UNDERSTANDING
TOURNAMENT
RULES:
A GUIDE FOR NEWBIES
BY MELISSA MCCURLEY
W
hen it comes to tournament play for newbies, the
thought of entering a tournament may cause some
feelings of anxiety. I know – as I felt the same when I first
started playing tournaments. My head was spinning with so
many questions:
• What is skill level vs. age level vs. skill/age level?
• What does double-elimination mean vs. pool play or round
robin?
• What does having a tournament “sanctioned” mean?
• What does a referee do in tournament play?
• Are there linespeople?
• Do tournaments encourage beginner play?
• How do I know what rating I should use when entering?
Once I understood the process and had that first tournament
under my belt, I was hooked. You’ll never forget the natural
high of competing and receiving that first medal. I won mine
with my mom. It was a silver. I was filling in for her normal
partner who was on vacation. As the tournament director
presented our medals, he said to me, “You know, your mom
usually gets gold!”
HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO HELP YOU PREPARE FOR
YOUR TOURNAMENT ADVENTURES.
Skill Level vs. Age vs. Skill/Age. Most tournaments award
three medals – gold, silver and bronze. My mom and I won the
silver in a “Skill Level” USAPA-sanctioned tournament, which
means that everyone in our event was competing at the same
skill level (regardless of age). Skill Level tournaments usually
run at 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, and 5.0, although some events may
have lower levels as well. Again, 3.0 players will play against 3.0
players, 3.5 players will play against 3.5, etc.
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As you might imagine, Age brackets are where all players
are of the same age range, which could be in 5-, 10- or 15-year
ranges (regardless of the skill). For example, you could have a
3.0 50-year-old playing against a 5.0 54-year-old. The ranges are
typically determined based on participation.
Finally, the Skill/Age brackets are considered the most equal
in that players with the same skill set compete against others of
similar age.
Format. My mom and I played in a double-elimination
event, meaning we were guaranteed at least two matches. In the
main draw, matches are best of three games to 11 (win by two
points). Every team that loses a match in the main draw funnels
to the back draw. Back draw matches are one game to 15 points
(switching sides when one team has 8), win by two. The winner
of the back draw gets to compete in the finals against the
winner of the main draw for the gold medal.
We’ve also been in tournaments where the format was round
robin, as there were few participants; you play everyone in your
bracket once in a single round robin and twice in a double round
robin. Winners in round robin formats of USAPA-sanctioned
tournaments are typically determined by matches won, but
if tied, then you look at points won. If there is still a tie, the
tournament director looks at head-to-head results.
Sanctioned Tournaments. Tournaments are either
sanctioned by the USAPA or non-sanctioned. Non-sanctioned
events often have their own formats, so consult with the
tournament director on how winners of round robins are
determined. A major benefit to sanctioned events is the use of
referees for each match.
Referees. So who helps me keep up with what format
I’m in or how many points I am to play? In addition to the
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