Guides for people who run tournaments
Practical, no-fluff advice on scheduling fixtures, choosing formats, and running sports events that finish on time — written by the team building FairGame.
Everything here comes from real tournaments and the questions organizers ask us most.
GuidesHow to Schedule a Round-Robin Tournament Without Spreadsheets
A step-by-step guide to building a fair, conflict-free round-robin schedule — the circle method, byes for odd team counts, and where spreadsheets fall apart.
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FormatsRound-Robin vs. Knockout: Choosing the Right Tournament Format
Round-robin, knockout, or a group stage into a bracket? A practical comparison of tournament formats by fairness, match count, and time — with a rule of thumb for each.
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PlaybookHow to Run a Youth Football Tournament: A Step-by-Step Guide
From registration and age groups to scheduling, referees and live results — a practical checklist for organizing a youth football tournament that runs on time.
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OperationsReferee Management: How to Keep Every Pitch Officiated
How to staff referees across a multi-pitch tournament without gaps — coverage grids, conflict rules, QR match cards, and auto-staffing every pitch-hour.
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