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Tournament Stages

intermediateLast updated: 1/15/2024

Create and configure tournament stages including Round Robin, Bracket, and Swiss formats

Tournament Stages

Tournament stages define different phases of competition within a tournament. Learn how to create and configure stages for your tournaments.

What are Stages?

Stages are distinct phases of a tournament:

  • Regular Season: Round-robin phase where all teams play each other
  • Playoffs: Elimination bracket phase
  • Group Stage: Initial group competition
  • Finals: Final championship matches

Each stage can have different:

  • Format (Round Robin, Bracket, Swiss)
  • Best of settings (1, 3, 5, 7)
  • Duration (number of weeks)
  • Match scheduling

Creating a Stage

Step 1: Access Stage Management

  1. Navigate to your tournament
  2. Go to the "Stages" tab
  3. Click "Create Stage" or "Add Stage"

Step 2: Basic Configuration

Stage Name
  • Name: Descriptive name (e.g., "Regular Season", "Playoffs", "Group A")
  • Choose clear, descriptive names
Ordering
  • Order: Stage order in the tournament (1, 2, 3, etc.)
  • Lower numbers run first
  • Stages run sequentially unless configured otherwise
Best Of
  • Best Of: Number of games per match (1, 3, 5, or 7)
  • Best of 1: Single game per match
  • Best of 3: First to 2 wins
  • Best of 5: First to 3 wins
  • Best of 7: First to 4 wins

Step 3: Duration and Scheduling

Weeks
  • Weeks: Number of weeks this stage runs
  • Regular seasons often 7-10 weeks
  • Playoffs typically 1-3 weeks
Start Date
  • Start Date: When this stage begins
  • Can be tournament start date or later
  • Used for match scheduling
Default Day of Play
  • Day: Default day for matches (Monday-Sunday)
  • Used when generating matches
  • Can be overridden per match
Matches Per Team Per Day
  • Limit: Maximum matches a team can play per day
  • Default: 1 match per day
  • Prevents scheduling conflicts

Step 4: Match Times

Default Match Times
  • Times: List of default match times (e.g., ["19:00", "20:00"])
  • Format: 24-hour time (HH:MM)
  • Used when generating matches
  • Multiple times allow for multiple matches per day

Example:

  • ["19:00"] - All matches at 7:00 PM
  • ["14:00", "16:00", "18:00"] - Matches at 2 PM, 4 PM, 6 PM

Step 5: Create Stage

  1. Review all settings
  2. Click "Create Stage"
  3. Stage is added to your tournament

Stage Types

Round Robin

All teams play each other:

  • Use Case: Regular seasons, group stages
  • Matches: N teams = N × (N-1) / 2 matches
  • Duration: Longer (7-10 weeks typical)
  • Best Of: Usually 1 for regular season

Bracket (Single Elimination)

Teams are eliminated after one loss:

  • Use Case: Playoffs, finals
  • Matches: N teams = N-1 matches
  • Duration: Shorter (1-2 weeks typical)
  • Best Of: Usually 3 or 5

Bracket (Double Elimination)

Teams need two losses to be eliminated:

  • Use Case: Competitive playoffs
  • Matches: More matches than single elimination
  • Duration: 2-3 weeks typical
  • Best Of: Usually 3 or 5

Swiss

Teams play opponents with similar records:

  • Use Case: Balanced competition
  • Matches: Multiple rounds
  • Duration: Variable
  • Best Of: Usually 1

Stage Configuration Examples

Regular Season Stage

Name: Regular Season
Ordering: 1
Best Of: 1
Weeks: 7
Default Day of Play: Monday
Matches Per Team Per Day: 1
Match Times: ["19:00"]

Playoff Stage

Name: Playoffs
Ordering: 2
Best Of: 3
Weeks: 2
Default Day of Play: Saturday
Matches Per Team Per Day: 1
Match Times: ["14:00", "17:00"]

Group Stage

Name: Group A
Ordering: 1
Best Of: 1
Weeks: 3
Default Day of Play: Wednesday
Matches Per Team Per Day: 2
Match Times: ["18:00", "20:00"]

Editing Stages

Modifying Stage Settings

  1. Go to tournament → Stages tab
  2. Click "Edit" on the stage
  3. Update settings as needed
  4. Click "Save"

Note: Be careful editing stages with existing matches. Changes may affect scheduled matches.

Reordering Stages

  1. Edit stage ordering number
  2. Lower numbers run first
  3. Save changes
  4. Stages will be displayed in order

Deleting Stages

  1. Click "Delete" on the stage
  2. Confirm deletion
  3. Warning: This will delete all matches in this stage

Stage Best Practices

Planning

  • Plan Ahead: Design stage structure before creating
  • Consider Duration: Ensure stages fit tournament timeline
  • Match Limits: Set appropriate matches per day limits
  • Time Zones: Consider timezone for match times

Configuration

  • Clear Names: Use descriptive stage names
  • Logical Ordering: Number stages in execution order
  • Appropriate Best Of: Regular season usually Bo1, playoffs Bo3/Bo5
  • Realistic Scheduling: Set achievable match times

Organization

  • Document Structure: Keep notes on stage design
  • Test Generation: Test match generation before tournament starts
  • Flexibility: Leave room for adjustments
  • Communication: Inform teams of stage structure

Generating Matches from Stages

After creating stages:

  1. Go to tournament → Stages tab
  2. Click "Generate Matches" for a stage
  3. System creates matches based on:
    • Stage format (Round Robin, Bracket, etc.)
    • Registered teams
    • Stage settings (days, times, weeks)
  4. Matches are created with games (based on best_of)

See Creating Matches for details.

Common Issues

"Cannot create stage"

  • Verify you have edit permissions
  • Check tournament exists and is accessible
  • Ensure required fields are filled
  • Try refreshing the page

"Matches not generating"

  • Verify teams are registered
  • Check stage configuration is complete
  • Ensure stage format is supported
  • Check for conflicting settings

"Stage order incorrect"

  • Verify ordering numbers are correct
  • Lower numbers run first
  • Check for duplicate ordering numbers
  • Reorder stages if needed

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Tags:tournament-managementstagesformatconfiguration

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