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 fourth instalment 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-4 is open for host applications. Single or joint host applications are welcome, from users who have experience in hosting competitions of this scale. Bidders must be signed up for the present competition and users behind the nation must have competed in one of the previous installments, even if under a different flag. Host bids should be posted in this thread and include the usual details including methodology, formulae, and indicative scheduling - please read guidance on expectations for format and scorination further down this post. A vote will be organised if more than one bid is received, and in this case it is likely signed up nations with at least one previous user entry will be eligible to vote. Bonesea will host if no bids are forthcoming in timely fashion.
Hosting Rights Available
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 fourth edition of the IAC. Questions and clarifications welcome. Please remember to declare puppets.
This post confirms Bonesea's sign-up.
Sign-Ups
Bonesea
1. Abanhfleft
2. Schottia
3. Otakuverse
4. Amazonesta
5. Omerica
6. Mareibat
7. Juvencus
8. Free Republics
9. Tinhampton
Cape Orange
10. Alpine Union
11. Vakolicci Haven and Celeria
12. New Doltania
13. Northwest Kalactin
14. Funky Fresh Beats
15. Mercedini
16. Space
17. United States of Devonta
18. Drawkland
19. South Toronto
20. Fungsland
21. Sorrentopia
22. Karditan
23. Aggrey-Fynn Land
24. Gangnam
25. New Gazi
26. Spaam
27. East Vormsi
Dual Sign-Up Puppets
East Vormsi (Schottia)