Third Place Playoff

The third place playoff, bronze medal game or consolation game is a single match that is included in many sporting knockout tournaments to decide which competitor or team will be credited with finishing third and fourth. The teams that compete in the third place playoff game are usually the two losing semi-finalists in a particular knockout tournament. In many knockout tournaments, including those used in several sports in the Olympic Games, the third place playoff determines who wins the bronze medal. Other tournaments that do not award bronze medals, like the FIFA World Cup, hold a third place playoff more as a consolation to the losing semi-finalists. The third place playoff has been criticised by some who feel that the match serves little purpose, but others see this game as an occasion for the losing semi-finalists to salvage some pride.