BASEL Royale
RULES OF THE GAME
3v3 World Cup Style King Of The Hill Tournament
1. EVENT OVERVIEW
Basel Royale is a 3v3, high-octane, winner-stays-on football tournament inspired by Art Basel & The World Cup Draw
12 teams compete in a World Cup Themed Battle for the hill, climbing through group stages, surviving the Royale rotation, and earning a spot in the Final.
Creativity, flair, culture, and competition live side by side.
Teams: 12
Format: World Cup Group Stage → Basel Royale Hill Stage → World Cup Final
Team Size: 3–5 players (co-ed encouraged)
Field: Small-Sided 3v3
Prize: $1,000 + Basel Royale Trophy
2. TEAM REQUIREMENTS
Co-ed teams welcome, zero restrictions.
Minimum 3 players, maximum 5 players per roster
No roster changes after the first match.
All players must check in and sign the media waiver.
3. WORLD CUP THEMING
Each team will be assigned or will choose a country to represent.
Each group will be named Group A, Group B, Group C, Group D
This is street football meets World Cup fan culture meets Art Basel.
4. UNIFORMS & EQUIPMENT
Teams will be provided with Jerseys
Recommended: shin guards (not mandatory).
Footwear: turf shoes or sneakers (no studs).
Jewelry must be removed or taped.
5. THE FIELD
One small-sided pitch, with a designated:
Hill Zone (center stage)
Challenger Queue
No offside.
Kick-ins replace throw-ins.
6. WORLD CUP GROUP STAGE
12 teams. 4 groups of 3. Top 2 advance.
Games are short, explosive, and fan-friendly.
Match Length: 6 minutes (running clock)
Points System
Win = 3
Draw = 1
Loss = 0
Tiebreakers (in order)
Goal difference
Goals scored
Head-to-head
1-minute golden goal
Penalties (best of 3)
8 total teams move to the Basel Royale Hill Stage.
7. BASEL ROYALE: KING OF THE HILL STAGE
This is the heart of the event.
How Basel Royale Works
One pitch - The Hill - the main stage.
The first match is assigned by draw.
Winner stays on. Each win earns 1 Royale Point.
Loser steps off and returns to the bottom of the queue.
Next challenger enters immediately.
Match Length: 4 minutes (running clock)
Advancement Rules:
Top 2 teams with the most Royale Points go to the Finals.
If games are tied: no points are rewarded to either team
Both teams go to the back of the queue with the incoming challenger at the back of the queue
Environment
Music
Live artist updating the scoreboard.
Food & Drink vendors
Spotlight content
Club Eleven Photo Gallery
8. THE WORLD CUP FINAL
A cinematic ending.
7-minute match
Co-ed teams encouraged
If tied: Golden Goal
Champion wins: 🏆 Basel Royale Trophy 💵 $1k Cash Prize
9. FOULS & FAIR PLAY
This is football + flair, but still structured.
Basic Rules
All fouls = indirect free kick.
No slide tackles.
No aggressive shoulder charges.
Defending players must give 3 steps on free kicks.
Cards
Yellow: 1 minute off (power play).
Second Yellow: Red! The player is removed for the remainder of the event.
Straight Red: Team plays remainder of the match with 2 players. Players may be suspended.
Referee decisions are final.
10. GOALKEEPING RULES
No traditional goalkeeper.
Any player may defend, but:
No handling the ball
No standing inside the crease
11. SUBSTITUTIONS
Rolling subs.
Only from your half.
Must not interfere with play.
12. RESTARTS
Kick-ins (indirect) for sidelines.
Corner kicks allowed.
Kickoff is indirect.
Goals cannot be scored directly from restart.
13. TIMING
Clock does not stop.
Referee may add up to 30 seconds for disruptions.
14. CONDUCT
Basel Royale is:
inclusive
expressive
co-ed
creative
competitive
Zero tolerance for:
fighting
abusive language
targeted harassment
damaging the venue
Players or teams violating these rules may be removed without refund.
15. MEDIA & CONTENT RIGHTS
All participants consent to:
photography
videography
live clips
social media usage
ABFC promotional use
The event will be heavily filmed.
16. LIABILITY
Participation is at your own risk.
ABFC, staff, and venue are not responsible for injuries or lost property.