tournament

A tournament is a structured competition in which players or teams compete to determine a winner. Participants may enter individually or as squads, and the event is governed by a predefined set of rules and a schedule. Tournaments are common across sports, games, and other competitive activities, and they can be conducted online or offline.

Common formats include single-elimination, where a loss eliminates a participant; double-elimination; round-robin, where participants compete against multiple others with rankings based on results; and Swiss systems, which pair players with similar scores over several rounds to converge on a final ranking. Other formats involve group stages followed by knockout rounds or ladder-style competitions. The choice of format depends on the number of entrants, time constraints, and the objectives of the organizers.

Seeding is used to place strong entrants in later rounds or favorable positions to reduce early matchups between top competitors. Ties are resolved with tiebreakers such as head-to-head results, point or game differentials, or playoff matches. Scoring methods vary by activity but typically count wins, points, or sets won.

Organizers establish eligibility, rules, prize structures, and broadcasting rights. Tournaments range from small local events to large international championships, such as the FIFA World Cup, Wimbledon, esports competitions, and academic contests. Unlike leagues, which run over an extended period with ongoing play, tournaments are usually finite events aimed at crowning a champion.

Variants include open tournaments with unrestricted entry and qualifiers, online-only formats, and mixed formats combining multiple rounds or locations. Tournaments contribute to rankings, qualification for other events, and incentives for participation.