The Crusade (autumn, winter 2013-14)

The rules aren't complicated; the grand final is simply a double round-robin tournament. Players are divided by skill level: strong players compete against strong players.

I'm not saying it's difficult, but there are ambiguities in the rules. There's no clear sequence for the tournament. Outline all the stages to avoid any questions. From what I understand in the private messages, there will be a 3rd stage as well :D

Explain all the nuances to everyone; I'm sure many are confused.