Match and scoring formats
See every scoring preset in Dink+, and where a division uses its pool, bracket and final formats.
A match format says how many games a match has, how many points a game goes to, and how far ahead a team must be to win a game. Each division has up to three: one for pool matches, one for bracket matches, and an optional one for the final. You choose them when you set up the division.
The presets
Section titled “The presets”You pick from eight presets. There is no free-form entry, so you can’t set, for example, a game to 9.
| Preset | Games | Points per game | Win by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 game to 11, win by 1 | 1 | 11 | 1 |
| 1 game to 11, win by 2 | 1 | 11 | 2 |
| 1 game to 15, win by 1 | 1 | 15 | 1 |
| 1 game to 15, win by 2 | 1 | 15 | 2 |
| 1 game to 21, win by 1 | 1 | 21 | 1 |
| 1 game to 21, win by 2 | 1 | 21 | 2 |
| Best of 3 to 11, win by 1 | Up to 3, first to 2 wins | 11 | 1 |
| Best of 3 to 11, win by 2 | Up to 3, first to 2 wins | 11 | 2 |
“Win by 2” means a team must lead by two points once it reaches the target. A game to 11 can finish 11 to 9, or 14 to 12 after extra points. “Win by 1” ends the game at the target.
Which format is used where
Section titled “Which format is used where”| Format | Used for | Field in Custom setup |
|---|---|---|
| Pool | Every pool match | Pool match format |
| Bracket | Every bracket match except the final. This includes the 3rd-place match. | Bracket match format |
| Final | The championship match only, when you set an override | Final format |
| Medal | For Placement matches, every medal match | Playoff match format |
| Gold-medal override | For Placement matches, the 1 vs 2 match only | Gold-medal match override |
If you leave the final override blank, the final uses the bracket format.
What counts as the final depends on the playoff:
- Single elimination, with or without pools: the last round. The 3rd-place match is not the final, so it keeps the bracket format.
- Double elimination: the matches in the Final bracket, which are the grand final and the reset final if there is one.
- Placement matches: the gold-medal match, the one between the top two seeds.
- No playoff: there are no bracket formats at all.
How scores are checked
Section titled “How scores are checked”Dink+ checks every score against the match’s format before it accepts it.
- A game can’t end in a tie.
- The winner must reach the point target and lead by at least the win-by margin.
- Past the target, a game must end exactly the win-by margin apart. With win by 2, 12 to 8 is refused after a game to 11, but 13 to 11 is fine.
- A best-of-3 match needs two game wins. It ends as soon as a team has them, so you enter only the games played.
- You can’t enter more games than the format allows.
If you edit a score later, the same checks apply.
Where you see the formats
Section titled “Where you see the formats”On the Pools tab, a strip above the pool cards shows the division’s formats in short form: Pool, then Bracket (or Medal for placement matches), then Final when an override is set. A single game reads “1G to 15”, and a best-of-3 reads “Bo3 to 11”. A win-by-2 format adds “WB2”. So “Bo3 to 11 · WB2” is Best of 3 to 11, win by 2.
Settings → Match formats per division shows the same labels, read only.
Choose formats for the day
Section titled “Choose formats for the day”- New divisions start with 1 game to 11, win by 2 for pools and Best of 3 to 11, win by 2 for the bracket.
- The templates use single games for pools and short matches for early bracket rounds, and give the final a Best of 3 to 11, win by 2 override. The 8-team template uses best of 3 in pools too.
- Shorter formats finish sooner. The time estimate times each division on its own formats, so check it after you change them.