This applies to tournaments in the Group + Group format (Phase I group stage + Phase II group stage).
What is a slot?
A slot is a place in a Phase II group reserved for the team that will finish in a given place in Phase I. Thanks to slots, the Phase II groups and schedule exist from the start of the tournament, not only after Phase I.
How to read a slot:
Team A1 = 1st place in group A of Phase I
Team B3 = 3rd place in group B of Phase I
Team C2 = 2nd place in group C of Phase I
When do slots appear?
Right after you click "Confirm tournament". You will see them:
in the Table tab, after selecting "Second stage group" in the Phase field
in the Schedule of the second phase tab, after the schedule has been generated (e.g. Team A1 VS Team B3)
How does the system assign slots to groups?
The rule is fixed and does not depend on results:
The system lists the Phase I places in order: first the 1st places from all groups (A1, B1, C1...), then the 2nd places (A2, B2, C2...) and so on.
It then splits this list into the Phase II groups in order: the first slots go to the first group, the next ones to the next group.
Example 1: 10 teams, Phase I: 2 groups of 5, Phase II: 2 groups
Group a: A1, B1, A2, B2, A3
Group b: B3, A4, B4, A5, B5
Example 2: 7 teams, Phase I: group A (4 teams) and group B (3 teams), Phase II: 2 groups
Group a: A1, B1, A2, B2
Group b: A3, B3, A4
Each slot appears only once.
💡 Tip: If the Phase I groups differ a lot in size, check the split before the start. With groups of 3, 3 and 9, the second Phase II group consists only of group C slots, so these teams will play each other a second time. You can change the split by dragging slots in the Phase II table.
Group names
Phase I: A, B, C...
Phase II: a, b, c... in the table, Group A, Group B... in the schedule
The letter in a slot is the Phase I group. That is why Team B3 can play in group a (Group A in the schedule) of Phase II.
Schedule with slots
You create the schedule for both phases with one wizard in the Schedule of the first phase tab (steps 1-2: Phase I, steps 3-4: Phase II). Phase II matches are scheduled after the Phase I matches. This way, you know the whole tournament plan, including the Phase II times and pitches, before the first match.
📖 Details: Automatic Schedule
When do slots turn into teams?
After all Phase I matches are finished:
At the bottom of the Schedule of the first phase tab, click PROCEED TO PHASE 2.
In the "FINISH PHASE 1" window, click PROCEED TO PHASE 2.
On the "Final phase configuration" page, check the date and times and click CONTINUE.
The system places into each slot the team that finished in that place in the final Phase I group table.
What stays the same: the number of matches, the pairings, the order and the pitches. If you change the Phase II start time on the configuration page, all Phase II matches will shift by the same amount of time.
What if I change the group composition?
Swapping teams in Phase I: the Phase II slots do not change, because they stand for places, not specific teams.
Moving a team in Phase I: the number of places in the groups changes, so the slots change too (e.g. when group B has 6 teams, slot B6 appears, and when group A has 4, slot A5 disappears). Regenerate the schedule with the button in the warning.
Swapping or moving slots in Phase II: you decide which Phase II group the team from a given place will join. This works until the first Phase II match is finished.
📖 Details: Moving and swapping teams between groups
Frequently asked questions
Can I pick the best third-placed teams?
No. Slots stand for a specific place in a specific group. Selecting the best teams from a given place (e.g. the two best third-placed teams) is currently not available.
Do participants see the slots?
Yes. Until Phase I ends, the Phase II tables and schedule show slots instead of team names.
Do Phase I points carry over to Phase II?
No. Phase II tables count points from zero.