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Double Elimination

Overview​

A Double Elimination draw gives every participant a second chance. It consists of two linked structures: a main draw and a consolation (losers) bracket. Participants who lose in the main draw feed into the consolation bracket. The consolation bracket winner then plays the main draw winner to determine the overall champion.

In the factory, this draw type is represented by the constant DOUBLE_ELIMINATION.

Structure​

  • Main structure: A standard single elimination bracket.
  • Consolation structure: Receives all losers from the main bracket. Losers from each main draw round feed into corresponding consolation rounds.
  • Championship matchUp: The consolation winner faces the main draw winner. It is the main structure's final round.
  • Decider structure: A single matchUp fed by both the winner and the loser of the championship matchUp, played only when the main draw winner loses it. See The Decider.

Generated structures are named Main, Backdraw (stage CONSOLATION) and Decider (stage PLAY_OFF).

Main Draw (MAIN stage)
  Round 1 losers --> Consolation Round 1
  Round 2 losers --> Consolation Round 3
  ...

Consolation bracket plays out, then:
  Consolation Winner vs Main Draw Winner --> Champion

A participant must lose twice to be eliminated -- once in the main draw and once in the consolation bracket.

The Decider​

If the main draw winner — undefeated so far — wins the championship matchUp, the consolation winner has lost twice and the event is over. If the main draw winner loses it, both have lost once, and they meet again in the Decider.

The Decider is played only if it is needed, and says so when it is not:

The championship matchUpThe Decider
won by the main draw winnerDEAD_RUBBER, both participants seated, so clients never show it as waiting to be played
won by the consolation winnerTO_BE_PLAYED
won against an exit (no loser to send)DEAD_RUBBER
changed, so that the Decider becomes neededits DEAD_RUBBER is cleared
changed, so that the Decider stops being neededbecomes DEAD_RUBBER
changed after the Decider was playedthe Decider's result is removed
clearedTO_BE_PLAYED

A Decider that is not needed may still be played. Clearing its DEAD_RUBBER and entering a result, or entering a result directly, is a change to the Decider itself; it is never undone by the settlement above, which reacts only to the championship matchUp's winner and to the cascade from other matchUps. Only a change to the championship matchUp's winner takes it back.

TEAM events

In a TEAM event the Decider is a dual, played through its lines. A line of the Decider's dual is a change to the Decider itself, so a Decider played through its lines keeps the result they give it (7.8.0).

DEAD_RUBBER here means "not needed", which is not the same as a dead rubber inside a dual — a line whose result cannot matter because its dual is already decided. In a TEAM double elimination both can appear: the Decider dual can be DEAD_RUBBER, and so can lines of any decided dual.

Use Cases​

  • Tournaments that want to guarantee every participant at least two matchUps.
  • Competitive formats where a single bad result should not end a participant's tournament.
  • Esports and gaming tournaments where double elimination is a standard format.

Generation​

const { drawDefinition } = engine.generateDrawDefinition({
  drawSize: 16,
  drawType: 'DOUBLE_ELIMINATION',
});