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01 — Overview
Format
Winner Stays
Teams queue in order. Winner stays, loser goes to back.
Game timer
5 mins
First to 7 baskets ends the game early.
Group stage clock
2h 30m
One continuous clock. All games run inside it.
Qualify at
14 pts
First 4 teams to reach 14 points claim a knockout spot.
02 — Points System
How points work
Points reward quality of play, not just wins. A dominant team moves faster. A team that competes hard in a loss still banks something.
| Result |
Condition |
Winner |
Loser |
|
Win
Clean win
Reaches 7 before the timer
|
Standard finish |
3 pts |
0 pts |
|
Dominant win
Win + bonus
Win by 4 or more baskets
|
e.g. 7–2, 7–3 or better |
4 pts |
0 pts |
|
Close loss
Survival point
Lost by 3 or fewer
|
e.g. 7–6, 7–5, 7–4 |
3 pts |
1 pt |
|
Timed win
Timer ends, leading
Didn't reach 7 before buzzer
|
Leading at zero |
2 pts |
0 pts |
|
Draw
Scores level at buzzer
Timer ends, both equal
|
Both teams share |
1 pt |
1 pt |
03 — Group Stage Rules
How the session runs
- —Teams are 3v3, max 4 players per squad. One sub allowed. No exceptions on the day.
- —One hoop, one game at a time. Two teams on court. The rest queue in order. No exceptions.
- —Winner stays, loser goes to back of queue. The court never goes cold. Next two teams step up immediately.
- —3-win cap. Win 3 in a row and you come off regardless of points. Back of the queue. Keeps the court moving and everyone getting runs.
- —Qualifying opens once every team has played at least 1 game. Points count from game one but no spots are officially claimed until the whole room has had a run.
- —14 points is auto-qualification. Hit 14 and your knockout spot is guaranteed. Cannot be reached in a single run — minimum 4 trips to the court required.
- —Once auto-qualified, a team can stop playing or carry on. If they leave and return, their queue place is relinquished. They go to the back. No exceptions.
- —When the 2h 30m clock hits zero, all games stop immediately. Balls down. Remaining spots go to the highest pointed teams on the leaderboard.
- —If more than 4 teams reach 14 points, the top 4 by total points qualify. If 4th and 5th are level, tiebreaker rules apply — see section 04.
- —Live leaderboard updated after every game. Everyone can see exactly where they stand at all times.
04 — Tiebreakers
When points are level
Step 1 — Basket difference
Total baskets scored minus total baskets conceded. Higher difference takes the spot. Resolves 90% of ties.
Step 2 — Play-in game
If still level, the tied teams play one sudden death game. First to 7. No timer. The spot is decided on the court.
05 — Knockout Stage
The final four
Seeded 1 to 4 by total group stage points. Higher seed, better draw.
Semi-final 1 · First to 9
Seed 11st
Seed 44th
Semi-final 2 · First to 9
Seed 22nd
Seed 33rd
Final · First to 11
Winner SF1
Winner SF2
- —Semis first to 9. Extended from the group stage. Higher quality, more deliberate basketball.
- —Final first to 11. No timer in the knockout. Play until it's done.
- —Champion crowned immediately after the final. No third place game before it.
Glory match — unofficial
Semi-final losers can run it back after the final if they want. Unofficial. No ceremony. Optional.
06 — MVP Draft
Most valuable player
A separate individual competition running alongside the tournament. Open to any competing player. Prize goes to whoever the room decides made the biggest impact on the day.
Entry fee
£2
Contactless. Optional but worth it.
Minimum entries
12
Draft only runs if at least 12 players enter.
- —Open to all competing players. You don't have to qualify for the knockout to enter. Every player has a shot.
- —Voted by spectators and non-playing players. Whoever made the day — competed hardest, carried their team, made the session memorable — wins it.
- —Vote happens after the final. The whole day is the audition.
- —Prize is the full pot. Every £2 entry goes directly to the winner. Entry fee subject to change depending on demand.