UPA Manual of Tournament Formats
Four Teams
Copyright (c) The Ultimate Players Association, 1994
Please direct comments on this document to Eric Simon
(70540.1522@compuserve.com).
- For Regional Championships:
- Even though there are only four teams, two days of play are expected
for teams that will be competing for spots at nationals.
- One team advances:
- Use 4.1 on the first day, and 4.3 the second day.
- Two or three teams advance:
- Use 4.1 on the first day, and 4.4 the second day, the modified
double-elimination. This is a very exciting format because, on the
second day, there is a game for first place (in the second round),
and, in the third round, there is only one game: the match for
second place.
- For Sectional Championships:
- Whether or not there are two days of play depends on the
characteristics of the section. See the discussion of
"A One-Day or Two-Day Format".
- One day format:
- one team advances: Use 4.2.1.
two teams advance: Use 4.2.2.
three teams advance: Use 4.2.1.
four teams advance: Use 4.2.1.
- Two day format:
- one team advances: Use 4.1 on the first
day, and 4.3 the second day.
two teams advance: Use 4.1 on the first
day, and 4.4 the second day.
three teams advance: Use 4.1 on the first
day, and 4.4 the second day.
four teams advance: Use 4.1 on the first
day, and 4.4 the second day.
1 2 3
- - -
1 - 3 2 4 1 v 3 2 v 4
2 - 4 1 3 1 v 2 3 v 4
3 - 1 4 2 1 v 4 2 v 3
4 - 2 3 1
If the top two teams are advancing you probably want to have the 2-3 game
last, since that is the most important game. If you are trying to choose a
winner, or the top team out of the four-team pool, the 1-2 game should be
scheduled last.
Who plays who in the first round should be dependant upon whether 2nd place
"matters" or not. For example, if, say, all you are choosing is a winner,
or, all four teams are advancing and all you are accomplishing with the
round-robin is seeding for the four teams, you might schedule 1-4 and 2-3
for the first round. However, suppose the top two teams advance. In that
case 2-3 is a very important game, and it would be better not to schedule
it for the first round. A first round of 1-3 and 2-4 would be
preferable. If, say, second place is crucial for some reason or another,
you would want to play 1-3 and 2-4 the first round, and have the two
winners each play each other the seond round. In that way, one of the
third round games may be "the game" for second place.
- First round:
- 1-4 and 2-3.
- Second round:
- winners play losers. In other words, the winner of each game plays the
loser of the other game. This will increase the chances pof two
undefeated teams playing each other in the third round.
- Third round:
- the remaining game of the round-robin.
- First round:
- 1-3 and 2-4.
- Second round:
- winners play losers. In other words, the winner of each game plays the
loser of the other game. This will increase the chances of two
undefeated teams playing each other in the third round.
- Third round:
- the remaining game of the round-robin.
This should never be used alone. A team should never be eliminated from a
tournament after losing only one game. On the other hand, this is a fairly
typical format for use in the second half of a tournament.
1 -----
A -----_
4 ----- _
C _ -----
2 ----- _ first place
B -----
3 -----
This format is very exciting if second place matters. Alone, it doesn't
offer much. A team that loses two games is finished. But it has its place
if used as the second day of a tournament where you have eliminated down to
four teams the day earlier.
1 ----- LA -----
A -----_ D -----_
4 ----- _ LB ----- E _ ------
C _ ----- _ second place
2 ----- _ first place LC -----
B -----
3 ----- loser of game E is third place