Glossary of MatchPoint competition terms

Common MatchPoint terms used when running competitions, in plain language.

• Competition – a single event you run (a tournament or grade), with its own format, dates and settings.
• Draft / Entering / In Play / Completed – the competition’s status: being set up, open for entries, underway, and finished.
• Format – Singles or Doubles. Set it before adding entries.
• Entry – one competitor: a player (singles) or a pair (doubles).
• Primary contact – the nominated contact person for an entry; required before an entry can be secured.
• Secured – an entry that has completed all steps and is available to place in the draw. (Other states: Tentative, Waiting, Withdrawn.)
• Result / scoring settings – the rules that tell MatchPoint how to read scores and pick a winner (e.g. best‑of‑N sets).
• Schedule / fixtures – the matches: who plays whom, by round and section.
• Section (pool) – a part of the draw: main bracket, consolation, a play‑off, or a compass branch.
• Slot – a position in a section that a competitor is placed into.
• Bye – an empty slot; the opposing competitor advances without playing.
• Consolation – a secondary bracket that early‑round losers drop into.
• Compass draw – a multi‑branch format (East/West/North/South) where losers feed into further sections.
• Walkover / forfeit – a match awarded without play because one side can’t compete.
• Finalise – locking a result (or the schedule) so it’s official and winners flow on.