Competition formats

All competition formats

The organizer picks a format when creating a category, and that choice decides how many matches a player gets, and whether one loss ends their day.

Knockout

Entrants are drawn into pairs, either at random or seeded by rank. The winner goes through and the loser is finished.

For organizers

Suits: Events that must finish quickly, with few tables or half a day to play
Takes: 128 players/teams
Example: 16 players → 15 matches · 4 rounds

For players

You play: At least 1 match · win every one and you play as many matches as there are rounds, or one fewer if you had a first-round bye
If you lose: One loss and you are out. There is no third-place match.
Following it: Follow your own bracket and next opponent on the event page

Round robin

Everyone plays everyone, nobody is eliminated, and the system ranks the table itself — including deciding entrants who finish level on points.

For organizers

Suits: Leagues played over several weeks, or a small group who all want to meet
Takes: 24 players/teams — the number of matches grows very fast with the field
Example: 12 players → 66 matches · 11 rounds

For players

You play: Every pairing, the same number for everyone
If you lose: Nobody is eliminated; a loss does not end your event
Following it: Follow the standings table, updated on every new result

Groups + knockout

Small groups play a round robin first — groups may be different sizes — and then the top of each group goes into a knockout bracket.

For organizers

Suits: Large events finishing in one day, where everyone should play several matches
Takes: 128 players/teams · 2–8 per group
Example: 72 players → 16 groups of 4–5 · places 1–2 go into a 32-entrant bracket · 128 group matches, then 31 more in the bracket

For players

You play: In the groups you play one match fewer than the size of your group, and qualifiers play on in the bracket
If you lose: You can lose in the first stage and still play out your group, but one loss in the bracket ends it
Following it: Follow your group's standings first, then the bracket once the organizer closes the group stage

Points stage + knockout

You play the number of matches the organizer set, drawn at random against opponents you never face twice, all scored in one table; the top of it goes into a knockout bracket.

For organizers

Suits: Open events where everyone should play the same amount, without groups
Takes: 128 players/teams · the organizer sets how many matches are played and how many qualify
Example: 24 players, 4 matches each → 48 matches · top 8 qualify, then 7 more in the bracket

For players

You play: You play the number of matches the organizer set — the same for everyone when the field is an even number, but one fewer for some when it is odd
If you lose: You can lose early and still play out your matches, but one loss in the bracket ends it
Following it: Follow the combined points table, then the bracket once the organizer closes the points stage

How a standings table decides the order

Round robin, group + knockout and the points stage — the three formats that have a standings table — all rank it with the same rules, in this order, following the ITTF rules.

Every match awards points

2
points — Win: 1
points — Played and lost: 0
points — Lost by walkover

1
Total match points
The match points won across the whole stage — except in a points stage, which uses the average per match played instead (see the exception below).
2
Results between the tied entrants only (mini-league)^H
When entrants are level on points, only the matches they played against each other count; results against anyone else in the table are ignored.
3
Games won/lost ratio^G
Games won divided by games lost, among the entrants who are still level.
4
Points won/lost ratio^P
Points won divided by points lost, among the entrants who are still level.
5
Drawing lots^!
If everything is still level, the ITTF rules decide it by drawing lots, which the organizer must do outside the system.

The letter beside steps 2-5 is the same mark a real standings table prints next to a place when that rule is what decided it.

What the standings columns mean

Played: — Matches actually played
Won: — Matches won
Match pts: — The total of the win/loss awards (win 2, played and lost 1, lost by walkover 0 points)
Average: — Match points ÷ matches played — shown only when entrants have played different numbers of matches
Games W:L: — Games won against games lost (one match contains several games)
Points W:L: — Points within a game, for example 11:9

A worked example

A made-up group of 4 players — not a real result — showing two placings that look wrong and in fact follow every rule above.

Player	Played	Won	Match pts	AverageMatch pts ÷ played	Games W:L	Points W:L
B	3	3	6	2.00	9:2	99:70
A	4	3	7	1.75	10:6	120:98
C^H	4	2	6	1.50	8:9	110:105
D^H	4	2	6	1.50	8:7	108:104

In the match where C and D met, C won.

B finishes above A despite fewer total match points (6 against 7)

The average per match is the total match points divided by the matches actually played — B took 6 points from 3 matches (6 ÷ 3 = 2.00), while A took 7 points from 4 matches (7 ÷ 4 = 1.75). A did score more in total, but averaged less per match, because it took one more match to get there.

C finishes above D despite a worse game ratio (8:9 against 8:7)

Because C and D were level on match points and on average, it was decided on the result between them (the mini-league), which C won — the mini-league always comes before the game ratio in the order above.

The points stage exception

Step 1 of a points stage uses the "average per match" (total match points divided by matches actually played) rather than the total on its own.

Older points stages used the previous pairing method, which gave some entrants one match fewer than the others whenever the field was an odd number. Dividing by the matches actually played still ranks those events fairly. In events paired by the current system everyone plays the same number of matches anyway, so the average and the total produce exactly the same order.

The team category exception^R

Team categories insert a rubbers won/lost ratio between step 2 (the mini-league) and step 3 (the game ratio) — counted from the rubbers won and lost in each tie, before games and points are looked at.

A knockout has no standings table — These rules do not apply — places come straight from the bracket, and the organizer confirms the podium.

Not sure which to pick

When you actually make the draw, the system tells you whether the format you chose works with the number of entrants you have, and suggests the groups for you.

Read the guide