The position of a person or team in a tournament or competition who draws no opponent in a particular round so advances to the next round unopposed, or is awarded points for a win in a league table; also the phantom opponent of such a person or team.
(UK, television) A period of time on a Saturday during which football matches may not be broadcast (so as to avoid reduced attendance in person at other football matches that are not being televised).
(sports, chiefly soccer, of a player) ineligible to compete in a cup competition due to having previously played for a different team in the same competition in the same season.
(sports) In a series of sporting fixtures, a match of which the result is irrelevant, the winner of the series having already been determined by earlier results.
Alternative spelling of double-team [(transitive, sports) In sports involving offensive and defensive teams, to use two defensive players to guard against the movements of a single offensive player.]
A rule that prevents a potential competitor from entering the Olympic Games unless they take part in an international event and are placed in the top 30% or the top 50 competitors, whichever is fewer.
Alternative form of eighth final [(nonstandard) One of the eight competitions in a knockout tournament whose winners go on to play in the four quarterfinals.]
(sports) A rule in some sports that allows players to enter and leave the game for other players many times during the course of the game, and for coaches to bring in and take out players an unlimited number of times.
Alternative spelling of grand final [(sports, chiefly Australia) The culmination of a series of final matches played between a number of sporting teams.]
(sports) A set of teams playing each other in the same division, while not during the same period playing any teams that belong to other sets in the division.
(sports, jargon) A group in a multi-stage tournament which is unusually competitive, because the number of strong competitors in the group is greater than the number of qualifying places available for the next phase of the tournament.
(sports) Abbreviation of lucky loser. [(sports) A player who loses in the final round of qualifying for a tournament, and who subsequently enters the tournament after the withdrawal of another competitor, e.g. due to injury.]
(competitive fighting) An outcome in several full-contact combat sports where two of the three judges agree on which fighter won the match, while the third judge indicates that neither fighter won (i.e., a "draw").
(competitive fighting) an outcome in several full-contact combat sports where the majority of judges (usually two out of three) agree that neither fighter won, while the third judge indicates one fighter being the clear winner on his/her scorecard.
Alternative form of redshirt (“expendable minor character”) [(US, collegiate sports) An athlete who spends a year not participating in official athletic activities, but does not lose his or her eligibility to participate in following years.]
(US, collegiate sports) An athlete who spends a year not participating in official athletic activities, but does not lose his or her eligibility to participate in following years.
(sports) The bottom part of e.g. a sports table, listing how well teams have played over a period of time. All teams that end up in the relegation zone are relegated.
(sports) The second best team a club has. A team composed of players under contract to a club but who do not normally play in matches for the first team.
(idiomatic, sports) The early part of a competition’s offseason, where many roster and staff changes are made based on the outcome of the season just concluded.
(journalism) the edition of a newspaper that includes the last version of the sports results to be published for the day (or time block); frequently this is the last edition for the newspaper for the day (or time block)
(basketball, US, informal) The sixteen teams participating in the regional semifinals of the NCAA Division I tournament, one of whom will become the national champion.
A series of games; either the same game played many times, or a succession of games related by a single theme; played competitively to determine a single winning team or individual.
Alternative form of world-beater [(idiomatic) Someone or something superior to all others of its sort.]
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