In a single-elimination tournament, the top-ranked teams are typically pitted against each other in the first round, while lower-ranked teams may play in preliminary "play-in" games. The tournament continues with multiple rounds of games until there is only one team left undefeated, which is declared the champion.

• How it works: A standard single-elimination tournament where players are eliminated after one loss. 
• Consolation Bracket: A separate tournament for players who lose in the first round of the main tournament. 
• Advantage: Simpler to organize and requires fewer matches than double-elimination. 
• Disadvantage: Players are eliminated after one loss in the main tournament. 

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

• Bracket Structure: The tournament is structured as a bracket, with each level representing a round. 
• Matchups: Players or teams are paired against each other in head-to-head matches. 
• Elimination: The loser of each match is immediately eliminated from the tournament. 
• Advancement: The winner of each match advances to the next round. 
• Final Round: The tournament continues until only one player or team remains, who is declared the champion. 
• Seeding (Optional): In some tournaments, players or teams may be seeded based on their ranking or previous performance, with higher-seeded players potentially facing each other later in the tournament. 
• Tiebreakers (if necessary): If a match is tied, a tiebreaker method must be in place to determine a winner. 
• Consolation Matches (Optional): Some tournaments may include consolation matches for players who lose in earlier rounds to determine lower final rankings.