Question

How many total number of matches will be played in a knock-out tournament of 21 teams, including third-place match?

• A. 18
• B. 21
• C. 20
• D. 17

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

In a single-elimination tournament, every game eliminates one participant, excluding the championship game that decides the winner. For a tournament starting with 21 teams, the total number of games is calculated as follows:

The total number of matches in a knockout tournament is determined by:

• Main Bracket: With 21 teams, one champion will emerge. Since each match eliminates one team, 21 - 1 = 20 matches are required to crown the champion.
• Consolation Match: An additional game is played to determine the third-place finisher. This adds one more game to the tournament's total.

Consequently, the total number of games played, including the third-place playoff, amounts to:

Total games = 20 (to determine the champion) + 1 (third-place game) = 21 games

Therefore, the definitive number of matches is 21.