Independents Cup 10 Sign-Up Thread

[IAC Organising Committee]

INDEPENDENT ASSOCIATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP
INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT

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IAC-1 | IAC-2 | IAC-3 | IAC-4 | IAC-5
IAC-6 | IAC-7 | IAC-8 | IAC-9

HOSTING
IAC-10 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 may be organised if more than one bid is received. Currently signed up nations with at least one previous user entry will likely be eligible to vote.

Currently we have TWO host bids - that of Omerica and Reçueçn.

Omerica has been selected as host for IAC-10.

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SIGN-UP RULES FOR IAC-10

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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. Note, even if you've participated in the IAC in the past, you cannot participate with us if you're currently residing in a Big Three region, especially if you've signed up for their tournament.

The Independents Cup is not, of course, a WCC-sanctioned tournament, and while it usually 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. These puppets are suggested to 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 a previous 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 suggestion 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.

SCORINATION
The tournament will be scorinated using the host's preferred method which will be confirmed in due course. WCC ranks should 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 tenth 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. Squidroidia
3. Omerica
4. Sylestone
5. Trolleborg
6. Squornshelan Remnant States
7. Kohnhead
8. Reçueçn
9. Blotropolis
10. Kriegiersien
11. Terre Septentrionale
12. Poafmersia
13. HUElavia
14. Megistos
15. Tequilo
16. Sharktail
17. Abanhfleft
18. Kayangan
19. TJUN-ia
20. Schottia
21. Havynwilde
22. The Calculator
23. Fujai
24. Silver Beach
25. Space
26. Port Ember
27. Sajnur
28. Hot Skitty on Wailord Action
29. Darkmania
30. Woryand
31. Indusse
32. Hopal
33. New Lusitania (and The Algarves)
34. Gekkeom
35. United States of Devonta
36. Nacrad
37. Fleuronordicia
38. Hwiccemark
39. Natanya
40. Juvencus

Withdrawn
Graintfjall
Free Republics

[Drawkland]

Confirming my signup in the OP. Let's get it going!

[Squidroidia]

In.

[Omerica]

idk about any cups, but I’m in for the Independent Associations Championship

[Graintfjall]

We sign up.

Withdrawn.

[Sylestone]

Appliances in for the first time.

[Trolleborg]

In

[Squornshelan Remnant States]

SRS is game for another letdown

[Kohnhead]

Kohnhead is in

[Recuecn]

Let's go!!!

Bid coming once I finish a logo.

[Blotropolis]

I know you've all been waiting for Blotropolis to sign up.

Here I am.

[Omerica]

The United Republican Soccer Federation presents:
A bid to host the tenth Independent Associations Championship

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Bienvenu·e·s!
Over the course of the last nine cycles, the Independent Associations Championship (or IAC, for short) has become a veritable fixture in the international football calendar, establishing itself alongside the AOCAF Cup, Copa Rushmori and Coppa Campionato Esportiva as the “regional for the rest of us”. With this bid, the United Republican Soccer Federation hopes to celebrate and add to the history of this very special Championship.

Galliennais for “Welcome!”, this bid’s motto aims to encapsulate the history and spirit of Omerica and the Independent Associations Championship’s unique place as an open counterpart to the “Big Three” regionals.

Experience
Besides several domestic sports seasons, KitKat has been responsible for the fourth Coupe d’Esquarium (back when that was a thing) and the nineteenth Handball World Cup.

Scorination
If this bid is selected, IAX will be scorinated using the latest version of xkoronate with the NSFS formula and additive style modifiers. Home field advantage will be turned off, however, the host nation will receive a small bonus approximately equal to the bonus a nation would get with the home advantage option. As usual, participating teams may choose a style modifier from –5 and +5.

In line with previous editions of the Independent Associations Championship, the latest edition of the KPB rankings will be used to seed the participating nations, with the caveat that the hosts (i.e. Omerica) and the titleholders (i.e. New Lusitania) will each be seeded in Pot 1 by right. The KPB rankings will also serve as a ranking bonus; for nations without KPB ratings which have participated in one or more of the last three Independent Associations Championships, an equivalent bonus will be calculated to serve as a replacement. However, nations must post a roster before receiving their bonus, which must include a minimum of a starting XI in text format. [Note: If an alternate set of IAC ranks are adopted before the start of the tournament, seeding and rank bonus will use that instead.]

In keeping with the tradition of the Independent Associations Championship, RP bonus will be cumulative and generous and will favour quality over quantity. Ranking bonus will gradually degrade over the course of the tournament to reward those who RP regularly and well.

Cut-offs will be scheduled approximately 48 hours apart at about 22:00 Eastern Daylight Time (02:00 next day UTC) give or take 30 to 60 minutes; an extra 24 hours will be pencilled in between the end of the group stage and the start of the knockout stage.

Format
Casaran mayhem. The format for IAX will consist of a single round-robin group stage, followed by a single-elimination knockout stage. The top two teams in each group will be guaranteed a place in the knockout stage, regardless of the size of the tournament, plus as many third-place teams as necessary to ensure the number of knockout stage participants is a power of two. Additionally, the knockout stage will be set up so that group runners-up cannot meet the winners of their group again until the Grand Final and that group rematches cannot occur at all until the semifinals. If an eight-group format is employed, this will be done using the bracket of the RL FIFA World Cup; if a six-group format is employed, then the knockout stage bracket will be seeded based on the system adopted at Qopa XXXII: group winners will occupy fixed seeded positions in the bracket, group runners-up will be assigned to the side of the bracket opposite their group’s winners and seeded within that side and third-place teams will be assigned positions in the bracket so as to avoid group stage rematches in the eighth- or quarterfinals.

The number and size of groups will depend on the number of participating teams, as follows:

• 24 nations: 6 groups of 4; group winners, group runners-up and the best four third-place teams advance. (preferred format)
• 30 nations: 6 groups of 5; group winners, group runners-up and the best four third-place teams advance.
• 32 nations: 8 groups of 4; group winners and group runners-up advance. (preferred format)
• 36 nations: 6 groups of 6; group winners, group runners-up and the best four third-place teams advance.
• 40 nations: 8 groups of 5; group winners and group runners-up advance.
• 48 nations: 8 groups of 6; group winners and group runners-up advance.

In the group stage, teams will be ranked on the basis of points obtained in all group matches, with the standard three points for a win system in effect. If two or more teams are tied on points, the following tiebreakers shall apply, in this order:

• Head-to-head points;
• Head-to-head goal difference;
• Head-to-head goals for;
• Overall goal difference;
• Overall goals scored.
• Number of wins.

In the event that more than two teams are initially tied and at least one team wins or loses a tiebreaker, the tiebreaking procedure will restart from the first tiebreaker for any teams which may still be tied. If two or more teams are tied on all the above criteria, results against the lowest-ranked team not involved in the tie will be discarded and the ranking procedure will restart; in the unlikely event that all results are equal, the teams will be separated by a drawing of lots. (OOC note: This will be accomplished via a scorinated playoff, with draws turned off.)

If a seeded bracket is used for the knockout stage, teams will first be ranked by group position, then by the tiebreaking criteria. In the likely event that Omerica or a puppet thereof advance to the knockout stage, a third-party scorinator will be scorinate any matches involving those teams, with preference given to persons not participating in the Independent Associations Championship.

Closing remarks
I welcome any and all questions. Bon courage à tou·te·s!

[Kriegiersien]

Signing up again.

[Terre Septentrionale]

In!

[PotatoFarmers]

Can we improve on our 4th place?

[Free Republics]

In.

[HUElavia]

I'm back once again to hopefully win this time.

[Megistos]

Here for my debut, to hopefully win!

[Tequilo]

Tequilo in

[Sharktail]

Sharktail in

[Abanhfleft]

Insert Abanhfleft here.

[Kayangan]

in

[TJUN-ia]

Yes

[Schottia]

In.

Is this reckless..?

[Havynwilde]

Havynwilde