Consolation Draw (Plate / Bowl)

A consolation draw (often called the "Plate" in UK tennis or the "Bowl" for later-round losers) is a secondary knockout bracket that runs alongside the main draw. Players who lose in the first round (or sometimes also the second round) of the main draw are placed into a separate bracket and continue competing for a consolation prize. This is one of the most popular supplementary formats at club level because it guarantees a minimum number of matches without the scheduling complexity of full double elimination.

• The main draw runs as a standard single elimination bracket.
• Players who lose in the first round are placed into a consolation bracket (the "Plate").
• Some tournaments also feed second-round losers into a further bracket (the "Bowl") or into the Plate at a later stage.
• The consolation bracket runs as its own single elimination tournament with its own winner.
• Players may also be fed in from different rounds, creating a "feed-in consolation" where losers from later rounds enter at later stages of the consolation bracket.

1. Decide the consolation scope. Will you only include first-round losers, or also second-round losers? More inclusion means more matches but more complexity.
2. Create both draws before the tournament starts. Map out where first-round losers will slot into the consolation bracket.
3. Schedule consolation matches to run concurrently with main draw matches but on separate courts.
4. Keep separate results for the main draw and consolation draw. Display both prominently.
5. Award a consolation prize. This gives the Plate real meaning and motivates players.
6. Consider a "3-match guarantee" structure where even second-round losers get at least one more match. This is popular at LTA-sanctioned events.

Any club knockout tournament where you want to ensure no one travels to the club for just one match.

• Courts can get congested if main draw and consolation matches overlap. Build buffer time into your schedule.
• Ensure consolation players know when their next match is - they can feel like an afterthought if communication is poor.