- Cumulative formats: stage races, series and combined eventsIn a sailing series the boat with the lowest score wins, and unless the event says otherwise, each boat's worst race is not counted.
- Double eliminationIn a pickleball event run as double elimination, a team that loses its first match can still finish first.
- Group stage and play-offsIn Olympic badminton singles at Paris 2024, a player could win every match but one and go home.
- Heats, semi-finals and finalsIn athletics, a runner can finish outside the qualifying places in a heat and still reach the next round.
- Qualification and final in scored eventsIn Olympic diving, the preliminary, the semi-final and the final each start from zero points.
- RepechageAt the Olympic Games, a judo athlete who loses a quarter-final can still win a bronze medal.
- Round robinOne group at a softball World Cup has six teams.
- Seeding and the drawIn the Olympic track sprint, the rider who was fastest in qualifying is paired with the rider who was slowest.
- Single elimination (knockout)A Grand Slam singles draw has 128 places.
- Swiss systemA Swiss tournament has no draw sheet.
- Tie-breaks in a tableThe softball World Cup regulations print a worked example that every group stage eventually runs into.