How do match-ups/picks advance in the bracket?

Match-ups in the bracket have predetermined rankings determined by data collected by Swift Alert. The players then get to determine which seeds advance by voting for their favorite picks in different tournament rounds.

Each round (ie: the tournament round where all 64 seeds are still in contention), will have the players vote on the song they want to see advance. The song that gets the most votes from all players advances in the bracket.

What are seeds and how are they determined?

Tournament “seeds” are a predetermined ranking. Depending on the bracket, they may be determined by Swift Alert or by the players themselves. For our song tournament, for example, each song gets a “seed” ranked 1 through 16. There are four #1 seeds, which are the top songs in the tournament and theoretically the most likely to advance in the bracket. The #16 seeds or unranked songs are the lowest ranked songs, and may have the toughest time advancing based on predetermined data.

Brackets/seeds are a new concept to me… where can I learn more?

This Wikipedia page is a helpful spot that explains the concept of brackets.

How many rounds are there and how long are they open?

The number of rounds depends on how big the bracket is, but for a standard bracket field of 64, there will be between 6-8 rounds to participate in:

• Pre-Tournament Round

• Round 1 (Round of 64 )

• Round 2 (Round of 32)

• Round 3 (Sweet 16)

• Round 4 (Elite 8)

• Round 5 (Final Four)

• Round 6 (Championship)

Pending the bracket size (ie: a 98 slot bracket), there may be more rounds.

Rounds will be open for around 24 hours. If you miss a round, that’s okay! You don’t have to participate in each one to be able to play.

How do I score points?

Each Bracket Battle has had points distributed differently, but for the current game Mashups Edition, you can score points by participating in the Pre-Tournament Round. This is the only round where points will be awarded! Make sure to participate in that round before entries close. Throughout the rest of the bracket, you will just make picks based on your favorites and no points will be awarded!