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 Urdu Poetry World Cup 2027 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. Official fixtures, match statuses, group standings, scores, and results will be published on the competition website.

2. Poetry Submission Rules

  1. Each poet must submit an original Ghazal for every stage in which they compete.
  2. A new, previously unpublished Ghazal must be submitted for each stage.
  3. Each Ghazal must contain exactly six couplets (12 lines).
  4. Plagiarised, copied, previously published, or otherwise ineligible poetry may be rejected following administrative review.
  5. Every submission must meet the announced deadline for the relevant stage.
  6. The organisers may reject a submission that does not meet the competition requirements.
  7. Participants must follow the submission instructions displayed on the official website.

3. Scoring System — 60 Marks

Each match is scored out of a maximum of 60 marks.

Scoring componentMaximum marks
Public voting30
Judge 110
Judge 210
Judge 310
Total60

The final match score is calculated by adding the public score to the marks awarded by all three judges.

Final Score = Public Score + Judge 1 + Judge 2 + Judge 3

No poet can receive more than 60 marks under this scoring structure.

4. Public Voting — 30 Marks

  1. Public voting contributes a maximum of 30 marks to each poet’s match score.
  2. Each valid public vote contributes 0.0375 marks, subject to the maximum public score of 30.
  3. The maximum public score of 30 is reached at 800 valid votes.
  4. Votes above 800 do not increase the public score beyond 30.
  5. Where email verification is required, a vote counts only after the required confirmation has been completed.
  6. Unconfirmed votes do not count as valid votes.
  7. Votes identified as fraudulent, duplicated, manipulated, or otherwise invalid may be rejected under the competition rules.

Public Score Formula

Public Score = Valid Votes × 0.0375, capped at 30 marks.

Valid votesPublic score
1003.75/30
2007.50/30
40015/30
60022.50/30
800 or more30/30

Public voting is an important part of the competition, but it does not independently determine the winner. The result is based on the combined final score.

5. Judges’ Scoring — 30 Marks

  1. Each match is evaluated by three judges.
  2. Each judge awards a score out of 10 marks.
  3. Judge 1 may award up to 10 marks.
  4. Judge 2 may award up to 10 marks.
  5. Judge 3 may award up to 10 marks.
  6. The combined maximum score from all three judges is 30 marks.

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

Judges must evaluate submissions fairly and record their marks through the official judging process.

6. Example of Final Score Calculation

Suppose a poet receives 400 valid public votes and the judges award the following marks:

Scoring componentMarks
Public score: 400 × 0.037515/30
Judge 18/10
Judge 29/10
Judge 37/10
Final score39/60

The poet’s final score is 39 out of 60.

The winner of a match is determined by the official final result recorded by the competition system or by an authorised administrative decision under these rules.

7. Voting Period and Deadlines

  1. Each match follows the official voting schedule published on the website.
  2. Voting opens and closes according to the scheduled match times and configured competition settings.
  3. Participants must submit their Ghazals before the applicable deadline.
  4. Once voting closes, the public score must be locked according to the competition system.
  5. Only votes satisfying the applicable validation and confirmation requirements are counted.
  6. Participants are responsible for checking their match schedules, submission deadlines, and any instructions announced by the organisers.

8. Group Stage and Qualification

  1. Each group contains four poets.
  2. Group standings are determined by the official match results and the competition’s configured ranking rules.
  3. The top two poets from each group qualify for the Round of 16.
  4. The official standings table on the website is the reference for group positions and qualification.
  5. A group-stage match may end in a draw. Each poet receives one point for a draw, as recorded by the competition system.
  6. Any tie in group standings must be resolved according to the official tie-break procedure applicable to the tournament.

9. Knockout Stage Rules

  1. Round-of-16 winners advance to the Quarterfinals.
  2. Quarterfinal winners advance to the Semifinals.
  3. Semifinal winners advance to the Grand Final.
  4. The two remaining semifinalists compete in the Third-Place Match.
  5. The Grand Final determines the World Cup champion and runner-up.
  6. Knockout matches must produce an official advancement decision. If a match is tied, the organisers will make and record an authorised decision according to the competition’s applicable procedure.

10. Missed Deadlines and Walkovers

  1. Missing a submission deadline does not automatically declare the opponent the winner.
  2. The organisers will review the 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. A walkover must be declared and recorded by an authorised administrator.
  5. The official result should clearly identify the winner and state that the match was decided by walkover.
  6. A walkover must not be represented by fabricated votes or judges’ marks. The official record should identify the result as a walkover.

11. Fair Play, Reports and Disqualification

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

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

The following are prohibited:

  • Plagiarism or submitting work that is not the participant’s own.
  • Manipulating, purchasing, or fraudulently generating votes.
  • Impersonation or submitting false information.
  • Harassing, threatening, or abusing poets, judges, administrators, or other participants.
  • Interfering with the website, voting process, or judging process.

12. Official Results and Corrections

  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 determines the official match outcome.
  3. The organisers may correct a verified technical or administrative error.
  4. Material corrections should be recorded or communicated where appropriate.
  5. Participants should rely on the official website for confirmed results.

13. 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.

14. 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 poetry in connection with the World Cup, its results, and related competition publicity.

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

15. 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.

16. Changes to Rules 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.

17. 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/