The tournament begins with two groups of eight teams. Each team’s final league position determines which knockout competition they enter:
- ALES Cup – Teams finishing 1st to 4th in Group A and Group B
- ALES Jug – Teams finishing 5th and 6th in each group
- ALES Wooden Spoon – Teams finishing 7th and 8th in each group
ALES Cup – Seeded Knockout Format
The ALES Cup bracket will be seeded according to group-stage standings:
- A1 vs B4 – Winner faces B2 / A3
- B2 vs A3 – Winner faces A1 / B4
- B1 vs A4 – Winner faces A2 / B3
- A2 vs B3 – Winner faces B1 / A4
The higher‑ranked team is the home team in the Quarter Final of the ALES Cup with the Semi Final being played at a neutral venue.
ALES Jug – Knockout Format
The four losing teams from the ALES Cup Quarter Finals will enter the ALES Jug Quarter Finals alongside the 5th and 6th placed team from Group A & Group B.
- These fixtures will be determined by a random draw with no seeding being used.
- The Semi Final being played at a neutral venue.
ALES Wooden Spoon – Knockout Format
The four losing teams from the ALES Jug Quarter Finals will then join the 7th and 8th placed teams from the group stage to form the Wooden Spoon Quarter Finals.
- Again, fixtures will be decided via a random draw with no seeding being used.
- The Semi Final being played at a neutral venue.
| No | Home | Vs | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 |
Three Tuns
@ Three Tuns - Table 1
|
|
WR Sports A |
Match Format
All matches follow BlackBall rules and are split into three sections:
- 5 Singles matches
- 3 Doubles matches
- 5 Singles matches
Players are locked into their assigned sections, after which the app will automatically randomise the match order.
This ensures a fair draw and prevents stronger teams from strategically front-loading players during the knockout stages.
Note - this is different to how the current league format has been played all year. This format will return for the League but will NOT be used in the Cup.