How does a Swiss round tournament work?

The Swiss round tournament is a competition format in which each participant plays a certain number of games, but without direct elimination. Unlike elimination tournaments, each player plays opponents with a similar score after each round, ensuring balanced competition right to the end. This format guarantees a fixed number of games for all participants and a hierarchy of results based on performance.

A Swiss round tournament follows a structured sequence of steps:

  1. Participant registration:
    All players are registered before the tournament begins. Each participant starts with a score of 0. The organizers also determine the number of rounds to be played, often based on the number of participants.
  2. First round:
    Pairings for the first round are usually made randomly or according to an initial ranking (e.g., a pre-established player ranking). Each player plays a game against his opponent, and the results (win, tie or loss) are recorded.
  3. Pairings for subsequent rounds :
    From the second round onwards, players are matched against opponents with similar scores. For example, a player who won the first game will be matched with another player who also won. Our tournament software applies precise rules to prevent two players from playing each other more than once, and to balance out the confrontations.
  4. Calculating scores after each round:
    After each round, results are converted into points. A win is generally worth 3 points, a tie 1 point and a loss 0 points. These scores are cumulated to create a provisional ranking.
  5. Determining the final ranking :
    At the end of the predetermined number of rounds, players are ranked according to their total score. If several players have the same score, tie-breaking criteria, such as resistance (the strength of the opponents played) or goal difference (GD), are used to establish the ranking.

This tournament format ensures that every player plays every round and maintains a balanced level of competition throughout the event, while promoting a final ranking that reflects overall performance.

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