Knockout cup
A knockout is the classic cup: lose a match and you are out, win and you go through to the next round until two are left for the final. Seeding keeps the strongest players apart until the end, and byes fill the draw when the numbers do not fit.
How it works
- 1Players are seeded, strongest first, or drawn at random
- 2The draw is sized to the next of 2, 4, 8, 16 or 32
- 3Spare places become byes, given to the top seeds
- 4Winners go through until the final
Byes
Twelve players in a 16 draw means four byes. The top four seeds go straight into the second round; nobody plays a bye as a match.
Questions
How many matches does a knockout need?
One fewer than the number of players. Sixteen players: 15 matches over 4 rounds.