How to make a tournament schedule in 6 steps
To make a tournament schedule, settle the teams and the format, count the matches, spread them across pitches and time slots, order them with Berger tables and check breaks and clashes. For 6 teams playing round robin that is 15 matches; on two pitches with 15 minutes of play and a 5-minute break the tournament takes 2 h 35 min.
Updated
What a tournament schedule is
A tournament schedule is the list of every match with its time, pitch and opponents. A good one meets four conditions: no team plays two matches at once, one pitch hosts one match at a time, every team gets a break between matches, and matches that depend on other results (semi-finals, the final) come after them.
Six steps to a schedule
- 1
Teams and categories
List the teams and decide whether everyone plays together or in categories (younger and older, girls and boys); each category is a separate tournament with its own schedule. Close entries with a margin: a late withdrawal means a new schedule and an odd number with a bye in every round.
- 2
Format: round robin, groups with play-offs, or a bracket
Up to about 7 teams, round robin is fairest: everyone plays the same number of matches and the table decides. From 8 teams the numbers grow fast (8 teams means 28 matches, 12 teams 66), so play moves into groups of 4 to 6 with play-offs. A pure bracket is shortest, but half the teams are done after one match. The sport pages show a typical format.
- 3
Pitches and time slots
Split the playing time into slots: a slot is the match time plus the break for changing teams, 3 to 5 minutes for children and amateurs. In a slot every pitch is in use at once, so the number of slots is the matches divided by the pitches, rounded up, but at least the number of rounds.
- 4
Match order from Berger tables
Do not improvise the match order. Berger tables (the circle method) give rounds in which every team plays exactly once and rotates opponents evenly. For 6 teams that is 5 rounds of 3 matches; take the ready-made schedule for 6 teams and swap the numbers for the drawn names. With groups, interleave the rounds of group A and group B.
- 5
Breaks and clashes
Check the schedule from each team's point of view: nobody plays two matches back to back without a break and nobody waits several slots. One match runs on a pitch at a time and there is a margin between slots. Plan the play-offs after the last match of the groups that feed them.
- 6
Print, QR code and live results
Print the schedule by pitch and time for the noticeboard and changing rooms, plus a poster with a QR code to the tournament page, where every recorded score updates the table and the bracket. In kdovede you enter teams, pitches and playing sessions and the schedule builds itself: it keeps team breaks, pitch occupancy and the play-off order, and warns about a clash when you drag a match. Printing, the QR poster and the hall screen come with the published tournament.
The only formulas you need
n · (n − 1) / 2
n = number of teams; double it for return legs
slots × (match time + break) − break
slots = matches / pitches rounded up, but at least the number of rounds
For 6 teams: 6 · 5 / 2 = 15 matches. On two pitches 15 / 2 = 7.5, so 8 slots (there are 5 rounds, so 8 stands). A slot is 15 + 5 = 20 minutes, the total 8 × 20 − 5 = 155 minutes, that is 2 h 35 min. An even number of teams gives n − 1 rounds, an odd number n; more pitches than half the teams do not help. The tournament calculator handles any other combination.
Three worked examples
All examples assume 15 minutes of play and a 5-minute break; the duration runs from the first whistle to the end of the last match.
| Tournament | Matches | Slots | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 teams round robin, 2 pitchesEvery team plays 5 matches | 15 | 8 | 2 h 35 min |
| 10 teams in 2 groups of 5, semi-finals, final and third place, 2 pitchesTop 2 go through; at least 4 matches per team | 24 | 12 | 3 h 55 min |
| 16 teams in 4 groups of 4, quarter-finals to final and third place, 4 pitchesTop 2 go through; at least 3 matches per team | 32 | 9 | 2 h 55 min |
The same 10 teams in a round robin on two pitches would mean 45 matches and 7 h 35 min; that is why groups with play-offs are usual from 8 teams. Schedules for 3 to 16 teams are in the round-robin schedules.
Common mistakes
- No break between one team's matches: it adds up on paper, not on the pitch.
- More pitches than you can use: with 6 teams at most 3 matches run in one slot.
- No margin: one match that runs long pushes everything behind it.
- Play-offs scheduled before the groups that feed them have finished.
- Tie-breakers settled on the spot. How they are decided has its own guide.
- The schedule on a single sheet by the entrance: after a change the teams have an old photo. A QR code page shows the current state.
Schedule FAQ
What about an odd number of teams?
- One team sits out each round and there are as many rounds as teams: 7 teams play 21 matches in 7 rounds. Berger tables spread the byes evenly.
How many pitches do I need?
- At most half the number of teams in a group: two pitches for 6 to 8 teams, three or four for 12 to 16 teams in four groups.
How long should the breaks be?
- On one pitch 3 to 5 minutes to change teams; between two matches of the same team at least one full slot.
Can kdovede build the schedule for me?
- Yes. You enter teams, format, pitches and playing sessions and kdovede places the matches into slots, keeping breaks, pitches and the play-off order. Preparation is free; you pay only to publish, see pricing.
Let the schedule build itself
Enter teams, pitches and playing sessions. The schedule builds itself, keeps breaks and avoids clashes, and scores from your phone go straight into the standings.
Try it for free