Choosing a tournament format
On this page
The right format depends on three things: how many entrants, how much time, and how many games each person expects to play.
| Format | Games per entrant | Matches for 16 | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round robin | All others | 120 | Up to ~10 entrants, leagues, social play |
| Single elimination | 1+ | 15 | Lots of entrants, little time |
| Double elimination | 2+ | 30–31 | Esports, cornhole, competitive one-day events |
| Swiss | Fixed (e.g. 4) | 32 | Large fields, chess clubs, card games |
| Groups + playoffs | 3+ | 24 + 7 | 12–32 teams wanting both games and a final |
Rules of thumb
- Everyone should play a lot? Round robin for small groups, Swiss or groups for large ones.
- Need a clear champion fast? Single elimination.
- One bad game shouldn’t end your day? Double elimination.
- Mixed abilities, social event? Round robin or Swiss — people play opponents of similar strength.
Check the clock
Enter your participants and courts in the generator: it shows matches, rounds and duration before you commit, and warns when a full round robin will be too long.
Compare match counts and timings before you commit.
Open the generator