Choose the competition before the room plan
TabletopTourney supports pairwise tabletop matches in a round robin or single-elimination format, with available-table assignments and optional groups. It is useful for a game-club afternoon when the organizer needs to see both opponents and playing waves. It does not understand every board game’s player count, setup time or scoring system.
Choose a game and edition, then publish what an entered match score means. The current interface is for two opponents per match, not a multi-player table where four people each receive a placing. If your game does not fit a pairwise format, do not describe the generated schedule as a complete tournament solution.
Set names, groups and physical tables
Enter Groups, using one for a single field; list 2–128 unique player names; choose Round robin or Single elimination; and enter a whole count of available tables. With multiple groups, every group needs at least two players. Players are distributed cyclically through the group numbers.
Round robin lists every pair once. Single elimination uses seeded knockout slots and byes where needed. Table assignments are additional resource information: games are placed into waves without packing a later round into an earlier round’s spare table. This preserves round boundaries but may leave some tables unused. It does not know whether a particular game takes ten or sixty minutes.
Read points and progression separately
Enter both scores for each current match and use the relevant calculation or advance control. Round-robin standings award three points for a win and one for a draw, then compare score difference. Equal points and equal difference share rank. Single elimination requires a decisive result and removes a player after one loss.
For groups, finish and verify each division before creating the single-elimination final stage. One player qualifies from each group. An unresolved first-place tie needs your announced tie-break and host-confirmed qualifier input. The tool does not invent an extra sporting rule. Group displays and the initial table schedule are host aids; recheck table use as independently played divisions progress.
Fictional example: six players, two tables
Enter Ari, Bea, Cleo, Dev, Em and Fox, one group, Round robin and two available tables. Six players produce fifteen matches over five rounds, with three matches per round. Two tables require two playing waves for each round, so the schedule has ten waves, not the eight obtained by simply rounding 15 ÷ 2 upward.
That difference matters: a free table in one round does not mean a player can begin the next round while still needed elsewhere. If each wave is allowed twelve minutes of play and three of changeover, ten waves already occupy 150 minutes before briefing and closing. Enter those real allowances into TimeWeave rather than assuming a round count is a duration.
For a grouped alternative, two groups of three contain Ari/Cleo/Em and Bea/Dev/Fox. Each group has three round-robin matches. Once each has a verified winner, the two qualifiers can play one final. This changes available opponents and participation, so choose the structure before play rather than shortening the competition after results appear.
Prepare the table handover
Number real tables to match the output and arrange score verification between waves. Keep setup materials, rule references and a process for an unfinished game available. Resting players are not automatically assigned as referees or teachers; ask before giving them another responsibility.
Save after checked progression and keep a backup. Match history and table labels support organization but do not adjudicate rule disputes, synchronize clocks or reserve the venue. When groups run independently, coordinate the real shared tables at each handover; the initial cross-group schedule is not a live resource-booking service. Clear instructions and a realistic closing time are more useful than squeezing the theoretical maximum number of games into the room.
Questions before you begin
Can I select double elimination here?
The current TabletopTourney interface offers Round robin and Single elimination. Use BracketForge if a double-elimination event is appropriate.
Why are there more waves than matches divided by tables?
Table assignment preserves round boundaries. Each round may need an extra partly filled wave rather than sharing it with the next round.
Can several players share one generated match?
No. Matches are pairwise. A game with three or more opponents per table needs a different host-managed competition structure.
What if two group leaders are tied?
Apply the tie-break announced before play, then enter one agreed qualifier per group. The tool does not use display order as an extra winner rule.