Winning a match and Team PCL group standings
Win 3 of the 4 doubles rubbers to win the match. Group play runs every rubber to get the point difference; knockout stops early. Includes how to read the standings table correctly.
Updated 9/27/2026
Who wins the match
Winning 3 of the 4 doubles rubbers wins the match.
- A 2–2 tie → the Dream Breaker is played. Whoever wins it wins the match, with a final score of 3–2.
- The Dream Breaker is not one of the 4 doubles rubbers, so it doesn't count towards the “win 3 doubles rubbers and the match is over” threshold — to reach it, the 4 doubles rubbers must be 2–2 first. But once played, it is a won rubber like any other, and its points also count towards the match point total — which affects the point difference in group standings.
- A rubber only counts once the referee has pressed “Close”. Reaching the target score without closing does not make the rubber finished as far as the system is concerned.
Group play runs every rubber; knockout stops early
Group play: play ALL 4 doubles rubbers, even if one team has already won the first 3 — the standings need the point difference from every rubber. Knockout: stop as soon as one team has won 3 rubbers; the remaining rubber is not played. In both rounds, a 2–2 tie after the 4 doubles rubbers still means the Dream Breaker is played.
Ranking order within a group
- Points — 1 point for a match won, 0 for a loss. More points ranks higher.
- Point difference — total points scored minus total points conceded, added up across every rubber of every match in the group (including Dream Breaker points).
- Head-to-head — used when exactly two teams are level on both criteria above.
If all three criteria are exhausted and teams are still level (usually three or more teams, since head-to-head can only separate two), the teams are tied and the organisers draw lots to separate them. The system does not draw automatically: the app marks those teams as TIED and the matching slot in the bracket is left empty until the referee team enters the result of the draw. Once entered, the bracket slot is filled immediately.
The "Points" column in the standings is NOT points scored
The "Points" column is the NUMBER OF MATCHES WON. The "Diff" column is the point difference. The "W-L" column is wins – losses. This is the most commonly misread part when comparing groups.
When a group is officially ranked
A group is only ranked officially once every match in it has been closed by a referee. If a match has reached its target score but has not been closed, the app shows a reminder and the group is not ranked yet.
If you see a group with full scores that still isn't ranked, the cause is almost always a match whose rubber has not been closed — tell the referee team to close it.
Frequently asked questions
After winning 3 rubbers, do we still play the remaining one?
In group play: yes, play all 4 rubbers so the point difference is complete. In the knockout: no, stop as soon as 3 rubbers are won.
What is the "Points" column in the standings?
It is the number of MATCHES won, not points scored. The point difference is in the "Diff" column.
What happens if three teams are level on points?
Head-to-head can only separate exactly two teams. With three or more level on both points and point difference, the teams are recorded as TIED and the organisers draw lots to separate them — the bracket slot stays empty until the result of the draw is entered into the app.
The group has full scores — why isn't it ranked?
Almost always because a match reached its target score but the referee has not pressed close. Scores do not close a match by themselves — tell the referee team to close it.
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