---
title: "Sponsor vs. placement: how the binary tree works"
description: "The difference between who referred you (sponsor) and where you sit in the tree (placement), and why they can be different people."
url: https://help.clubaffili.com/en/articles/26-sponsor-vs-placement-how-the-binary-tree-works
collection: "Your Network & Referral Link"
updated: 2026-09-22
language: en
---

# Sponsor vs. placement: how the binary tree works

The difference between who referred you (sponsor) and where you sit in the tree (placement), and why they can be different people.

**Quick answer:** Your **sponsor** is the person whose link you registered with. Your **placement** is your position in the binary tree — under a placement parent, on their left or right leg. Because each position has only two slots, you may be placed under someone other than your sponsor. That's called spillover.

## Two structures, two questions

<table style="min-width: 75px;"><colgroup><col style="min-width: 25px;"><col style="min-width: 25px;"><col style="min-width: 25px;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><th colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p></p></th><th colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Sponsor graph</p></th><th colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Placement tree (binary)</p></th></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Answers</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>"Who introduced this member?"</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>"Which leg receives this member's volume?"</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Shape</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Unlimited referrals per person</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Exactly two legs (left, right) per person</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Used for</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Direct reward, Team Reward generations, Binary qualification (personals per leg)</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Binary points, weak-leg matching</p></td></tr></tbody></table>

## How placement is chosen

When someone registers with your ordinary referral link, ClubAffili places them down the leg you have chosen as your **Placement side** — Left or Right, set in Menu under Your setup, and Left until you change it. It fills the outermost free spot on that side: if your own slot on that leg is already taken, the new member goes underneath the member who is there, and so on down the line.

You can also put one specific person into one specific slot, rather than relying on the default, by inviting them from the Network page. See **Choosing which leg your new members land in** for both methods.

## What spillover means for everyone

-   You remain the **sponsor** — you get the Direct reward and they count as your personal referral for qualification.
    
-   The member whose leg they landed in gets extra **points** from that member's purchases.
    
-   The new member keeps you as sponsor forever; placement is fixed too.
    

## Related questions

**Can I choose which leg a new member goes in?** Yes. Set the side every new referral lands on under Placement side in Menu, or invite one person straight into a chosen slot from the Network page. See Choosing which leg your new members land in.

**Can I move someone after placement?** No. Sponsor and placement are permanent to keep the tree stable and fair. Choose the side before you share your link.

**Someone is under me in the tree but I didn't refer them.** That's spillover from your upline. Their purchases add points to your leg, but they don't count as your personal referral.