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Key Concepts

Understanding these core concepts will help you get the most out of Tabletop League.

Competitions

A competition is any organized event where players compete. This includes:

  • Tournaments - Single events with a defined start and end
  • Leagues - Ongoing competitions that run over a season
  • Ladders - Continuous ranking systems where players can challenge each other

Each competition belongs to a specific game system and uses a particular format.

Formats

Tabletop League supports several competition formats:

Swiss

Players are paired each round based on their current standings. Everyone plays the same number of rounds, and final standings are determined by record and tiebreakers.

Best for: Medium to large tournaments where you want everyone to play multiple games.

Single Elimination

Players are eliminated after a single loss. The bracket continues until one player remains undefeated.

Best for: Quick tournaments or finals stages.

Double Elimination

Players must lose twice to be eliminated. Creates a winners bracket and losers bracket.

Best for: Tournaments where you want to give players a second chance.

Round Robin

Every player plays against every other player. Final standings based on overall record.

Best for: Small groups or league play.

Elo Rating

Tabletop League uses an Elo rating system to track player skill:

  • New players start at 1200 Elo
  • Winning increases your rating, losing decreases it
  • The amount gained/lost depends on your opponent's rating
  • Beating a higher-rated opponent earns more points
  • Ratings are tracked per game system

Organizations

An organization is a group that runs competitions. Organizations can:

  • Host multiple competitions
  • Have multiple organizers with different permission levels
  • Build a community of regular players
  • Track historical results across events

Matches

A match is a single game between two players (or teams). Match records include:

  • The players involved
  • The final result (win/loss/draw)
  • Game-specific details (fighters used, maps played, etc.)
  • Timestamp and competition context