If you have played at a UDE mall tour, Regional etc… you may already be familiar with how a Swiss style tournament is run. However, if you have not, the following should help to explain how a Yu-Gi-Oh!, Vs. System or WOW tournament is run.

What are single elimination and Swiss?
SINGLE ELIMINATION
In single elimination, the loser of each game is dropped from the tournament. The winners move on to the next round. This continues until only two players are left, in which they play the round called the "finals", and the winner of this game is the winner of the entire tournament.
SWISS STYLE
Swiss style tournaments seem more inclusive than single elimination tournaments, in that no player is ever forced to drop from the tournament (unless a major rule infraction occurs). After each round, all players are matched up against other players with similar win-loss records. So in the fifth round of play, all the 4-0 players compete against each other, all the 3-1 players compete against each other, etc., down to the players who are all 0-4, playing against each other. The tournament continues for a certain number of rounds, at which point the main tournament ends and the top eight players continue on to play an 8-player single elimination playoff tournament for the victory (time permitting). The number of rounds will be announced before the start of the tournament.

When is the tournament over for me?
SINGLE ELIMINATON
Once a player loses, they are eliminated from the tournament (dropped).
SWISS STYLE
Under the Swiss system players are paired in each round regardless of there record. However, at a certain point in a Swiss style tournament, it becomes obvious to players when they have been mathematically eliminated from being able to win or place high, or a player may have to leave for other reasons. In these cases, a player may drop from the tournament so they are not obligated to play any additional rounds. IMPORTANT: IF YOU WISH TO DROP FROM THE TOURNAMENT PLEASE INDICATE THIS ON THE MATCH RESULT SLIP (MORE INFORMATION BELOW) AFTER THE LAST GAME YOU PLAY.

Seat/Table Assignments – Reporting Wins
SINGLE ELIMINATION
When a player signs up, they are given an initial seat assignment, e.g. 5A. However, this assignment remains as an indicator of where the player is on the single elimination bracket even though players can sit at any open area. Winners are responsible for reporting their win and determining who they are to play next.
SWISS STYLE
Players are not given seat assignments when they initially sign-up. Before the start of each round, seat assignments are posted, and match result slips will be given out. There is no letter designation for seat assignments. Two players are assigned to each table number. Players have two minutes after seat assignments are posted to report their seats and the round will begin. Players not present within three minutes of when a round has started will be given a game loss. Players not present within ten minutes of when a round has started will be given a match loss. Rounds have a strict time limit: forty-minutes for Yu-Gi-Oh!, thirty-minutes in single game format for Vs. System or WOW, and sixty-minutes for three game format for WOW) . Each player, not just the winner, must complete his or her match result slip at the end of each round. This slip should be filled out to indicate the winner. Each player must sign their name in the appropriate area and indicate whether they wish to drop from the tournament. The winner should report to the Tournament Organizer or the Judge with their match result slip immediately after their win.