How is a league phase different from group stages?

There are no groups: every team faces a different set of opponents while sharing one table. In groups a weak group means an easy route through; in a league phase the draw hands each team one opponent from every pot, so the difficulty of the schedule is comparable for everyone.

How many matches does each team play?

As many as the «matches per team» setting says. The number of rounds is the same or one higher — the extra one is needed when the pairs cannot all be separated within M rounds, and then some teams sit out. UEFA uses 8 matches per team with 36 teams, 144 matches in total. In HoneyCup the layout is suggested automatically for your actual field size.

Who qualifies for the playoff?

The table splits into zones. The top places go straight into the main bracket, the next ones play a qualifying round for the remaining slots, the bottom is eliminated. The organizer sets the boundaries — for example top 8 direct, places 9–24 through a qualifying round.

How does the draw work?

Teams are placed into seeding pots, and the algorithm assigns opponents from different pots so that no pair meets twice. Such a schedule cannot be drawn by hand — HoneyCup builds it from the field size and the number of pots.

Does the format work for any number of teams?

No. The field has to split into equal pots, so there is no valid layout for 11 or 13 teams, for instance. The builder shows which pot and match combinations exist for your field.

← All formatsChampions League

Champions League format (league phase)

One shared table instead of groups, a different draw for everyone.

formula: N × M / 2 + playoff
complexity: advanced
best for: 12–48 teams

How it works

Teams are split into seeding pots, but there are no groups: the draw gives every team one or two opponents from each pot, and all of them share a single table. After an equal number of matches against different opponents, the table splits into zones — the top places go straight to the playoff, the middle plays a qualifying round, the bottom is out. UEFA moved the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League to this format in 2024/25.

Pros

No groups of death: a weak opponent from one pot is balanced by a strong one from another
Everyone plays the same number of matches and is eliminated on the full table, not one group
A single table keeps the tension alive until the last round
Fewer matches per team than a round robin with nearly the same ranking accuracy

Cons

Opponents differ, so comparing points is not perfectly fair
The draw cannot be done by hand — it needs an algorithm that separates pots
A valid layout does not exist for every field size: teams must split into equal pots
The format is new, so zones and qualifying rounds need explaining

When to pick it

01Team leagues: football, futsal, volleyball, hockey
0212–48 teams or players
03A group stage is too short and a full round robin is too long
04You need a long regular season with a playoff at the end

How many matches

Match and round count by participant number — plan your courts and schedule.

formulaN × M / 2 + playoff

N teams × M matches each / 2 = league-phase matches. That takes M or M + 1 rounds: when the pairs cannot all be separated within M rounds, one more is added and some teams sit out in part of them. Add the qualifying round and the main bracket. UEFA uses N = 36 and M = 8 — 144 matches, top 8 straight into the round of 16, places 9–24 through a qualifying round; in the builder that layout fits into 9 rounds of 16 matches.

Participants	Matches	Rounds
8	16	5
16	32	5
24	48	5
32	128	9
36	144	9

Frequently asked questions

How is a league phase different from group stages?: There are no groups: every team faces a different set of opponents while sharing one table. In groups a weak group means an easy route through; in a league phase the draw hands each team one opponent from every pot, so the difficulty of the schedule is comparable for everyone.
How many matches does each team play?: As many as the «matches per team» setting says. The number of rounds is the same or one higher — the extra one is needed when the pairs cannot all be separated within M rounds, and then some teams sit out. UEFA uses 8 matches per team with 36 teams, 144 matches in total. In HoneyCup the layout is suggested automatically for your actual field size.
Who qualifies for the playoff?: The table splits into zones. The top places go straight into the main bracket, the next ones play a qualifying round for the remaining slots, the bottom is eliminated. The organizer sets the boundaries — for example top 8 direct, places 9–24 through a qualifying round.
How does the draw work?: Teams are placed into seeding pots, and the algorithm assigns opponents from different pots so that no pair meets twice. Such a schedule cannot be drawn by hand — HoneyCup builds it from the field size and the number of pots.
Does the format work for any number of teams?: No. The field has to split into equal pots, so there is no valid layout for 11 or 13 teams, for instance. The builder shows which pot and match combinations exist for your field.