FULL: 2026 MLS Soccer tourney
Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2026 5:03 am
Welcome to the 2026 Major League Soccer season…
PRIZES...
1,000 CC credits to the MLS Cup champion
250 CC credits to the MLS runner-up
250 CC credits to the Supporters Shield winner
100 CC credits Most Goals Scored in Regular Season
100 CC credits Most Shutouts in Regular Season
TOURNEY RULES
Signups—30 teams
FORMAT: 1 vs. 1 play
ELIGIBILITY: Open to all players, although I ask freebies to keep pace with the flow of the tourney — typically five maps per week. If you start falling behind I will go to the reserves list at my discretion.
HOME FIELD MAPS: Sequential order, 20-round limits and no polymorphic … the rest is up to you.
REGULAR SEASON: The season will follow along with the MLS regular season, which consists of 34 total matches. Opening Day for MLS is Feb. 21 and the season continues through October. It's the longest season of the North American sports.
• Scoring is based on a five-map system (see below).
Each map gives you a power boost for a certain area of the field — Forwards, Midfielders, Coaching, Defenders, and Goalkeeper with a score ranging from +1 to +5 available in each area.
• Once all five maps are complete an official soccer score will be tallied by awarding one goal for each full +4 earned.
The five maps will be divided this way …
2 (F/MF) — home field map selected by the player at the start of the season
1 (C) —preset geographical map based on the location of your franchise*
1 (D) -- random map*
1 (GK) — 2014 World Cup*
• settings for these three maps will be escalating, chained, foggy
* 20-round cap for all maps
The preset map will be listed with the franchise in team sign-ups.
Players are asked to list their home field settings upon sign-ups.
Here’s is the bonus breakdown
Win in 5 or less rounds — +5
Win in 6-7 rounds — +4
Win in 8-10 rounds — +3
Win in 11-14 rounds — +2
Win in 15+ rounds — +1
• Scoring example…
Forwards — Portland wins in 8 (+3)
Midfielders — Portland wins in 14 (+2)
Defenders — San Jose wins in 12 (+2)
Goalie — Portland wins in 7 (+4)
Coaching — San Jose wins in 10 (+3)
FINAL SCORE: Portland 2, San Jose 1
Portland finishes at +9 (two goals)
San Jose finishes at +5 (one goal)
Three points awarded for a win
One point for a tie
Zero points for a loss
PLAYOFFS: The top eight teams in each conference advance to the postseason. Our play will follow the format of the MLS playoffs with the exception of eliminating the wildcard 8/9 match.
• The first round is a best 2 out of 3 matches.
• The remaining rounds are all single-match eliminations.
• The MLS Cup will be a single-match (five-map) showdown played at the home site of the team with the better record.
* in the case of a tie in the playoffs an additional overtime map will be sent. If the game remains tied additional OT maps will be sent until the tie is broken.
OT maps cycle — home team map, geographic map, random map, World Cup map.
Sign-ups ...
MLS2026Invites by David Ball, on Flickr
PRIZES...
1,000 CC credits to the MLS Cup champion
250 CC credits to the MLS runner-up
250 CC credits to the Supporters Shield winner
100 CC credits Most Goals Scored in Regular Season
100 CC credits Most Shutouts in Regular Season
TOURNEY RULES
Signups—30 teams
FORMAT: 1 vs. 1 play
ELIGIBILITY: Open to all players, although I ask freebies to keep pace with the flow of the tourney — typically five maps per week. If you start falling behind I will go to the reserves list at my discretion.
HOME FIELD MAPS: Sequential order, 20-round limits and no polymorphic … the rest is up to you.
REGULAR SEASON: The season will follow along with the MLS regular season, which consists of 34 total matches. Opening Day for MLS is Feb. 21 and the season continues through October. It's the longest season of the North American sports.
• Scoring is based on a five-map system (see below).
Each map gives you a power boost for a certain area of the field — Forwards, Midfielders, Coaching, Defenders, and Goalkeeper with a score ranging from +1 to +5 available in each area.
• Once all five maps are complete an official soccer score will be tallied by awarding one goal for each full +4 earned.
The five maps will be divided this way …
2 (F/MF) — home field map selected by the player at the start of the season
1 (C) —preset geographical map based on the location of your franchise*
1 (D) -- random map*
1 (GK) — 2014 World Cup*
• settings for these three maps will be escalating, chained, foggy
* 20-round cap for all maps
The preset map will be listed with the franchise in team sign-ups.
Players are asked to list their home field settings upon sign-ups.
Here’s is the bonus breakdown
Win in 5 or less rounds — +5
Win in 6-7 rounds — +4
Win in 8-10 rounds — +3
Win in 11-14 rounds — +2
Win in 15+ rounds — +1
• Scoring example…
Forwards — Portland wins in 8 (+3)
Midfielders — Portland wins in 14 (+2)
Defenders — San Jose wins in 12 (+2)
Goalie — Portland wins in 7 (+4)
Coaching — San Jose wins in 10 (+3)
FINAL SCORE: Portland 2, San Jose 1
Portland finishes at +9 (two goals)
San Jose finishes at +5 (one goal)
Three points awarded for a win
One point for a tie
Zero points for a loss
PLAYOFFS: The top eight teams in each conference advance to the postseason. Our play will follow the format of the MLS playoffs with the exception of eliminating the wildcard 8/9 match.
• The first round is a best 2 out of 3 matches.
• The remaining rounds are all single-match eliminations.
• The MLS Cup will be a single-match (five-map) showdown played at the home site of the team with the better record.
* in the case of a tie in the playoffs an additional overtime map will be sent. If the game remains tied additional OT maps will be sent until the tie is broken.
OT maps cycle — home team map, geographic map, random map, World Cup map.
Sign-ups ...
MLS2026Invites by David Ball, on Flickr