Running Live Tournaments

This guide covers everything you need to run a smooth tournament from start to finish.

Pre-Tournament Checklist

Before starting your tournament, ensure:

Tournament Setup

All participants registered
Registration closed
Participant names verified (no typos)
Seeding configured (if applicable)
Bracket generated and reviewed
Venue count set correctly
Scoring rules communicated to participants

Equipment & Logistics

Venue/tables/courts ready
Scorekeeping method decided
Device for entering results (phone/tablet/laptop)
Internet connection verified
Backup plan for tech issues

Communication

Participants know their first match
Rules explained to all players
Match format clarified (race to X, best of Y, etc.)
Tie-breaker rules established

Starting Your Tournament

Step 1: Start the Tournament

Navigate to tournament dashboard
Verify bracket is correct
Click "Start Tournament" button
Confirm the action
Status changes to IN_PROGRESS

What Happens:

First round matches become active
Match assignments visible to all participants
Real-time updates enabled
Cannot edit bracket structure

Step 2: Announce First Matches

View First Round:

Click "Schedule" or "Bracket" tab
First round matches displayed
Each match shows:
- Match number
- Player 1 vs Player 2
- Table/court assignment (if configured)
- Match status: PENDING

Calling Matches:

For in-person tournaments:

"Match 1: John Smith vs Sarah Johnson - Table 3"
"Match 2: Mike Davis vs Emily Chen - Table 1"
"Match 3: Alex Brown vs Chris Lee - Table 2"

Best Practices:

Call matches clearly and loudly
Display match assignments on screen (if possible)
Give players 5-minute warning before their match
Have players check in before starting

Entering Match Results

During Matches

Match States:

Status	Description	Action Needed
PENDING	Not started	Assign table/court
IN_PROGRESS	Currently playing	Monitor for completion
COMPLETED	Finished	Enter final score

Setting Match In Progress:

Click match in bracket/schedule
Click "Start Match" button
Status updates to IN_PROGRESS
Timer starts (optional)

Entering Results

When a match finishes:

Step 1: Open Match Dialog

Click the completed match
Match details dialog appears
Shows:
- Player names
- Current scores (if any)
- Match number and round

Step 2: Enter Scores

For Winner/Loser Only:

Click winning player's name
Confirm winner selection
Score recorded

For Detailed Scoring:

Enter Player 1 score
Enter Player 2 score
System automatically determines winner
Click "Save Result"

Example - Pool Race to 5:

Player 1: John Smith    5
Player 2: Sarah Johnson 3

Winner: John Smith

Example - Pickleball Best of 3:

Player 1: Mike Davis    2 games
Player 2: Emily Chen    1 game

Winner: Mike Davis

Step 3: Confirm and Advance

Review entered scores
Click "Confirm Result"
Match marked as COMPLETED
Winner advances in bracket
Loser eliminated (single) or moves to losers bracket (double)
Next match opponents updated automatically

Real-Time Updates:

All participants see update immediately
Bracket refreshes automatically
Next match assignments appear
Eliminated players notified

Managing the Bracket

Viewing the Bracket

Bracket View:

Click "Bracket" tab
Visual tournament tree
Color-coded match states:
- Gray: Pending
- Blue: In Progress
- Green: Completed
- Red: Cancelled/Forfeited

Navigation:

Zoom in/out (pinch or scroll)
Pan around large brackets
Click matches for details
View winners bracket (double elimination)
View losers bracket (double elimination)

Match Flow

Single Elimination:

Round 1 (Quarterfinals)
  → 8 players, 4 matches
  → 4 winners advance

Round 2 (Semifinals)
  → 4 players, 2 matches
  → 2 winners advance

Round 3 (Finals)
  → 2 players, 1 match
  → 1 champion

Double Elimination:

Winners Bracket:
  Round 1 → 8 to 4 players
  Round 2 → 4 to 2 players
  Finals → 2 to 1 player

Losers Bracket:
  Round 1 → First losers enter
  Round 2 → Winners bracket losers join
  ...continues...
  Losers Finals → 1 player advances

Grand Finals:
  Winners Bracket Champion
  vs
  Losers Bracket Champion

  (If Losers bracket player wins, play 1 more match)

Calling Subsequent Rounds

After each round completes:

Wait for all round matches to finish
- Don't start next round early
- Ensures fair rest time
- Allows for bracket verification

Announce next matches

"Round 2 starting in 5 minutes"
"Match 5: John Smith vs Mike Davis - Table 1"
"Match 6: Alex Brown vs Chris Lee - Table 2"

Players check their assignments
- Via Dutchieb tournament page
- Or on displayed bracket

Handling Common Scenarios

Player No-Show

If player doesn't show for match:

Wait 5-10 minutes
Announce player name again
Contact player if possible
If still no-show:

Option 1: Forfeit

Click match
Select "Forfeit"
Choose which player forfeited
Opponent advances automatically

Option 2: Withdraw

Go to Participants tab
Find no-show player
Change status to WITHDRAWN
All their matches become forfeits

Match Dispute

If players disagree on result:

Gather Information
- Listen to both players
- Check for witnesses
- Review rules
Make Decision
- Organizer has final say
- Be fair and consistent
- Document unusual situations
Enter Result
- Enter agreed-upon or decided result
- Add note in match comments (if available)
- Inform both players of decision
Prevent Future Disputes
- Have players confirm scores verbally
- Use score sheets for important matches
- Assign referees to key matches

Wrong Result Entered

If you entered the wrong winner:

Before Next Match Starts:

Click the match
Select "Edit Result"
Enter correct scores
Save changes
Bracket updates automatically

After Next Match Starts:

WARNING: More complicated
May need to void subsequent matches
Contact support for assistance
Best to double-check before confirming!

Player Injury/Withdrawal

Mid-Tournament Withdrawal:

Player informs organizer
Go to Participants tab
Find player
Change status to WITHDRAWN
Future matches become forfeits
Opponents advance automatically

Incomplete Matches:

If match already started: Enter forfeit result
If match pending: Auto-forfeit when scheduled

Technical Issues

Internet Connection Lost:

Results entered offline are queued
Sync when connection restored
Participant views may be stale
Inform players of delay

Device Battery Dies:

Use backup device
Sign in to Dutchieb
Continue from same point
No data lost (saved to cloud)

Bracket Not Updating:

Refresh browser
Clear cache if needed
Check internet connection
Verify tournament status is IN_PROGRESS

Tournament Timing

Managing Pace

Keep Things Moving:

Do:

Call matches proactively - Announce next matches before current ones finish and give players time to prepare
Use all available venues - Run concurrent matches and minimize downtime
Set time expectations - Estimate total duration, communicate to participants, and build in break time

Don't:

Long breaks between rounds
Waiting on one slow match
Technical difficulties

Time Estimates

Single Elimination:

8 players, 3 tables, 15-min matches:
  Round 1: 2 matches in parallel = 30 min
  Round 2: 2 matches in parallel = 30 min
  Finals: 1 match = 15 min
  Total: ~75 minutes + breaks = 90 min

Double Elimination:

8 players, 3 tables, 15-min matches:
  ~12-14 total matches
  Parallel play: ~4-5 rounds
  Total: ~2-2.5 hours + breaks

Round Robin:

6 players, 2 tables, 15-min matches:
  15 total matches
  Parallel play: 8 rounds
  Total: ~2 hours + breaks

Real-Time Features

Live Updates

What Updates Automatically:

Match results
Bracket progression
Next match assignments
Tournament status
Participant eliminations

Who Sees Updates:

Tournament organizer
All participants
Spectators (if public tournament)
Anyone viewing the bracket

Update Speed:

Instant via WebSocket
<1 second latency
No refresh needed
Works on all devices

Participant View

What Participants See:

Tournament Overview
- Current round
- Their status (active/eliminated)
- Overall progress
Their Matches
- Upcoming matches highlighted
- Match assignments (table/court)
- Match history with scores
Full Bracket
- Live bracket view
- See all matches
- Track tournament progress
Notifications (if enabled)
- Match assignment
- Match starting soon
- Result entered
- Tournament status changes

Pausing and Resuming

Pausing Tournament

When to Pause:

Lunch/dinner break
End of day (multi-day tournament)
Technical issues
Emergency

How to Pause:

Tournament dashboard
Click "Pause Tournament"
Enter pause reason
Confirm

Effects:

Status changes to PAUSED
No new matches can start
Current matches can finish
Participants notified

Resuming Tournament

Tournament dashboard
Click "Resume Tournament"
Status returns to IN_PROGRESS
Continue where you left off

Best Practices:

Announce resume time
Give 5-minute warning
Verify all players present
Resume when ready

Completing the Tournament

Final Match

When the last match finishes:

Enter final result
System detects tournament completion
Status automatically changes to COMPLETED
Champion crowned 🏆

Tournament Results

What's Saved:

Final standings (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.)
All match results and scores
Bracket structure
Participant list
Tournament statistics

Viewing Results:

Go to tournament page
Click "Results" tab
See:
- Champion
- Runner-up
- Semi-finalists
- Full bracket
- Match history

Export Options:

Screenshot bracket
Share tournament URL
Download results (CSV/PDF if enabled)
Post on social media

Public Results:

Public tournaments shown in browse
Private tournaments require link
Results visible to all participants

Announcing Winner

Best Practices:

Verify result is correct

Announce champion:

"Congratulations to our champion: John Smith!"

Recognize runner-up and finalists
Thank all participants
Share tournament link for records

Post-Tournament

Cleanup

After tournament completes:

✅ Review final results for accuracy ✅ Save/export participant list ✅ Download bracket image ✅ Thank participants (email if Full Accounts) ✅ Collect feedback ✅ Archive tournament

Tournament Analytics

View Statistics:

Total matches played
Average match duration
Participant engagement
Completion time vs. estimate

Access:

Completed tournament
"Statistics" tab
View analytics dashboard

Lessons Learned

Document:

What went well
What could improve
Technical issues encountered
Timing accuracy
Participant feedback

Apply to Future Tournaments:

Adjust time estimates
Improve communication
Refine seeding process
Better tech preparation

Troubleshooting

Match Not Appearing

Check:

Previous round completed?
Tournament status is IN_PROGRESS?
Bracket generated correctly?
Refresh browser

Can't Enter Result

Possible Issues:

Match status not IN_PROGRESS
Network connection lost
Permissions issue
Try refreshing page

Participant Can't See Match

Ask them to:

Refresh tournament page
Check internet connection
Verify they're logged in (if Full Account)
Clear browser cache

Bracket Looks Wrong

Double-check:

Correct number of participants
Seeding was intentional
Format is correct (single vs double)
If error, must cancel and regenerate

Best Practices

Before Starting

✅ Test match entry process ✅ Brief any helpers on procedures ✅ Prepare backup devices ✅ Verify all participants ready

During Tournament

✅ Enter results immediately after matches ✅ Announce matches clearly ✅ Keep participants informed ✅ Monitor bracket for errors ✅ Stay calm and organized

Communication

✅ Set expectations upfront ✅ Announce round transitions ✅ Provide time warnings ✅ Thank players for patience ✅ Address issues promptly

Contingency Planning

✅ Have backup internet (mobile hotspot) ✅ Charge devices fully ✅ Know how to pause tournament ✅ Have manual bracket as backup ✅ Prepare for common disputes

Next Steps

Running your first tournament? You've got this! Follow the checklist, stay organized, and use Dutchie's Brackets real-time features to keep everything running smoothly.

Was this page helpful?