How to run a small tournament with iScoreboard

A small tournament can run smoothly with a phone and a display device when the format, scoring rules, and result checks are agreed in advance.

1. Choose a format

A round robin gives each participant more matches; single elimination takes less time. With more entrants, groups followed by elimination may work well. Decide how ties, overtime, or deciding games will be handled.

2. Assign a scorekeeper

1. Create the match and enter both names.
2. Assign one person to update the score.
3. Use another screen for spectators if available.
4. Have both sides confirm the result before starting the next match.

3. Publish results

After the event, record wins and losses, any required point differences, and the path through the bracket. Save the format and rules so the next event is easier to organize.

Count the matches before reserving the courts

A single round robin has n×(n−1)÷2 matches because every pair meets once. Single elimination needs n−1 matches to produce one champion; a bronze match adds another. Eight players therefore need twenty-eight round-robin matches, not seven simply because each player has seven opponents. A compromise is two groups of four: twelve group matches, two semi-finals, and one final give fifteen matches. Decide whether the priority is participation, a rapid champion, or a balance before building the schedule.

A four-player round-robin example

Two courts allow both matches in a round to start together, but players still need reasonable recovery before the next round. If your event assumes twelve minutes per match plus three for changeover and result confirmation, three fifteen-minute slots total about forty-five minutes. That is a scheduling assumption, before warm-up, extra rest, and overruns. Win-by-two formats without a cap can vary substantially in duration, so add a buffer instead of treating this example as a guaranteed finishing time.

Publish tie, lateness, and withdrawal procedures

• State the sport, point target, games needed to win, groups, and qualification places.
• Publish standings tie procedures, including any difference between a two-way and a multi-way tie.
• Announce check-in times, a lateness allowance, withdrawal treatment, and the person authorised to decide.
• For elimination fields not equal to a power of two, assign byes and publish the draw procedure in advance. Do not invent a played score for a bye.
• Pause score updates during a dispute and refer it to the previously designated official before continuing.

Do not choose a favourable tie-resolution method after seeing results. “Wins first, then our published tie procedure” is clearer than “the higher score qualifies,” which fails to identify which score is meant. Follow the relevant competition’s ranking provisions when using its rules. For a custom community event, make the procedure available to every entrant before play so the scorer’s job is to apply a known method, not negotiate one afterwards.

Event day: three responsibilities and one master sheet

Separate the organiser, the person deciding rallies, and the scorekeeper. One person may cover several roles, but unrestricted score editing by everyone creates confusion. Maintain one master sheet with match ID, competitors, court, planned start, actual score, winner, and confirmation. The live display shows the current match; check the next competitors against the master sheet before resetting so names or games won from a previous match are not accidentally carried forward.

Rehearse the complete workflow, including failure recovery

1. Run a dummy match through setup, scoring, correction, finish, and next-match preparation.
2. Check external display names, points, and clocks from a distance, plus connection, power, and sound.
3. Keep paper or an independent sheet as backup; recover from a failed display using the confirmed actual score rather than restarting play.
4. Confirm each result with both sides before updating the master sheet, standings, or bracket.
5. Publish final results and retain full scores and dispute notes to improve the next schedule.