1. a method of deciding the winner of a tied competition by comparing scores or results from earlier rounds or stages
Usage: commonly used in sports and games; British English

Examples

• The two competitors had identical final scores, so the countback determined the winner based on their performance in the first round.
• In darts tournaments, a countback is often used to break ties between players with the same number of points.
• The golf competition ended in a tie, and the countback rule was applied to find the champion.
• Under the countback system, earlier match results are reviewed to decide who advances.
• The chess tournament used a countback of head-to-head records when two players finished with equal points.