diff --git a/app/routes/admin.sports-seasons.$id.events.$eventId.server.ts b/app/routes/admin.sports-seasons.$id.events.$eventId.server.ts
index 523877c..d05de6f 100644
--- a/app/routes/admin.sports-seasons.$id.events.$eventId.server.ts
+++ b/app/routes/admin.sports-seasons.$id.events.$eventId.server.ts
@@ -384,52 +384,39 @@ export async function action({ request, params }: Route.ActionArgs) {
         return { error: "Scoring event not found" };
       }
 
-      if (scoringEvent.tournamentId) {
-        // Canonical path: translate season_participant.id → canonical participant.id
-        const spRows = allSeasonParticipants.filter((sp) =>
-          incoming.some((r) => r.participantId === sp.id),
-        );
-        const missingCanonical = spRows.filter((sp) => !sp.participantId);
-        if (missingCanonical.length > 0) {
-          return {
-            error: `Some season participants are not linked to canonical participants: ${missingCanonical.map((sp) => sp.name).join(", ")}`,
-          };
-        }
-
-        for (const row of incoming) {
-          const sp = spRows.find((s) => s.id === row.participantId);
-          if (!sp?.participantId) continue;
-          await upsertTournamentResult({
-            tournamentId: scoringEvent.tournamentId,
-            participantId: sp.participantId,
-            placement: row.placement,
-          });
-        }
-
-        const syncReport = await syncTournamentResults(scoringEvent.tournamentId);
+      // Qualifying events always have a canonical tournament link (check
+      // constraint). Write results canonically and fan out.
+      if (!scoringEvent.tournamentId) {
         return {
-          success: `${incoming.length} result${incoming.length === 1 ? "" : "s"} saved canonically. Synced to ${syncReport.windowsSynced} window${syncReport.windowsSynced === 1 ? "" : "s"}${syncReport.windowsFailed > 0 ? ` (${syncReport.windowsFailed} failed)` : ""}.`,
-          syncReport,
+          error:
+            "This scoring event has no canonical tournament link — cannot save batch results. Contact a developer.",
         };
       }
 
-      // Legacy direct-write path for non-canonical events (team sports, etc.).
-      const existingResults = await getEventResults(params.eventId);
-      const existingIds = new Set(existingResults.map((r) => r.seasonParticipantId));
-      const newResults = filterNewResults(incoming, existingIds);
-
-      if (newResults.length > 0) {
-        await createEventResultsBulk(
-          newResults.map((r) => ({
-            scoringEventId: params.eventId,
-            participantId: r.participantId,
-            placement: r.placement,
-          }))
-        );
+      const spRows = allSeasonParticipants.filter((sp) =>
+        incoming.some((r) => r.participantId === sp.id),
+      );
+      const missingCanonical = spRows.filter((sp) => !sp.participantId);
+      if (missingCanonical.length > 0) {
+        return {
+          error: `Some season participants are not linked to canonical participants: ${missingCanonical.map((sp) => sp.name).join(", ")}`,
+        };
       }
 
+      for (const row of incoming) {
+        const sp = spRows.find((s) => s.id === row.participantId);
+        if (!sp?.participantId) continue;
+        await upsertTournamentResult({
+          tournamentId: scoringEvent.tournamentId,
+          participantId: sp.participantId,
+          placement: row.placement,
+        });
+      }
+
+      const syncReport = await syncTournamentResults(scoringEvent.tournamentId);
       return {
-        success: `${newResults.length} result${newResults.length === 1 ? "" : "s"} saved${incoming.length - newResults.length > 0 ? ` (${incoming.length - newResults.length} duplicate${incoming.length - newResults.length === 1 ? "" : "s"} skipped)` : ""}.`,
+        success: `${incoming.length} result${incoming.length === 1 ? "" : "s"} saved canonically. Synced to ${syncReport.windowsSynced} window${syncReport.windowsSynced === 1 ? "" : "s"}${syncReport.windowsFailed > 0 ? ` (${syncReport.windowsFailed} failed)` : ""}.`,
+        syncReport,
       };
     } catch (error) {
       logger.error("Error saving batch results:", error);