Glossary
Key terms and definitions used throughout the platform.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Phase | A stage of the tournament (e.g., Swiss rounds, elimination bracket). A tournament can have multiple phases. |
| Round | A set of matches within a phase. All matches in a round are played simultaneously. |
| Pairing | A match assignment — which players face each other in a given round. |
| Pod | A group of players at the same table. Used in draft (for card drafting) and multiplayer (for games). |
| Bye | An automatic win given when there are not enough opponents. The player does not play a match. |
| Swiss | A pairing system where players with similar records are matched. No elimination. |
| Top Cut | Transition from Swiss to elimination. Only top-ranked players advance. |
| Standings | The ranking of all players by match points and tiebreakers. |
| Match Points | Points earned from results (wins, draws, losses). The primary ranking criterion. |
| Tiebreaker | Secondary criterion for ranking players with equal match points. |
| Drop | Voluntarily withdrawing. Dropped players skip future rounds but keep past results. |
| DQ | Disqualification. Forced removal by a judge or organizer. |
| Seed | A player's ranking position, used for bracket placement. |
| Snake Seeding | Pod formation method distributing top players across pods evenly (1st goes to pod 1, 2nd to pod 2, then direction reverses). |
| Self-Reporting | Players report their own results without staff intervention. |
| Bo3 (Best-of-3) | A match format where the first player to win 2 games wins the match. |
| Mirror Display | A live screen projected at the venue showing pairings, standings, and timer. |
| Join Code | A short code or QR that players can use to register for a tournament. |