A tournament is usually a competition in which two or more competitors, each playing an independent game or sport, compete against each other. More specifically, the word can be used in either of two competing senses: as in a tournament competition or as in single combat. The word competition has always been around; probably because it has a technical root, which is “to strive or endeavor” – in this context, to strive for victory. Thus, competition can be thought of as a type of pre-emptive war. This makes the term seem to imply that a battle is being fought, when it can simply mean two people playing a sport.
To describe the process of a tournament, we first need to bring ourselves back to the basic idea. In a tournament, teams of players are set up into groups or teams. Within each group or team, players compete against each other, in a manner of speaking. However, in most tournaments, rounds are used instead of individual games. When the tournament progresses to the final rounds, teams are further divided into subgroups based on their performance during the rounds.
The actual tournament itself is the main event, and these are called fixtures. In many tournaments, fixtures are arranged according to teams’ rankings in the initial rounds. In the case of live events, where fans don’t get to participate in the matches themselves, fixtures can be arranged according to popularity. In this way, the importance of the draws is reduced.
The actual tournament happens when the matches have been played to exhaustion and there is no further need for competition. The players may choose to quit the tournament rather than continue to play. In this case, their game results are not determined, since there is no competition after the tournament. When this happens, the player’s standing is not affected, and they may choose to withdraw from the tournament.
There are two types of tournaments: playoff and knock-out. In playoff tournaments, teams are drawn in equal groups. For each game, one team is given the option to eliminate the other teams from the tournament. If a team qualifies for elimination, that team’s match is next in line. Knock-outs, on the other hand, start with a particular number of teams, and teams are forced to play each other until a winner is found.
There are various different kinds of fixtures in a tournament. In general, the best teams qualify for the finals. The playoff matches are much easier, since only the better team has a chance of reaching the final. A knock-out tournament allows the losers to continue playing, while hindering the favorites.