CueSports International (CSI), parent company of the BCA Pool League, is thrilled to announce that all teams in the BCA Pool League World Championships will now be guaranteed to play at least five matches.* Going two-and-out, or being eliminated early, is a thing of the past. The
2024 BCA Pool League World Championships, which takes place February 21 - March 2 in Las Vegas, will feature the CSI Group Play format for all team divisions.
In a traditional double elimination format, 25% of teams play only two matches, 50% play only three matches, and up to 75% play only four matches. With the CSI Group Play format, every team will be guaranteed to play more. We've been playing a version of this format in our state and regional events since 2021. Participation in those events has increased significantly and post event surveys show that approximately 86% of participants love it!
CSI GROUP PLAY FORMAT
The CSI Group Play format is a two-stage tournament. Stage 1 is a group stage and Stage 2 is a single elimination final bracket.
Stage 1 - Group Play
In Stage 1, teams are randomly drawn into five separate matches while preventing, if possible, teams from the same league playing each other. Each match in Stage 1 consists of 15 total racks for 8-Ball and 9-Ball Teams and 9 total racks for Ladies 8-Ball Teams. The teams that perform the best, determined by the following criteria in the following order, advance to Stage 2.
- Match win %
- Rack win %
- Avg. rating of opposing teams
- Shootout
Wild Card Teams - **Every team has a chance of advancing until the very end of Stage 1**
A number of wild card teams, based on the field size, will also be randomly selected to advance to Stage 2.
Stage 2 - Final Bracket
Teams in the top 30-40%, plus the wild card teams, will advance to the Stage 2 single elimination bracket.
Races in Stage 2 will be as follows:
- 9-Ball Teams (Platinum, Gold): race to 11
- 8-Ball Teams (Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver): race to 13
- 8-Ball Teams (Bronze): race to 11
- Ladies 8-Ball Teams: race to 9
