Pretty soon many of the association football-playing nations of NS Sports will be thinking about their CAF, or Campeonato, or Copa: it's the Big Three's regional championship time, and you're not invited...
The IAC-OC is pleased to open sign-ups for the fifth installment of the tournament for those footballing nations who are not eligible for the Big Three championships (AO, Rushmore and Esportiva). They can be puppets of big three nations as long as they are based outside the regions.
HOSTING
IAC-5 will be hosted by Free Republics.
SIGN-UP RULES FOR IAC-5
Hosting Rights Allocated
Hosting Rights Allocated
ELIGIBILITY & ENTRY
Any nation that is not a resident of the Big Three sporting regions - AO, Rushmore & Esportiva - at the time of this post may sign up to compete in the IAC. You may have been resident there in the past and may have competed in their international tournaments previously. You may plan to move to the sporting regions in the future and participation in this tournament does not preclude that, although it would be considered extremely bad manners to do so at the time of participation.
The Independents Cup is not, of course, a WCC-sanctioned tournament, and while it uses official WCC rankings it has no impact on those rankings. Nations that have participated in WCs and nations that have not are both welcome to compete in the IAC, by signing up in this thread.
PUPPETS
Puppets of main nations resident in the Big Three are still eligible to compete in the IAC provided the puppets themselves are not resident in the Big Three, and it is permissible to create puppets just to take part here - all eligible nations are welcome. Puppets should be declared for transparency.
Previous entrants may enter two nations into the IAC provided they meet eligibility criteria. This means any user who competed and RPed (roster + minimum 1 post) in the last edition of the Independents Cup (it doesn't have to be the nation they are signing up to the IAC with). When entering two nations, please declare puppet status.
Everyone else may enter one nation to this tournament.
FORMAT & SCHEDULE
Precise arrangements will be confirmed by the host once selected and as the numbers become clear, but the guide for prospective hosts will be for a group stage of 3/4 games dependent on group size followed by a knockout bracket from 16 qualifying nations. Hosts will decide on a cap, with puppets taken out of the draw first if sign-ups exceed this at their discretion if necessary, last in first out.
The timetable will likely run in tandem with the Big Three championships; precise dates to be confirmed and dependent on the rate of sign-ups, taking cue from the other tournaments. I advise hosts to plan 48 hours between each cut-off to allow good time for RPing.
Probable Schedule
to be confirmed by host
SCORINATION
The tournament will be scorinated using the host's preferred method which will be confirmed in due course. WCC ranks will be used to provide a general continuity within NS football, but RP bonus amounts must be sizeable enough to potentially allow new and consistently high quality RPers a good shot at the title: see unranked Veldgouwen's run to the final in the first edition.
SIGN-UP & DISCUSSION
Sign up in this thread to participate in the fifth edition of the IAC. Questions and clarifications welcome. Please remember to declare puppets.
This post confirms Drawkland's sign-up.
Sign-Ups
1. Drawkland
2. Free Republics
3. Acronius
4. Yanghoon
5. Alpine Union
6. Omerica
7. Unified Hispania
8. Abanhfleft
9. The Authoritarian Republic of Lochario
10. United States of Devonta
11. North Prarie
12. Neo-Romanum
13. Darkmania
14. HUElavia
15. South Caleblan
16. Space
17. Blaneu
18. United West Indic States
19. Mercedini
20. Nicana
21. Platerdam
22. Maryloupe
23. Ashkam
24. Funky Fresh Beats
25. Petroslovania
26. The Orion Islands
27. Thunisia
28. Savalen
29. Aggrey-Fynn Land
30. Karulicja
31. Central Shaneville
32. The Frozen Forest
33. Flardania
34. Britonisea
35. Juvencus
36. Northwest Kalactin
37. ThePenguinLand
38. Nurwiji
