At the IIHF World Championship 2026, the preliminary stage uses a round-robin format within each group. This means that every team in a group plays against every other team in the same group once.
With 16 teams divided into two groups of eight, each group contains eight national teams. During the group stage, each team plays seven games — one against each of the other seven teams in its group.
Points are awarded based on the outcome of each game. Teams typically earn three points for a regulation win, two points for an overtime or shootout win, one point for an overtime or shootout loss, and zero points for a regulation loss. Standings in the group are determined by total points accumulated across the seven games.
If two or more teams are tied in points, tie-breaking criteria are applied. These may include head-to-head results, goal differential, goals scored, or other IIHF regulations.
The round-robin format ensures that all teams have equal opportunities to compete and prove their performance across multiple games. It also creates competitive balance, as playoff qualification is determined by consistent results rather than a single elimination match in the early phase.
At the conclusion of the round-robin stage, the top four teams in each group advance to the quarterfinals, while the lowest-ranked teams may face relegation depending on final standings.
