Cups Creator guides
Setting up groups and a knockout stage
The league format is two tournaments in one: a fair group stage, then a bracket with something on the line. Here is how to configure both.
The league format in Cups Creator gives everyone a guaranteed set of matches and still ends with a real final. There are only three decisions to get right.
Decision 1: how many groups?
You can split the field into anywhere from two to eight groups. The best answer is almost always the one that leaves groups of three or four.
| Teams | Groups | Group size | Matches per team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| 12 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| 12 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 16 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| 24 | 6 | 4 | 3 |
Groups of five or more get long fast — ten matches per group instead of six. Groups of three are quick but give each team only two matches.
Decision 2: how many qualify?
Qualifiers per group goes from one to four. Multiply it by your number of groups and you have the size of the knockout bracket. Aim for a power of two.
- 4 groups × 2 qualifiers = 8, a clean quarter-final.
- 4 groups × 1 qualifier = 4, straight to semi-finals.
- 8 groups × 2 qualifiers = 16, a full round of 16.
Decision 3: seeding
In the groups tab you pin couples to groups and drag them into a seeding order. Seed honestly using club rankings or last season's results, and publish the seeding alongside the draw — hidden seeding is where arguments come from.
There is one more switch worth understanding: how qualifiers are matched once the groups are done.
| Setting | How pairs are matched | Use when |
|---|---|---|
| Overall table on | All qualifiers ranked in one table, 1 vs last | You want the strongest possible bracket order |
| Overall table off | Groups crossed (A vs C, B vs D) | You want two teams from the same group to meet only in the final |
Running it on the day
- Play all group matches before starting the knockout. Mixing the two makes the standings unreadable.
- Enter each result as it finishes so the qualification picture stays live.
- Check the standings before generating the bracket — this is your last chance to spot a mis-entered score.
- Announce the bracket out loud. People want to know who they got.
If you have not created the tournament yet, start with creating your first tournament.
Frequently asked questions
How many groups should a 16-team tournament have?
Four groups of four. Every team plays three group matches, and taking the top two gives you a clean eight-team quarter-final.
What happens if two teams finish level in a group?
Standings are decided on points first, then the usual tiebreakers. Announce your tiebreak rule in the invitation so nobody is surprised.
Can groups be different sizes?
Groups need to be balanced, so aim for a team count that divides evenly. If it does not, adjust the number of groups rather than overloading one.
Should group winners avoid each other in the bracket?
Usually yes. Turn the overall table off and groups get crossed, so two teams from the same group can only meet again in the final.