> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.squads-space.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Invited slots

# Invited Slots

Invited slots let you bring teams directly into any stage of your tournament, bypassing earlier rounds. This is how major events like FFIC and FFWS operate — pro teams get direct entry to later stages.

## How It Works

When building your tournament roadmap, you can invite teams directly into any stage:

1. Open the stage you want to invite teams to (e.g., Semifinals)
2. Use the **Invite** option to add teams by name
3. Invited teams are reserved a slot in that stage
4. They bypass all earlier stages automatically

The platform adjusts the numbers accordingly. If your Semifinals stage has 12 slots and you invite 3 teams, the remaining 9 slots are filled by teams advancing from Qualifiers.

## Example

**Tournament: Phoenix Cup**

* **Stage 1: Open Qualifiers** — 48 teams, 4 groups of 12, Elimination
* **Stage 2: Grand Finals** — 18 teams, 3 groups of 6, Round Robin

You invite 3 pro squads directly to Grand Finals:

* ⭐ Team Elite
* ⭐ Pro Assassins
* ⭐ Last Season's Champions

The math: 18 total slots - 3 invited = 15 slots filled from Qualifiers. The platform shows "15 advance from qualifiers" on the roadmap automatically.

## Handling Invited Slots in Groups

When setting up groups for a stage with invited teams, you decide how invited slots are distributed:

* **Spread across groups** — invited teams are distributed evenly (e.g., 1 invited team per group). This ensures each group faces some invited talent.
* **Dedicated group** — all invited teams go into their own separate group. This keeps invited and qualified teams apart.

**Example:** You have 12 invited squads entering Semifinals. You can either spread 1-2 invited teams into each of your groups, or create a dedicated "Invited Group" of 12 just for them.

See [Group Creation](/docs/tournaments/group-creation) for more details on group configuration.

## Invited Slots + Open Registration

Invited slots and open registration work side by side with no conflicts:

* Open registration fills the qualifier stages
* Invited teams are placed directly in their assigned stage
* The platform calculates how many teams need to advance from each prior stage to fill remaining slots
* Everything connects automatically through the roadmap

## When to Use Invited Slots

* **Rewarding past champions** — give last season's winners a direct entry to later rounds
* **Pro-am events** — mix professional teams with community qualifiers
* **Sponsor obligations** — some events require certain teams to be guaranteed spots
* **Balancing competition** — ensure strong teams are spread across the tournament

## Related

* [Roadmap Builder](/docs/tournaments/roadmap-builder)
* [Group Creation](/docs/tournaments/group-creation)
* [Creating a Tournament](/docs/tournaments/creating-a-tournament)