of ten points from the overall Eliminator score (twenty-five in 1989). Prior to the Eliminator, the deficit between the leader and the opponent was divided by the appropriate point scale and in order for the trailing contender to win the match, he/she needed to not only finish the course first but do so in enough time (once penalties were factored in) to earn enough points to overtake the leader. For example, in the first half of season one, a trailing contender behind by 25 points would need to make up five seconds. In the second half of the season a ten-point deficit would require the same amount of time. Once both contenders finished the course and the scores were totaled, the contender leading won the match and advanced in further play. If the match ended in a tie, the contender with the faster Eliminator time won. On the occasion that a contender was unable to run the Eliminator due to injuries sustained in the earlier parts of the competition, the opposing contender automatically advanced to the next round. In the preliminary rounds, that contender would be required to run the Eliminator as seeding for the quarterfinals were determined by score totals from the preliminaries. If a contender was forced to withdraw before the Eliminator at any subsequent point in the competition, the opponent would advance by forfeit and no Eliminator run would take place. The first season's Eliminator was run in a manner where the contenders started at the front of the arena, with the course layout bringing them back around to the front for the finish. It featured the following obstacles: An inclined ramp that the contestants climbed while pushing giant medicine balls, which had to be placed in holders at the top A pair of pits to cross: First pit crossed with a balance beam, with six Gladiators swinging smaller medicine balls at the contenders to impede progress (lengthened for the second half of the season) Second pit crossed with a rope walk, referred to as "commando ropes/lines" (also lengthened, with the top rope raises to aid taller contenders) The "swing for life", a rope swing over a small wall A set of cylindrical "cones" which had to be weaved through A corridor for each contender that featured two paper barriers at the end to select; one would allow the contender to cross the finish line unimpeded, while