A new competition format was introduced for the 2019 Championship Tour. All 36 surfers take part in Round 1. The top two surfers in each heat advance directly to Round 3, while the lowest-placed surfer in each heat enters Round 2. In each of the four heats in Round 2, the top two surfers advance to Round 3, while the lowest-placed surfer is eliminated from the competition. From Round 3 onwards, all heats are head-to-head, with the winner advancing to the next round and the loser being eliminated.[2]