Multi-Way Match
A Multi-Way, of X-Way Match is a tennis type that involves a larger amount of people per rotation than normal (three or more).
The very first match to be played between more than two people was MahsuginaChicken vs. SeductiveBaz vs. hom906sar[1], which is the the 41st match ever played.
History
Related article: Year of the Three-Ways
GameBop is credited to being the first to start a match in which more than two people were volleying each other in October 2007, billed as a "Multi-Person Poop Tennis" and featuring 6 people. The players were themselves, BMATF, KingCornholio, MVJ52197, plex14 and DrHyliaPimpVDCWII, but the match never progressed beyond a couple of rounds. A revival effort of this match using the original serve and originally featuring himself, dani_phantump, TehShadzify, plasticfishtank, JowlHog4 and MycroProcessor has been in process since 2013, and has managed to progress to Round 4 before becoming stagnant.
Three way matches have been the most common (helped by the Three-Way Tournament that occurred in 2010) as well as the longest running, but multi-ways of many different amounts have occurred over YTP Tennis history. The Multi-Way Tournament of 2013-2014 had multi-ways of 6 people all the way through standard matches taking place, and on several occasions throughout 2011-2013 have occurred even 10 ways and 20 ways, few of which have seen completion.
In recent years, many larger multi-ways (6+ people) have seen success as 1-Second Tennis matches.
Layout
The big difference between a normal, "vanilla" match and a multi-way is that a rotation is longer than two rounds. Rather than going back and forth between two players, more players will create rounds before it circles back to the first player again. In this way the idea of a "1v1" becomes extended to a "1v1v1" (or 3-way), "1v1v1v1", etc.
The playout of a multi-way match works the same way as a standard two person match except with more people, with the round number adjusted to the amount of people playing(# of players x 3). Example:
A vs. B vs. C so 3 players x 3 rounds to each = 9 rounds total.
- A serves, and also makes rounds 4 and 7
- B makes Round 2, 5, and 8
- C makes Round 3, 6, and finishes the match with Round 9.
The difference between this and a chain is that multi-ways have repeating patterns, while chains do not.
3-Way Match
The most common form of an X-Way is a 3 way match. This is illustrated in the example above.
Tournaments
This concept was explored to the extreme during 3WTT and MWTT; the latter had multi-ways of up to six people!
Notable Matches
3-Ways
- MahsuginaChicken vs. SeductiveBaz vs. hom906sar(2007), the first 3-way ever played
- BMATF vs. UncleChuckTH vs. Wikiwow(2007), an all-Robotnik themed 3-way that was tremendously influential
- InsinerateHymn vs. zacheatscrackers vs. GameBop(2008), another early 3-way known for its chaotic pace and completing in just a week
- TheDarkRises vs. XBR4D3NX vs. Crash2991(2008-2009)
- Silverstreak/Dani vs. GameBop vs. Bloodis(2012-2013), a very popular Multiplied Time Tennis
- GameBop vs. Sploltoen vs. MycroProcessor(2010/2014), a match that travels over two tournaments
4-Ways
5+-Ways
- CorruptionSound vs. Massivezephyr14/djninjalovemistake vs. GameBop vs. Sploltoen vs. Metroid998 (2010-2011), a 5-Way themed around using Windows Movie Maker with no custom effects.
- MWTT Teal Set 2 - (JowlHog4 vs. MycroProcessor vs. GameBop vs. dani_phantump vs. Bloodis/saper (2013-2014))
- TheChutley vs. Morshe vs. Sid vs. NESfanboi vs. Letycjusz S. (2025), a "panic" 5-Way match that was completed in only two weeks.