After a long match the scores remain level, so a special procedure is used to produce a winner. That procedure is a tiebreaker. It shortens the resolution process while still testing skill under pressure.

Tennis uses a seven-point tiebreak in most sets; other sports employ penalty shoot-outs, extra sudden-death periods, or comparative statistics from earlier play. The format is defined in advance so both sides prepare for the possibility. Psychological pressure is usually higher than in regular play because each action carries amplified consequences.

Tiebreakers reward composure and, in some formats, a degree of specialized skill. Critics sometimes argue they reduce the purity of the preceding contest; supporters note that they deliver a necessary result within practical time limits. Athletes train specifically for the tiebreaker scenarios their sport employs.

When the main contest cannot separate the sides, the tiebreaker becomes the whole story.