There are usually 32 participating teams, representing 31 nations (the host nation have two teams represented, A and B) composed of two players each. The participating nations do not have to go through a qualifying tournament in order to join, as they are selected by the organizers. Sixteen teams are seeded; they will face the unseeded teams at the first round.
The individual matches are scotch doubles, and races to nine racks, except for the final which is more than nine racks, with alternating break. The rules used are World Pool-Billiard Association World Standardized Rules for nine-ball, modified for scotch doubles play (players on a team alternate shots; no one shoots twice in a row).