2 posts tagged with "group stage"

A group stage is the opening phase of a tournament where teams are divided into small groups and play round-robin within each group. The top teams from each group then advance to a knockout bracket. It's the format behind the FIFA World Cup, Champions League, Rugby World Cup, and thousands of local tournaments every weekend.

The most successful tournament format in competitive sports combines two things: the fairness of round-robin groups and the drama of elimination brackets. It's the format behind the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Champions League, and most major esports circuits — and it works just as well for a 12-team community event.