Vorrunden

Vorrunde, plural Vorrunden, refers to the preliminary round of a sports tournament in German-language usage. The term derives from vor, meaning before, and Runde, meaning round. The Vorrunde is the initial phase in which participants compete to qualify for subsequent rounds.

In common formats, teams are divided into groups or pools for the Vorrunde. Within each group they typically play a round-robin, earning points for wins and draws (for example, three points for a win, one for a draw). The ranking within groups determines which teams advance to the next stage, such as a knockout phase, a Zwischenrunde (intermediate round), or a Finalrunde (final round). Some tournaments feature more than one Vorrunde, with early group stages followed by additional group stages before knockout rounds.

Rules and tiebreakers during the Vorrunde vary by event. If teams finish with equal points, tie-breaks may include goal difference, goals scored, head-to-head results, or playoff games. The exact criteria and the number of advancing teams are defined by the tournament organizers.

The Vorrunde is widely used in various sports, including football (soccer), handball, basketball, and volleyball. In German-language coverage, the group-stage phase of major international tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup or the UEFA European Championship is commonly described as the Vorrunde.

See also: group stage, round-robin tournament, knockout stage.