General Tournament Structure
By AlphaZealot | Published: May 21, 2008 10:10pm EST
 Most large tournaments run using pools that seed brackets. Let’s take a look at how Melee FCD, from the 2007 MLG Underground Smash Series, ran the singles tournament. Number of players: 256 Round 1: 32 pools of 8 players each, the top 4 players from each pool advance Round 2: 16 pools of 8 players each, the top 4 players from each pool advance Round 3: 8 pools of 8 players each, the top 4 players from each pool advance Round 4: 32 player double elimination bracket This structure is one of the most efficient and accurate ones available for tournaments. The first round of pool play is generally randomly seeded. Each subsequent round though is seeded based on the previous round. If you placed third in your last pool then your next pool will contain two players who placed first, two players who placed second, one other player who placed third, and two players who placed fourth. The biggest advantage of this system is that the number of matches each person plays at a minimum is quite high. Assuming you lose every single match, you will play no less than 14 matches, or seven sets. Compare this scenario with a double-elimination only bracket, where you are guaranteed no less than four matches, or two sets. MLG’s 2006 Smash Pro Circuit ran in a similar fashion. Aside from the New York Playoffs, which ran a 196-person, double-elimination bracket, all the rest of the events were run with pool play leading into brackets. There were two rounds of brackets in 2006, the Open Bracket, which players who advanced out of pool play went into, and the Championship Bracket, where 16 professional players would meet 16 players who made it out of the Open Bracket. Large underground Smash tournaments also offer a few advantages over professional events. First, they usually have much more time available for free play, allowing you to meet and play people from all over the country. Second, multiple-day Smash tournaments, such as Melee FCD, often provide food each day. All this helps create a larger sense of community, as players can enjoy both playing and eating with each other. |
