Tournament Organization

Because there are different types of tournaments, it is important to familiarize yourself with the proper

techniques for organizing tournament draws and brackets.

Tournament Organization Three tournament types that are often used in high school

intramural and inter-school competitions are:1. Round robin2. Elimination3. Challenge

The format you select will depend on several factors: The type of activity/game The number of teams or players The amount of time available The facilities available The equipment available

Round-Robin Tournaments Each player or team gets to play every

other player or team at least once

When to Use If sufficient time and facilities are

available If the number of competitors is small If you want to determine a true winner

as well as rank the other contestants in the best possible manner

Round-Robin Tournaments: Procedures Step 1

Assign numbers to the teams that have entered the tournament

Rotate the numbers counter-clockwise around one number that remains fixed (#1)

The formula for determining the total number of games to be played in a round-robin tournament is N(N – 1) / 2, with N representing the number of teams or participating units in the tournament

Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Round 7

1 vs. 8 1 vs. 7 1 vs. 6 1 vs. 5 1 vs. 6 1 vs. 3 1 vs. 2

2 vs. 7 8 vs. 6 7 vs. 5 6 vs. 4 5 vs. 3 4 vs. 2 3 vs. 8

3 vs. 6 2 vs. 5 8 vs. 4 7 vs. 3 6 vs. 2 5 vs. 8 4 vs. 7

4 vs. 5 3 vs. 4 2 vs. 3 8 vs. 2 7 vs. 8 6 vs. 7 5 vs. 6

Round-Robin Tournaments: Procedures

Step 2 Draw up a schedule of the time and place for each game to be played All round-one games take place at 9:00 a.m. All round-two games take place at 10:00 a.m., and so on Notice that all the teams are placed on different courts as the

tournament progresses

ROUND TIME COURT A COURT B COURT C COURT D

1 9:00 1 vs. 8 2 vs. 7 3 vs. 6 4 vs. 5

2 10:00 3 vs. 4 1 vs. 7 8 vs. 6 2 vs. 5

3 11:00 7 vs. 5 8 vs. 4 2 vs. 3 1 vs. 6

4 1:00 6 vs. 4 8 vs. 2 1 vs. 5 7 vs. 3

5 2:00 6 vs. 2 5 vs. 3 1 vs. 4 7 vs. 8

6 3:00 1 vs. 3 6 vs. 7 4 vs. 2 5 vs. 8

7 4:00 3 vs. 8 5 vs. 6 4 vs. 7 1 vs. 2

Round-Robin Tournaments: Procedures

Step 3 Draw up and post the tournament score sheet Note 1: The number of squares on one half of the sheet equals the number of games

played in the tournament Note 2: Game results must be entered in two places (i.e., for each team playing the

game). Example: In the first round, 1 beats 8. A W is placed on team one’s line under column 8, and an L is placed on team eight’s line in column 1. Alternatively, actual final scores may be entered (e.g., 25-19 for team one and 19-25 for team eight)

TEAM 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Points Place

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

W

Round-Robin Tournaments: Procedures Tie-breaking strategies:

Number of wins in all games played

Head-to-head win record

Point spread of head-to-toe games

Total point spread over all games played

Play another short game

Coin toss

Advantages and Disadvantages of the round-robin tournament

Advantages· All teams get to play to the end of the tournament.· All teams play an equal number of games.· It’s the fairest way to determine a champion.· All teams are ranked at the end of the tournament.· It permits continuous play with maximum use of facilities.

Disadvantages· Time consuming, especially if there are many teams or limited

facilities.· Can result in ties, necessitating tie-breaking procedures.· More facilities are required.

Elimination Tournaments

1. Single-elimination tournaments

2. Consolation tournaments

3. Modified double-elimination tournaments

Single-Elimination Tournaments Emphasizes the elimination

Half the competitors are eliminated after the first contest

Often the least desirable

When to Use This Type of Tournament If you have limited time and facilities If you have many participants If the goal is to determine one champion only

Single-Elimination Tournaments: Procedures

• Determine whether the number of entries is an even power of 2 • If so, proceed by drawing for position• Winning teams advance to the next round• Half of the teams are eliminated after the first round

Single-Elimination Tournaments: ProceduresBYES

If the number of teams entered is not a power of 2

All “free matches” must be placed in the first round

Number of contestants for the second round is an even power of 2

Even number of byes - place half in the top and half in the bottom

Odd number of byes - put the larger number in the bottom half

Awarded on the basis of a random draw or seeding

Single-Elimination Tournaments: Procedures

SEEDING

Keeps the best players/teams from meeting until the end

Prevents top players from being eliminated early

Two top players are placed one at the top and the other at the bottom

Other high players are placed towards the middle and evenly spaced

Single Elimination Tournament for 13 Teams with 4 Seeded Entries

The top 3 seeded players have a bye in the first round

No team receives more than one bye

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Single-Elimination Tournament

Advantages

· It takes a short time to determine a champion.· It is a good option when facilities are limited.· It is suitable for a large number of entries.· It is easy to organize.

Disadvantages

· The eventual winner is not always the best entrant.· The defeated finalist is not always second best.· Teams/players who could benefit most from more playing experience

don’t get the opportunity to play.· Except for the first game, players don’t know their game times.· It does not provide much competition for some teams.

Consolation Tournaments

No teams are eliminated in the first round 1st-round winners move towards the right side and play other

winners 1st-round losers move towards the left side and play other 1st-round

losers

Half the teams are eliminated in the second round

From the second round on, a loss eliminates the team

Champion and a consolation champion are determined

Consolation Tournaments: Procedures

All losers in the 1st round (as well as those who lose in the 2nd round after receiving a 1st round bye) play single-elimination tournament

When to Use

When adequate time and facilities are available When teams or players have to travel long distances

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Consolation Elimination Tournament

Advantages

Each entry plays at least twice before elimination. A strong entry eliminated by the champion early in the

tournament may continue. It generates greater player interest.

Disadvantages

Running the tournament is more time consuming. A first-round loss eliminates the opportunity to play in the

tournament championship game. More games are involved, causing a potential space problem

when there is a large number of entries. Except for the first game, teams don’t know their game times.

Modified Double-Elimination Tournaments

Each entry is assured of playing at least two contests

1st-round loss does not lead to elimination

Results in the selection of a more deserving winner

When to Use If you have a more time or not enough entries for

single-elimination If teams have traveled a great distance

Modified Double-Elimination Tournaments: Procedures

After the first round, half the winning & losing teams move to the right and half to the left

Second-round game puts winning team against team with one loss

Teams losing in the second and subsequent rounds are eliminated

The championship game is played between the last remaining teams on the right and left sides

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Modified Double-Elimination TournamentAdvantages

A player or team is guaranteed two games. A team that gets off to a slow start is not immediately eliminated It determines the most deserving winner. The final could be between

two undefeated teams or between an undefeated team and a team that had one loss in the first round.

Disadvantages

Except for the first game, teams don’t know their game times. The tournament takes longer to run than a single-elimination

tournament. It emphasizes elimination.

Challenge Tournaments Carried out by the players independently

Many varieties: Ladder Target Spiderweb Pyramid

When to Use This Type of Tournament Singles or doubles Competitions that:

Have no set schedule Run over a lengthy time period Involve any number of players

Challenge Tournaments: Ladder Procedures Place contestants’ names on

cards

Draw the cards out of a hat

Placing cards in the order drawn from the top

Challenge Tournaments: Procedures Once the ladder has been set up, the following rules govern the play:

A standard criterion defines a win

Players advance by challenging and defeating a competitor or by default

A competitor can challenge players only one or two places above

If a challenger wins, he or she trades card positions

Challenges must be played in the order they are made

Recent contestants cannot play each other until >1 game later

A defender must play within three days or default

The player at the top at the end of a specified time period is the winner

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Ladder Challenge Tournament

Advantages

· Competition can be carried out independently by the entrants without the presence of the tournament director or sports administrator.

· It affords competition between contestants of near-equal ability.· No one is eliminated, thus play is continuous for all contestants.

Disadvantages

· Over a period of time, players often end up competing against the same people.

· Over a period of time, it can become less exciting.

Challenge Tournament Examples

Pyramid Legion Darts Tournament

· Challenge anyone one or two levels above you. If you win, trade places.

· Play your way to the top of the pyramid!

· Prize: Free round for you and 10 friends

· Final day: May 1

Spiderweb Arm Wrestling Tournament

· Challenge anyone closer to the centre of the web.

· Bouts must be performed at the special table at the bar and must be witnessed.

· Winner’s name will be engraved on a plaque.

· Time limit: June 1

Target Squash Tournament

· Sign up by Wednesday, April 7.

· Challenge anyone one ring closer to the bull’s-eye.

· Prize: A Two Brothers’ $40 gift certificate

· Closing date: April 30, 9:00 p.m.