Tournament Structure and Rules

Fixtures

• A fixture is an event or date of a sports match

Byes

• In a tournament, a bye is assigned to a team allowing them to skip a round
  • This happens when the number of teams is not a power of two (e.g. 11 teams)
• Byes are given to teams through a random lottery system

Seeding

• Seeding places teams in a tournament in such a way that strong teams don't meet early on
  • This is done to increase the chance of strong teams advancing further in the competition
• Example: 12 teams in a tournament would require 4 byes
  • For even numbers, byes are placed in the upper and lower halves of the tournament bracket
  • For odd numbers, byes are placed in upper and lower halves with more byes in the lower half

Allotment of Byes in Fixtures

• The first bye is given to the last team in the lower half of the tournament bracket
• The second bye is given to the first team in the upper half
• The third bye is given to the last team in the upper half
• The fourth bye is given to the first team in the lower half
• This pattern continues until all byes have been assigned

Extramural Tournaments

• Conducted between teams from different schools/colleges/institutions
• Examples of extramural tournaments: Zonal, Inter-District, State, National or International

Objectives of Extramural Tournaments

• Achieve high performance at a high level
• Develop a sense of integration with other institutions
• Provide opportunities for a career in sports
• Promote social, cultural, and economic development through sports

Significance of Extramural Tournaments

• Progression in performance
• Psychological benefits like increased confidence and stress management
• Improved fitness levels
• Socialization and cultural exchange

Postural Deformities

• Can be caused by heredity, disease, injury, poor habits, improper clothing, unhygienic living conditions, improper diet, lack of exercise, obesity, socio-economic status, etc.

Knock Knees (Genu Valgum)

• Knee misalignment turning knees inward
• Common in early childhood, but usually corrects itself by age 7-8
• Can be caused by injury, infection, rickets, vitamin D deficiency, obesity, or arthritis
• Can hinder performance in walking and running
• May lead to stiff joints, knee pain, and walking with a limp

Corrective Measures for Knock Knees

• Exercise like horse-riding
• Keeping a pillow between knees while standing
• Yoga
• Massage

Round Shoulders

• Shoulders are bent forward from the ideal alignment, giving a narrow curve to the upper back
• Can lead to hyperkyphosis (hunch back) and forward head posture
• Can occur due to poor posture habits, heredity, muscle imbalance, tight clothing, injury, and disease
• Can lead to chronic neck pain, thoracic outlet syndrome, and lack of shoulder mobility

Corrective Measures for Round Shoulders

• Strengthening and stretching muscles
• Doing chest stretches, T stretch, wall stretch, handclasp stretch, planks, pull-ups, reverse shoulder stretch
• Practicing maintaining a straight spine
• Yoga asanas like Chakrasana and Dhanurasana

Kyphosis (Hunch Back)

• Exaggerated, forward rounding of the back
• Can be caused by heredity, aging, disease (arthritis, osteoporosis), malnutrition, pulling heavy weight, unstable furniture, poor posture, muscle weakness
• Found commonly in older women
• Can be caused by spinal bone weakness, malformation of the spine, or wedging of spinal bones
• Mild kyphosis causes little problems, however, severe kyphosis can cause pain and be disfiguring.

Test your knowledge on tournament structures, including fixtures, byes, and seeding. Learn how these components work together to organize competitive events. Understand the importance of byes and how they are allocated in tournaments.