Bracket (tournament)
Encyclopedia
A bracket is a tree diagram
that represents the series of games played during a tournament
, named as such because it appears to be a large number of interconnected (punctuational) bracket
s.
There are several kinds of brackets, adapted to different types of tournaments. The most common are:
The "art" of filling in brackets, especially in NCAA basketball
, is referred to as bracketology
.
, the league holds a post-season tournament (most commonly called a playoff
) to determine which team is the best out of all of the other teams in the league. This is done because often in professional sports there are at least two different conferences, and teams mostly play other teams in their own conference. Examples of this are the American Football Conference
and the National Football Conference
in the NFL, the American League
and the National League
in Major League Baseball
, and the Eastern Conference
and the Western Conference
in the NBA or NHL.
When there are only two different conferences, there are two sides of the bracket. One conference is on one side, while the other is on the opposite side. Teams that qualify for the post-season tournament only compete against teams in their own conference, until only one team from each conference remains. These two teams, called the conference champions, play each other to determine the best in the league. Other leagues, like the NHL, have two conferences, each of which is divided into divisions, usually by region. In the post-season tournament, only the teams with the best records qualify, with the exception of the division leader having an automatic entry into the tournament.
Most North American professional post-season tournaments are single-elimination format. If a bye
is required, the top seeded teams usually get the bye. There is usually no third place match to separate the third and fourth place teams.
Tree diagram
The term tree diagram refers to a specific type of diagram that has a unique network topology. It can be seen as a specific type of network diagram, which in turn can be seen as a special kind of cluster diagram.-Applications:...
that represents the series of games played during a tournament
Tournament
A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
, named as such because it appears to be a large number of interconnected (punctuational) bracket
Bracket
Brackets are tall punctuation marks used in matched pairs within text, to set apart or interject other text. In the United States, "bracket" usually refers specifically to the "square" or "box" type.-List of types:...
s.
There are several kinds of brackets, adapted to different types of tournaments. The most common are:
- Single eliminationSingle-elimination tournamentA single-elimination tournament, also called a knockout, cup or sudden death tournament, is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match or bracket is immediately eliminated from winning the championship or first prize in the event...
brackets - Double eliminationDouble-elimination tournamentA double-elimination tournament is a type of elimination tournament competition in which a participant ceases to be eligible to win the tournament's championship upon having lost two games or matches...
brackets - Triple elimination brackets
The "art" of filling in brackets, especially in NCAA basketball
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
, is referred to as bracketology
Bracketology
Bracketology is the process of predicting the field of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, named as such because it is commonly used to fill in tournament brackets for the postseason...
.
Usage in North America
Brackets are commonly found in major North American professional sports leagues. Often, at the end of the regular seasonSeason (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...
, the league holds a post-season tournament (most commonly called a playoff
Playoff
The playoffs, postseason, or finals of a sports league are a game or series of games played after the regular season by the top competitors, usually but not always with a single-elimination system, to determine the league champion or a similar accolade.In the U.S...
) to determine which team is the best out of all of the other teams in the league. This is done because often in professional sports there are at least two different conferences, and teams mostly play other teams in their own conference. Examples of this are the American Football Conference
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
and the National Football Conference
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
in the NFL, the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
and the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, and the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NBA)
The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, organized in three divisions of five teams each.The three division winners and the non-division winner with the best record are seeded 1 through 4 for the playoffs in order of their records, with all...
and the Western Conference
Western Conference (NBA)
Below is a list of current Western Conference NBA team rosters.-Western Conference:There are a total of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The current leading team of the Western conference are the Dallas Mavericks....
in the NBA or NHL.
When there are only two different conferences, there are two sides of the bracket. One conference is on one side, while the other is on the opposite side. Teams that qualify for the post-season tournament only compete against teams in their own conference, until only one team from each conference remains. These two teams, called the conference champions, play each other to determine the best in the league. Other leagues, like the NHL, have two conferences, each of which is divided into divisions, usually by region. In the post-season tournament, only the teams with the best records qualify, with the exception of the division leader having an automatic entry into the tournament.
Most North American professional post-season tournaments are single-elimination format. If a bye
Bye (sports)
A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing...
is required, the top seeded teams usually get the bye. There is usually no third place match to separate the third and fourth place teams.