Question

How many total number of matches will be played in a knock-out tournament of 21 teams, including third-place match?

• A. 18
• B. 21
• C. 20
• D. 17

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

In a knock-out tournament, each match results in the elimination of one team, except for the final match that determines the champion. For 21 teams, the number of matches required to determine the winner can be calculated as follows:

To find the total number of matches in a knockout tournament, we consider: 

• Main tournament: With 21 teams, one will eventually be the winner. As each match eliminates one team, we need 21 - 1 = 20 matches to determine the champion.
• Third-place match: An additional match is played to determine the third-place team. Adding this match gives us one more tournament match.

Thus, the total number of matches played, including the third-place match, is:

Total matches = 20 (to find the winner) + 1 (third-place match) = 21 matches

Therefore, the correct answer is 21.

Answer 2

In a knock-out tournament featuring 21 teams, the structure is designed such that each match eliminates one team. The tournament progresses until there is only one remaining team, the winner. To determine the winner in this type of competition, there are 20 matches as each match eliminates one team from the tournament, leaving only one team standing.

Additionally, a match is typically held to determine the third place finisher, which adds 1 more match to the total count. This match is played between the two teams that lose in the semi-final stages of the tournament. Therefore, the total number of matches played in the tournament is:

20 matches (to determine the winner) + 1 match (for third place) = 21 matches.

In conclusion, for a knock-out tournament with 21 teams, a total of 21 matches are played to decide both the winner and the third-place finisher, ensuring that every team is given a fair opportunity to compete for the top spots.