Deciding Level Teams in a Group

Your tiebreakers (points, goal difference, goals scored, head-to-head and so on) separate most teams on equal points. Sometimes two or more teams are still level after all of them. Many tournament rules then send them to a penalty shootout, a drawing of lots or the organiser's decision.

That last step happens on the pitch or at the desk, not in the table, so MyCup doesn't guess. Once the group is finished, it asks you to record how the tie was decided. Until you do, it doesn't move anyone into the places that are still level.

When MyCup asks for a decision#

A tie appears once every match in the group is Finished and two or more teams are still level on every tiebreaker you have set. While the group is still being played, teams level on everything are just the table so far, and nothing is flagged.

In the Tournament rules modal (Structure page → Advanced view → Rules → Standings tab), the tiebreaker list ends with a fixed Still level step, marked ALWAYS LAST. It is a reminder of this step, so you don't need to add anything to the list.

Recording the result#

1. Open Matches. A Ties to decide notice appears above the match list, with one row per tie: the group, the places involved (for example Group B · Places 2–3) and the teams.
2. Click Record result.
3. Under How was it decided?, pick Penalty shootout, Drawing of lots or Organiser decision.
4. Put the teams in their final order: Place 2, Place 3 and so on. Each team can take only one place.
5. For a shootout, enter the Shootout score (for example 3:2). You can also add a Note.
6. Click Save.

The tie leaves the notice, and the decided order applies straight away to the standings, the next round and the public website.

Results editors can record the result as well as administrators, so the volunteer who ran the shootout in the hall can enter it. See Admin Users and Roles.

The Dashboard also shows an alert (1 tie to decide) with a Record result link to the Matches page, so an open tie doesn't get missed between rounds.

What waits for the decision#

With automatic team progression, a next-round slot set to Auto-advance → Group position for a place that is still level stays empty until you record the result. Places that aren't level fill in as normal. If 1st place is clear and 2nd and 3rd are level, the group winner moves on and only 2nd waits.

The slot keeps its Group position source. You don't have to switch it to Pick a team to put the right team in, which also means the team keeps its carried-over results in an intermediate round. Picking the team by hand would drop them.

If no later round takes the places that are level (say 4th and 5th in a group where only the top two go through), the tie is listed further down, under Level places (or Other level places when other ties are waiting). Deciding it is optional and only fixes the final table.

Where the decision shows#

• Public website: the group's table is in the decided order, with a line underneath saying how it was decided, for example Places 2–3 (Lions, Tigers): Penalty shootout 3:2.
• Studio standings: the teams carry a small tag with the method. A tie still open shows Level, needs deciding.
• Hall screens and the API use the same order. The API also lists ties that are still open, and an API client can record a decision.

Changing or removing a decision#

Decided ties are listed on the Matches page under Decided ties, for example Lions ranked first · Penalty shootout 3:2. Click Change to edit the method, the order or the score, or Remove decision in the same window to reopen the tie.

If the next-round match a place leads to has already started or finished, MyCup won't hand that place to a different team. The result belongs to the team that played it. The message names the matches. Set them back to Not started first, then change the decision. Before kick-off the slot simply switches to the new team.

When a score is corrected#

A decision is linked to the exact teams that were level. If you correct a score in the group and the set of level teams changes:

• The old decision stops applying, and the table decides again.
• If teams are still level, the new tie shows under Ties to decide.
• The old decision is listed under Decisions that no longer apply with a Remove decision button. If a later correction makes the same teams level again, it applies again on its own.

Tournaments that started before 1 October 2026#

Groups finished before this feature existed have already filled their next-round slots in table order. Those teams stay where they are. A tie in such a group shows Already placed in table order. Record the result to confirm or change it. Recording the result confirms the placement or moves the right team in, under the same rule about matches already played.

Seasons and copies#

Copying a tournament with its results also copies its tie decisions. Starting the next season begins with no results, so no decisions are carried into it. While a season's results are locked, decisions can't be recorded or changed either.

Related features#

• Automatic Team Progression — how group positions fill the next round
• Carry-Over Results — results that carry into an intermediate round
• Tournament Structure — tiebreaker order in the Tournament rules
• Matches & Scheduling — entering results