The number of teams participating in the first round was increased to 12. There was no 'Wildcard' in the first round, but at the quarter-final stage the highest-scoring losing team gained a spot in the semi-finals.
The number of participating teams in the initial phase was expanded to 12. In contrast to earlier stages, there was no 'wild card' entry in the first round; instead, the highest-scoring losing team at the quarter-final stage qualified for the semi-finals.