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The Soccer Tournament, or TST, is a new soccer competition that takes place in the USA. The tournament features a 7-on-7 format, with six outfield players and a goalkeeper on the field for each team. The inaugural TST competition took place in 2023 and featured both women's and men's, as well as some mixed-gender teams. The tournament is organized by the same individuals who put together The Basketball Tournament (TBT) and offers a $1 million cash prize for the winners, with a separate prize for the men's and women's divisions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Format | 7v7 |
| Teams | 32 |
| Players | 10-18 per team |
| Matches | 118 |
| Duration | 6 days |
| Location | WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, NC |
| Fields | 7 |
| Field dimensions | 65 yards x 45 yards |
| Goal dimensions | 6' x 12' |
| Rules | No offsides, no sliding tackles, no punting or drop-kicks by goalkeepers, throw-ins replaced by indirect free kicks, rolling substitutions |
| Prizes | $1 million winner-take-all for men's and women's divisions |
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What You'll Learn
The tournament format
The format will be similar to that of the current FIFA World Cup, with the 32 teams drawn into a group stage featuring eight groups of four. The top two teams from each group will advance to the 16-team knockout stage, which will contest a single-elimination bracket to determine the winner.
The chief tiebreaker for group stage play is the head-to-head record, with goal differential the next decider. TST's most notable rule quirk is the scoring method. If the target is not reached after 5 minutes, one outfield player from each team exits the field until only one is left on each team, with the process repeating every 5 minutes until the winning goal is scored.
Additional rule changes compared to regulation football include the prohibition of sliding tackles, the prohibition of punting or drop-kicks by goalkeepers, throw-ins being replaced by indirect free kicks, and the absence of an offside rule. Teams in the tournament usually feature a mix of retired, active, and junior players, as well as sportspeople from other sports.
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The rules
The TST format is similar to the FIFA World Cup, with 32 teams drawn into eight groups of four. The group stage is followed by a 16-team knockout stage, with the top two teams from each group advancing. The tournament features 20-minute halves, and if a game ends without a winner, an "Elam Ending" is enforced, where one player from each team is removed to create a more open game. This process repeats every five minutes until a goal is scored.
Other rule changes include the prohibition of sliding tackles and punting or drop-kicks by goalkeepers. Throw-ins are replaced by indirect free-kicks, and there is no offside rule. Unlimited substitutions can be made at any point during the game, similar to rolling substitutions in hockey.
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The players
Teams often bear the brand of an existing football team, but there is no restriction on whether players have ever had a relationship with that team. For example, the team delegated by Wrexham A.F.C., called the "Wrexham Red Dragons", included both the current goalkeeper Mark Howard, former player Lee Trundle, and Scottish international George Boyd, who had no former affiliation with the club.
The 2024 tournament was bigger, with separate men's and women's divisions, meaning more teams and players. The men's division featured 48 teams, while there were eight teams in the women's division.
The inaugural TST competition in 2023 featured both women's and men's, as well as some mixed-gender teams. The men's teams in 2024 included AFC Bournemouth, Borussia Dortmund, Villarreal, Plymouth Argyle, and Wrexham Red Dragons.
The women's teams in 2024 included North Carolina Courage, who, along with North Carolina FC, were taking part in the tournament on their home ground of WakeMed Soccer Park.
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The history
The Soccer Tournament (TST) is a new soccer competition that began in 2023. It is a 32-team, 7-on-7, World Cup-style tournament featuring six outfield players and a goalkeeper on the field for each team. Rosters can feature between 10 and 18 players for each team, with unlimited substitutions allowed at any point during the game.
The inaugural tournament in 2023 featured both women's and men's, as well as some mixed-gender teams. The 2024 tournament was bigger, with separate men's and women's divisions, meaning more teams and more games. The tournament is organised by the same individuals who put together The Basketball Tournament (TBT), which began in 2014 and has since increased in popularity. TST hopes to replicate this success, bringing well-known clubs and players, adopting new rules, and creating a fun and engaging atmosphere for fans.
TST is financially backed by former U.S. national team player Clint Dempsey and NBA star Chris Paul, giving it an extra boost in publicity. The tournament has a $1 million winner-take-all cash prize, which is the second-biggest purse in North American soccer. The prize money is meant to entice big-name participants and create intrigue. The tournament also features music, food, games, exclusive meet-and-greets, coaching clinics, autograph signings, and more.
TST's most notable rule quirk is its scoring method. If a target number of goals is not reached after 5 minutes, one outfield player from each team exits the field until only one is left on each team. This process repeats every 5 minutes until the winning goal is scored. Other rule changes include the prohibition of sliding tackles, the prohibition of punting or drop-kicks by goalkeepers, throw-ins being replaced by indirect free kicks, and the absence of offside. Teams in the tournament usually feature a mix of retired, active, and junior players, as well as sportspeople from other disciplines.
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The location
The Soccer Tournament, or TST, is a new soccer competition that takes place in the USA. The inaugural competition was held in 2023, and the tournament returned in 2024.
TST takes place at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina. The complex features seven TST-sized fields, and is also the home of North Carolina Courage of the NWSL, and North Carolina FC of the USL Championship. Cary is in the Research Triangle, formed by Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill.
The 2024 tournament, which took place from June 5 to June 10, featured 48 men's teams and eight women's teams. The men's teams played two group stage games on the first day of the tournament, with the first kickoff at 8:30 am ET and the final kickoff at 10 pm ET. The women's final was held on June 10 at 7 pm ET, followed by the men's final at 8:30 pm ET.
The fields at WakeMed Soccer Park are 65 yards by 45 yards, much smaller than the FIFA-recommended size of 115 yards by 74 yards. The TST goals are also smaller than the FIFA standard, measuring 6 feet by 12 feet instead of 8 feet by 24 feet.
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Frequently asked questions
TST stands for The Soccer Tournament. It is a new 7-on-7 soccer competition that takes place in the USA. The tournament features a mix of retired, active, and junior players, as well as sportspeople from other disciplines.
The rules of the TST tournament differ from those of regulation football. For example, sliding tackles, punting or drop-kicks by goalkeepers, and throw-ins are prohibited. There is also no offside rule. One of the most notable rule quirks is the scoring method.
The TST tournament takes place over 6 days, usually in June. The 2024 tournament was held from June 5 to June 10 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina.
The winner of the TST tournament is awarded a $1 million cash prize.
