The 2025-2026 IATF Integrated Tournament Circuit
The schedule of IATF Integrated Tournament Circuit events is as follows:
Grand Slams
Event | Host | City | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
Urban Open | Urban Axes | Baltimore, MD, USA | Aug 1-3, 2025 |
UK Open | Valhalla North Axe Throwing | Newton Aycliffe, England, UK | Aug 15-17, 2025 |
Asia Pacific Axe Throwing Championship | MANIAX Axe Throwing | Inner West, Sydney, NSW, AUS | Sep 19-21, 2025 |
The Choptober Challenge | Chopper's Hatchet House | Cherry Hill, NJ, USA | October 2025 |
Golden State Grand Slam | LA AX | North Hollywood, CA, USA | February 2025 |
US Championship | ChillAxe | Pittsburgh, PA, USA | March 2025 |
The top 4 finishers from each of these events’ marquee tournaments will be reserved a spot in Rounds 1 & 2 of the Wilson Cup.
Majors
Event | Host | City | Date | Grand Slam |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Alberta Argy-Bargy | True North Axe Throwing | Lethbridge, AB, CAB | April 10-11, 2025 | Golden State Grand Slam 2026 |
Space City Shootout | BATL Axe Throwing | Houston, TX, USA | April 18-20, 2025 | Golden State Grand Slam 2026 |
The Resurrection | Axcadia Axe Throwing | Bridgwater, Somerset, UK | April 18-20, 2025 | UK Open 2025 |
Countess Cup | Chopper's Hatchet House | Cherry Hill, NJ, USA | April 25-27, 2025 | Urban Open 2025 |
BATL Royale | BATL Axe Throwing | Vaughan, ON, CAN | May 3-4, 2025 | Urban Open 2025 |
Midwest Major | Perplebunny's Axe House | Inver Grove Heights, MN, USA | May 17-18, 2025 | Urban Open 2025 |
The Clash | The Cut Axe Throwing | College Station, TX, USA | July 18-20, 2025 | Golden State Grand Slam 2026 |
Urban Open: Swiss Tournament | Urban Axes | Baltimore, MD, USA | August 1-3, 2025 | Choptober Challenge 2025 |
BAT Outta Hell | Battle Axe Throwing | Wollongong, NSW, AUS | August 1-3, 2025 | APATC 2025 |
Shieldmaiden Slam | Valhalla North Axe Throwing | Newton Aycliffe, England, UK | August 15-17, 2025 | UK Open 2026 |
Unicorn Classic | The Range | Priddis, AB, CAN | August 30, 2025 | Golden State Grand Slam 2026 |
Labour Day Classic | The Range | Priddis, AB, CAN | August 31, 2025 | Golden State Grand Slam 2026 |
Charlotte Open | BATL Axe Throwing | Charlotte, NC, USA | September 2025 | Choptober Challenge 2025 |
Florida Man Games | Game of Axes | Boynton Beach, FL, USA | September 20-21, 2025 | Choptober Challenge 2025 |
Red, White, and Bullseyes | Urban Axes | Boston, MA, USA | September 26-28, 2025 | Choptober Challenge 2025 |
Three Ring Circuit* | Detroit Axe | Detroit, MI, USA | October 10-12, 2025 | US Championship 2026 |
Major Tournament | MANIAX Axe Throwing | Newstead, Brisbane CBD, QLD, AUS | October 31 - November 2, 2025 | APATC 2026 |
Pink Ribbon Classic | Axe Thro Co | San Diego, CA, USA | November 2025 | Golden State Grand Slam 2026 |
Urban Ladyblades | Urban Axes | Durham, NC, USA | January 2026 | US Championship 2026 |
Urban Madness | Urban Axes | Durham, NC, USA | January 2026 | US Championship 2026 |
Battle Axe Open* | Battle Axe Throwing | Wollongong, NSW, AUS | January 2026 | APATC 2026 |
Seattle Throwdown | Axe Kickers | Seattle, WA, USA | January 2026 | Golden State Grand Slam 2026 |
Winter Axe Games | Game of Axes | Boynton Beach, FL, USA | February 2026 | US Championship 2026 |
Going Up Cup | LumberJaxs Tamworth | Tamworth, England, UK | February 2026 | UK Open 2026 |
Warriors' March To Glory | Warriors Axe Throwing | Cobourg, ON, CAN | March 2026 | Urban Open 2026 |
Adeline Cup | ChillAxe | Pittsburgh, PA, USA | March 2026 | Urban Open 2026 |
The winner from each of these events’ marquee tournaments will be reserved a spot in Rounds 1 & 2 of the 2025 Wilson Cup.
* These majors include two marquee tournaments that will each reserve the winner a spot in the Wilson Cup.
Bids from the Integrated Tournament Circuit (Grand Slams, Majors, and Regionals) are for Rounds 1 and 2 of the Wilson Cup. Throwers with a bid from the circuit must participate in Round 1 for seeding purposes. They are guaranteed a spot in Round 2 regardless of their performance in Round 1.
These throwers are not included in the league play qualification pool at any qualifying club.
Trickle Down Procedure for Grand Slams and Majors
The goal of the IATF Integrated Tournament Circuit is to promote competition outside of players’ local leagues, promote different skill levels of competition, and to provide more opportunities for the best players in the world to secure placement at the International Axe Throwing Championship (IATC), including in Round 2 of the Wilson Cup.
The IATF procedure for awarding bids to the Wilson Cup, Grand Slams, and IATC feature tournaments for the first two years of the circuit has been as follows:
- Grand Slams: The top 4 throwers are awarded bids, in order, starting with the 1st place thrower.
- If a thrower has placed in a Grand Slam to earn a Wilson Cup bid and they have earned a bid from a previous Major, Grand Slam, RATC, or IATC, the bid will trickle-down to the next eligible thrower.
- Majors: The top thrower from a Major tournament is awarded a bid to the Wilson Cup. The top 2 throwers, excluding the thrower awarded the Wilson Cup bid from the same tournament, are awarded bids to a pre-determined Grand Slam.
- If a thrower has placed in a Major to earn a Wilson Cup bid and they have earned a bid from a previous Major, Grand Slam, RATC, or IATC, the bid will trickle-down to the next eligible thrower.
- The Grand Slam bids trickled down, in order, from the Wilson Cup bid, regardless of prior bids won.
- Feature Tournaments: The top thrower from a feature tournament that has a corresponding tournament at IATC will receive guaranteed into that tournament at IATC.
- This bid does not trickle-down.
This procedure was effective in its simplicity as we navigated the first two years of the Tournament Circuit. However, based on feedback from throwers and tournament hosts, and the imminent introduction of the Tournament Rank, we have updated the procedure to be more nuanced. This new procedure honors the Tournament Circuit goals of rewarding the top throwers of any given tournament, while also spreading opportunities to new throwers.
Grand Slams
The top 4 throwers from the Marquee tournament are awarded bids, in order, starting with the 1st place thrower.
If a thrower has placed in a Grand Slam to earn a Wilson Cup bid and they have earned a bid from a previous Major, Grand Slam, RATC, or IATC, the bid will trickle down to the next eligible thrower.
Example 1: Alice has earned a Wilson Cup bid from a prior Major tournament.
1st | Alice | Skipped |
2nd | Dan | Wilson Cup |
3rd | Marietta | Wilson Cup |
4th | Chong | Wilson Cup |
Tied-5th* | Kelvin | Wilson Cup* |
Tied-5th* | Christine | No bid* |
*See section on tie-breakers
Example 2: Marietta & Chong have earned Wilson Cup bids from prior tournaments.
1st | Alice | Wilson Cup |
2nd | Dan | Wilson Cup |
3rd | Marietta | Skipped |
4th | Chong | Skipped |
Tied-5th | Kelvin | Wilson Cup |
Tied-5th | Christine | Wilson Cup |
Majors
The top thrower from a Major's Marquee tournament is awarded a bid to the Wilson Cup. The top 2 throwers, excluding the thrower awarded the Wilson Cup bid from the same tournament, are awarded bids to a pre-determined Grand Slam.
If a thrower has placed in a Major to earn a Wilson Cup bid and they have earned a bid from a previous Major, Grand Slam, RATC, or IATC, the bid will trickle-down to the next eligible thrower.
If a thrower has placed in a Major to earn a Grand Slam bid and they have earned a bid to the same Grand Slam from a previous Major, the bid will trickle down to the next eligible thrower.
Example 3: No previous bids.
1st | Alice | Wilson Cup |
2nd | Dan | Grand Slam |
3rd | Marietta | Grand Slam |
4th | Chong | No bid |
Tied-5th | Kelvin | No bid |
Tied-5th | Christine | No bid |
Example 4: Alice has earned a bid to the Wilson Cup from a prior tournament.
1st | Alice | Grand Slam |
2nd | Dan | Wilson Cup |
3rd | Marietta | Grand Slam |
4th | Chong | No bid |
Tied-5th | Kelvin | No bid |
Tied-5th | Christine | No bid |
Example 5: Alice has earned a bid to the Wilson Cup and the same Grand Slam from a prior tournament.
1st | Alice | Skipped |
2nd | Dan | Wilson Cup |
3rd | Marietta | Grand Slam |
4th | Chong | Grand Slam |
Tied-5th | Kelvin | No bid |
Tied-5th | Christine | No bid |
Example 6: Alice has earned a bid to the Wilson Cup and the same Grand Slam from a prior tournament. Dan and Marietta have earned bids to the Wilson Cup.
1st | Alice | Skipped |
2nd | Dan | Grand Slam |
3rd | Marietta | Grand Slam |
4th | Chong | Wilson Cup |
Tied-5th | Kelvin | No bid |
Tied-5th | Christine | No bid |
Example 7: Alice, Dan, Marietta, and Chong have all earned bids to the same Grand Slam from prior tournaments.
1st | Alice | Wilson Cup |
2nd | Dan | Skipped |
3rd | Marietta | Skipped |
4th | Chong | Skipped |
Tied-5th | Kelvin | Grand Slam |
Tied-5th | Christine | Grand Slam |
Feature Tournaments
The top thrower from a feature tournament that has a corresponding tournament at IATC will receive guaranteed into that tournament at IATC.
If a thrower has placed in a feature tournament to earn an IATC spot and they have earned a spot in this tournament type from a previous Major, Grand Slam, RATC, or IATC, the bid will trickle-down to the next eligible thrower.
Trickle-down procedure specific to Doubles Tournaments:
- Entry into the Doubles Tournament at IATC is awarded to the throwers as a team. In order to redeem this spot, they must register in the IATC Doubles Tournament as a team.
- If an individual thrower wins multiple entries with different partners, only one of that thrower’s teams may accept the entry.
- Trickle-down will only be engaged if the team (both throwers together) have already earned entry into the Doubles Tournament at IATC.
- A team will have the option to decline the bid or self-identify as ineligible to receive a bid. They must follow the procedure outlined in “Players Declining A Reserved Spot”.
Example 8: Alice earned an invitation to the Doubles tournament at a different event with a different partner.
1st | Alice & Kelvin | Doubles Invitation |
2nd | Dan & Christine | |
3rd | Marietta & Julia | |
4th | Chong & Tim |
Example 9: Alice & Kelvin earned an invitation to the Doubles tournament at a different event together.
1st | Alice & Kelvin | Skipped |
2nd | Dan & Christine | Doubles Invitation |
3rd | Marietta & Julia | |
4th | Chong & Tim |
Example 10: Alice & Kelvin earned invitations to the Doubles tournament at a different event with different partners.
1st | Alice & Kelvin | Doubles Invitation |
2nd | Dan & Christine | |
3rd | Marietta & Julia | |
4th | Chong & Tim |
Tie-breakers
In the event that a bid trickles down to a tied spot (eg. 5th place in double elimination), the tie is broken by looking at the following, in order:
- Most rounds won in their final match.
- Fewest number of rounds lost in their last match. If still tied, consider the previous match, etc…
- Thrower who entered the B bracket last (i.e. stayed in the A bracket longer), is the winner.
- Best score in the final match of the tournament.
- Best overall performance in the group stage (if applicable).
- Fewest number of rounds lost in the group stage (if applicable).
If, after examining each tie-breaker element, the throwers are still tied, this is a perfect tie and BOTH throwers will be awarded the bid in question.
Players Declining A Reserved Spot
Throwers who have earned a reserved spot in Rounds 1 & 2 of the Wilson Cup may decline their invitation. This spot is then returned to the general pool of spots awarded to throwers through the League Qualification Path and will be assigned to a member venue according to representation.
Throwers have the option to decline a bid when it is awarded* OR they may self-identify prior to competition as ineligible to receive a bid. If the winning thrower initiates either of these options, the bid will immediately trickle down to the next eligible thrower at the tournament.
*The thrower must decline within 24 hours of the conclusion of the tournament and make their intention clear to the tournament host. Otherwise, the bid will be treated like any other Round 2 invitation and upon refusal, will reenter the general pool of Round 2 bids for League Qualification.