Stage refers to the battlefield (or map, level, etc.) that combatants fight on (e.g., Battlefield, Corneria, Final Destination). Stages vary vastly in properties, including size, hazards, transitions, and platform placements. Check out the Stages chapter for a full list of battlegrounds!
In most tournament competitions, matches are played on Battlefield or Omega, standardizing much of the playing field. For serious competitors, learning every minute detail of these stages is crucial. Skilled players often implement advanced platform techniques, such as platform-jump-canceling and ledge-canceling, using the teetering animations at the edges of platform skip ending lag. Some combos can be extended on Battlefield by using the middle and side platforms as “jump cancels,” like with Captain Falcon launching a victim above a platform with his up air attack while landing on it, then immediately doing another up air attack since he can act way faster than normal, thanks to landing early.