Tournament format guides
Updated
Your format decides how teams play each other and how a champion is crowned. Each guide below explains how a format works, when to use it, and how to set it up on Tourny, with a short video.
Not sure which one to pick?
- Round robin with playoffs is the most popular choice for tournaments. Every team gets several pool games, then the top teams play a bracket.
- Round robin works when you want every team to play every other team, with no playoffs.
- Single elimination and double elimination are brackets. They're quick to run, but some teams only play one or two games.
- Swiss ladder gives competitive matchups when there isn't time for a full round robin.
- Season is for leagues that run over multiple weeks.
You can also combine formats, like a Swiss ladder into playoffs or pools into power pools into playoffs. See all supported formats.
- Round robinPools where every team plays every other team.
- Round robin with playoffsPool play followed by a single or double elimination bracket.
- Single eliminationOne loss and you're out, with seeding and placement games.
- Double eliminationUpper and lower brackets, so teams are out after two losses.
- Swiss ladderEach round pairs teams with similar records.
- SeasonA multi-week league season, with optional playoffs.
- Custom bracketsFor brackets that don't fit the standard formats.