# Round Structure

In Grand Archive TCG, tournaments are divided into rounds, each of which consists of a match between pairs of players. The winning player of a match is the player who has won the necessary number of games to win that match or was deemed the match winner as a result of a judge ruling.

There are two main types of round structures: Elimination and Swiss.

* Elimination rounds follow a knockout-style tournament where a player is eliminated from the entire tournament and subsequent rounds in the tournament after a match loss (Single-Elimination) or a loss in a lower bracket of playoffs.
* A Swiss-system tournament follows a format where players participate in each round with pairings based on player standings, match history, and tournament format.

Round structures and times can vary between tournaments and tournaments can be composed of hybrid formats. Tournaments generally follow a single format. For tournaments that involve a top-cut or playoff rounds, the initial rounds are timed while the playoff rounds will be single-elimination with untimed rounds. For timed rounds, players play games until a player has won the match or time in the round expires and the match result is determined. In untimed rounds, players play games until a player has won the match. If a result is not determined at the end of a match, players complete end-of-match procedures to determine the match result. Match results are reported to the event reporter.

#### Timed Rounds

Timed rounds ensure that tournaments proceed smoothly and in a timely manner. Timed rounds also allow tournament attendees to plan their tournament experience. 

The timer for a round should begin once pairings for a round are posted and ample time has been given to give player the opportunity to view pairings and arrive to their table or find their paired opponent. Players may [start games in their matches](https://app.gitbook.com/o/0MlTUOWvMXaO5YCm6PX3/s/hLlaY1UVod5gsUyq3Iq5/tournament-mechanics/start-of-game-procedures) once the round timer has been started.

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