When the NWSL announced the Challenge Cup to be held in Utah, we wondered about its format, rules, regulations. Finally, today, with five days away, the league has released the deets.
Here’s how the tournament will look:
- The tournament will kick off with the preliminary rounds where each team will play four matches.
- Two knockout stages and the final will follow, with the top-eight teams out of the preliminary rounds placed into a seeded bracket to contest the quarterfinals.
- If two or more teams are tied on points after completion of the preliminary stage, the following criteria shall be applied to determine team rankings:
- Head-to-Head (only if two teams are tied and they’ve played each other);
- Superior goal difference in all preliminary matches;
- Greatest number of goals scored in all preliminary matches;
- Lowest team conduct score relating to the number of yellow and red cards obtained: yellow card - 1 point; indirect red card (as a result of two (2) yellow cards) - 3 points; direct red card - 4 points; yellow card and direct red card - 5 points
*Only one of the above point totals shall be applied to a player in a single match.