Organising a table tennis tournament:pools of four, then the bracket
Table tennis tournaments have looked like that for years, and it works. What does not work is keeping it by hand: four pools per class, three games to a match and tables that must not stand idle for a second. That is work for tournament software.
What PlayTour does with a table tennis day
Three events without three lists
Singles and doubles are ready to go, and a team event takes three to five players with a squad around them. Anybody entered in more than one gets a schedule where those matches stay out of each other’s way.
- Singles, doubles and a team competition
- Doubles partners confirm through their own link
- Classes by level, age and gender
- Its own entry fee and capacity per class
Nobody works out the pool table any more
Best of five games to 11 as standard, best of seven for a final that may run longer, and games to 21 where that is still played. A match is won on games won, not on total points scored.
- Best of five games to 11, or best of seven for the final
- Best of three for a pool that has to keep moving
- Games to 21 where it is still the local format
- Game scores entered at the table
Tables that never stand empty
You state how many tables you have and during which hours. The schedule spreads the pools across them, so somebody is always playing and you know in advance whether the day fits.
- A table allocation per class, stage or round
- Every pool at once, rather than one after another
- Clashes flagged before you publish
- Each player sees table, time and opponent
How a table tennis tournament runs
- 1
Lay out the classes
An entry fee, a number of places and a closing date per class, plus a level restriction so the grouping is right before anybody has entered.
- 2
Let the entries come in
Players enter for themselves. When a class fills the waiting list takes over, and a withdrawal is one action instead of three. Collecting entry fees online is coming soon.
- 3
Draw the pools and share out the tables
Pools of four with a bracket behind them is a single choice. The schedule is laid across every table you have and tells you when it does not fit.
- 4
Play and advance
Games are entered at the table. The pool table is right immediately, the top two advance, and the final result is done when the last final is.
Table tennis tournament questions
Can we play a team tie of ten matches?+
Yes. There is a team format for three players over ten matches, and a two-player DUO format over five. The result of the tie follows from the matches won.
How is a pool of four decided when players are level?+
On the order you set. In table tennis that is usually the match between them first and the ratio of games won to lost after. The table works it out as soon as the last match is in.
Can I group by level without knowing everybody beforehand?+
Make an event per class and restrict it by level. Players enter the class they belong in, and you see what has come in on the entry list before you draw.
Who enters the results?+
Your choice: the desk, or the players at the table. A result shows in the standings immediately, and a correction stays visible in the log.
Set up your next table tennis tournament without a paper form
A free account, your classes laid out, publish. Entries arrive without you keeping a list. Publishing and taking entries are part of the free plan; the draw, the playing schedule and live results come with a paid plan.