The Empire Cup follows a League + Knockout Playoff format designed to reward consistency during the league stage and excellence in the playoffs.
League Stage
* Every team will play one match against every other team in the competition.
* Teams earn points as follows:
* Win: 3 Points
* Draw: 1 Point
* Loss: 0 Points
* At the end of the league stage, teams will be ranked according to the official tie-breaker rules.
Playoff Stage
The Top 8 teams with the highest number of points will qualify for the Playoffs.
The Playoffs will follow a Single-Elimination Knockout format:
* Quarterfinals
* Semifinals
* Grand Final
The winner of each match advances to the next round until one team is crowned Empire Cup Champion.
Knockout Seeding
The playoff bracket will be seeded based on the final league standings:
* 1st vs 8th
* 2nd vs 7th
* 3rd vs 6th
* 4th vs 5th
Knockout Match Rules
* Knockout matches cannot end in a draw.
* If the match is tied after regulation time, Extra Time and, if necessary, Penalty Kicks (according to the official FC26 competition settings) will determine the winner.