Urdu Poetry World Cup 2027

Official Rules & Scoring System

Organised by: Urdu Poetry Contest
Tournament Format: 64 Poets | 16 Groups | Knockout Stage
Official Website: https://urdupoetrycontest.com/

1. Tournament Format

1. The World Cup will feature 64 poets divided into 16 groups, with four poets in each group.
2. Each poet will compete in the group stage according to the official match schedule.
3. The top two poets from each group will qualify for the Round of 16.
4. The knockout stages will consist of the Round of 16, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Third-Place Match, and Grand Final.
5. Match schedules, results, standings, and qualification status will be published on the official website.

2. Poetry Submission Rules

1. Each participating poet must submit an original Ghazal for every stage in which they compete.
2. Each stage requires a new, previously unpublished Ghazal.
3. Every Ghazal must contain exactly six couplets (12 lines).
4. Plagiarised, copied, previously published, or otherwise ineligible submissions may be rejected following administrative review.
5. A submission must be received and approved before the deadline specified for that stage.
6. The organisers may reject a submission that does not comply with the official requirements.
7. A poet must follow the instructions and deadlines shown on the official match or submission page.

3. Public Voting System — 60 Marks

Public voting contributes a maximum of 60 marks to a poet’s total match score.

• Each valid, confirmed public vote contributes 0.12 marks.
• A poet can receive a maximum of 60 public marks.
• The maximum is reached at 500 valid votes.
• Votes beyond 500 do not increase the public score beyond 60 marks.
• Email verification is required where the website requests it. An unconfirmed vote does not count as a valid vote.
• The system may reject or remove votes identified as fraudulent, duplicated, manipulated, or otherwise invalid under the contest rules.

Public Score Formula

Public Score = Valid Votes × 0.12, capped at 60 marks.

Examples:

Valid votes	Public score
50	6/60
100	12/60
250	30/60
400	48/60
500 or more	60/60

Public voting is only one part of the final result. A poet with more public votes is not automatically the winner if the combined score is lower.

4. Judges’ Scoring System — 40 Marks

1. Each match is evaluated by two judges.
2. Each judge awards a score out of 20 marks.
3. Judge 1 can award up to 20 marks.
4. Judge 2 can award up to 20 marks.
5. The combined judges’ score is therefore a maximum of 40 marks.

Judges’ Score Formula

Judges’ Score = Judge 1’s Marks + Judge 2’s Marks.

Judges should assess the literary quality of the Ghazal, including its originality, language, expression, poetic technique, coherence, and overall artistic merit.

Judges must evaluate the submitted poetry fairly and independently. Their scores must be recorded through the official judging process.

5. Final Match Score — 100 Marks

The final match score combines the public score and both judges’ scores.

Final Score = Public Score + Judge 1’s Marks + Judge 2’s Marks

• Public Score: Maximum 60 marks
• Judge 1: Maximum 20 marks
• Judge 2: Maximum 20 marks
• Maximum Final Score: 100 marks

Example

Scoring component	Poet A	Poet B
Public votes	250	200
Public score	30/60	24/60
Judge 1	17/20	18/20
Judge 2	16/20	15/20
Final score	63/100	57/100

In this example, Poet A wins with 63 marks against Poet B’s 57 marks.

The official winner is determined by the final score recorded for the match, subject to the official rules and any applicable tie-break procedure.

6. Voting Period and Match Deadlines

1. Each match will have an official voting schedule set by the organisers.
2. Voting opens and closes according to the schedule displayed on the website.
3. The website’s configured voting period applies to the match.
4. Once voting closes, the public voting score must be locked according to the competition system.
5. Votes cannot be treated as valid merely because someone attempted to submit them before the deadline; they must satisfy the applicable validation and confirmation requirements.
6. Poets must submit their Ghazals and complete any required steps within the announced deadlines.

7. Group Stage and Qualification

1. Each group contains four poets.
2. Group standings are determined using the competition’s recorded match results and configured ranking rules.
3. The top two qualifying poets from each group advance to the Round of 16.
4. The official standings table on the website is the reference for group positions and qualification.
5. Any tie in group standings will be resolved using the tournament’s officially configured tie-break rules. The organisers should publish those criteria before the relevant decision is made.

8. Knockout Stage

1. The Round of 16 leads to the Quarterfinals.
2. Quarterfinal winners advance to the Semifinals.
3. Semifinal winners advance to the Grand Final.
4. The remaining semifinalists compete in the Third-Place Match.
5. The Grand Final determines the World Cup champion and runner-up.
6. The winner of each knockout match is determined by the official result recorded by the tournament system or by an authorised administrative decision under these rules.

9. Missed Deadlines and Walkovers

1. Missing a submission deadline does not automatically make the opponent the winner.
2. The organisers will review the match circumstances and the eligibility of the competing poets.
3. If a poet fails to submit an eligible Ghazal, the organisers may decide whether a walkover is appropriate.
4. Where a walkover is awarded, an authorised administrator must record the decision and its reason in the tournament system.
5. A walkover result must be displayed clearly as an official result.
6. A match awarded by walkover does not require fabricated public votes or judges’ scores. The official record should identify the result as a walkover.

10. Reports, Fair Play and Disqualification

Participants may report suspected plagiarism, impersonation, vote manipulation, abusive conduct, or other rule violations through the reporting method provided on the website.

The organisers may investigate reports and take appropriate action, including invalidating votes, rejecting a submission, issuing a warning, or disqualifying a participant where justified.

False reports, harassment, threats, attempts to manipulate voting, and interference with the website or judging process are prohibited.

11. Official Results and Records

1. Official match results, scores, group standings, and qualification decisions will be published on the website as applicable.
2. The recorded final score or authorised walkover decision will determine the official match outcome.
3. The organisers may correct a verified technical or administrative error and should record material corrections appropriately.
4. Participants should refer to the official website for confirmed results rather than unofficial posts or messages.

12. Awards, Certificates and Courier Charges

1. Awards and recognition will be provided according to the announcements issued by the organisers.
2. If a physical certificate or shield is offered, the winner is responsible for applicable courier, shipping, and delivery charges.
3. Where reasonably practicable, the organisers will communicate the applicable charges and dispatch arrangements before sending the parcel.
4. Winners must provide accurate delivery details and any required contact information.
5. Delivery times depend on the courier service and destination. Additional charges may apply if delivery fails because of incorrect or incomplete information.
6. Dispatch may be delayed until the required delivery information and payment have been received.

13. Copyright and Use of Poetry

Poets retain copyright in their original work. By participating, poets grant Urdu Poetry Contest permission to display, publish, archive, and promote their submitted work in connection with the World Cup, its results, and related competition publicity.

This permission is non-exclusive and does not transfer ownership of the poem to the organisers. Participants should submit only work they have the right to share.

14. Privacy and Personal Information

Personal information will be handled according to the website’s Privacy Policy. Public competition pages may display a poet’s name or pen name, country or city where applicable, submitted poetry, match details, scores, rankings, and results.

Email addresses, mobile numbers, and verification information are not intended for public display. They may be used by authorised administrators and service providers as necessary for contest administration, verification, security, and communication.

15. Changes and Final Authority

The organisers may make reasonable changes to schedules, procedures, or these rules where necessary to operate the tournament fairly or address technical and administrative issues. Material changes should be communicated through the official website where practicable.

The organisers will review disputes and administrative issues in good faith. Decisions must be consistent with the published rules and applicable law.

16. Acceptance of Rules

By submitting a Ghazal or participating in the Urdu Poetry World Cup 2027, each poet confirms that they have read and accepted these rules, the scoring system, the submission requirements, and the website’s Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Urdu Poetry Contest
Official Website: https://urdupoetrycontest.com/