What is a tournament like?
A tournament basically goes like this: arrive around 3 pm Friday afternoon at host school. Hang out. Depending on how on time a tournament is running, first round pairings are usually read at 4 pm. First round happens. Then you hang out till second round pairings are read. Second round happens. Then you eat dinner (provided by the host school). Third round pairings are read. Third round happens. Then, you go to the housing provided by the host school (usually a lounge in one of the dorms). There is usually a party, where lots of fun/dancing/stimulating conversation is to be had, and then you go back to housing and sleep till 9 am Saturday morning. Breakfast is provided by the host school, and fourth round pairings are read. Fourth round happens. Hang out till fifth round pairings are read. Fifth round happens. After fifth round, there is a banquet and we eat till the break (comprised of those teams who did well enough to get to outrounds) are read. If the team does well, you stay and w
(top) Most tournaments are double-elimination, and the bigger tournaments have “Spinoff tournaments.” What that means is that if you get eliminated from the main tournament, you then compete in a tournament bracket with all of the other players that got eliminated at the same time as you did. This serves two purposes- the players get more match play for their money against players of roughly the same skill level, and it helps to determine the overall ranking of players who “tie” because of where they finished in the main tournament. In local tournaments (also called “Weeklies”), there aren’t Spinoffs, but there are always practice games that are played before and after the tournament, allowing players to hone in their skill and get warmed up for the tournament. Weeklies usually last 3-4 hours, and are a way for newcomers to get to know the Air Hockey veterans. As ambassadors of the sport, we try to help new players learn the fundamentals, so don’t be afraid to ask us for advice! What c
