The initial stages of the competition are run in pools. The nominated team () is asked to host a mini tournament on one afternoon / evening and arrange for each team to play all other teams in a round-robin format. The length of matches will vary depending on the number of schools in the pool and the time available at the venue.
The scoring system should follow 3 points for a win, one point for a draw and nil points for a loss. If at the end of the mini tournament more than one team is equal on pints awarded then teams should be separated by goal difference and then goals scored. If teams are still level, the winner should be decided by penalty flicks (5 per side) to generate an overall result.
The format of each league may vary and they may be played tournaments, central venue leagues or even fixtures. The format adopted must have the agreement of the majority of schools in each league.