2025-26 Gameplay Policies, Season Structure
The US Quadball Gameplay Department conducts an extensive review of all league gameplay policies and programs from April to August each season. The team has evaluated the gender policy, season structure for USQ-run events, disciplinary policy, and other gameplay policy changes.
The complete list of gameplay policies is available here. Any questions about the structures, policies, or programs in this article can be directed to gameplay@usquadball.org.
HIGHLIGHTS
Gender Maximum Policy: The college division will revert to 4 max during the 2025-26 season.. Club teams will be required to play 3 max unless they opt out of Competitive Division eligibility.
US Quadball Cup 2026 Structure: College D1 and Club Competitive will be 16-team divisions, and College D2 and Club Open will not have a cap on teams. College Open will not be run as a separate division.
Season Structure: Bid allocation has been updated to 12 bids in both divisions. Season play requirements have been simplified slightly.
Disciplinary Policy: A new provision has been added for persistent illegal conduct, i.e. repeat cards for similar offenses, and assigned a value of 1 to 2 games.
Rules: No major rule changes are anticipated for the 2025-26 season.
Timeline and key dates: club teams opting out of 3 max for the season must do so by January 15, 2026.
Evaluation and feedback: Email gameplay@usquadball.org
CREDIT: PAUL SCHIOPU
Gender Maximum Policy
After a review of the 2024-25 USQ season, the Gameplay Team is ready to release an update to USQ’s Gender Maximum Policy. Henceforth, three max (or 3 max) refers to a maximum of three players of a single gender allowed on pitch during the seeker floor, and a maximum of four players of a single gender allowed on pitch while the flag runner is on the field. Four max (or 4 max) refers to a maximum of four players of a single gender allowed on pitch at any time during a game. USQ plans to institute the following policies for the upcoming season:
2025-26 Season
To be eligible for the USQ Cup 2026 Club Competitive Division, teams will be required to play 3 max in all official games.
3 max will not be required for either College Division at USQ Cup 2026. Instead, college teams will be required to play 4 max, as in the 2023-24 season.
The revision of the plan originally announced on Sept. 22, 2024–which would have required college teams to play 3 max during the 2025-26 season in order to be eligible for Division 1–is a strategic decision to reduce barriers for college teams to participate in USQ events. Although the development of women and non-binary athletes remains an organizational priority, USQ has received significant member feedback suggesting that continued implementation of 3 max in the college division could negatively impact the growth of the sport.
To allow for necessary flexibility, the gender maximum policy will continue to be a gameplay policy instead of a rule. For the 2025-26 season, club teams that wish to opt out of the Competitive Division and exempt themselves from the 3-max requirement must either indicate such in their start of season registration or fill out the Opt Out Form. Teams are required to opt out by January 15, 2026, which will be the tournament registration deadline for national qualifiers, to allow the Gameplay Team to develop formats at national qualifiers that minimize games between teams that have and have not opted out. Waivers will not be available for club teams registering for the USQ Cup 2026 Club Competitive Division.
Throughout the 2025-26 season, the USQ Gameplay Team will continue to evaluate this policy, its impact on the sport and community, and how it aligns with USQ’s organizational goals of inclusivity and diversity.
USQ will continue to offer the Women/Gender Non-Conforming Individual Player Grant introduced last season. You can learn more and apply here.
2025-26 Season Structure
QUALIFICATION FOR US QUADBALL CUP 2026
USQ will not cap the number of teams allowed to compete at US Quadball Cup 2026, meaning all teams interested should plan on attending and will be allowed to compete . The tournament will be divided into the following divisions, each with its own participant cap:
College Division 1 (D1): 16 teams
College Division 2 (D2): No cap
Club Competitive Division: 16 teams
Club Open Division: No cap
Uncapped divisions will have a structure designed to obtain a winner, but their primary objective will be to provide all teams with games at or close to their competitive level. These divisions may include a format similar to College D2 at USQ Cup 2025, where teams are placed in stacked pools based on their performance throughout the season, depending on the size of the divisions.
As shown above, the College Open Division has been cut from USQ Cup 2026, due to lack of interest in recent years. Instead, the Gameplay Team will focus on making Division 2 a valuable experience for developing teams, while encouraging college teams to attend Division 1 when feasible. Both divisions are currently planned to include the following two-bracket structure:
8-team single-elimination bracket for the top 8 teams in pool play, to determine the national champion and runner-up
8-team single-elimination bracket for the bottom 8 teams in pool play, to determine the 9th and 10th-place teams in each division
Field space will be available for teams that lose in the first round of bracket play to continue playing against other interested teams.
USQ Cup 2026 bids will be allocated by division as follows:
College
College D1: at least 12 bids will be awarded at national qualifiers, proportional to the number of teams competing at each qualifier. Up to four at-large bids will be assigned based on the USQ Standings as of 11:59 PM ET on Sunday, March 22, 2026.
College D2: no bids will be awarded at national qualifiers. All teams who do not qualify for College D1 are eligible for College D2. NOTE: If a college team requires an official invitation to USQ Cup 2026 from the league for any reason, including to request funding, please email gameplay@usquadball.org.
USQ will use the Huntington-Hill method of apportionment in determining collegiate bid allocation. If the Huntington-Hill method does not yield an equitable distribution of 12 bids, additional bids shall be added until an equitable distribution can be reached.
Club
At least 12 bids to the USQ Cup 2026 Club Competitive Division will be awarded at national qualifiers, proportional to the number of bid-eligible teams competing at each qualifier.
Four at-large bids will be assigned based on the USQ Standings as of 11:59 PM ET on Sunday, March 22, 2026. If a club team that already received a bid to USQ Cup 2026 is attending another national qualifier and that team places high enough to earn a bid, the additional bid they would have earned becomes an at-large bid. It does not go to the next highest-placing team at that event. If a club qualifier does not have the minimum number of teams to compete, USQ will discuss alternative opportunities.
In addition to the above bids, the champion of each national qualifier will be given pot priority at USQ Cup 2025. If the number of champions does not divide evenly into the size of each pot, then the highest-ranked teams in the USQ Standings will fill the remainder of the pot. For example, if three different club teams win national qualifiers, but four teams are needed to comprise each pot, then Pot 1 will be comprised of the three club teams that won qualifiers, plus the highest-ranked club team that did not win any national qualifier.
Per the Gender Maximum Policy, a club team will be required to play 3 max in all official games in order to be eligible for a bid to the USQ Cup 2026 Club Competitive Division. To opt out of this eligibility voluntarily, teams should fill out the Opt Out Form. Teams who opt out of competitive division eligibility may still attend national qualifiers, and games between teams that have opted out will be prioritized to the fullest extent possible. Any team seeking a less-competitive experience at national qualifiers are encouraged to opt out, even if they intend to play 3 max during the season. All teams that opt out of competitive division eligibility are still encouraged to play 3 max when feasible.
NATIONAL QUALIFIER ASSIGNMENTS
For the 2025-26 season, all teams must attend at least one national qualifier to qualify for College D1 or the Club Competitive Division at US Quadball Cup 2026. Teams will be assigned to a national qualifier by USQ. To facilitate this process, college teams will rank their top three choices during team registration, and will only be assigned to one national qualifier*. Club teams will rank up their top three choices upon team registration and can also note if they are interested in attending more than one qualifier. USQ will reach out to confirm a team is still interested in a given qualifier prior to finalizing national qualifier participants.
Qualifier bids will be calculated and publicly announced in early December, along with the list of teams attending each national qualifier. National qualifiers will be allocated bids based on the number of registrants by 11:59 pm PST on December 1. The remaining at-large bids will be awarded in March.
For qualifiers, the official USQ Standings will be used to seed teams as needed. All teams that have not yet played sufficient official games will be counted as unseeded (see Season Play Requirements).
USQ requires a minimum qualifier size for the collegiate division. In the 2025-26 season, the minimum will be five teams. If a national qualifier does not have five college teams committed to attend by Dec. 1, or if the number of collegiate teams drops below five after that point, USQ Gameplay and Events Departments will determine whether a qualifier for that collegiate division will occur. If the collegiate division at a qualifier cannot occur, USQ will establish dedicated at-large bids based on the number of teams registered for that qualifier by Dec. 1.
Additional information regarding national qualifier dates and locations will be added here within the next month.
*In cases where a national qualifier does not have enough collegiate teams to occur, other teams may be allowed to attend that national qualifier in addition to their assigned qualifier. If a college team that has already received a bid to US Quadball Cup 2025 is attending another qualifier, and that team places high enough to earn a bid, the additional bid they would have earned becomes an at-large bid. It does not go to the next highest-placing team at that event.
CREDIT: CASSANDRA EVANS
SEASON PLAY REQUIREMENTS
Capped Divisions at USQ Cup 2026
To qualify for USQ Cup 2026 bids to College D1 or the Club Competitive Division, teams must fulfill season play requirements to ensure that their rank in the USQ Standings roughly reflects their season-long performance. The season play requirements mandate a minimum number of opponents played during the season, a minimum number of games, and competing at a national qualifier. For the 2025-26 season, all games played at national qualifiers will count toward season play requirements for all teams.
Teams who earn bids to USQ Cup 2026 at a qualifier must complete the following standard season play requirements by March 29, 2026 to confirm their place in the division for which they earned the bid:
Compete in at least eight USQ official games,*
Compete against at least six different USQ official teams,*
And attend three events, including a USQ national qualifier.
Teams that do not earn bids for USQ Cup 2026 must complete the following extended season play requirements in full by March 22, 2026 to be eligible for an at-large bid:
Compete in at least 10 USQ official games,
Compete against at least eight different USQ official teams*,
And attend four events, of which one must be a USQ national qualifier.
Teams aiming to earn an at-large bid can reduce their season play requirements back to the standard season play requirements by competing against at least one opponent who competed at a different national qualifier. They must still complete these requirements in full by March 22, 2026 to be eligible.
*Club teams will only be able to fulfill this requirement by competing against other club teams. College teams may use games against club teams to count for these requirements. Cross-division games (college vs. club) will not count for the USQ Standings.
Uncapped Divisions at USQ Cup 2026
Club teams interested in the open division and college teams interested in the College D2 will not have season play requirements, but are encouraged to attend official events before USQ Cup 2026. Unofficial teams that wish to compete in the open division should contact events@usquadball.org.
USQ National Qualifiers
In order to be seeded at a national qualifier, all teams must have played a minimum number of official games, as indicated below. For national qualifiers, the official USQ Standings will be used to seed teams as needed. All teams that have not yet played the required number of official games will be considered unseeded and will be ranked below all seeded teams.
Two weeks before attending a national qualifier, official teams wishing to be seeded at that qualifier will be required to:
Compete in at least five USQ official games
Compete against three different teams
Attend two USQ-official events
Complete the referee and flag runner requirements
Additional information on gameplay policies is available here.
Disciplinary Policy
As a result of improving scorekeeping practices and infrastructure, including the use of Quadball.One, the USQ Gameplay Team has added a provision in the Disciplinary Policy for Persistent Illegal Conduct, which is defined as repeat cards (any color) for similar offenses. This provision has been assigned a suspension level of one to two games. The intent of this provision is to discourage players from attempting to consistently push the boundaries of specific rules on a game-to-game basis. For the purposes of multiple offense modifiers for repeat offenders of this provision, each issued suspension for persistent illegal conduct will only count as one single “offense”.
Additionally, the USQ Gameplay Team has reviewed the existing Disciplinary Policy and has made the following slight changes, as listed below:
Sexual harassment and groping have been removed from Verbal and Physical Offenses, respectively, and replaced by a Sexual Misconduct (Verbal or Physical) section, which includes a link to the USQ Unlawful Conduct Policy.
Text regarding the review process has been simplified.
Video evidence is now explicitly called out as part of the review process.
The complete Disciplinary Policy can be found on the Gameplay Policies and Forms website page.
Existing Gameplay Policies
Please review the full Gameplay Policies and Forms website page for information about key policies that are not changing from the 2025-26 season. This website includes the official game requirements, roster submission requirements, game appeal policy, forfeit procedure, fair play policy, tiebreaker policy, equipment waiver form, and concession policy. Members must also abide by the official member code of conduct and unlawful harassment policy.
The 2025-26 season will be played under USQ Rulebook 2025, which will be released alongside officials certification on Sept. 3. There will be no major rule changes.
Timeline and Key Dates
The following are general deadlines for season play requirements and other gameplay policies:
Dec. 1, 2025, at 11:59 pm ET: Registration deadline for national qualifier bid calculation
Jan. 15, 2026, at 11:59 pm ET: 3-max opt out deadline and national qualifier registration deadline
March 22, 2026, at 11:59 pm ET: At-large gameplay requirements deadline
March 29, 2026, at 11:59 pm ET: season play requirements deadline
March 29, 2026, at 11:59 pm ET: USQ Standings freeze for USQ Cup 2026 seeding
March 30, 2026, at 11:59 pm ET: Registration deadline for USQ Cup 2026
April 12, 2026, at 11:59 pm ET: Roster deadline for USQ Cup 2026
The following deadlines apply to an event with official games. All forms referenced live on the Gameplay Policies and Forms page:
At least four weeks before the event:
Submit the game or tournament to USQ using the USQ Event Submission Form
All official games/tournaments are required to be submitted
If you are hosting an unofficial game/tournament and would like it featured on the USQ calendar and social media, you must submit the game and/or tournament to USQ
Appoint a certified tournament director
If applicable: submit the USQ Event Sanctioning Application
Late responses will no longer be accommodated
One week before the event:
If applicable: Alert USQ to the need for a shortened pitch
Wednesday evening before the event:
Participating teams must submit their rosters
Info on roster submission will be shared with tournament directors and teams prior to their tournament. A spreadsheet will be shared by the tournament director and teams will enter their roster information.
24 hours before the event:
Any changes to a participating teams roster after submission on Wednesday must be emailed to membership@usquadball.org. Participating team rosters are locked 24 hours before the event.
Participating teams must have a fully certified coach. Coaches should have upgraded or purchased coach membership by Wednesday evening
Two days after the event:
Submit post-event forms and scores to USQ
If applicable: Email any forfeits at tournament to gameplay@usquadball.org
The deadlines for the team referee and flag runner requirements vary and are as follows:
Teams must complete the team referee and flag runner requirements by the season play deadline for that specific event (two weeks before the event).
If a team does not complete these requirements by the deadline, it must complete them by 24 hours before its next scheduled official event or risk losing their ability to attend the event. In cases of potential disqualification, USQ will set a timeline on a case-by-case basis and communicate to affected teams.
2025-26 Season USQ National Qualifiers and USQ Cup
Information on all upcoming USQ National Qualifiers dates will be made available here by Sept 3. This includes detailed additional deadlines for teams to be aware of (including hotel stay and play, tournament registration, etc.).
USQ Cup 2026 will take place at Placer Valley Soccer Complex in Roseville, California on April 18-19, 2026. The event is hosted in partnership with Placer Valley Tourism. Information on deadlines for teams to be aware of will be made available here.
Evaluation and Feedback
The Gameplay Team is continually evaluating possible changes to the USQ season structure. Some changes that the team evaluated for the 2025-26 season which were not implemented, but may be considered for future seasons, include:
Incorporating a two-women minimum within the Gender Maximum Policy for club teams
Reintroducing the club circuit points framework (previously used in the 2019-20 season)
Separating the club and college seasons (i.e. separate qualifiers and championship tournaments)
Minimum gameplay requirements for individual players to be eligible for the Club Competitive division
Reducing the maximum roster size for club teams
Inclusion of a double-elimination bracket format for some divisions at USQ Cup
Your feedback is important to us so we can make adjustments where necessary. Please do not hesitate to contact USQ with questions, comments, thoughts, or ideas at gameplay@usquadball.org. Questions and comments about Tournament Director Certification or hosting an event can be emailed to tdcertification@usquadball.org.
Quadball is your sport, and you always have the opportunity to positively impact the direction it grows. If you’re interested in joining the gameplay department and helping to guide the league’s gameplay structures and policies, or have interest in helping USQ in another department, you can learn more about opportunities available here.
