In a knockout tournament, the total number of matches required to determine a winner can be calculated using the formula N - 1, where N represents the number of teams participating in the tournament.
The reason for this is that in each match, one team is eliminated, and ultimately, there can only be one winner. Therefore, for every team except the winner, there needs to be one match to eliminate them. If there are N teams, then N - 1 matches are required to eliminate all but one team, leaving the winner.
For example, in a tournament with 8 teams, the number of matches needed would be:
8 - 1 = 7 matches
In conclusion, the number of matches in a knockout tournament can be easily determined using the formula N - 1, ensuring that the number of games corresponds to the number of eliminations needed to declare a winner.