The GGWCUP Point System
To create change, we must change the rules and count what matters.
The GGWCUP is more than just a game. We've reimagined the point system to to champion teams making a real difference for the world!
This is how it works
Champion a Global Goal: Sign up your team and choose one of the UN's Global Goals you'll fight for both on and off the field.
Score points in four categories: Action (your impact and community activities on the chosen Goal), Crowd (fan engagement and spirit), Style (creativity and sportsmanship), and of course, Football Score.
A panel of experts judges will give out the points in the four distinct point categories.
Award Ceremony
At the award ceremony we will recognize and champion the following teams:
The two teams that made it to the Finals: GGWCUP Overall Champion and Runner Up.
The team with the highest action points: Action Champion.
The team with the highest crowd point: Crowd Champion.
The team with the highest style points: Style Champion.
The team with the highest football score: Football Champion.
It is possible for a team to win the Finals and score the highest in one of the four point categories (e.g., Team JUST wins the overall tournament and Team JUST also scores the highest for Action).
We will also track the teams' combined points and announce the total score for the Global Goals.
How to Earn Action Points
All 17 Global Goals are important, and we reward actions for each one.
Before each match day, all team actions will be calculated and contribute to your tournament ranking.
Setting a target is key! While achieving 2,000 people on social media or 500 people face-to-face (including Zoom or online meetups) is considered world-class, you can set a different goal that works for your team. Remember to document your actions!
Before each match, you'll be asked to record your actions, including the number of people you reached and engaged face-to-face.
Don't forget to include the hashtags #ggwcup #takehteball @ggwcup and the local tournament hashtag in your posts.
Action Points Breakdown:
1 point: Your team met up for practice at least once, played football, and shared a few social media posts about your efforts towards your chosen Global Goal.
3 points: You organized 2-5 in-person activities related to your Goal and engaged 1,000 people (including social media) to #taketheball with you.
5 points: Your team met and played regularly (3+ times per month), actively engaged people on social media, and organized at least 5 face-to-face activities to promote your Global Goal. These activities can be hosted by individual team members or the entire team, and digital meetups count!
Speak up and share your journey. Engaging with fans, family, and everyone you meet about your chosen Global Goal is crucial. Every time you inspire someone to take action (in person or online), you raise awareness and create positive change.
Team Let Us Bee from Madrid, Spain, playing for Global Goal 15 Life On Land.
“We visited school Gredos San Diego de la Suerte Primary School (6 to 12 years) and Kinder Garden (5 years old) a total of 1.000 children plus teachers. Each boy and girl took a plant home and we also left 3 more for the class to look after together.. The action plan in the schools where very positive for all of us and created awareness of not only the global goal 15 we spoked about other goals and also about respect of the planet, animals, insects, humans and take care of the water, recycling paper and plastics. For the girls and boys that were up to 8 years old also we spoked about respect and equality between girls and boys, same possibilities and rights now and when they are older, and to finish about gender violence. It was a really good experience.” – Natalie.
How to Score Crowd Points
When "We The People" take massive and collective action, we can accelerate change. This point category is our collective contribution to breaking statistics and bias on how we normally talk and showcase women in sports. Today women in sports take up only 4 % of the sports news.
Crowd points are given after each match and inspired by your team’s crowd and fans. Be aware that it is not just about being the loudest. Crowd points are awarded based on how the teams and the fans engage with each other, fair play, love, and being creative.
Crowd Points Breakdown:
1 point: You show up with your team on match day and support each other. Being a team is a powerful change maker.
2 points: You brought family, friends or co-workers to support your team.
3 points: Your fans are dressed up and have props that show their love and support for your team and your Global Goal.
4 points: All of the above plus your fans have that extra love to engage and show support to other teams.
5 points: All of the above - and surprise the crowd in ways to connect for the bigger purpose of the Global Goals.
No Fans. No Problem.
If you are a traveling team, you can still score crowd points by bringing and engaging props (and a song, a sign, a dance) to the pitch - and share your vision for the crowd. Win their hearts.
We will look at all teams' social media activities, the number of people you reached, and bring that into consideration when giving the crowd points, but most points are given because of what happens on match day.
Win the Crowd Sprint!
Your team receives a special GGWCUP social media toolkit to use for the Crowd Sprint. Each sprint runs for 4 days, and the team captain receives a toolkit for each sprint.
During the 4-day sprint period, make sure to use the included hashtags and other content from the relevant toolkit.
Crowd Sprint Points Breakdown:
1 point: All team players share one of the posts from the toolkit.
3 points: Create a team social media post (picture or video) and have all team players share it (ideally 5-8 times). We encourage you to use the text from the toolkit as a starting point.
5 points: Get creative! Create a post that gets shared by your fans and includes the Crowd Sprint tags and your social media handle. Aim for a fan wave!
A few days after the sprint closes, we will send a questionnaire to the team captain to learn more about your activities and fan engagement.
We understand that teams have different resources and outreach capabilities. To ensure fairness, all teams will be scored based on the effort they put into growing their community during the sprint.
We will ask you about:
The number of followers gained.
Your reach. The total number of unique people who have seen your social media content.
Your impressions. The number of times your content is displayed, no matter if it was clicked or not.
Your engagement rate. This measures the performance of a piece of content, which is calculated by the interactions (likes, comments, shares) on a piece of content divided by the number of users following the account.
If you use Instagram, make sure your profile is converted to a “business account” (it is free). That will give you access to all the data and details for the individual posts you create and share.)
How to Score Style Points
We reward creativity on the field! Think beyond traditional uniforms and showcase your Global Goal through your outfits.
The team captain receives a questionnaire before match day. However, to ensure fair judging, please also inform the referee table about any upcycled or recycled materials used in your team's uniforms.
Style Points Breakdown:
1 point: Your team playfully expresses its Global Goal through your uniforms. This could be through hats, colors, or even creative accessories!
3 points: Your team has upcycled or recycled at least 50% of the materials used in your uniforms.
5 points: The ultimate style icons! You not only meet the criteria above but also go above and beyond to impress with your creativity.
How to Score Football Points
The GGWCUP is a street amateur tournament for all-women teams from all walks of life and all skill levels.
The teams you will play, might have different football experiences than your team - and they might be older or younger than you. Always play at a level that will allow everyone to be the best player they can be.
Football Points Breakdown:
1 point: To the team who lost the match.
2 points: To EACH team in case of a tie in the qualification matches.
3 points: To the team who won the match no matter how many goals scored.
What Happens in Case of a Tie?
The total score across the four categories (Crowd, Action, Style, Football) determines which teams advance to the Quarter Finals.
Your team will play in a group with 4-6 other teams. You'll play each team in your group. The two teams with the highest total points from each group will progress to the Quarter Finals.
The total score in the four point categories will determine the teams that will qualify to move on to the Quarter Finals.
Knockout Stages (Quarter Finals, Semi Finals, Finals):
We will use an American penalty kick competition to decide the winner after a tie match. A tie occurs only when the total points for both teams are equal.
What is an American Penalty Kick (Shootout)?
Penalty kicks are all about staying calm under pressure. We encourage every player to practice and discuss who will take the kicks and the order.
The Rules:
The ball is placed in the middle of the field.
The shooter dribbles towards the goal before shooting.
Only the goalkeeper defends the goal and must stay on the goal line.
If the goalkeeper saves the shot, the other team gains possession. The ball is not live if it rebounds back to the shooter.
If the shooter scores, a goal is awarded.
Penalty Kicks in Group Stage Tiebreakers
If a group stage tie involves more than two teams, each team will have 3 penalty kicks. Three players will be chosen from each team to take the first set of kicks, with teams taking turns.
If the score is still tied after 3 penalty kicks per team, a sudden-death format will commence. Each team will take one kick at a time until one team has a higher score after an equal number of kicks.
GGWCUP Saudi Arabia 2021
Code of Conduct
When the two teams get onto the field to play a match, the referee gathers them in the middle to celebrate the Goals and greet each other and the referee. Each team says their team name, where they come from, and the Goal they play for.
After each game the teams meet again in the middle, say thank you for a fair game, and receive the match score/points in the four categories.
Each team will play 3-4 games.
There are 5 players from each team on the field at a time.
A team can substitute freely throughout the match.
The goalkeeper can use hands. Read the FAQ here.
After a score the ball will be given from the middle. The referee will start the game.
No hard tackles are allowed. This will give a free kick to the other team.
If the ball goes out of the pitch there will be a kick in, instead of thrown in.
It is always the HOME team that starts each match.
The match result will be announced by the commentator and/or on screens.