Difference between revisions of "World Cup"

Revision as of 08:38, 3 July 2005

The NationStates World Cup is NationStates' longest-running recurring sporting event, dating back to the first half of 2003. Nations from around the NS world at all sorts of different technology levels play football (also known as 'soccer') for the ultimate glory of becoming World Champions. For a direct FAQ on the World Cup, see the World Cup FAQs article.

As of this writing, World Cup 23 qualifying is nearing its end. World Cup 23 proper will take place in Rejistania and Eauz.

The World Cup 24 sign-ups have also been opened.

Procedure

Qualifying

Each World Cup since the third has begun with a qualifying stage including anywhere from approximately fifty to one hundred nations, with eighty being the customary number. These nations are typically divided into eight to fifteen qualifying groups of six to ten nations, depending on the exact number entered. Each nation in a qualifying group plays each other nation in that group once at home and once away (the exception to this rule was World Cup V, where nations in the qualifiers played each other only once). After all matches have been played, thirty qualifiers are determined based on placement in their groups. The first criterion for placement is the number of points earned (three for a win, one for a draw, and zero for a loss). If this results in a tie, the first tiebreaker is goal difference (the number of goals conceded subtracted from the number of goals scored). The next tiebreaker is the number of goals scored. In almost all situations, this is enough to resolve any tie. (If it is not, the results of matches between the tied teams would act as a tiebreaker, and a playoff match would occur if the teams are still tied. This has never been required in the qualifying, although it has been required haphazardly in the group phase, first occurring in World Cup 12 when Halfassedstates beat Liverpool England 2-1.)

World Cup

The thirty qualifiers in addition to the two host nations advance to play in the World Cup proper. The first round (or the group stage, as it is also known) is made up of eight groups of four nations. Routinely, four of these groups play in one host nation, while the other four groups compete in the second. Each nation in a group plays each other nation in that group once. The top two nations in each group advance to the second round, using the same rules as with qualifying. Beginning with the second round (also known as the round of sixteen), a single-elimination format is used. The exception to this is in the semifinals, as the two losing nations in the semifinals still move on to face off in the third-place playoff.

Scoring

Results are determined by using a scorinator of some sort. Excel spreadsheets are the most common method, but the Java program Leagion has been used more often since World Cup 14. The early versions were created in the time of WC14 by World Cup 13 co-host Rejistania. However, World Cup 13 was not scorinated with Leagion but by another Java-coded scorinator called wc13.java. The primary influence on the results is the rank of each nation, though roleplay bonus can also have a moderate effect (the exact influence of each depends on the formula used and hence varies between World Cups).

History

Upon its institution by Ariddia, there was no qualifying stage and no ranking system, in the World Cup, and match results were determined merely by rolls of the dice. This was altered by Total n Utter Insanity in World Cup III, as match results were now generated by Excel spreadsheets with, moreover, a qualifying stage appended to the system. This supplementation enabled more nations to participate at any given time, though to this day only thirty-two attain entrance to the World Cup proper. After qualifiers were introduced, the host(s) of the Cup, in addition to the few highest-ranked nations, automatically participated without need of qualification. Ensuing World Cup VII, this too was modified, and thus only the inherent qualification of the host nation(s) prevailed.

Through World Cup VII, the RP-bonus was introduced.

Related Tournaments: Baptism of Fire Cup, Cup of Harmony, Under-21 World Cup, Eagle's Cup

Hosting

The World Cup Committee

Following reforms proposed by Spaam and passed by the old World Cup Committee (now the Emergency World Cup Committee), all nations who have posted a roster/team sheet (thereby demonstrating active interest in the Cup) in the two previous cups prior to the vote itself get a WCC vote. Members may only be excluded from the WCC by general consensus.

The Emergency World Cup Committee

The Emergency World Cup Committee (EWCC) is made up of representatives from all still-existing nations that have hosted a World Cup at some point in the past. As a lot of these experienced nations hang around in #sport, they provide most of the discussion and ideas for World Cup reform. As such they are consulted in 'Emergency' situations when fast decisions are needed. The nations are:

Notes
^ World Cup VI was slated to be hosted by Kingsford and Spaam, but RL issues prevented this from happening and Lemmitania took over hosting of the Cup. Both Kingsford and Spaam are still EWCC members. World Cup XVI was slated to be hosted by Rejistania and Brazillico, but Brazillico began to become inactive after doing the group draw of the qualifiers and ceased to exist at the end of the world cup. In this case, the Brazillican team was still allowed to participate, but all matches were played in Rejistania. World Cups I through VI were hosted by single nations. All World Cups since then (VII through XX) have had two co-hosts.

^^Vilita and Turori share one EWCC vote, as they are controlled by the same user.

+ World Cup 22 was supposed to be cohosted by South Osettia and Liverpool England, but RL issues got in the way of South Osettia right after the scorination of Matchday 3. South Osettia keeps his EWCC position but was replaced in co-hosting by Vilita and Legalese, who formed the Runner-Up bid for WC22. Liverpool England, Vilita and Legalese continued World Cup 22.

Inactive hosts

The following hosts have lost the right to vote on the EWCC due to inactivity:

• Tanah Burung (WC5)
• Europa Brittania (WC9)

Ex-nation hosts

The following hosts have ceased to exist:

• Alasdair I Frosticus (WC2)
• Al Quds (WC5) ^^^
• Lemmitania (WC6^ (see above), also WC7, WC12)
• Ravenspire (WC9)
• Giant Zucchini (WC10)
• Warnocks Wizards (WC11)
• Kaze Progressa (WC12, WC17)
• The Belmore Family (WC19)

^^^ World Cup 5 was slated to be hosted by Tanah Burung and Al Quds; however, Al Quds ceased to exist before the Cup could start. A single-elimination playoff was held among the eight fourth-place qualifying finishers to determine who would take the co-hosts' place in the Cup, and Bedistan won the spot.

Current Bids for upcoming World Cup

• Druida and Krytenia

Past winners

Plus second and third place as a bonus.

Fast Facts

By defeating Liverpool England in the Semi-Final of World Cup 17, Dance 2 Revolution became the first Post-KPB team (A nation that has only competed in the World Cup since the official use of KPB ranks began in World Cup 12) to make the final. Dance 2 Revolution then became the first Post-KPB team to finish in the top 3 in two separate cups by beating Total n Utter Insanity in the World Cup 19 3rd Placed Match. Melmond is the only other Post-KPB team to finish in 3rd place (World Cup 17). Dance 2 Revolution's World Cup 19 spotlight was quickly stolen by Crystilakere, who will go down in history as the first Post-KPB nation to unseat the veterans and win the World Cup.

Rejistania currently hold the record for most World Cups won (three) and most final appearances (four). Audioslavia currently hold the record for most losses in the final match, having lost all three times (WC12, WC19, and WC20).

The World Cup 22 final will go down in history as one of the most unexpected finals ever, with both nations outside the top 10 in rankings prior to the finals. It has been suggested that the winning scoreline of 4-0 to Sarzonia is the biggest ever in a World Cup final.

World rankings

Originally, the NSWC rankings were determined purely on finishing position in the previous Cup. The defending champions would be ranked #1, the team with the best record in qualifying that failed to qualify would be #33, etc. During World Cup 9, the WCC determined that a new ranking system was needed, but it took a while to come to a consensus. WCXI used the RPR-system. The majority of the World Cup community disliked that approach, mainly because Total n Utter Insanity failed to explain it and because it is highly discouraging for a newb to go 0-0-(number of matches) and the fact that he would be ranked in the top 50 can not really encourage in this cup (this example was exaggerated). Starting with World Cup 12, the KPB ranking system developed by Kaze Progressa with modifications from Bedistan was officially incorporated. The KPB ranking system takes into account the past twelve years of performances in the World Cup and in associated tournaments like the Cup of Harmony and Baptism of Fire.

Fast Facts

The Empire of Vilita became the first to control two nations inside the top 10 of the KPB rankings at the conclusion of World Cup 19. The Emirate of Turori, a colony of Vilita, lost in the Quarter Finals of World Cup 19 to eventual Runners-Up Audioslavia, but their performance as first time hosts earned them a place in the top 10 for the first time, joining their rulers, Vilita. After Vilita won World Cup 20 and Turori made the quarter-finals, the two remained in the top 10 for their third and second consecutive cups respectively.

As of the end of World Cup XXII finals, the top ten nations in the world are as follows:

1. Sarzonia
2. Bedistan
3. Rejistania
4. Vilita
5. Turori
6. Crystilakere
7. Squornshelous
8. Oaker
9. Audioslavia
10. Total n Utter Insanity