Running a Tournament

Tournaments bring a different energy than regular leagues: elimination stakes, bracket drama, and a clear winner at the end. Whether you are running a small club championship or a large open event, ServeLeague handles the structure so you can focus on the competition.

This tutorial covers everything from choosing your format and managing registration to running group stages, knockout brackets, and crowning your champion.

Before You Begin

Make sure you have:

• A club set up on ServeLeague (see Setting Up Your Club)
• Players added to your club roster
• An idea of how many players will participate and what format suits your event

Step 1: Create a Tournament

From your club admin dashboard, click "Leagues" in the sidebar, then click "Create League". Select "Tournament" from the format grid.

Tournaments are a distinct league type. Unlike regular leagues with ongoing weekly sessions, a tournament has a defined start and end.

Fill in the basic details:

• Tournament Name: a descriptive name like "Spring Championship 2026" or "Club Open"
• Date: the day(s) your tournament will run
• Description (optional): format details, entry requirements, prizes, or any other information for participants

Click "Next" to continue.

Step 2: Choose a Tournament Format

The wizard asks you to choose a format. ServeLeague supports five tournament formats:

Select the format that fits your event and click "Next".

[!TIP] For your first tournament, Group + Knockout is a great choice. It gives everyone at least a few matches in the group stage before the elimination drama begins.

Step 3: Configure Match Format

Set the match rules for your tournament:

• Match format: choose Best of 3, Best of 5, or Best of 7 games per match
• Third place match: whether to play a match for 3rd/4th place in the knockout bracket
• Consolation bracket: whether eliminated players play consolation matches. Options are None, Partial, or Full.

[!NOTE] For Group + Knockout formats, you can set different match formats for the group stage and knockout stage. For example, best of 3 in groups and best of 5 in the knockout.

Step 4: Set Up Divisions (Optional)

If your tournament has multiple divisions (e.g., Open and Under-18, or A Grade and B Grade), configure them in the Division Setup step.

For each division, set:

• Division name: e.g., "Open", "Under 18", "B Grade"
• Format: each division can use a different tournament format
• Number of groups: for formats with group stages
• Qualifiers per group: how many players advance from each group to the knockout stage

[!NOTE] If your tournament has only one division, you can skip this step entirely.

Step 5: Configure Registration

ServeLeague supports a full registration flow for tournaments. In your tournament settings, configure:

• Registration open/closed: control when players can sign up
• Registration capacity: the maximum number of spots available
• Registration deadline: the cutoff date for entries
• Total tables: how many tables are available for simultaneous play

When capacity is reached, additional registrations are automatically waitlisted. Players register through your tournament's public page (see Player Self-Service for the player registration experience).

Admins can view confirmed, waitlisted, and cancelled registrations from the registration admin panel.

[!TIP] Set a registration deadline a day or two before the event so you have time to finalise groups and seeding.

Step 6: Seed Players and Assign Groups

The tournament setup wizard includes a Players phase where you add participants and configure seeding.

ServeLeague offers three seeding methods:

For formats with groups, the seeding determines how players are distributed across groups. Higher-seeded players are spread evenly so each group has a mix of ability levels.

Each group card shows the player list with their seed/rating, and projected qualifier markers (Q) indicating who is expected to advance based on current standings.

[!NOTE] For Group + Knockout formats, use "By rating" for initial group seeding. Then after groups are complete, use "By group rank" to seed the knockout bracket based on actual group results.

Step 7: Run Group Stages

For formats with groups, generate the group stage from the Ready checklist. This is a manual step so you can review everything before matches begin.

Once generated, each group plays round-robin matches. The group stage works like a regular session:

1. Open matches for score entry
2. Enter scores as matches complete
3. Watch group standings update in real time

Finalize each group when all matches are complete to lock in results and determine qualifiers.

[!TIP] Display the tournament page on a large screen at your venue so players can track standings and upcoming matches live. See Kiosk Mode and Public Display for setup instructions.

Step 8: Start the Knockout Bracket

After group stages are complete, the knockout bracket does not populate automatically. An admin must click "Start Bracket" on the tournament ready checklist to generate the bracket structure.

This intentional step lets you:

• Review group results before the bracket is created
• Adjust seeding if needed
• Handle any disputes from the group stage

Once generated, the bracket structure is fixed. Player slots fill in as match results determine who advances.

Enter scores as each match finishes. The bracket updates live with winners progressing to the next round.

[!WARNING] Once a knockout match result is finalized, it cannot be changed without resetting the bracket from that point forward. Double-check scores before confirming.

Step 9: Full Placement (Super 16) Format

The Full Placement format is a special format designed for exactly 16 players. Every player plays exactly 4 matches across four tiers:

The key benefit: every player finishes with a definitive placement from 1st to 16th. Nobody is eliminated without a consolation path. The format uses 32 total matches.

[!NOTE] Full Placement works best with exactly 16 players. If you have more or fewer, consider using Group + Knockout instead.

Step 10: Finalise the Tournament

When the final match is complete, finalise the tournament. This triggers:

1. Final standings are published with complete placement results
2. Player ratings update across all tournament matches
3. Full bracket results are saved permanently on your club page

The tournament page becomes a permanent record that players can revisit to see results, brackets, and their performance.

Summary

You have organized and run a complete tournament. Here is what you accomplished:

• Created a tournament and chose a format (Round Robin, Knockout, Group + Knockout, Group + Crossover, or Full Placement)
• Configured match format, divisions, and registration
• Seeded players and assigned groups
• Ran group stages with live standings
• Generated and managed the knockout bracket
• Finalised results and updated player ratings

Next steps:

• Score Entry and Match Management: detailed scoring guide for tournament matches
• Kiosk Mode and Public Display: display live brackets on a big screen
• Running Club Events: organise tournament-day logistics with event registration
• Understanding Your Rating: how tournament results affect player ratings
• PDF Exports and Match Sheets: print brackets and match sheets for your event