Tournament Types

VA Foosball runs three different types of tournaments

Rated A/B Draw Your Partner (RABD) Tournament

Players are divided into 2 groups based on each player's rating. The higher rated players are grouped as "A" players. The lower rated ones are "B" players. A random draw is performed which pairs an A player with a B player to form each team. Rated tournaments use our handicap system to provide a lower rated team with a possible point spot when playing a higher rated team and should, theoretically, give each team a roughly 50/50 chance of winning the match.

Unrated A/B Draw Your Partner (UABD) Tournament

Just like the rated A/B draw tournament, players are divided into 2 groups based on each player's rating. An A player is then paired with a B player to form each team. However, an unrated tournament does not use our handicap system. So there is no mechanism in place which will give a lower rated team a roughly equal chance of winning a match.

Unrated Open Draw Your Partner (UDYP or simply "Open") Tournament

Like the unrated A/B draw tournament, the handicap system is not used for this tournament. Additionally, in an open draw tournament the players are not grouped into an A group and a B group before randomly drawing the teams. This can result in powerful teams when two highly skilled players draw each other and is the most challenging type of tournament for a lower skilled player to participate in.

All tournaments are double elimination

This means you are not out of the tournament until you lose two matches. The first match you play will be 2 out of 3 games, which means the team that wins 2 games first, wins the match. Even though the losing team has now lost 2 games, they have only lost 1 match and are still in the tournament. After the first round, the winning teams move forward into the winner's bracket, and the losing teams are placed into the loser's bracket. When a team in the winner's bracket loses a match, they are moved into the loser's bracket. When a team in the loser's bracket loses a match, they are out of the tournament. The farther you progress in the winner's bracket before losing a match and being placed in the loser's bracket, the fewer matches you will have to play. Examine some of the results brackets on the site to gain a better understanding of double elimination.