A tournament is an event where participants compete against each other in a series of rounds, with the winner determined by who wins the most games. Gaming tournaments are a great way to find a competitive game and test your skills against other players, but they can also be confusing for newcomers to the hobby. The word “tournament” comes from a medieval martial sport in which opposing groups of mounted and armored combatants fought for a prize using blunted lances or swords.
The modern tournament takes place at a single venue over a set period of time and involves a variety of participants competing in different game events. There are a number of tournament structures available to organizers, and each has its own strengths and weaknesses. The most common tournament is a round-robin format that ensures each participant plays multiple sets. This type of tournament is most useful in group and pool stages that progress into a final bracket stage.
Another popular tournament structure is the single-elimination bracket, in which a player or team is eliminated from the competition after a loss. This type of tournament is more efficient than other methods, but it can be stressful for competitors who face elimination after a single set. It is best used in a group or pool stage of the tournament that advances into a final bracket, and it works well for games with long sets.
In a seeded tournament, players are ranked by their skill level and placed in a specific position in the bracket. This prevents players of similar skill from playing each other in the early rounds and helps create a balanced and fair tournament. Seeding is often done by trusted members of the community who know each player’s play-style and performance in previous tournaments.
An extended tournament can be ongoing for an indefinite period of time or it can be abbreviated to a week, a month, or other set period. This type of tournament can be a great choice for drop-in programs, such as racket clubs or intramurals, where eliminating players is undesirable and the final ranking is less important. It can be more difficult to organize, though, and it can be difficult for the judging team to accurately determine rankings at the end of the event.
A hybrid tournament combines the advantages of ladders and pyramids with the fixed scheduling of round-robin schedules. This type of tournament is best suited for intramural and recreational settings that want to offer the flexibility of a ladder or pyramid system but require a fixed schedule. It is not as effective as a regular ladder or pyramid in competitive situations, however. To learn more about how to run a successful tournament, check out Chapter 7.