How long does a football tournament for 8 teams take?

Eight teams in two groups of four, then semi-finals, a third-place match and the final is 16 matches. With 2 × 10-minute matches and 5 minutes to change over, the tournament takes 3 h 15 min on two pitches and 6 h 35 min on one. Add a lunch break and the awards on top.

How many pitches do I need for 16 teams in a day?

Sixteen teams in four groups of four plus an eight-team bracket is 32 matches. With 2 × 10-minute matches and a 5-minute break that takes 3 h 40 min on four pitches, 4 h 55 min on three and 6 h 35 min on two. Two pitches only work with a longer day or shorter matches.

How is a draw decided in the play-offs?

The football default is penalties. To save time, tournaments usually skip extra time and go straight to kicks from the penalty mark after normal time, 3 or 5 per team depending on the regulations and then one each until there is a winner. You enter the final score and mark that penalties decided it; draws stay allowed in the group stage.

How many points for a win and a draw?

The football default is 3 points for a win, 1 for a draw and 0 for a loss, just like league competitions. For the youngest age groups tables are often not kept at all; if you want matches without standings, set them up as friendlies instead of a group. Points and draws are both set in the tournament settings.

How many players and how big a pitch?

It depends on the age group and your regulations. Under-11s usually play small-sided formats of three to five a side on a small pitch with small goals, older juniors seven or eight a side on half a full-size pitch, adults five or six a side. One full-size pitch therefore gives two or three smaller ones across its width; add each as a separate pitch in the schedule.

Sports

Football tournament

A football tournament is usually a one-day event for 8 to 16 teams playing small-sided football: a full-size pitch split across its width gives two or three smaller pitches, matches last 1 × 15 to 2 × 12 minutes, and the format is usually groups followed by play-offs.

A match schedule across several pitches, group tables that update themselves and a knockout bracket where draws go to penalties. Enter scores from your phone and spectators see them straight away.

Try it for free Work out matches and duration

Updated 2 October 2026

Football in kdovede

Match: 2 × 15 min
Points for a win · draw · loss: 3 · 1 · 0
Groups: draws allowed
Bracket: penalties

Default rules. Change the match length, points and knockout tie-breaks in the tournament settings.

Example

Typical tournament: 12 teams, 3 pitches, 2 × 10 minutes

Matches20

Duration3 h 15 min

4 groups, top 2 from each into the knockout, 5 min between matches. Adjust it in the calculator.

Typical formats by age group and level

Ballpark figures for a single day of play. Matches and duration are worked out the same way as in the calculator: no team plays two matches at once, every pitch is in use at the same time and the stated break sits between matches.

Under-7s to under-11s
6 teams · round robin · 2 pitches · 2 × 8 min, 4-min break
Matches
15
Duration
2 h 36 min
The youngest play small-sided formats, usually three to five a side on a small pitch with no offside. Two or three pitches fit across one full-size pitch. A round robin gives everyone the same number of matches; at this age the final standings are often not announced, but everyone gets to play.
Schedule for 6 teams Adjust in the calculator
Under-13s to under-17s
8 teams · 2 groups of 4 and play-offs · 2 pitches · 2 × 12 min, 5-min break
Matches
16
Duration
3 h 47 min
Older juniors usually play seven or eight a side on half a full-size pitch, youth and adult teams play five or six a side at tournaments. Two groups of four and a bracket for the top four give every team three to five matches, and the tournament fits into a morning and part of the afternoon.
Schedule for a group of 4 Adjust in the calculator
Adults, five-a-side and company tournaments
12 teams · 4 groups of 3 and play-offs · 3 pitches · 2 × 10 min, 5-min break
Matches
20
Duration
3 h 15 min
Four groups of three and an eight-team bracket with a third-place match. Every team is guaranteed two matches, the finalists play five. On three pitches across a full-size pitch the whole tournament fits into an afternoon.
Schedule for a group of 3 Adjust in the calculator

Ranking teams level on points

Major football competitions differ: some rank teams level on points by head-to-head results first, others by overall goal difference. At amateur tournaments the head-to-head match usually comes first, then goal difference and goals scored, and finally penalties or a draw of lots. kdovede ranks the same way, head-to-head before overall goals; instead of drawing lots it keeps the order in which the teams were seeded in the group. If your regulations promise a different order, bear in mind that kdovede cannot change it yet, and write down what the table actually calculates.

How kdovede ranks a table

1Points
2Head-to-head among the teams level on points: points, goal difference and goals scored from those matches only
3Overall goal difference
4More goals scored
5Fewer goals conceded
6The order in which the teams were seeded in the group

The order of criteria is the same for every sport and cannot be changed yet. Points for a win, draw and loss, and whether draws are allowed in the group stage, are yours to set to match your regulations.

Running a football tournament

How many matches one pitch can take

Amateur small-sided tournaments usually play 1 × 15 or 2 × 10 minutes. With five minutes for teams to change over, that is one match every 25 minutes, or about 19 matches per pitch in eight hours. Use that to work out how many teams you can invite.

Split a full-size pitch

A full-size pitch can be split across its width into two smaller pitches for small-sided football. All you need is portable goals and cones to mark the lines. That doubles the capacity of your tournament.

Draws in the knockout stage

A draw is fine in the group stage, but knockout matches need a winner. To save time, tournaments usually skip extra time and go straight to penalties, typically 3 to 5 per team followed by sudden death. Put this in your rules before the day.