Tournament rules

1 Format

Six teams in two groups of three. Each group is a single round robin (3 matches per group). Win 3 points, draw 1, loss 0. The top two in each group reach the semi-finals: Winner A v Runner-up B and Winner B v Runner-up A. Semi-final winners meet in the final.

2 Match length

Group and semi-final matches are 2 × 10 minutes with a 2-minute half-time. The final is 2 × 12 minutes. Kick-off times are on the Fixtures page and update live if the day runs late.

3 Substitutions

Rolling, unlimited substitutions. Players leave the pitch before their replacement comes on, at the halfway line.

4 Cards

• Yellow card: a warning. Two yellows in one match = red.
• Red card: the player leaves the pitch and misses the team's next match.
• Card points count in the fair-play tiebreaker: yellow 1, red 3.

5 Penalties

A knockout match level at full time goes straight to penalties: 3 kicks each, then sudden death. Group matches can end level.

6 Tiebreakers

1. Points
2. Goal difference
3. Goals scored
4. Head-to-head among all tied teams (mini-table)
5. Fewest card points
6. Shoot-out or coin toss, recorded by the organiser

7 Conduct

It's a birthday. Play hard, play fair, respect the officials and each other. The referee's decision is final.

8 Eligibility

Squads of up to 15 players, registered by the captain before the cut-off. A player may only play for one team.