You advance to the next round in a tournament without playing an opponent WordNet 3.0

An automatic advance to the next round in a tournament without playing an opponent Open English WordNet

In sport, a bye is the preferential status of a player or team that is automatically advanced to the next round of a tournament, without having to play an opponent in an early round. Wikipedia

term in sports Wikidata

The position of a person or team in a tournament or competition who draws no opponent in a particular round so advances to the next round unopposed, or is awarded points for a win in a league table; also the phantom opponent of such a person or team. Wiktionary