Eligibility: All players are available for drafting. For the purpose of this competition, these players are considered at the level when they were in their prime. Each manager gets to pick 13 players to form a squad.
Nationality constraint: No side can field more than one player from each nation (i.e. no Xavi AND Iniesta, although one could be a sub). Before this gets us into a right mess, let's establish the following:
Drafting sequence: in the order the teams have been randomly drawn, down and up, no jumping and starting at the bottom or any of that confusing stuff. Given the size of the pool the advantage should be minimal and more than made up for when reinforcements are picked.
Reinforcements: after the first knockout round all eliminated players go to a pool, the picking order starts from the bottom and three reinforcements are picked altogether (one at a time). After the quarters the winner picks two from the side they beat. After the semis they pick one.
Draft rules
* You have 12 hours to post your draft pick and update the list. If you do not do so, the draft proceeds to the next manager in line and it is up to you to post your draft pick at your earliest convenience.
* From start of round 3 this switches to 6 hours, with each player allowed ONE overrun up to 12.
* When posting your draft pick, please post a picture of the player. You can also briefly explain why you picked this player.
* Once you have posted your draft pick you can't change it and you have to PM the manager next in line to inform him/her that it is his/her turn.
* Once the draft is complete, match threads will be started where each manager's pitch is posted with their match team, tactics and any persuasive arguments why their team has an upper hand over the opposition.
* The content of your pitch should not exceed what can be posted in ONE PM, including the teamsheet. Use links to endless player descriptions and trophy counts if needed.
* Once a player is subbed off he cannot return to the pitch.
* If a player is scheduled to play and no pitch and teamsheet has been sent 12 hours after the end of the previous game, the last one available will be used.
Voting rules
* Everyone can vote in any game, except when it determines their next opponent.
When games are drawn
* The managers have had the chance to prove they were better, they have failed. The vote has been split 50-50 after 24 hours. A lottery is effectively the fairest way.
* A referee is appointed, which could be any eliminated manager or assistant manager currently online. Alternatively, a random poster hanging around both managers agree on.
* Both managers send the referee 6 kickers ordered 1-6 and direction of kick. Also send the direction the keeper dives in for the rival's 6 kicks.
* The possible directions are five: top right, top left, bottom right, bottom left and centre for any Panenka wannabes.
* The referee will post back the result of the kicks, one by one, milking the tension as much as possible.
* Over 5 kicks the probability is they would be drawn, that's why there are six. If still drawn 4 more kickers are drafted, this time under sudden death rules.
Drafted squads:
WEDNESDAY
Cutch vs. MJJ
Brwned vs. EDogen
THURSDAY
Gio vs. Antohan
JakeC vs. Stobzilla
FRIDAY
mightberight vs. DanNistelrroy
KM vs paceme
SATURDAY
NM vs. Isotope
Thisistheone vs. Fergus'son
REINFORCEMENTS FROM ELIMINATED POOL:
Stobzilla - Matthaus, Xavi, Vidic
Antohan - Beckenbauer, Zanetti, Stoichkov
Brwned - Baresi, Eusébio, Krol
Cutch - Edwards, Figo, Redondo
NM - Figueroa, Maldini, Varela
Thisistheone - Cruyff, Garrincha, Irwin
KM - Breitner, Ronaldo, Gerets
DanNistlerooy - Platini, Ferenc Puskás, Davids
QUARTER-FINALS:
WEDNESDAY
Cutch v Brwned
KM v Thisistheone
THURSDAY
NM v Antohan
Stobzilla v DanNistelrooy
SEMI-FINALS:
MONDAY
Cutch v DanNistelrooy
Antohan v Thisistheone
FINAL:
Cutch v Antohan
Nationality constraint: No side can field more than one player from each nation (i.e. no Xavi AND Iniesta, although one could be a sub). Before this gets us into a right mess, let's establish the following:
- A Nation is defined as one that has or has had a national team participating in FIFA competitions (e.g. no Catalunya).
- If a player has played for two NTs, the NT of birth applies (e.g. Di Stefano is Argentinian).
- If a player played for a multi-nation NT (e.g. Yugoslavia), their NT is defined as that of their city of birth. This is so that there is a greater pool of nations to pick from. No debate on ethnicity or heritage will be entertained. It's a football draft, not a politics debate.
Drafting sequence: in the order the teams have been randomly drawn, down and up, no jumping and starting at the bottom or any of that confusing stuff. Given the size of the pool the advantage should be minimal and more than made up for when reinforcements are picked.
Reinforcements: after the first knockout round all eliminated players go to a pool, the picking order starts from the bottom and three reinforcements are picked altogether (one at a time). After the quarters the winner picks two from the side they beat. After the semis they pick one.
Draft rules
* You have 12 hours to post your draft pick and update the list. If you do not do so, the draft proceeds to the next manager in line and it is up to you to post your draft pick at your earliest convenience.
* From start of round 3 this switches to 6 hours, with each player allowed ONE overrun up to 12.
* When posting your draft pick, please post a picture of the player. You can also briefly explain why you picked this player.
* Once you have posted your draft pick you can't change it and you have to PM the manager next in line to inform him/her that it is his/her turn.
* Once the draft is complete, match threads will be started where each manager's pitch is posted with their match team, tactics and any persuasive arguments why their team has an upper hand over the opposition.
* The content of your pitch should not exceed what can be posted in ONE PM, including the teamsheet. Use links to endless player descriptions and trophy counts if needed.
* Once a player is subbed off he cannot return to the pitch.
* If a player is scheduled to play and no pitch and teamsheet has been sent 12 hours after the end of the previous game, the last one available will be used.
Voting rules
* Everyone can vote in any game, except when it determines their next opponent.
When games are drawn
* The managers have had the chance to prove they were better, they have failed. The vote has been split 50-50 after 24 hours. A lottery is effectively the fairest way.
* A referee is appointed, which could be any eliminated manager or assistant manager currently online. Alternatively, a random poster hanging around both managers agree on.
* Both managers send the referee 6 kickers ordered 1-6 and direction of kick. Also send the direction the keeper dives in for the rival's 6 kicks.
* The possible directions are five: top right, top left, bottom right, bottom left and centre for any Panenka wannabes.
* The referee will post back the result of the kicks, one by one, milking the tension as much as possible.
* Over 5 kicks the probability is they would be drawn, that's why there are six. If still drawn 4 more kickers are drafted, this time under sudden death rules.
Drafted squads:
Cutch vs. MJJ
Brwned vs. EDogen
THURSDAY
Gio vs. Antohan
JakeC vs. Stobzilla
FRIDAY
mightberight vs. DanNistelrroy
KM vs paceme
SATURDAY
NM vs. Isotope
Thisistheone vs. Fergus'son
REINFORCEMENTS FROM ELIMINATED POOL:
Stobzilla - Matthaus, Xavi, Vidic
Antohan - Beckenbauer, Zanetti, Stoichkov
Brwned - Baresi, Eusébio, Krol
Cutch - Edwards, Figo, Redondo
NM - Figueroa, Maldini, Varela
Thisistheone - Cruyff, Garrincha, Irwin
KM - Breitner, Ronaldo, Gerets
DanNistlerooy - Platini, Ferenc Puskás, Davids
QUARTER-FINALS:
WEDNESDAY
Cutch v Brwned
KM v Thisistheone
THURSDAY
NM v Antohan
Stobzilla v DanNistelrooy
SEMI-FINALS:
MONDAY
Cutch v DanNistelrooy
Antohan v Thisistheone
FINAL:
Cutch v Antohan
GOLDEN BALL: Diego Maradona
GOLDEN BOOT: Marco van Basten
TOURNAMENT ALL-STAR XI
GOLDEN BOOT: Marco van Basten
TOURNAMENT ALL-STAR XI
Leave it for the matchthreads 
