Abstract:
A method for creating and preserving interest and participation in a tournament wherein both casual and serious fans leverage participation in simple and complex prediction brackets respectively. Serious fans fill out a complete prediction bracket at the outset of the sports tournament. Casual fans fill out a partial prediction bracket at the outset of the tournament. The partial prediction bracket is for a much later round of the tournament. At the much later tournament round, both casual and serious fans are provided one or more opportunities to update and correct their team selections to enhance their competitive predictive standing for the remainder of the tournament. Based on results of the tournament, each participant receives a ranking based upon one or more point systems as determined by sponsors of the particular bracket competition.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/029,384, filed Jul. 25, 2014. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
       [0003]    Not Applicable. 
       INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC 
       [0004]    Not Applicable. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]    The invention relates to methods for creating, increasing and retaining fan engagement and attention during the course of a tournament. More particularly, the invention relates to such methods associated with the use of brackets in tracking the outcomes of a tournament. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0006]    The use of brackets to track winners and losers in a competitive tournament is well known. A bracket is a tree diagram that represents the series of games played during a tournament, named as such because it appears to be a large number of interconnected brackets. Originally developed as simply a means to track outcomes of competitive events, brackets have evolved to form the foundation of advertising efforts by significant entities. 
         [0007]    There are several kinds of brackets, adapted to different types of tournaments. The most common include single-elimination or double-elimination brackets. The process and study of filling in brackets, especially in American college basketball, is generally referred to as “bracketology,” a term purportedly coined by ESPN&#39;s Joe Lunardi. Over time, advertisers have come to realize that the promotion of these brackets with fans for tournament play has created a new tool to bring eyes to their advertisements. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), for example, has created an advertising and promotion strategy that revolves around the use of a bracket associated with the NCAA Men&#39;s Division 1 basketball tournament, marketed under the trademark “MARCH MADNESS.” 
         [0008]    Brackets are commonly used to track both professional and college sports. Typically, at the end of a regular season, a league holds a post-season tournament to determine which team is the best out of all of the other teams in the league. In professional sports in the U.S., there are typically two different conferences, and teams mostly play other teams in their own conference. Examples of this are the American Football Conference and the National Football Conference in the NFL, the American League and the National League in Major League Baseball, and the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference in the NBA or NHL. 
         [0009]    When there are only two different conferences, there are typically two sides of a bracket. One conference is on one side, while the other is on the opposite side. Each side is typically organized according to a team&#39;s seeding; higher-seeded teams are matched against lower-seeded teams. Teams that qualify for the post-season tournament only compete against teams in their own conference, until only one team from each conference remains. These two teams, called the conference champions, play each other to determine the best in the league. Other leagues, like the NHL, also have two conferences, each of which is divided into divisions, usually by region. In the post-season tournament, only the teams with the best records qualify, with the exception of the division leader having an automatic entry into the tournament. 
         [0010]    The concept of brackets is even more visible in college sports, most notably in reference to the NCAA Men&#39;s Division I Basketball Championship. The NCAA has promoted this tournament to a level where millions of casual and serious fans “fill out brackets” to predict the winners of each game in the tournament. These brackets are filled out for both formal contests, sponsored by various corporations, and informal betting pools among friends or work colleagues. Due to the number of teams, the bracket for the NCAA basketball tournament is much larger than those for North American professional sports leagues. While no more than  16  teams qualify for the postseason in any major North American league (NBA and NHL),  68  teams (out of over  350 ) advance to the NCAA men&#39;s tournament, with most bracket contests involving  64  of these teams. The concept of bracketology in association with use in the NCAA tournament is sufficiently popular that once a year, Saint Joseph&#39;s University offers an online course to teach the principles of bracketology as applied to Division I college basketball and the NCAA men&#39;s basketball championship. 
         [0011]    Despite the popularity of generating individual brackets for tracking tournament play, the complexity, detail and time associated with completing a full bracket tends to be intimidating to those other than the most die-hard fans of a particular sport. Hence, casual fans are less likely to become fully engaged with a complete bracket and therefore, advertisers will not be as able to capture the attention and engagement of these casual fans during the course of the tournament. Casual fans may elect to wait until the tournament has reached the championship game to pay attention to the contest. As a result, advertisers are only able to engage the attention of these casual fans during the final championship contest. This reduces the opportunity for sponsors and promoters supporting the tournament to reach potential consumers of their products. 
         [0012]    In addition, even for the serious fan willing to participate in the generation of a full bracket for the tournament, once their selected teams have lost during the course of the tournament, the serious fan may likewise lose interest in following the tournament as closely. Consequently, the advertisers, sponsors and promoters of the event will once again lose valuable eyes and minds on their products. 
         [0013]    In one effort to extend interest throughout a tournament, the NCAA has expanded branding associated with the MARCH MADNESS basketball tournament by coining additional phrases referring to various stages in the tournament, such as the trademarks “SWEET SIXTEEN” to describe the round of sixteen teams, “ELITE EIGHT” to describe the round of eight teams, and “FINAL FOUR” to describe the round of four teams. However, this articulated, segmented branding approach merely serves as a means for additional promotion of the entire tournament. The extended branding does not necessarily fully engage the attention of the casual fan that has not elected to fill out a full bracket. 
         [0014]    In addition, various parties have attempted to simplify the ability for fans to fill out their individual brackets by providing online software solutions or smartphone applications. 
         [0015]    However, these online and mobile solutions still require significant time to use and hence, are typically attractive only to the serious fan. Further, these online and mobile solutions still suffer from an inability to retain the attention and engagement of both serious and casual fans when their favorite teams have been knocked out of the tournament. These software solutions are less likely to be used by the casual fan that has little desire to spend the time and effort to fill out and complete a full bracket. 
         [0016]    Therefore, it would be highly advantageous for advertisers, sponsors and promoters of a tournament to have a method that could both attract and engage the casual fan during the course of a tournament, and, retain the attention and engagement of a more serious fan, even after their favorite teams may have lost during the course of a tournament. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0017]    An embodiment of the present invention comprises a method to create, enhance and retain the attention of serious, casual and new fans during the course of a sports tournament. In particular, the method is directed to leveraging the concept of participation in tournament brackets to create a simpler and more flexible method of engaging all fans during the course of a tournament. 
         [0018]    In one aspect, the method comprises providing an abbreviated interface to allow a fan to select and predict winning teams at certain stages or “rounds” of a tournament. In a preferred embodiment, the method comprises the provision of a bracket interface for completion by a fan in later rounds of a tournament. For example, in one embodiment, for the NCAA Men&#39;s Division 1 basketball tournament, casual fans would fill out a bracket only for the subsequent rounds in which the ELITE EIGHT teams are competing. Each casual fan would select his or her predicted winning teams beginning with the ELITE EIGHT round at the same time as serious fans are completing a full bracket associated with all  64  teams in the MARCH MADNESS tournament. Once the tournament has progressed to the ELITE EIGHT round, each casual fan&#39;s predicted winners are compared to the actual results of the tournament. Where the fan&#39;s selections are incorrect, the fan is offered one or more opportunities to correct their incorrect predictions. The fan may obtain these correction opportunities free, via payment, submittal of a code and other similar forms of acquisition. At the end of a tournament, bracket predictions are compared and scored and one or more fans may be awarded with promotions or other gifts. 
         [0019]    In another aspect, the method also supports continued participation by serious fans that are willing to complete an entire bracket at the outset of the tournament. As with the casual fan that has elected to fill out the bracket at a later round, the serious fan is provided with the opportunity to correct his or her incorrect predictions when the tournament has progressed to the ELITE EIGHT level. 
         [0020]    Consequently, the enhanced simplicity of participation and the ability to update selections at a later round will tend to cause increased participation in the tournament by serious, casual and new fans. As a direct result, advertisers, sponsors and promoters of the tournament will receiver greater attention to the products advertised during the tournament for a longer duration. Due to the complexity of tracking and correcting selections, and, comparing results across millions of entries into bracket competitions, the method is preferably computer-implemented and administered across the Internet or via networked applications. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0021]    These and other features, aspects and advantages of various embodiments of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where: 
           [0022]      FIG. 1  is a flow chart illustrating the high-level process for managing a tournament bracket competition according to the invention; 
           [0023]      FIG. 2  is a flow chart illustrating the process for making initial predictions; 
           [0024]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart illustrating the process for determining correction counts; 
           [0025]      FIG. 4  is a flow chart illustrating the process for completing the first correction round; 
           [0026]      FIG. 5  is a flow chart illustrating the process for completing the second correction round; 
           [0027]      FIG. 6  is a flow chart illustrating the process for scoring and awarding prizes; 
           [0028]      FIG. 7  is an illustration of an exemplary full seed bracket; 
           [0029]      FIG. 8  is an illustration of an exemplary tournament results bracket; 
           [0030]      FIG. 9  is an illustration of an exemplary tournament full prediction bracket; 
           [0031]      FIG. 10  is an illustration of an exemplary tournament partial seed bracket; 
           [0032]      FIG. 11  is an illustration of an exemplary tournament partial prediction bracket; 
           [0033]      FIG. 12  is an illustration of an exemplary tournament original prediction bracket; 
           [0034]      FIG. 13  is an illustration of an exemplary tournament updated prediction bracket; 
           [0035]      FIG. 14  is an illustration of a first alternative bracket; 
           [0036]      FIG. 15  is an illustration of a second alternative bracket; 
           [0037]      FIG. 16  is an illustration of a third alternative bracket. 
       
    
    
       [0038]    The accompanying drawings numbered herein are given by way of illustration only and are not intended to be limitative to any extent. Commonly used reference numbers identify the same or equivalent parts of the claimed invention throughout the several figures. 
       Objectives 
       [0039]    A first objective is to provide a medium and mechanism by which advertisers may increase their ability to market their goods and services to consumers by leveraging consumer interest in competitive events, particularly sporting events. 
         [0040]    Another objective is to increase consumer recognition and goodwill towards advertisers&#39; brands. 
         [0041]    Another objective is to provide a tournament format that encourages consumers to have sufficient interest in a sporting event to spend the time to predict the outcome of the sporting events. 
         [0042]    Another objective is to provide a medium by which advertisers may generate consumer attention and interest in the advertiser&#39;s goods and services through tournament promotions and awards of prizes to winning consumers. 
         [0043]    Another objective is to retain consumer interest and attention throughout long-duration tournaments, including revitalizing interest at key intervals throughout the tournament. 
         [0044]    Another objective is to simplify the tournament participation structure to generate consumer interest and attention among casual fans who do not traditionally participate in tournaments. 
         [0045]    Another objective is to provide a means for retaining consumer interest and attention among serious fans after their favorite teams or predicted winners have been eliminated. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0046]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a top-level flowchart of an embodiment of the method  10  to support and enhance fan participation in a tournament bracket competition is shown. At the outset, each fan, (hereinafter, a participant) generates an original prediction bracket  100 . During the original prediction bracket step  100 , each participant will generate a plurality of outcome predictions. Outcome predictions are predictions such as which team will win any given sporting event, and what the final score in that sporting event will be. As results of the tournament become known, and a participant&#39;s incorrect predictions become known, the method  10  tallies correction counts in step  200  for each participant. Thereafter, each participant receives an option to use one or more corrections in a first correction round  300 . The method  10  populates the bracket according to the participant&#39;s selected corrections. Subsequently, each participant has the opportunity to select new predicted winners in a second correction round  400  based upon selected corrections in the first correction round  300 . At the end of the tournament, during scoring round  500 , the method  10  tallies each participant&#39;s score based on one or more algorithms and scoring structures. Based on those scores, successful bracket competitors are selected and awards and prizes may be distributed. 
         [0047]    Referring to the flowchart of  FIG. 2 , the process for making initial original predictions  100  is shown. At the outset, a participant is given the option to choose a bracket selection module at step  110 . A participant may select between the partial prediction module  120  or the complete prediction module  130 . 
         [0048]    For the participant choosing the partial prediction module  120 , the participant is first provided access to a partial seed bracket  4000 . The partial seed bracket  4000  is an abbreviated segment of the entire tournament bracket where the participant predicts winners only for sporting events related to the second phase of the tournament. 
         [0049]    For example, in use, the method  10  selecting the partial prediction module  120  may be applied to the NCAA basketball tournament. In this embodiment, the sports tournament is divided into two phases. The first phase is comprised of the round of sixty-four, the round of thirty-two, and the round of sixteen, or SWEET SIXTEEN. The second phase begins when the eight winners of the SWEET SIXTEEN round are known. The second phase is comprised of the round of eight, or ELITE EIGHT, the round of four, or FINAL FOUR, and the final round. A participant is provided with the opportunity to select and predict winning teams for the bracket beginning with the ELITE EIGHT round. In step  121 , the participant selects which teams they believe will advance to the ELITE EIGHT round. The partial seed bracket  4000  illustrates which teams may advance to each of the eight available ELITE EIGHT positions. These predictions are stored as the partial prediction bracket  5000 . These teams are grouped into pairs, the pairing determined by the configuration of the partial seed bracket  4000 . For each sporting event comprised of two teams in competition, a participant predicts which of the two teams they believe will win  123 . The predicted winning team is advanced to the next round in step  125  by recording the prediction on an entry form, specifically the partial prediction bracket  5000 . The winning teams in one round then compete again in the next round, the pairing rules dictated by the partial seed bracket  4000  configuration. The participant continues to identify competing teams  121 , predict winning teams  123 , and advance winning teams to the next round  125  for the remainder of the tournament. Each participant&#39;s predictions are recorded to populate the participant&#39;s personal partial prediction bracket  5000 . 
         [0050]    In another aspect, a participant predicts game scores for selected sporting events  140 . In one version, a participant predicts scores for the final round and the two semifinal rounds. Once all team and score predictions have been made, the participant submits the predictions by a predetermined deadline  150 . The participant&#39;s predicted winners are then transferred from the partial prediction bracket  5000  to create the participant&#39;s original prediction bracket  6000 . The submission time  160  is recorded. 
         [0051]    Referring still to  FIG. 2 , a participant may alternatively select the complete prediction module  130 . For the participant choosing the complete prediction module  130 , the participant is first provided access to a full seed bracket  1000 . The full seed bracket  1000  initially provides the first round brackets in step  131  fully populated with all competing teams, which is established at the outset of the tournament. For each sporting event comprised of two teams in competition, a participant predicts which of the two teams they believe will win  133 . The predicted winning team is advanced to the next round in step  135  by recording the prediction on an entry form, specifically the full prediction bracket  3000 . The winning teams in one round then compete again in the next round, the pairing rules dictated by the full seed bracket  1000  configuration. The participant continues to identify competing teams  131 , predict winning teams  133 , and advance winning teams to the next round  135  for the remainder of the tournament. Each participant&#39;s predictions are recorded to populate the participant&#39;s personal full prediction bracket  3000 . 
         [0052]    In step  137 , unnecessary predictions are discarded. Unnecessary predictions are any predictions that are required to completely fill out the full prediction bracket  3000 , but are not required to completely fill out an equivalent partial prediction bracket  5000 . In one embodiment, applied to the NCAA basketball tournament, both the full prediction bracket  3000  and the partial prediction bracket  5000  require predictions of which teams will advance to the ELITE EIGHT round, which teams will advance to the FINAL FOUR round, which teams will advance to the final round, and which team will win the final round. These predictions are not discarded at step  137 . However, the predictions of which teams will advance from the round of  64  to the round of  32 , and which teams will advance from the round of  32  to the round of  16 , are required on the full prediction bracket  3000  but not the partial prediction bracket  5000 . These predictions are discarded at step  137 . 
         [0053]    In another embodiment, the method  10  is applied to the NCAA basketball tournament where participants having selected the complete prediction module  130  are also offered the opportunity to generate an original prediction bracket  160  in a manner consistent with those participants that selected the partial prediction module  120 . Again, a participant predicts game scores for selected sporting events  140 . Although the method supports the ability to allow participants to predict game scores for all sporting events, which adds another dimension to the bracket assessment, in one version, a participant predicts scores for the final round and the two semifinal rounds. Once the participant has completed the bracket and all predictions, the participant submits his or her predictions by a predetermined deadline  150 . The predicted winners are transferred from the full prediction bracket  3000  to the participant&#39;s original prediction bracket  6000 . Submission time is recorded  160 . 
         [0054]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , a flowchart illustrating the steps for determining correction counts  200  is shown. Before determining correction counts, participants must wait until all of the sporting events in a first phase of the tournament have concluded and actual winners determined. In step  210 , sporting event outcomes for a first phase are recorded in a results bracket  2000 . In step  221 , which teams advance from the first phase of the tournament to the second phase of the tournament are determined according to the method  10  based on the results bracket  2000 . 
         [0055]    In one embodiment, applicable to the NCAA basketball tournament, participants wait until three rounds have completed and exactly eight teams remain at the ELITE EIGHT level. The method  10  identifies which teams advance to the ELITE EIGHT level in step  221 , and compares the advancing teams in step  223  against each participant&#39;s original prediction bracket  6000  to identify each participant&#39;s incorrect predictions in step  225 . Incorrect predictions are recorded in an incorrect prediction list  230 . If the incorrect prediction list  230  is populated, each participant may be granted a default number of corrections in step  240  up to a default correction allowance  245 , but no more than the number of incorrect predictions on the incorrect prediction list  230 . The number of total corrections granted is recorded  270 . The default correction allowance  245  is determined before the tournament begins and revealed to participants. If a participant&#39;s incorrect prediction list is empty, the participant is deemed to need no corrections, recording zero total corrections granted  270  and concluding the determine correction counts step  200  for this participant. 
         [0056]    The grant of additional corrections beyond the default correction allowance  245  is determined iteratively. In step  250 , each participant&#39;s incorrect prediction list  230  is compared with the total corrections granted  270 . If the number of incorrect predictions on the incorrect prediction list  230  is less than or equal to the total corrections granted  270 , the total corrections granted  270  are recorded and the determine correction counts step  200  is concluded for this participant. If the number of incorrect predictions on the incorrect prediction list  230  is greater than the total corrections granted  270 , a check is made to determine if the participant is allowed any bonus corrections in step  260 . In step  260  allowed bonus corrections are determined by comparing the total corrections granted  270  with the total correction allowance  255 . The total correction allowance  255  is determined before the tournament begins and revealed to participants. The total corrections granted  270  is a count of how many default corrections are granted in step  240  plus the number of times a participant has purchased a bonus correction in step  290 . 
         [0057]    In granting additional corrections, a participant&#39;s total correction count  270  is compared with the total correction allowance  255 . If the participant&#39;s total correction count  270  is equal to the total correction count  255 , the total corrections granted  270  are recorded and the determine correction counts step  200  is concluded for this participant. 
         [0058]    If the participant&#39;s correction count  270  is less than the total correction allowance  255 , the participant is presented with an option to purchase one or more additional bonus corrections  280  for a monetary fee. A monetary fee is a payment of money to a party in exchange for a bonus correction. In order to boost brand goodwill, a user of the method  10  may instead replace the monetary fee model with a charitable donation model. If the charitable donation model is used, a user of the method  10  facilitates a payment of money to a charity in exchange for a bonus correction. In order to boost brand recognition, a user of the method  10  may instead replace the monetary fee model with a promotional code model. If the promotional code model is used, a user of the method  10  will provide the opportunity for consumers to obtain promotional codes as part of an advertising or sales campaign. Consumers may then redeem a promotional code to obtain a bonus correction. 
         [0059]    If the participant chooses not to purchase a bonus correction, the participant&#39;s total corrections granted  270  are recorded, concluding the determine correction counts step  200  for this participant. If the participant chooses to purchase a bonus correction  290 , the total corrections granted  270  is incremented by one. This process is repeated by once again comparing in step  250  the incorrect prediction list  230  with the total corrections granted  270 , until the total corrections granted  270  is a) equal to the number of incorrect predictions on the incorrect prediction list  230 , b) the participant has no bonus corrections remaining  260 , or c) the participant declines to purchase a bonus correction  280 . 
         [0060]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , a flowchart illustrating the additional steps associated with first round correction  300  is shown. At the outset, for each participant, the original prediction bracket  6000  is duplicated to generate an updated prediction bracket  7000 . In addition, a remaining correction count  310  is generated; initially equal to the participant&#39;s total corrections granted  270 . The incorrect prediction list  230  is read to determine if the participant has any incorrect predictions. In step  330 , if the incorrect prediction list  230  is empty, the updated prediction bracket  7000  is stored. Submitting the updated prediction bracket  330  concludes the first correction round  300  for this participant. 
         [0061]    If the incorrect prediction list  230  is not empty, the remaining correction count  310  is read to determine whether the participant has any corrections remaining  320 . In step  330 , if the remaining correction count  310  is zero, the updated prediction bracket  7000  is stored. The submission time  160  is recorded, overwriting any earlier submission time  160 . Submitting the updated prediction bracket  330  concludes the first correction round  300  for this participant. If the remaining correction count  310  is positive, the participant is prompted to select an incorrect prediction  340  from the incorrect prediction list  230 . After the participant selects an incorrect prediction, the incorrect prediction is replaced  350  with the associated correct prediction and the updated prediction bracket  7000  is updated and the remaining correction count  310  is reduced by one in step  360 . The first correction round  300  repeats, beginning with the creation of the incorrect prediction list  230  from the updated prediction bracket  7000 , until the participant&#39;s correction count  310  is zero or the incorrect prediction list  230  is empty. 
         [0062]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , a more detailed flowchart illustrating the additional steps associated with the second correction round step  400  is shown. For each of the sporting events in the original prediction bracket  6000 , the two predicted participants are recorded in the original sporting event participants list  410 . For each of the sporting events in the updated prediction bracket  7000 , the two predicted participants are recorded in the updated sporting event participants list  440 . The original sporting event participants list  410  is compared in step  420  with the updated sporting event participants list  440 . If the original and updated lists  410 ,  440  match, the updated prediction bracket  430  is submitted, concluding the second round corrections step  400  for this participant. If original and updated lists  410 ,  440  do not match, a list of sporting events with mismatched participant predictions is generated creating a mismatched predictions list  450 . In step  460 , the participant is prompted to select a prediction from the mismatched predictions list  450 . The participant is prompted to replace their original incorrect prediction with an updated new prediction  470 , choosing a winner from one of the sporting event participants on the updated sporting event participants list  440 . If the original predicted winner is still a predicted winner on the updated sporting event participants list  440 , the participant&#39;s replacement prediction may be identical to the original prediction. The updated prediction is saved in the updated prediction bracket  7000 . 
         [0063]    The second correction round  400  repeats, beginning with creating an updated sporting event participants list  440 , with two important differences. First, when the mismatched participants list  450  is created on subsequent cycles, sporting events that the participant has already selected in step  460 , and updated in step  470 , are not included. In this way, the number of predictions on the mismatched predictions list will likely diminish on subsequent cycles. Second, since predicted sporting event winners in one round become predicted sporting event participants in the following round, replacing an original prediction with an updated prediction  470  can create new discrepancies between the original sporting event participants list  410  and the updated sporting event participants list  440 . Once the mismatched predictions list  450  becomes an empty list, the participant submits the updated prediction bracket in step  430  and a new submission time  160  is recorded, overwriting any earlier submission time  160 . 
         [0064]    In one version, where the participant selects a prediction with mismatched participants  460  which is also a prediction where the participant is prompted to predict the final score  140 , the participant is also allowed to update his or her final score prediction for the select round. However, the participant is only allowed to replace the score prediction for teams represented in the updated sporting event participants list  440  but not represented in the original sporting event participants list  410 . 
         [0065]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , a more detailed flowchart illustrating the additional steps associated with the scoring round step  500  is shown. Before the scoring round  500  may begin, the participants must wait until all remaining sporting events have concluded and a champion determined. First, the second phase sporting event outcomes are recorded  510  in the results bracket  2000 , including the actual final scores the participants are prompted to predict  140 . The actual results for each sporting event are compared  520  against each participant&#39;s updated prediction bracket  7000 . For each correct prediction, the participant is awarded a point value  530 . The correct prediction point values are determined  535  before the tournament begins and revealed to the participants. 
         [0066]    In one version, all correct predictions are awarded an equal point value. In another version, correct predictions for later tournament rounds are awarded more points than correct predictions in earlier tournament rounds. A point total is the sum of all points awarded to a participant at step  530 . All participants are ranked based on their point total in step  540 , with participants awarded more points receiving a higher rank than participants awarded fewer points. In step  550 , ties are broken by awarding a higher rank to participants who predicted the select event scores during step  140  with greater accuracy. In step  560 , remaining ties are broken by awarding a higher rank to participants having an earlier submission time  160 . 
         [0067]    Once the participant&#39;s rankings have been determined and all ties resolved, winning participants  580  are identified, with the number and type of prize winners determined  570  before the tournament begins and revealed to the participants. Participants receive various prizes  590  such as awards, coupons, prizes and other gifts and opportunities based on their rank. 
         [0068]    Referring to  FIG. 7 , a sample full seed bracket  1000  is shown. In one embodiment,  64  teams, labelled T 1 -A through T 8 -H, compete in the tournament. A tournament selection committee assigns each team to one of the  64  available spots  1031  in the first round  1100 . For each round, team pairs compete in single-elimination format, each pairing designated on the seed bracket by a vertical line  1020  connecting the two competing teams. A single-elimination format is a tournament format in which a team is eliminated from the tournament whenever they lose a single game. Referring to the left side of the seed bracket  1000 , winning teams are advanced left-to-right. The winner of the first round  1100  advances to the second round  1200 , designated by recording the winning team&#39;s name on the second round empty space  1032  to the immediate right. The losing team is eliminated from the tournament. The winner of the second round  1200  advances to the third round  1300 , designated by recording the winning team&#39;s name on the third round empty space  1033  to the immediate right. The winner of the third round  1300  advances to the fourth round  1400 , designated by recording the winning team&#39;s name on the fourth round empty space  1034  to the immediate right. The winner of the fourth round  1400  advances to the fifth round  1500 , designated by recording the winning team&#39;s name on the fifth round empty space  1035  to the immediate right. The winner of the fifth round  1500  advances to the final round  1600 , designated by recording the winning team&#39;s name on the final round empty space  1036  to the immediate right. On the right side of the seed bracket  1000 , advancement of teams from one round to the next proceeds in the same fashion except right-to-left. The winner of the final round  1600  is recorded in the box  1040  in the center of the seed bracket  1000 . 
         [0069]    Referring to  FIG. 8 , a sample results bracket  2000  is shown. This figure demonstrates how the actual results of a tournament are recorded for visual display and then read by a participant. For example, by reading the first entry  2100  on the bracket  2000 , teams T 1 -A and T 1 -B are scheduled to compete in the first round  1100 . According to the sample results bracket  2000 , team T 1 -A proceeds to the second round  1200 , while team T 1 -B is eliminated from the  22  tournament. In the second round  1200 , team T 1 -A is scheduled to compete against team T 1 -D, and so on. Furthermore, the two teams that proceed to the final round are teams T 4 -E and T 7 -C. Team T 4 -E wins the championship. 
         [0070]    Referring to  FIG. 9 , a sample full prediction bracket  3000  is shown. Rather than recording the actual sporting event results, the full prediction bracket instead records one participant&#39;s predictions of what the outcomes will be. These predictions may be correct or incorrect. For example, in the match between teams T 1 -A and T 1 -B, the full prediction bracket contains the correct prediction that team T 1 -A will advance  3100 . However, when compared against the results bracket  2000  in  FIG. 8 , in the match between team T 1 -C and T 1 -D, the participant&#39;s full prediction bracket contains an incorrect prediction that team T 1 -C will advance  3200  rather than T 1 -D. 
         [0071]    Referring to  FIG. 10 , a sample partial seed bracket  4000  is shown. Like the sample full seed bracket  1000  shown in  FIG. 1 , the sample partial seed bracket  4000  communicates how the various teams compete for advancement. However, rather than communicating the specific team pairings, the sample partial seed bracket only communicates team matches by group. For example, teams T 1 -A through T 1 -H all compete for a single advancement position  4100 , while teams T 2 -A through T 2 -H all compete separately for a second advancement position  4200 . 
         [0072]    Referring to  FIG. 11 , a sample partial prediction bracket  5000  is shown. Rather than recording the actual sporting event results, the partial prediction bracket  5000  instead records one participant&#39;s predictions of what the outcomes will be. Furthermore, rather than predicting which teams advance in earlier rounds of the full bracket, the partial prediction bracket  5000  records only one participant&#39;s predictions of which single team from any group will advance through several rounds. These predictions may be correct or incorrect. For example, in the grouping of teams T 1 -A through T 1 -H, the partial prediction bracket contains the correct prediction that team T 1 -A will advance  5100  to the first round of the partial prediction bracket  5000 . However, when comparing to the results bracket  2000  of  FIG. 8 , in the grouping of teams T 2 -A through T 2 -H, the partial prediction bracket  5000  contains an incorrect prediction that team T 2 -G will advance  5200  rather than team T 2 -B. 
         [0073]    Regardless of whether the participant chose to fill out a complete or partial bracket, both methods as described will result in a list of predictions until a champion is determined. Referring to  FIG. 12 , a sample original prediction bracket  6000  is shown. The sample full prediction bracket  3000  and the sample partial prediction bracket  5000  would both produce an original prediction bracket  6000 . In addition to predicting which teams will win each sporting event, the participant also predicts the final score for the final round  6300  and semifinal rounds  6200 . Once all predictions are completed, the participant records the predictions on the original prediction bracket  6000  and submits the original prediction bracket  6000  where the submission time  160  is recorded. 
         [0074]    To illustrate the method  10  association with the present invention, the sample original prediction bracket  6000  of  FIG. 12  is compared with the sample results bracket  2000  of  FIG. 8 . Upon inspection, one will note that there are four correct team advancement predictions and four incorrect team advancement predictions. In this example, the original prediction bracket  6000  correctly predicted that teams T 1 -A, T 5 -A, T 6 -G, and T 8 -G would advance. However, the original prediction bracket  6000  incorrectly predicted that teams T 2 -G, T 3 -A, T 4 -G, and T 7 -A would advance. In this example, correct team advancement predictions would have been teams T 2 -B, T 3 -G, T 4 -G, and T 7 -C, respectively. 
         [0075]    Referring now to  FIG. 13 , a sample updated prediction bracket  7000  is shown. In this example, the participant has chosen to fix the incorrect team advancement prediction for team T 3 -A. The incorrect team advancement prediction for team T 3 -A  7100  is therefore replaced with the correct team advancement prediction  7200 , team T 3 -E. In this example, the participant does not fix any other team advancement predictions. 
         [0076]    Comparing the sample original prediction bracket  6000  with the sample updated prediction bracket  7000 , multiple second round corrections are allowed. In the original prediction bracket  6000 , the participant predicted that teams T 3 -A and T 4 -G would compete. However, in the updated prediction bracket  7000 , the participant now predicts that teams T 3 -E and T 4 -G will compete. Therefore, the participant is allowed to provide a new prediction for this round. In this example, the participant chooses to predict that team T 3 -E will now advance. This change triggers another discrepancy between the original prediction bracket  6000  and the updated prediction bracket  7000 . In the original prediction bracket  6000 , the participant predicted that teams T 1 -A and T 3 -A will compete. However, in the updated prediction bracket  7000 , the participant now predicts that teams T 1 -A and T 3 -E will compete. Therefore, the participant is allowed to provide a new prediction for this round. In this example, the participant chooses to preserve the original prediction that team T 1 -A will advance. 
         [0077]    In the embodiments previously shown, the teachings of the invention are applied to a tournament featuring  64  teams in a single-elimination format. In alternate embodiments, the teachings of this invention apply equally well to other tournament formats. Referring to  FIG. 14 , a first alternative embodiment  8000  featuring a double-elimination format in the first round is shown. An example of an applicable tournament following this format is the baseball tournament organized by the NCAA, often referred to by the trademark “COLLEGE WORLD SERIES.” A double-elimination format is a tournament format in which a team is eliminated from the tournament whenever they lose a second game. When advancing from the first to the second round, four teams compete together for one position. The same four teams will compete with one another across a plurality of games until three out of four teams have lost a second game. The double-elimination format may be extended to any multiple-elimination format wherein a team is eliminated after losing their third round, their fourth round, et cetera. An original prediction bracket may be generated by predicting the winners of each game or by predicting only which team advances to the next round. 
         [0078]    Now referring to  FIG. 15 , a second alternative embodiment  8500  featuring a round-robin format during the first round is shown. An example of an applicable tournament following this format is the international soccer tournament organized by the Federation Internationale de Football Association, often referred to by the trademark “FIFA WORLD CUP.” In a round-robin format, teams are initially placed in a group of four, with each group member playing every other group member exactly once. The teams are ranked based on their number of wins, ties, losses, and points scored, with the top two teams advancing to the next round. Any combination of two teams out of the original four may advance. For example, it is possible for team T 1 -A and team T 1 -B to both advance while team T 1 -C and T 1 -D are both eliminated. An original prediction bracket may be generated by predicting the winners of each game or by predicting only which teams advance to the next round. 
         [0079]    Now referring to  FIG. 16 , a third alternative embodiment  9000  featuring staggered starting rounds is shown. An example of an applicable tournament format this format is the football tournament organized by the NFL, often referred to as the NFL playoffs. In this example, not all teams are required to compete in the first round  9100 . Some of the teams, typically teams with higher seed values, advance automatically to the second round  9200  without competing in the first round  9100 . In this embodiment, the number of teams remaining after the first round has decreased from twelve to eight, and the remainder of the tournament proceeds using a single-elimination format. 
         [0080]    Referring again to  FIG. 16 , a more compact bracket format is shown. Referring to the third alternative embodiment  9000 , winning teams are advanced left-to-right. The winner of the first round  9100  advances to the second round  9200 , designated by recording the winning team&#39;s name on the alternative second round empty space  9012  to the immediate right. The losing team is eliminated from the tournament. The winner of the second round  9200  advances to the third round  9300 , designated by recording the winning team&#39;s name on the alternative third round empty space  9013  to the immediate right. The losing team is eliminated from the tournament. The winner of the third round  9300  advances to the final round  9400 , designated by recording the winning team&#39;s name on the alternative fourth round empty space  9014  to the immediate right. The losing team is eliminated from the tournament. The winner of the final round  9400  is recorded on the final round empty space  9020  to the immediate right. 
         [0081]    The present invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to certain preferred embodiments and features thereof. However, it should be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventions as set forth in the appended claims. The inventions illustratively disclosed herein may be practiced without any element which is not specifically disclosed herein.