Why is it called a “bye” when a team advances in a tournament without playing an opponent?

What’s the origin (etymology) of the term “bye” (when a team advances in a tournament without playing an opponent)? The word seems strange and doesn’t seem to have any basis other than someone just making the word up.

Top 5 Answers

A few days ago

rdenig_male

Favorite Answer

I’ve looked at Chambers and The Shorter Oxford. The latter doesn’t mention the usage of ‘bye’ in the sense you query, Chambers does but gives no etymology other than to say ‘bye’ is a variation of ‘by’. If that is correct, then the logical explanation is that it is because you pass ‘by’ other players. I’m not convinced however – Chambers explanation doesn’t answer the etymology of the UK expression ‘bye-law’ in the sense of a rule made by an authority subordinate to Parliament, e.g. a local council.

A few days ago

Pebble

Bye: A player is given a bye when he/she is allowed to skip a match and automatically move to the next round of a tournament

u just gotta say bye bye to ur opponent and leave

A few days ago

Anonymous

I agree it seems a strange usage. This is the best I could find:

bye (1)

in sporting use, a variant of by (prep). Originally in cricket, “a run scored on a ball that is missed by the wicket-keeper” (1746); hence, in other sports, “position of one who is left without a competitor when the rest have drawn pairs” (1883).

A few days ago

Smooch The Pooch

I always wondered that myself…cannot find any origin at all.

A few days ago

susanbamboozlin

I always assumed it came from bypass…

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Why is it called a “bye” when a team advances in a tournament without playing an opponent?

Why is it called a “bye” when a team advances in a tournament without playing an opponent?

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