How to run a tournament with groups and a knockout
How to combine round robin groups with a knockout stage, how to size your groups, and how many matches to plan for.
What it is
Entries are split into small round robin groups, and the top finishers move into a knockout. Everyone gets several matches, and you still end with a final.
Sizing your groups
Groups of three or four work best. Eight entries fit in two groups of four, with the top two from each moving on to the semi-finals.
How many matches you need
Two groups of four play 12 group matches. Add two semi-finals, a final and an optional third-place match, and the event takes 16 matches.
Separating the groups
Seed one strong entry into each group, so that your best players do not meet until the knockout.
Agree on tiebreaks first
Equal records happen often in small groups. Tell everyone before play starts how ties are decided, such as head to head and then the difference in games or points.
Let Matchday do the scheduling
Matchday builds the draw, schedules your courts and updates the results as they come in.
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