Format Released for the 2021 Lower League eCup Presented By Offside Marketing

The Lower League eCup is excited to officially announce the format for each of five divisions of the 2021 Lower League eCup Presented by Offside Marketing.

The 2021 eCup features 119 entrants representing 74 different clubs, supporters groups, and media organizations across 5 divisions. Entrants represent organizations from nearly 20 leagues across the country. Play will take place across five divisions, the Playstation, Xbox, and PC Premier Divisions, along with the Playstation & Xbox Smallworld Second Divisions. As indicated by the name, both Second Divisions are sponsored by SmallWorld Soccer.

2021 Tournament groupings are available here and were determined by a random draw held on Tuesday, December 29th. The eCup will begin on Tuesday, January 12th, and will conclude with the finals on Sunday, February 21st.

*Note - All Groups will play a single round-robin unless otherwise noted*

Tournament Format - Playstation Premier Division

The Playstation Premier Division features 46 entrants. For the Group Stage, participating clubs and organizations will be divided into 12 separate groups, Ten Groups of Four and Two Groups of Three. In the Groups of Three, each player will play one additional crossover match against a team in another Group of Three, meaning that each participating team will play three matches during the group stage, regardless of group.

After the Group Stage, the top two teams from each group, along with the top eight third-place finishers (determined by tournament the tiebreaking procedure) will advance to a 32 team knockout bracket. The First and Second Rounds will be contested over one leg, and the Quarterfinals-Finals will be contested as a two-leg aggregate series. Players who fail to reach the knockout stage will be placed in a consolation bracket.

Tournament Format - Xbox Premier Division

The Xbox Premier Division features 35 teams. The Group Stage will consist of nine groups, eight of which will contain four teams, with the remaining group consisting of three teams.

After the Group Stage, the top two teams from each group, along with the top six third-place finishers (determined by the tournament tiebreaking procedure) will advance to a 24 team knockout bracket. The First and Second Rounds will be contested over one leg, and the Quarterfinals-Finals will be contested as a two-leg aggregate series. Players who fail to qualify for the knockout stage will be placed in a consolation bracket.

Tournament Format - PC Premier Division

The PC Premier Division features 8 entrants. The Group Stage will consist of two groups, each consisting of four teams. The Knockout Stage format for the PC Division will be announced within the next week, prior to the start of the tournament.

Tournament Format - Playstation SmallWorld Second Division

The Playstation SmallWorld Second Division consists of 16 teams. The Group Stage will consist of four groups of four teams. Each team will play three group stage matches, one against each opponent in their respective groups.

After the Group Stage, the top two teams from each group will advance to an 8 team knockout bracket. All matches in the knockout stage will be contested over a two-leg aggregate series. Players who fail to qualify for the knockout stage will be placed in a consolation bracket.

Tournament Format - Xbox SmallWorld Second Division

The Xbox SmallWorld Second Division consists of 14 entrants. The Group Stage will be made up of four groups, two groups of four teams and two groups of three teams. Each team will play three group stage matches, one against each opponent in their respective groups. In the Groups of Three, each player will play one additional crossover match against a team in another Group of Three, meaning that each participating team will play three matches during the group stage, regardless of group.

After the Group Stage, the top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage. All matches in the knockout stage will be contested over a two-leg aggregate series. Players who fail to qualify for the knockout stage will be placed in a consolation bracket.