After group play (such as Swiss Round Robin), many events move to a knockout phase: lose and you are out, win and you advance toward the title. This article explains how players are seeded into the bracket and what to expect as rounds progress.
For how group standings are built, see Swiss Round Robin.
Where seeds come from
Knockout seeds come from final group standings. Within each pool (Group A, B, C, and so on), players are ordered by the same tiebreaks used during group play:
- Match points
- Strength of all opponents
- Strength of defeated opponents
- Net score
- Name
The top finisher in each pool is seed 1 for that pool, second place is seed 2, and so on. Labels like A1 or B3 on a bracket mean Group A, rank 1, or Group B, rank 3.
How the bracket is built
Organizers combine pool finishers into one ordered list. With multiple pools, leaders are usually grouped first (all the 1st-place players, then all the 2nd-place players, and so on). That list is then arranged in standard tournament order so the strongest seeds meet the weakest in early rounds (1 vs N, 2 vs N-1, and so on).
Some events run more than one knockout bracket at the same time, for example a Main draw for top finishers and a Challengers draw for lower ranks. Each bracket has its own champion.
Knockout matches
Each knockout tie is played as a match to 25 points, the same as group stage. See Rules of carrom for board scoring and the queen bonus.
Important events often use a best-of series (for example best of 3 or best of 5 sets). Each set is its own match to 25. The first player or team to win enough sets takes the tie and moves on.
Following the bracket
Round 1 shows every name. Later rounds fill in as winners are known. A slot may show as TBD until the feeding match finishes.
In single elimination, one loss ends your run. A bronze medal match between semi-final losers is common when the event awards 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.
Team events
Team tournaments work on the same idea but seed teams from round-robin standings instead of individual players.
| Style | Who qualifies | How it plays out |
|---|---|---|
| Knockout bracket | Top teams by RR rank (how many depends on the event, for example top 4 for semi-finals or top 8 for quarter-finals) | Single-elimination tree; optional 3rd-place match from semi losers |
| Playoff format | Top 4 teams | Qualifier 1 (1 vs 2), Eliminator (3 vs 4), then Qualifier 2 and Finals in a fixed playoff tree |
In team knockouts, each tie is still decided by individual board matches between selected players from each side.
Common questions
Why am I seeded lower than someone I beat in the group?
Seeding reflects full group standings and tiebreaks across all rounds, not just head-to-head with one opponent.
Are there byes in knockouts?
Standard knockout brackets need an even number of players. Events are usually sized (group sizes, number of qualifiers) so no byes are needed in the KO phase.
What if a knockout series goes to a deciding set?
Each set is scored independently to 25. The tie ends when one side wins the required number of sets (for example 2 in a best-of-3).