Define your Match Format
Tournament Structure
Here is what the core structure of a tournament looks like on Toornament:
The match format refers to the management of games within a match. You may set a Match Format on the following levels:
- Tournament
- Stage
- Group
- Round
- Match
A setting will automatically apply to a level and those under it. If not defined at one level, the setting will thus be the one from the level directly above, up to the tournament one if there is none to be found.
If you define your Tournament match format to be Best-of-3, all of your matches will be BO3, in all stages. But if you wish to have your Playoffs Stage played in Best-of-5 and your Grand Finals Match in a Best-of-7, you will set your Playoffs Stage settings to BO5, and the final match's one to BO7, settings that will be used over the general Tournament one.
Here is the Match Format selector at the tournament level. It is also available at every level listed above:
Result and Score
If you are not familiar with the notions of Result and Score, please take a look at our quick dedicated article.
Match Formats
Inherited Format (default)
This is the default option, set to have the match format inherited from the above level. When no other format is set, it works as a "No Games" format.
Calculations
- Calculations depend on the inherited format
No games
This is the most basic format, where matches do not have any game. You simply enter a match winner, and optionally a score.
Calculations
- No Calculations
Single game
Match is composed of a single game, which directly determines the outcome of the match.
Calculations
- None: Manual input of all scores and results (old version).
- Score-based: You set the Game Score, and the Game Result is automatically determined. The Match Score is the same as the Game Score, and the Match Result is the same as the Game Result
- Result-based: You set the Game Result, the Match Result is the same and a Match Score of 1-0 for the winner is displayed. You may set a Game Score, but it's only informative.
Home and away
Match is played in a Home and Away format, where the winner will be the participant with the best cumulative score after 2 games.
Calculations
- None: Manual input of all scores and results (old version).
- Score-based: You set the two Game Scores, Game Results are automatically determined. Match Score is the cumulative scores from both games, and the Match Result is calculated from the Match Score.
Best-of
The match is played in a "Best of" N games, meaning the winner is the participant that has won more than half of the N games.
There is also an option to end the match when one of the opponents has no chance of winning anymore, and unnecessary games are not played.
Calculations
- None: Manual input of all scores and results (old version).
- Score-based: You set the Game Scores, and the Game Results are automatically determined. Match Score is increased by 1 after each game, and the match winner is the one with the best Match Score.
- Result-based: You set the Game Results, and it increases the Match Score by 1 point after each game. The Match Result is calculated from the Match Score. You may set Game Scores, but it's only informative.
Fixed games
The match is played in a fixed number of games, whatever the results and scores, and the winner will be determined after all games are played.
Calculations
- None: Manual input of all scores and results (old version).
- Score-based: You set the Game Scores, and the Game Results are automatically determined. Match Score is calculated by adding all Game Scores, and the Match Result is calculated from the Match Score.
Fixed games (advanced)
This is an 'Advanced' version of the "Fixed games" match format, useful for Battle Royale and Free-for-all tournaments, and detailed in this article.
