In this guide, we’ll explain how sports championships work around the world, explore the most common championship formats, and show how major competitions such as the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Champions League crown their champions.
Although all championships have the same objective, which is to find the best performing team or athlete, there is no unified way of achieving that objective because each competition has its format to find its champion.
For those who do not understand much about various kinds of sports, the championship format may be confusing; however, the moment you learn about this type of sport, then things will start making sense to you.
In the following paragraphs, we will cover the most commonly used championship formats across the world and how various sports come up with their respective champions.
If you’re just beginning to explore American sports, start with our Most Popular Sports in the USA guide before learning how different championships are won.
What Is a Sports Championship?
In a sport, a championship is the final competition or award given to the best team or individual for a particular season or tournament.
To understand how sports championships work around the world, it’s important to know that championships recognize consistent achievement, talent, teamwork, and the ability to perform under high-pressure situations. While every sport has its own format, becoming a champion usually requires outstanding performances throughout a season or tournament. Depending on the competition, teams or athletes may need to finish at the top of a league table, advance through playoff rounds, or survive a knockout tournament to claim the title. Although the path to victory differs from one sport to another, every championship is designed to reward the best performers and crown a deserving champion.
Championship can last from several weeks to months of competitions.
However, regardless of the format, every championship tries to recognize the most worthy winner.
Why Are Championship Formats Different in Different Sports?
Each sport has its own history and tradition; therefore, championship formats differ depending on the country.
There are a number of elements that affect the championship format and how the champion is determined in a particular sport:
- Number of teams involved.
- Duration of the season.
- National/international competition.
- Amount of travel.
- TV coverage.
- Balance of competition.
For example, in North American leagues, the playoff is used for determining a champion while in most of European football leagues the champion is determined based on a seasonal record.
None of these ways of determining a champion is better than another; it is just different sports traditions.
League Championships versus Tournament Championships
In most sports, there are basically two forms of championships.
League Championships
League championships take place at the end of a complete regular season.
Players gain points or victories throughout the season, and whichever team accumulates the highest number wins the league championship.
Some examples are:
- Most domestic soccer leagues.
- Some cricket leagues.
- A range of European competitions.
League championships emphasize consistency for the entire regular season.
Tournament Championships
In tournament championships, players/teams have to eliminate their way into the final stages.
They are often very exciting and are greatly enjoyed by spectators.
Some of them include:
- March Madness by the NCAA.
- FIFA World Cup.
- UEFA Champions League knockout round.
- Olympic tournaments.
Single-Elimination Tournaments
One of the simplest forms of championships is a single elimination tournament.
In this form of tournament, a single loss results in the elimination of a team from the tournament.
A win moves the team to the next stage until there is only one team left standing.
There are several benefits associated with this format of championship including:
- Quick matches.
- Very exciting.
- Importance of every match.
Notable examples of this championship include:
- NCAA March Madness.
- Various Olympic games.
- Cup tournaments in soccer.
Our What Is March Madness? NCAA Tournament Explained guide explores one of the world’s most famous single-elimination tournaments.
Championships Using Double Elimination
A number of competitions offer teams a second chance by using a double elimination approach.
In such an approach:
- Teams are only eliminated after suffering two losses.
- The winners continue competing in the main bracket.
- The teams that suffer one loss are placed in a separate bracket.
Such an approach decreases the effect of one bad match but still rewards consistency.
Double elimination is frequently used in:
- Tournaments in baseball
- Tournaments in softball
- Esport championships
- Amateur championships
Championships by League Table (Round-Robin)
There are many soccer leagues that make use of league tables in a round-robin format.
Unlike playoff format, all teams play against each other within the entire season.
Points are awarded as follows:
- 3 points for a victory.
- 1 point for a tie.
- 0 points for a loss.
The team with the highest number of points at the end of the season is the champion.
Some examples are:
- English Premier League
- Spanish La Liga
- German Bundesliga
- Italian Serie A
Learn more about this format in our How Soccer Leagues Work Around the World guide.
Championships Based on Playoffs
Playoffs have been widely used as championship systems in North American sport.
After the completion of the regular season, the best teams get to enter a playoffs.
They compete in elimination tournaments till there is one team that wins the title.
Playoffs not only encourage good performance by the teams in the regular season, but also make for interesting play-off games.
Examples of playoffs include:
- NFL Playoffs
NBA Playoffs
MLB Playoffs
NHL Playoffs
Each league has its own unique structure of playoffs to win the championship title.
Explore our How NFL Playoffs Work, How the NBA Playoffs Work, How the MLB Playoffs Work, and NHL Playoffs Explained guides to see how each league crowns its champion.
Championships at International Tournaments
Whereas most professional leagues hold their championships based on regular seasons or playoffs, international tournaments feature the world’s best teams or players who participate to win world championships.
These tournaments tend to be held once in several years and are among the most awaited sporting events in the world.
In contrast to the domestic leagues, international championships reflect the prestige and pride of nations as well as athletics.
Popular international championships include:
- FIFA World Cup
- Olympic Games
- ICC Cricket World Cup
- Rugby World Cup
- FIBA Basketball World Cup
International tournaments usually have both group stages and knockout stages to ensure that teams play more than one match but at the same time get to a championship match.
Our How the FIFA World Cup Works guide explains how qualification, group stages, and knockout rounds determine the world champion.
Championships via Promotion/Relegation
However, not all sports determine winners through playoffs.
Many football leagues worldwide have a promotion and relegation structure.
The end of each season brings:
- Promotion of the best performing teams from the lower divisions.
- Relegation of the worst performing teams from the top division.
While the league champions continue to be crowned according to their standing in the league, promotion and relegation bring real competition for all teams.
It encourages consistency and allows small clubs to compete in the highest division.
Learn how this system works in our How Soccer Leagues Work Around the World guide.
How Champions Are Decided in Popular Sports
Every major sport has its own unique way of crowning a champion. Here’s a quick comparison of some of the world’s most popular competitions.
| Sport | Championship Format | Final Champion |
|---|---|---|
| NFL | Regular season + single-elimination playoffs | Super Bowl Champion |
| NBA | Regular season + best-of-seven playoff series | NBA Champion |
| MLB | Regular season + multi-round playoffs | World Series Champion |
| NHL | Regular season + best-of-seven playoff series | Stanley Cup Champion |
| Soccer (Domestic Leagues) | League table (points system) | League Champion |
| UEFA Champions League | Group stage + knockout rounds | Champions League Winner |
| FIFA World Cup | Qualification + group stage + knockout rounds | World Champion |
| NCAA Basketball | Single-elimination tournament | National Champion |
| Olympic Team Sports | Group stage + knockout rounds | Olympic Gold Medalist |
Although the formats differ, every championship rewards teams or athletes who perform at the highest level under pressure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a sports championship?
A sports championship is the name given to the winner of a competition, league, or tournament, depending on its set format.
Why do some sports have playoffs and others not?
Each sport has different traditions built up over the years. North American sports typically play the playoffs in order to make the competition exciting, whereas the European soccer leagues give the championship to the team that performed the best in the regular season.
What is a knockout tournament?
Knockout tournament is a type of elimination tournament, in which all the participants that lose are eliminated, until there is only one team/athlete left as a winner.
Which sports play best-of-seven playoff series?
The NBA and NHL have best-of-seven playoffs, while the MLB plays with various kinds of playoff series.
What is the difference between a league champion and a tournament champion?
While the league champion has the best record in the whole season, the tournament champion wins a series of elimination games.
Concluding Thoughts
There are some differences in various championship formats of different sports, but the common goal is clear – to find out the strongest team or player via fair play and excitement.
Some championships value consistency throughout a whole season, while others value the ability to withstand pressure in playoff matches. Knowing the rules of your favorite league or tournament will make any match more fun for you, be it the Super Bowl, NBA Finals, World Series, Stanley Cup Finals, FIFA World Cup, or Olympics.
In your journey around various sports, you’ll see that there are unique championship formats for every sport that reveal its character, traditions, and spirit. Understanding of championship formats is the key to being an informed fan.
