Event structures and formats

There are numerous structures or formats that can be utilised when running an event.

Common structures and formats that are used in event management include:

• • Knock out competitions

  • Round robin, pools and leagues

  • Carnival of events

  • Handicapping and seeding

  • Expeditions

  • Tabloid events

Round Robins are played with four or more competitors or teams. Each competitor or team plays all other teams, irrespective of the results.

Everyone plays the same number of games with the winner being the person or team with the most wins or points after all rounds are complete. If there are a large number of teams or individual competitors, pools may be used. In this context, a pool refers to a group of individual competitors or teams. All teams or competitors still play each other and the winner of the pool usually progresses to a finals series. This format is often utilised for one day sporting gala days such as the PDSSSC Oz Tag Championships (see draw below). This format is also used at the highest level. The IRB Rugby World Cup is a great example of Round Robin and Pool formats. This format is also used at the FIFA Football World Cup.

A round robin style of competition can also be used for a weekly competition using a home and away basis. A final series would be needed for this structure. 

2015 IRB Rugby World Cup Draw - Round Robin and Pools:

Handicapping is when the best athlete, team or animal (as in horseracing) has a more difficult task to complete to win because they have been deemed to be the better or more talented competitor. (View the short video below)

For an athlete competing in the Stawell Gift (a professional athletics foot race) the better or faster athletes will start back on the track, meaning they actually run further than other competitors. Previous race times are used to calculate the handicap (Watch the video below)

Another example of an event that employs handicapping is the Melbourne Cup. The better horses carry more weight.

Seeding is when athletes are graded or ranked based on their ability. Better athletes have higher rankings. This structure is at times utilised to form pools in round robin formats or to form the draw of a knock out tournament.