The phrase "a small tournament" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a competition or event that involves a limited number of participants or teams.
Example: "The local community center is hosting a small tournament for aspiring young athletes this weekend."
Alternatives: "a minor tournament" or "a little tournament".
"In a small tournament, you have to win four or five matches.
In February 2008 both DeGale and Groves were invited to Sheffield for a small tournament; it was one solution.
Not long ago, I borrowed a towel at a small tournament and had to leave my car keys as a deposit".
The week before, they'd played a small tournament on the island of Jersey, in the English Channel, and had lost in the first round.
Robson, whose ranking now is 553, talked positively about her latest comeback, which began at a small tournament in Florida last month.
Robson has made slow progress since going under the knife and her only previous wins this season were at a small tournament in the United States in January.
Simply put, if you have a great result in a smaller tournament, it won't raise as much hype as it would in a Rod Laver Arena night match.
"I really don't believe that it would help me to go to a smaller tournament and beat someone who is 300 in the world," she told them.
Jaziri, who qualified and won a round at the 2011 United States Open, had proved worthy of the wild card he received in January at a smaller tournament in Doha, Qatar, winning a set from the eventual champion, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, ranked sixth at the time.
The president of the international football body Fifa, Sepp Blatter, recently said he was confident Brazil would finish preparations in time for the World Cup and the Confederations Cup, a smaller tournament that takes place a year before.
My husband has gone with me to a few small tournaments, but he's not as into it as I am".
