Quarter final意思

"Quarter final" is a term commonly used in sports, particularly in tournaments or competitions where there are a large number of competitors and the competition is structured in a series of elimination rounds. The term "quarter" refers to one-fourth or a division of the whole. In the context of sports, it specifically means the round of a tournament where the number of competitors is reduced from the previous round by one-fourth.

Here's a step-by-step explanation of how the term "quarter final" is used in a tournament structure:

  1. Initial Round(s): A tournament typically starts with a large number of competitors. In some cases, there might be an initial round or several rounds of play where teams or players are divided into groups to play against each other. This can be a group stage, a round-robin format, or a series of matches to reduce the number of competitors.

  2. Round of 16 or Pre-Quarterfinals: After the initial rounds, the number of competitors is usually reduced to a specific number, often 16, which is half of the original number. This round is sometimes referred to as the "round of 16" or "pre-quarterfinals."

  3. Quarterfinals: The next stage is the quarterfinals, where the number of competitors is further reduced to one-fourth of the original number. If the tournament started with 32 teams, for example, the quarterfinals would have 8 teams left. These teams are paired up, and the winners move on to the next round.

  4. Semifinals: The quarterfinal winners compete against each other in the semifinals, which reduces the number of competitors to two.

  5. Finals: The two semifinal winners then face each other in the final match to determine the champion.

The term "quarter final" is most commonly used in team sports like football (soccer), basketball, and rugby, as well as in individual sports like tennis and badminton, where there are knockout stages in major tournaments. It is also used in academic and professional competitions, such as debate tournaments and in the later stages of some talent shows.