What is The Soccer Tournament? TST rules, location, prize money for $1 million annual event started in 2023

A new soccer competition is taking place in the USA, and it has already generated a significant amount of hype.

The tournament, known simply as "The Soccer Tournament," or TST for short, played its inaugural competition in 2023 as teams from across the globe came to compete. And it's back for 2024.

TST is organized by the same individuals who put together The Basketball Tournament, or TBT, which began in 2014 and has increased in popularity significantly since then.

The Soccer Tournament now hopes to build on TBT's success, bringing well-known clubs and players, adopting new rules, and creating a fun and engaging atmosphere for fans to enjoy. It is financially backed by former U.S. national team player Clint Dempsey as well as NBA star Chris Paul, giving it an extra punch in the publicity department.

TST will be a 7-on-7 competition in the traditional World Cup format, with a large cash prize at the end to entice big-name participants and create intrigue.

MORE: Full schedule, fixture list, and results for TST 2025

What is the prize money for TST?

The initial allure of The Basketball Tournament was the $500,000 cash prize at the end of the tournament meant to help entice quality players to participate and give the competition some stakes.

Since its debut in 2014, TBT now pays out a $1 million cash prize, although for a few years the prize amount was $2 million.

The Soccer Tournament will begin with the same concept, as there is a $1 million cash prize for the winner of the tournament, paid out entirely to the champions, while all other participants go home empty-handed.

In 2024, the competition added a women's bracket that also features a $1 million cash prize for the winner.

MORE: A full list of teams and notable players competing in TST 2024

When is The Soccer Tournament and where is it held?

The inaugural TST competition has been held on the first weekend of June each year.

The tournament is contested every year in Cary, North Carolina at the WakeMed Soccer Park. The venue is well-known in the U.S. soccer community, regularly hosting NCAA College Cup tournaments.

WakeMed Soccer Park is also the home of NWSL side North Carolina Courage, and has been the venue for U.S. national team matches for the men, most recently in 2018, and the women, most recently in 2017.

How to watch TST 2025

For the 2025 competition, all matches up through the quarterfinals at The Soccer Tournament will be broadcast on the TST YouTube page.

For the semifinals and finals, all matches will be broadcast on ESPN+, including the $1 million matches on both the men's and women's brackets.

TST format and rules

The 32-team, World Cup-style tournament will feature a 7-on-7 format, with six outfield players plus a goalkeeper on the field for each team at any given time. Rosters will feature between 10-18 players for each team, as per the official tournament rules.

Basics

Unlimited substitutions can be made at any point during the game.

There is also no offside rule, which is similar to many 7-on-7 rec leagues across the country.

Format

The format will be similar to that of the current FIFA World Cup, with the 32 teams drawn into a group stage featuring eight groups of four.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the 16-team knockout stage, which will contest a single elimination knockout bracket to determine the winner.

Tiebreakers

The chief tiebreaker for group stage play is head-to-head record, with goal differential the next decider.

Elam Ending

TST's most notable rule quirk is the scoring method. Games consist of two 20-minute halves, with an Elam Ending tacked on. There is an untimed extra period — no clock is running — played after the 40 minutes, and to win the game one of the teams must reach a target score, which is set at one goal more than the total scored by the highest scoring team at the end of the 40 minutes of regulation.

For example, if the score is 3-1 at the end of the 40 minutes of regulation, one of the teams must get to 4 goals to win the game. The untimed extra period will go as long as necessary until a team reaches that total.

However, should 10 minutes pass in the untimed period without a winner decided, one player will be removed from each team to create a more open game, and an additional player will be removed from each side every five minutes until the target goal total is reached.

This concept was adopted to ensure that all games end on a goal. The "Elam Ending" was made popular by TBT to eliminate time-wasting in basketball and encourage exciting finishes to a game. It was first met with skepticism from the basketball community, but has proven a resounding success, with many even hoping it eventually makes its way to the NBA and NCAA levels. (The NBA has used it in its All-Star Game.)

TST all-time $1 million champions for men's and women's

Men's tournament

Women's tournament

2025 TST schedule

The men's group stage will take place from June 5-6, while the knockout stage takes place June 7-9. The winner of the competition will take home the full $1 million cash prize, with all 31 other teams going home with nothing.

The women's bracket, meanwhile, will begin on June 6 with the semifinals on June 8 and the final on June 9.