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Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

What is Dutchie's Brackets?

Dutchie's Brackets is a free, open-source tournament management platform designed for organizing and running competitive events. It supports multiple sports, provides real-time bracket updates, and makes it easy for participants to join and track their progress.

Is Dutchie's Brackets free to use?

Yes! Dutchie's Brackets is completely free and open source. You can:

  • Use the hosted version at dutchieb.com
  • Self-host your own instance
  • Modify the code for your needs
  • Contribute improvements back to the community

What sports does Dutchieb support?

Currently supported sports:

  • Pool / Billiards
  • Pickleball
  • Basketball
  • Cornhole
  • Custom (create your own)

More sports are being added regularly!

Can I use Dutchie's Brackets offline?

Not currently. Dutchie's Brackets requires an internet connection for:

  • Real-time bracket updates
  • Participant synchronization
  • Match result saving

Future Feature: Offline mode with sync when connection restored.

Account & Authentication

Do I need an account to use Dutchieb?

To Create Tournaments: Yes, you need a full account.

To Join Tournaments: Depends on tournament settings.

  • If "Allow Quick Join" is enabled: No account needed
  • If "Require Full Account" is enabled: Yes, account required

What's the difference between Quick Join and Full Account?

Quick Join (Session-Based):

  • Join with just your name
  • No email or password required
  • Instant access
  • Limited to one tournament
  • Session expires after tournament ends
  • Can't join from multiple devices

Full Account:

  • Join multiple tournaments
  • Access from any device
  • Tournament history
  • Email notifications
  • Requires registration
  • Need to remember password

Can I convert a Quick Session to a Full Account?

Not currently, but this is a planned feature. For now:

  1. Create a full account
  2. Join the tournament again with your account
  3. Organizer can remove the Quick Session entry

I forgot my password. How do I reset it?

  1. Go to the sign-in page
  2. Click "Forgot Password"
  3. Enter your email
  4. Check email for reset link
  5. Follow link and create new password

Creating Tournaments

How many participants can join my tournament?

You can create tournaments for:

  • 4 participants (minimum recommended)
  • 8, 16, 32, or 64 participants (standard sizes)
  • Up to 128 participants (custom)

Note: Bracket adjusts automatically if fewer participants join.

Can I edit a tournament after creating it?

Before Bracket Generation:

  • Name, description, dates
  • Privacy settings
  • Max participants (if no one joined yet)
  • Participant requirements

After Bracket Generation:

  • Name and description only
  • Cannot change format, max participants, or bracket structure

What happens if fewer people join than I expected?

No problem! When you generate the bracket:

  • Dutchieb creates a bracket sized for your actual participant count
  • Lowest seeds receive "byes" if needed
  • Example: 6 participants creates an 8-person bracket with 2 byes

Can I have a tournament with an odd number of participants?

Yes! The lowest-seeded participants will receive "byes" (automatic advancement to the next round) to balance the bracket.

How do I delete a tournament?

Before Bracket Generation:

  1. Tournament Settings
  2. Scroll to "Danger Zone"
  3. Click "Delete Tournament"
  4. Confirm (⚠️ Cannot be undone)

After Bracket Generation:

  • Cannot be deleted
  • Can only be CANCELLED
  • Preserves historical data

Participants & Registration

How do participants join my tournament?

  1. You share the invite link (e.g., dutchieb.com/join/ABC123)
  2. They click the link
  3. They enter their name (Quick Join) or sign in (Full Account)
  4. They're immediately registered

Can I manually add participants?

Yes!

  1. Go to Participants tab
  2. Click "Add Participant"
  3. Enter their name
  4. Click "Add"

Note: Manual participants won't receive automatic notifications.

How do I remove a participant?

Before Bracket Generation:

  1. Participants tab
  2. Click participant
  3. Click "Remove"
  4. Confirm

After Bracket Generation:

  • Don't remove (breaks bracket)
  • Use "Withdraw" status instead
  • Future matches become forfeits

Can participants join after the tournament starts?

No. Once you click "Start Tournament":

  • Registration automatically closes
  • No new participants can join
  • Invite link shows "Tournament In Progress"

What if someone registers twice by mistake?

  1. Go to Participants tab
  2. Find duplicate entries
  3. Remove the unwanted one
  4. Keep the preferred entry

Prevention: Enable "Require Full Account" to prevent duplicates.

Tournament Formats

Which format should I use?

Single Elimination - Fast, decisive

  • Best for: Large tournaments, time constraints
  • Playtime: Minimal (one loss = out)

Double Elimination - Most fair (Recommended)

  • Best for: Competitive play, 8-32 participants
  • Playtime: Medium (everyone gets 2+ matches)

Round Robin - Maximum play

  • Best for: Small groups (4-8), social play
  • Playtime: Maximum (everyone plays everyone)

How does seeding work?

Automatic Seeding (Default):

  • Random order
  • Or first-come-first-served

Manual Seeding:

  1. Participants tab
  2. Click "Seed Participants"
  3. Drag to reorder
  4. Save

Why it matters: Better seeding = fairer matchups + more exciting finals.

What's a "bye" in the bracket?

A bye means automatic advancement to the next round without playing a match.

When used:

  • Participant count isn't a power of 2 (4, 8, 16, 32)
  • Example: 6 participants = 2 byes

Who gets byes:

  • Lowest-seeded participants (default)
  • Or manually assigned

Running Tournaments

How do I start my tournament?

  1. Verify all participants registered
  2. Close registration (if still open)
  3. Generate bracket
  4. Review bracket for accuracy
  5. Click "Start Tournament"
  6. Announce first matches
  7. Enter results as matches complete

Can I pause a tournament?

Yes!

  1. Tournament dashboard
  2. Click "Pause Tournament"
  3. Enter reason
  4. Confirm

Effects:

  • Status changes to PAUSED
  • Current matches can finish
  • No new matches start
  • Resume when ready

What if I enter the wrong result?

Before next match starts:

  1. Click the match
  2. "Edit Result"
  3. Enter correct scores
  4. Save

After next match starts:

  • Contact support
  • May need to void subsequent matches

Prevention: Double-check before confirming results!

Can participants update scores themselves?

Not currently. Only the tournament organizer can enter results.

Future Feature: Allow participants to self-report (pending organizer approval).

What if a player doesn't show up?

  1. Wait 5-10 minutes
  2. Announce again
  3. If still no-show:

Option 1: Forfeit the match

  • Click match
  • Select "Forfeit"
  • Opponent advances

Option 2: Withdraw the player

  • Participants tab
  • Change status to WITHDRAWN
  • All future matches forfeit

Real-Time Features

How do live updates work?

Dutchieb uses WebSocket technology (Socket.io) for instant updates:

What updates automatically:

  • New participants joining
  • Match results
  • Bracket progression
  • Tournament status changes

Who sees updates:

  • Tournament organizer
  • All participants
  • Spectators (public tournaments)

Update speed: < 1 second

What if updates aren't working?

Troubleshooting:

  1. ✅ Internet connection active?
  2. ✅ WebSocket server running?
  3. ✅ Page refreshed recently?
  4. ✅ Browser allows WebSockets?

Quick Fix:

  • Refresh the page
  • Clear browser cache
  • Try different browser

Do I need to keep the page open for updates?

No! Updates happen server-side. You can:

  • Close the tab
  • Use different device
  • Come back later

Results are always saved to the database.

Privacy & Security

Who can see my tournament?

Private Tournaments (Default):

  • Only people with invite link
  • Not listed publicly
  • Most common

Public Tournaments:

  • Listed in browse page
  • Anyone can view bracket
  • Still need invite link to join

Is my data secure?

Yes:

  • Passwords hashed with bcrypt
  • HTTPS encryption (production)
  • Database backups
  • Session tokens secured
  • No data sold to third parties

Can I delete my account?

Yes:

  1. Account Settings
  2. "Delete Account"
  3. Confirm (⚠️ Cannot be undone)

What's deleted:

  • Your account data
  • Email and password
  • Personal information

What's preserved:

  • Tournament history (anonymized)
  • Match results
  • Public statistics

How long is my Quick Session valid?

Quick Sessions expire:

  • 30 days after tournament ends
  • Or 60 days if no end date set

Storage:

  • Token in browser localStorage
  • Cleared when you clear browser data

Technical Questions

What technology is Dutchie's Brackets built with?

Frontend:

  • Next.js 14 (React framework)
  • TypeScript
  • Tailwind CSS
  • Socket.io client

Backend:

  • Next.js API routes
  • Express.js (WebSocket server)
  • PostgreSQL (database)
  • Prisma (ORM)
  • NextAuth.js (authentication)

Can I self-host Dutchie's Brackets?

Yes! Dutchie's Brackets is open source.

Requirements:

  • Node.js 18+
  • PostgreSQL database
  • Domain with SSL (production)

See: Deployment Guide

Is there an API I can use?

Yes! See API Reference.

Available endpoints:

  • Tournament creation
  • Participant management
  • Match results
  • Bracket data

WebSocket events:

Can I contribute to Dutchie's Brackets?

Absolutely! Dutchie's Brackets is open source and welcomes contributions:

Ways to contribute:

  • Report bugs
  • Suggest features
  • Submit pull requests
  • Improve documentation
  • Share with others

See: Contributing Guide

Troubleshooting

"Tournament not found" error

Possible causes:

  • ✅ Invite code typed incorrectly
  • ✅ Tournament was deleted/cancelled
  • ✅ Link expired

Fix:

  • Verify invite code
  • Ask organizer for new link
  • Check tournament still exists

Participants can't join

Check:

  1. ✅ Registration is open?
  2. ✅ Tournament not full?
  3. ✅ Correct invite link?
  4. ✅ Meets requirements (if Full Account needed)?

Bracket looks wrong

Possible issues:

  • ✅ Fewer participants than expected?
  • ✅ Byes needed for non-power-of-2 count?
  • ✅ Seeding was intentional?

If actually wrong:

  1. Cancel tournament
  2. Create new tournament
  3. Re-invite participants
  4. Generate bracket again

Match not appearing in bracket

Causes:

  • ✅ Previous round not complete?
  • ✅ Bracket not generated?
  • ✅ Tournament not started?

Fix:

  • Finish all matches in current round
  • Refresh page
  • Check tournament status

Can't enter match result

Check:

  • ✅ Tournament status is IN_PROGRESS?
  • ✅ You're the tournament creator?
  • ✅ Match is ready (both players assigned)?
  • ✅ Internet connection active?

Updates not showing for participants

Troubleshoot:

  1. Ask them to refresh page
  2. Check their internet connection
  3. Verify WebSocket server running
  4. Try different browser

Billing & Pricing

Is Dutchie's Brackets really free?

Yes! 100% free with no hidden costs:

  • Unlimited tournaments
  • Unlimited participants
  • All features included
  • No ads
  • No "pro" tier

Will Dutchie's Brackets always be free?

The open-source version will always be free.

Future possibilities:

  • Optional premium features (advanced analytics, etc.)
  • Hosted service with support
  • Enterprise features

But: Core functionality will remain free forever.

Feature Requests

How do I request a new feature?

  1. Check GitHub Issues (might already exist)
  2. Create new issue
  3. Tag as "feature request"
  4. Describe your use case
  5. Community votes/discusses

What features are planned?

See FEATURE_GAP_ANALYSIS.md for detailed roadmap.

Coming Soon:

  • Swiss format tournaments
  • Match rescheduling UI
  • Manual seeding interface
  • Round robin leaderboards

On Roadmap:

  • Multi-stage tournaments
  • Theme customization
  • Mobile apps
  • Offline mode

Can I build a feature myself?

Yes! Pull requests welcome:

  1. Fork repository
  2. Create feature branch
  3. Build and test
  4. Submit pull request
  5. Code review
  6. Merge

See: Contributing Guide

Support

How do I get help?

Documentation:

Community:

Bug Reports:

  • Create GitHub issue
  • Include: steps to reproduce, expected vs actual behavior, screenshots

Where can I see the code?

GitHub Repository: github.com/tristinfinch/dutchieb

License: MIT (open source)

Didn't find your answer? Ask in GitHub Discussions or create an issue.

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