Many softball teams participate in tournaments during the middle of the season and at the end of the year, and tournaments are often a major part of the schedule. Teams often travel to participate, which can be seen as a reward for hard-working players and coaches. The competitive aspect of the events also lets teams know where they stand compared to other teams.
Single-Elimination Tournament
The single-elimination tournament is often held at the end of the season. The tournament may include eight or 16 teams, and the competitors are ranked according to the way they finished the regular season. In an eight-team league, the first-place team plays the eighth-place team, the second-place team plays the seventh-place team, the third-place team plays the sixth-place team, and the fourth- and fifth-place teams play each other. The winners of those games move on and the losers are eliminated. The top-ranked remaining team then plays the bottom ranked team and the two other teams also play. The two survivors meet for the championship.
Round-Robin Tournament
In a round-robin tournament, all the participating teams play each other once in the opening round. In an eight-team round robin, that means that each team plays seven games. The two teams with the best overall record meet in the championship game. If there is a tie between the second-and third-place teams, the advantage is given to the team that won the head-to-head meeting.
Double-Elimination Tournament
In a double-elimination tournament, a team has to lose two games before it is put out of the tournament. It is set up like a single-elimination tournament, but as teams lose games, they are moved into a second bracket. A team may lose its first game, but it goes to the losers' side of the bracket and then does not lose another game. It may win four games in a row to emerge. It will then meet the team that has not lost a game from the original tournament draw sheet. The two teams meet in the championship round. If the undefeated team wins that game, the tournament is over. However, if the team that won the losers' side of the bracket wins the first game, they play a second game because the team that lost that game has just suffered its first loss. The second game then turns out to be the championship game because the losing team has just suffered its second loss.
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