> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.matchely.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Competitions overview

> The six formats, how each decides who plays whom, and what changes between rounds.

A competition has **one sport**, **one format**, and **editions** that follow
one another over time. The organizer creates it; players enter.

## The six formats

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="League" icon="list-ol">
    4 to 100 players. Everyone plays everyone inside their group, round by
    round, with promotion and relegation.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Direct Elimination" icon="sitemap">
    4 to 32. A knockout bracket: lose once and you are out. Can include a
    third-place playoff and a consolation bracket.
  </Card>

  <Card title="World Cup" icon="earth-americas">
    16 to 32. A group stage, then a knockout bracket.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Super 8" icon="layer-group">
    8 players, in **doubles**. Six matches per round, with rotating partners or
    fixed pairs.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Super 4" icon="layer-group">
    4 players, in **doubles**. Three matches — an afternoon's mini-tournament.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Challenge Pyramid" icon="stairs">
    4 to 40. No rounds: you challenge whoever is above you and climb by winning.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Note>
  The sport decides which formats are offered. **Singles** sports (1 vs 1) use
  League, Direct Elimination, World Cup and Pyramid; **doubles** sports (2 vs 2)
  use League, Super 8 and Super 4. In doubles the League forms groups of 4 and
  your partner changes each match, so sign players up in multiples of 4.

  In every doubles format the pairs are formed by the competition itself — there
  is no pair registration. Sports with three or more per side have no
  competition format yet.
</Note>

## How the League works

It is the most used format and the least obvious.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Each round, the division is sorted">
    By the current standings.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Players are split into groups of 4 to 6">
    The best in group 1, the next in group 2, and so on.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Inside the group, everyone plays everyone">
    A group with fewer than 3 players does not play that round.
  </Step>

  <Step title="At the round turnover, players move">
    The top two of each group move up, the bottom two move down. **It happens
    per round, not per edition.**
  </Step>
</Steps>

## How the Pyramid works

You challenge someone up to **three positions above** you. They have 7 days to
answer — a deadline the organizer can adjust per competition. If you win, you take their position and everyone in between drops one.
One open challenge at a time.

## Divisions and editions

**Divisions** separate players by level inside the same competition. They only
exchange players when the organizer chains them into a hierarchy — independent
divisions never do.

**Editions** are the seasons. Closing one freezes the standings, and the next
starts with promoted players in their new places.

## What you see as a participant

The competition's state shows on its card: **Accepting entries**, **In
progress**, **Paused**, **Suspended**, or **Finished**.

<Note>
  To enter, your profile has to be complete **and the competition's sport has
  to be on your profile**.
</Note>