The group + knockout tournament is the classic tournament format: first a group stage in which every pair plays a short mini-league, then a knockout in which the best teams compete for the title. In Slams you pick this by choosing the Tournament format. You play with fixed pairs. Not sure which format is right? Read how to choose a format.
The two stages
In the group stage, every pair is placed in a group and plays a round-robin there: everyone against everyone within their own group. The group standings are based on points (3 for a win), with the games balance as the first tiebreaker and then the number of games won. See also how standings work.
In the knockout stage, the best teams from each group advance to a single-elimination bracket: quarter-final, semi-final and final, plus a separate match for third place. Winners advance automatically as soon as you enter the result, and the losers of the semi-finals play for third place.
Setting up groups
In the part's settings you decide the number of groups or the number of pairs per group, how many teams per group advance to the knockout, the number of courts and the match duration. When you generate, you choose the draw: random or by skill level. If you choose by skill level, Slams spreads the strongest pairs evenly across the groups using a snake draft. More on this in generating a schedule and setting up courts.
Generating the knockout
Once the group matches have been played, you go to the part's final standings and tick which pairs advance. By default, the top two from each group are already ticked. Slams places the group winners as the top seeds, followed by the runners-up and any wildcards. With an odd number of advancing teams (for example 3, 5, 6 or 7), the highest-seeded pairs automatically get a bye to the next round, so the bracket never gets stuck. The bracket supports 2 to 8 teams. If you select more, Slams will ask you to let fewer teams advance.
Good to know
- The matches count towards the player rating, unless you set the part to unrated.
- An injured player can be substituted, with the pair staying intact.
- Share a score-entry link per match, so players can submit their own results.
- If a pair withdraws, the unplayed group matches are cancelled. A walkover in the knockout you score manually.
