How to Make Up a Tournament Sheet

Pitting players or teams against each other gives participants a sense of purpose.

Tournaments are a popular way of adding a competitive edge to what is otherwise a hobby or recreational sport. Pitting players or teams against each other gives participants a sense of purpose and, if they win, a prize. The best way to organize a tournament is by creating a tournament sheet. This way, everybody knows who they are competing against and how they can progress to the final.

Things You'll Need

• Pen
• Paper

Instructions

1. Calculate how many teams or players you have participating. Ideally, you should have at least eight for a tournament. Each further round will double the number of participants - as each team or player knocks another one out - so the number of players required for a tournament goes up in multiples of eight.

2. Divide the number of participants by two. Write the participants' names vertically, down the left- and right-hand sides of your tournament sheet, grouping names into pairs. So, for example, if you started with 16 participants, you would now have four pairs written vertically down each side of the tournament sheet.

3. Bracket each pair together. These pairs are the first round matches. Draw a larger bracket, joining the initial pairs to the pair closest to them. This signifies the second round match. Again, using the example of 16 original participants, at this point you would have two "second round" brackets on each side of the tournament sheet.

4. Continue to draw brackets linking the winner of each match to the winner of the match in the nearest bracket to them until you are left with only one participant left on either side of the tournament sheet. These are your finalists.

5. Draw a straight line between the centers of the final two opposing brackets. On this line, in the center of the page, write the name of the tournament winner.

Tips & Warnings

• Alternatively, print off a tournament brackets template and simply add in participants' names as you play the tournament.

References

• Northern Petanque: Advice on Tournaments

Resources

• Printable Tournament Brackets