3F Gold Cup

The 3F Gold Cup is an fictional annual knockout association football competition in men's domestic American football. First held in 2015-16, the competition is open to any eligible club in both Tiers of the 3F League. The tournament consists of three randomly drawn rounds followed by the semi-finals and the final. Entrants are not seeded, although a system of byes based on league level ensures higher ranked teams enter in later rounds - the minimum number of games needed to win the competition ranges from three to five.

Winners receive the 3F Gold Cup trophy and book a spot in the 3F Kick-Off Match. The cup has yet to be won by any team, in the 2015-16 season, the teams remaining in the competition are the Charioteers and the Stealth.

History
On 1 July 2015, 3F Commissioner Millard Fosstentraitor proposed a new structure for knockout, post-season cup play. Each of the 3F League's two Tiers would have its own league cup: the 3F Silver Cup in the 1st Tier, and the 3F Bronze Cup in the 2nd Tier. On top of these two cups, there would be a 3F Gold Cup that included both Tiers.

Eligibility
The competition is open to any club in the 3F League system which meets the eligibility criteria. All clubs entering the competition must also have a suitable stadium. It is very rare for clubs to miss the competition, although it can happen in exceptional circumstances at the request of a club. Canadian and Mexican sides that play in the 3F League are also eligible to compete.

Overview
Beginning in October, the competition proceeds as a knockout tournament throughout, consisting of three rounds, a semi-final and then a final, in June. A system of byes ensures clubs in the 3F 1st Tier above sixth place enter the competition at later stages. There is no seeding, the fixtures in each round being determined by a random draw. The first two rounds are qualifiers, with the draws organized on a regional basis. The next round is the "proper" round, where all clubs are in one draw.

Schedule
Entrants from the bottom two levels (9 and 10) begin the competition in the Extra Preliminary Round. Clubs from higher levels are then added in later rounds, as per the table below. The months in which rounds are played are traditional, with exact dates subject to each year's calendar. The final is normally held two Saturdays after the conclusion of the 3F Silver and Bronze Cups.

3F Kick-Off
The 3F Gold Cup winners earn a spot in the 3F Kick-Off, the traditional season opener played against the previous season's 3F 1st Tier champions (or the 1st Tier runners-up if the Gold Cup winners also won the league - the double).

Venues[edit]
Since 2016 the FA Cup Final has been held at Fosstentraitor Stadium.

Fixtures in the four rounds of the competition are usually played at the home ground of one of the two teams. The final is played at a neutral venue.

Competition rounds
In the matches for the four competition rounds, the team who plays at home is decided when the fixtures are drawn - simply the first team drawn out for each fixture. Occasionally games may have to be moved to other grounds due to other events taking place, security reasons or a ground not being suitable to host popular teams. In the event of a draw, the match will go to extra time and penalties if necessary.

Final
The final has been played at Fosstentraitor Stadium.

Trophy
The eventual winners of the competition receive the 3F Gold Cup; it is only loaned to the club by the 3F, under the current (2015–16) rules it must be returned by May 31 of the following year.

The name of the winning team is engraved on the silver band around the base as soon as the final has finished, in order to be ready in time for the presentation ceremony. Traditionally, at the finals, the presentation is made at the Royal Box, with players, led by the captain, mounting a staircase to a gangway in front of the box and returning by a second staircase on the other side of the box.

Current design
It's pretty swagged out.

Medals
Each club in the final receives 30 winners medals to be distributed among players, staff, and officials, except that a player receiving a red card is not eligible to receive one.