consisting of all teams that fail to qualify for the Coppa Tradizione. The knockout format will be similar to the Coppa Tradizione bracket, but may be slighted tweaked depending on the number of teams. The winner of each cup will earn a spot in the end of the season's Supercoppa.

Match Rules
Each match is played as a single leg. Qualification (group stage) matches that result in a draw after 90 minutes will count as a draw and will not have extra time and/or penalties. However, knockout stage matches that result in a draw will be settled with extra time and penalties (select this option in-game at the conclusion of a drawn match).

When a player accumulates 2 yellow cards, he is suspended for the next SCHEDULED match. If a player receives 1 red card, he is suspended for the next SCHEDULED match. Following the quarterfinals, the number of yellow cards a player has will be reset to 0, therefore guaranteeing a player will only miss the final due to a red or two yellows in the semifinals. Suspensions will be listed in each matchweek thread, and it is each manager’s responsibility to bench their suspended players for the appropriate games.

Gameplay Settings
For all matches, use the following scheduling procedure:
Play > More > Match Lobbies > (Meet your opponent in a match lobby)
- Half Length = 10 Mins
- Controls = Semi-Assisted
- Game Speed = Slow
*For qualification (group stage) matches, end the match following 90 minutes (allowing for draws).
*For knockout stage matches, continue to play the match through extra-time & penalties should the match remained tied after 90 minutes.
Squads are automatically set to Custom and should have your pre-set lineups. Make sure your roster is up to date with the latest online roster release. Anyone found using illegal rosters will be severely punished.

Manager Changes
If a manager leaves during the qualification round AND they have not completed all of their qualification matches, any games they played will be wiped out. Under this scenario, a qualification group would then essentially act as a 3-team, 2-game group (or a 4-team, 3-game group for the original 5 team groupings). If a manager leaves during the knockout rounds, then his team will forfeit the match. However, if at any point a new manager replaces a team mid-season AND that team has yet to complete all of their qualification (group stage) matches, then the team will stay in the cup and continue on without any repercussions.

Cup Draw
A cup draw will only occur before the tournament. Since the knockout stage is designed to guarantee that no two teams will meet in the cup twice (except possibly in the final), the knockout stage matches will be determined solely on cup results. In large part, the draw will consist of 3 pots of 8 teams and 1 pot of 10 teams, with the pots being based on the previous season's league results. The only exception to this structure is that the previous season's cup winner will be placed in Pot 1, assuming the manager remains in the TFS. For example, the pots would be structured with Pot 1 containing the previous cup winner the 7 best teams from the previous season's Serie A, Pot 2 containing the rest of Serie A and the top-ranked Serie B clubs, and so on. Slight alterations may be made based upon the total number of members. Furthermore, each group must have each Serie league represented.

Tiebreakers
In the result of a tie in points within a group, the following procedure will be used to determine the final ranking:
*Note: If at any point during tiebreaking procedures a team is eliminated, then restart the tiebreaker with the remaining teams.
1. Greatest number of points in matches among tied teams
2. Greatest goal difference in matches among tied teams
3. Greatest number of goals scored in matches among tied teams
4. Greatest goal difference in all group matches
5. Greatest number of goals scored in all group matches
6a. (If two teams remained tied) One match playoff with extra time and penalties if needed at the home of whoever was away in the corresponding group match
6b. (If three or more teams remained tied OR if all remaining teams have clinched advancement to the next round) Drawing of lots

League Discipline and the Card System
The league discipline and card system used for Serie matches includes Coppa matches.
- Yellow Cards (unplayed matches) will be issued for cancelled matches and other scheduling issues. Keep in mind that the Coppa is on a shorter advance schedule than league play. All qualification stage matches must be completed before the start of the knockout stage, while knockout stage matches will normally have a one-week opening.
- Red Cards (unsportsmanlike conduct) may be issued for manager complaints. Unlike league play, an unbalanced scoreline (5+ goal differential) will not result in a red card due to goal differential being a tiebreaker. However, please take into consideration group placement and opponent's ability level in games with lopsided scorelines.
For a more detailed outline of the league discipline system, refer to the TFS Rules & Regulations thread.

Rules
The TFS Coppa Tradizione follows the same rules as the Tradition Futbol Serie (TFS). Please refer to the Rules & Regulations thread for TFS for these guidelines. All statistics, cards and suspensions earned in the TFS Coppa Tradizione will be kept separate from league matches and vice versa.

SUPERCOPPA
Rules & Regulations​

Format
The TFS Supercoppa is our very own tournament of champions to be held following each season. The champion of each Serie league level and the three Cup champions (Tradizione, Confederazione, and Premier Cups) will compete for the Supercoppa. The Supercoppa will therefore be a 6-team knockout style tournament. One side of the bracket will have the Serie B Champion hosting the Serie C Champion, with the Serie A Champion hosting the winner of that match. The other side of the bracket will have the Premier Cup Champion hosting the Coppa Confederazione Champion, with the Coppa Tradizione Champion hosting the winner of that match. The winners of the two semifinal matches will meet in the Final. In addition, there will also be a 3rd-place match between the two losing semifinalists.

If a team qualifies more than once (i.e. wins their Serie league level and a Cup), then that team will forfeit their extra spots and accommodations to the bracket will be made. The mulltiple-qualifying team will take the most prestigous position in the bracket, which in order are: Serie A Champion, Coppa Tradizione Champion, TSO-Premier Open Cup Champion, Serie B Champion, Seric C Champion, Coppa Confederazione Champion. However, if there are multiple teams that qualify more than once, then first and foremost, accommodations will be made to ensure there are still two semifinal matches (i.e., someone does not receive 2 byes)

Match Rules
Each match is played as a single leg. Matches that result in a draw will be settled with extra time and penalties (select this option in-game at the conclusion of a drawn match). If a player receives a red card or amasses two yellow cards at any time in the tournament, he will be suspended for the next scheduled match.

Gameplay Settings
For all matches, use the following scheduling procedure:
Play > More > Match Lobbies > (Meet your opponent in a match lobby)
- Half Length = 10 Mins
- Controls = Semi-Assisted
- Game Speed = Slow
*Continue to play the match through extra-time & penalties should the match remained tied after 90 minutes.
Squads are automatically set to Custom and should have your pre-set lineups. Make sure your roster is up to date with the latest online roster release. Anyone found using illegal rosters will be severely punished.

Rules
The TFS Supercoppa follows the same rules as the Tradition Futbol Serie (TFS). Please refer to the Rules & Regulations thread for TFS for these guidelines. All statistics, cards and suspensions earned in the TFS Supercoppa will be kept separate from league and Coppa Tradizione matches and vice versa.

TSO-PREMIER OPEN CUP
Rules & Regulations​

Format
The TSO-Premier Open Cup is a cup competition open to two groups of people: (1) premier members within TFS, and (2) all TSO members not in TFS. It will be formatted as a single-elimination 1-leg knockout tournament, with random draws occurring before each round. The winner of the tournament will earn a berth to the TFS Supercoppa.

Cup Draw
The initial draw will include all teams and determine the matches for Round 1 and Round 2. Before both the Quarterfinals and Semifinals, another draw will be conducted to determine the next round of matches. Previous league/cup results and TFS affiliation will have no bearing in the draw, as it will always be completely random.

Cup Participation
A sign-up thread will be posted 1-2 weeks before the scheduled start of the Open Cup. At this time, TFS premier members and non-TFS members on TSO may announce their participation. If a non-TFS user chooses to participate, they may select their team at this time as well.

Team Selection
For all competing users with a TFS team, they must use their current team in the Open Cup. For all users that are not in the TFS league, any team rated 4.5* or lower that is not already occupied by any TFS user may be selected.

Match Rules
Each match is played as a single leg. Matches that result in a draw will be settled with extra time and penalties (select this option in-game at the conclusion of a drawn match). If a player receives a red card or amasses two yellow cards at any time in the tournament, he will be suspended for the next scheduled match.

Gameplay Settings
For all matches, use the following scheduling procedure:
Play > More > Match Lobbies > (Meet your opponent in a match lobby)
- Half Length = 10 Mins
- Controls = Semi-Assisted
- Game Speed = Normal
*Continue to play the match through extra-time & penalties should the match remained tied after 90 minutes.
Squads are automatically set to Custom and should have your pre-set lineups. Make sure your roster is up to date with the latest online roster release. Anyone found using illegal rosters will be severely punished.

Rules
The TSO-Premier Open Cup follows the same rules as the Tradition Futbol Serie (TFS). Please refer to the Rules & Regulations thread for TFS for these guidelines. All statistics, cards and suspensions earned in the TSO-Premier Open Cup will be kept separate from league and other cup matches and vice versa.