The platform
Ranked vs casual tournaments — what is the difference?
Compete runs both ranked and casual tournaments. Here is what each means, who should play which, and how to tell them apart.
All Compete tournaments are ranked by default. That is the starting assumption. If an event does not say otherwise, results count toward your skill rating.
Ranked tournaments
Results from ranked tournaments feed directly into your Compete skill rating and update your position on the public leaderboard. The draw, the officiating, and the result recording all follow the same standard process — a Compete umpire or tournament director is present throughout, and no score enters the system without their confirmation.
Casual tournaments
Casual tournaments use the same competitive format — draw, fixtures, officiating — but results do not affect anyone's rating. The format is for competitive enjoyment without the rating consequences.
Casual events are explicitly marked as such on the tournament listing page. If you are browsing upcoming events and an event is not marked casual, it is ranked.
Who should play casual first
Casual events are a good starting point if you have never played in a formally organised tournament and want to experience the format — the draws, the fixtures, back-to-back matches — without your first results becoming a permanent part of your record while you are still adjusting to competitive play.
Who should go straight to ranked
If you want an honest assessment of where you stand, ranked is the right choice from the start. Your early results will pull your rating toward your true level quickly. The discomfort of early losses is temporary; the rating accuracy you build is permanent.
Can casual results be upgraded to ranked?
Yes, with conditions. A tournament director can upgrade specific matches within a casual event to ranked status if all players of that match agree, the venue meets the required standard, and a Compete director is present to authorise it. This is rare and never assumed — it requires all parties to actively request it.
Browse upcoming tournaments to see what is scheduled, and whether it is ranked or casual.