How to make a round robin schedule by hand

Updated November 1, 2026 · 3 min read · How we work

On this page

1. Step 1: Number the teams and write two rows
2. Step 2: Keep team 1 fixed and rotate everyone else
3. Step 3: Write down every round
4. Odd number of teams? Add a “bye”
5. Step 4: Turn rounds into courts and times
6. Step 5: Balance home and away (if it matters)
7. When to stop doing it by hand

You don’t need software to make a round robin schedule. The standard technique — called the circle method or polygon method — fits on the back of an envelope and guarantees every team meets every other team exactly once, with nobody playing twice in the same round.

Step 1: Number the teams and write two rows

Give each team a number. For 6 teams, write 1 to 3 along the top row and 4 to 6 along the bottom row, backwards:

Each column is a game. Round 1 is 1 v 6, 2 v 5, 3 v 4.

Step 2: Keep team 1 fixed and rotate everyone else

For the next round, team 1 stays where it is. Every other team moves one place clockwise: along the top row to the right, down at the end, back along the bottom row, and up into the second spot.

Round 2 is 1 v 5, 6 v 4, 2 v 3. Keep rotating until you’re back where you started.

Step 3: Write down every round

For 6 teams that’s 5 rounds:

Odd number of teams? Add a “bye”

With 5 teams, add a sixth placeholder called BYE and build the schedule exactly as above. Whoever is paired with BYE rests that round.

Each team rests exactly once, and the placeholder takes care of the fairness for you. More on that in round robin byes, explained.

Step 4: Turn rounds into courts and times

A list of rounds isn’t a schedule until each game has a court and a start time. The simplest approach:

1. Count the games per round (3 for 6 teams).
2. If you have that many courts, play a whole round at once and start the next round when the slowest game finishes.
3. If you have fewer courts, play the round in waves — and check that no team is due on two courts at the same time.

Step 3 is where hand-made schedules usually break. With 6 teams on 2 courts, round 1 has three games but only two courts, so one game spills into the next time slot — and if a team from that spilled game also plays early in round 2, it ends up playing back-to-back. The court scheduling guide covers rolling versus “together” rounds and minimum rest.

Step 5: Balance home and away (if it matters)

In some sports one side has an advantage — serving first, choosing ends, white in chess, playing at home. The circle method as written always puts team 1 on the left, so swap sides in alternate rounds for the fixed team, and alternate the other columns too. The generator does this automatically so each team gets as even a split as the numbers allow.

When to stop doing it by hand

The circle method is quick for up to about 8 teams. Beyond that, or once you add several courts, rest rules and late changes, it’s faster to let a tool do it. The round robin generator uses this same rotation, then assigns courts and times without clashes and re-plans the remaining games if something runs late.

Questions