How are ties broken in a group's standings?

Only by the games between the tied teams: head-to-head result, difference and points for in those matchups, not the overall difference against the rest of the group. It's resolved automatically when the group is complete, and if they haven't all played each other yet you can set the order by hand.

Can the best third-placed teams from all groups qualify?

Yes. If the bracket size is larger than groups × qualifiers per group, the remaining gaps are filled with the best next-placed teams compared across all groups, for example the two best third-placed teams.

3x3 tournament formats and brackets

The competition system is set per category, not for the whole event: you can run a league in U10 and a knockout bracket in senior within the same tournament. This guide explains the available formats, how groups are drawn and the bracket is seeded, and how ties are resolved.

1 Choose the format
2 Adjust the parameters
3 Draw groups / seed the bracket
4 Generate the games

Set per category. Once you generate the games, the groups and the seeding are locked.

01The four formats

League — round robin.
League + Knockout — league and then a bracket between the best teams.
Groups + Knockout — group stage and then a bracket. The most common in 3x3.
Knockout — straight bracket, no previous stage.

With open registration the usual approach is to pick it when registration closes, once you know how many teams there are. Until then the category shows as No format.

02Rounds (league and groups)

You decide how many times each pair meets: 1 round (everyone plays everyone once), 2 rounds (home and away, swapping host and visitor) or 3. In Groups + Knockout the rounds only affect each group's mini-league; the knockout stage doesn't change.

03Groups: how many and who advances

With a group stage you configure three things:

Groups or teams per group — automatic or to your own measure.
Advance per group — how many qualify from each one.
Final bracket size (KO) — between 2 and 64 qualifiers.

Here's the useful part: if the bracket size is larger than groups × advancing, the gaps are filled with the best next-placed teams compared across all groups — the classic "best third-placed teams". And the bracket doesn't need to be a power of 2: if it isn't, it rounds up and the top seeds go straight to the next round with a bye. With 12 teams you don't have to force an 8-team bracket or invent a play-in.

04Draw the groups

Once the format is saved, it's time to form the groups: random or manual by dragging teams. If you don't like the draw, redraw as many times as you need. The app warns about empty or unbalanced groups and won't let you generate the games while any team is unassigned. If you've filled in the team's FIBA ranking, you'll see that information at that moment, to separate the seeds correctly.

05Seed the bracket

In knockout formats the bracket is seeded: define the seeds either randomly or manually, with the option to redraw or switch from one mode to the other before closing. You can include the third-place game (requires a bracket of at least 4 teams).

Knockout bracket of a category: two semifinals (1A-2B and 1B-2A) feeding the final. — **Knockout bracket** — drawn only from the qualifiers; here, two semifinals into the final.

06Generate the games

With the groups drawn or the bracket seeded, generate the games. From that moment the groups and the seeding are locked, and you can now schedule the event calendar.

If you later save a different format, the bracket is regenerated and the games are deleted for that category, including scheduled or played ones with their results. The app warns you and asks for written confirmation.

07Standings and tiebreakers

The tiebreaker looks only at the games between the tied teams, and is resolved differently depending on the mode: strict (as in FIBA) or free (head-to-head result, difference and points for in those matchups). It's applied only when the group is complete; if not all those games have been played yet, the app tells you.

Group standings: Group A and Group B with the “Qualify (top 2)” label and columns GP, W, L, PF, PA, +/- and Pts. — **Group standings** — marks in green who advances; the “Qualify (top 2)” label shows how many go through from each group.

Two settings that avoid surprises:

Points cap in the average — limits how many points from a game count towards the average, so a blowout doesn't distort the ranking between evenly matched teams (in official rules, 21).
Hide PA and difference — leaves the public standings with only points for and classification points, useful in official tournaments where reaching 21 is the only goal.

Frequently asked questions

Does the bracket have to be 4, 8 or 16 teams?

No: from 2 to 64, and if it isn't a power of 2 the best teams advance with a bye.

How are ties broken in a group?

Only by the games between the tied teams once the group is finished.

Can the best third-placed teams qualify?

Yes of course — the best 2nd, 3rd, 4th… teams, whatever you decide in your game format.

Can I do the groups and the draw by hand?

Yes, both allow manual mode and can be repeated before generating the games.

Can I change the format once the bracket is generated?

Yes, but regenerating deletes that category's games and their results.