Instant Tournament Format- Just add disc!

Notes for tournament organizers:

The following tournament format has a flexible structure designed 
to get play started as soon as the first two teams arrive.  The 
brackets will fill as more teams show up.

Before games begin, The organizer will need to decide whether to 
set up three fields (limit = 8 teams) or four (limit = 10 teams).  
If you have four fields but less than eight teams, the formats  
below will naturally put you back on a three-field schedule.

Teams 1-5 will always be A1, A2, B1, B2, and A3, in that order.

Team 6 will be B3 if only six teams play.  If more teams arrive,
Team 6 will become A4.

Teams 7 and 8 will always be B3 and B4.

Team 9 should be A5, but if there are only nine teams, the 
organizer could assign Team 9 as B5 to create more even 
brackets.  Team 10 will fill the remaining empty slot.

After Round 1, the organizer will have to make a final decision
about the number of teams.  Starting with Round 2, the formats 
below are different, so teams arriving after all the Round 2
games are underway have forfeited.

The organizer can shorten the brackets for the formats with 6, 7, 
or 9 teams, as explained below.

Note that the teams which arrive first are rewarded by being moved
between fields less often and by having later byes (or no byes if
the organizer doesn't play all rounds).

The next page is the sign-up sheet, and the remaining two give
the bracket formats and instructions for tournaments on three and 
four fields.

Hi Captains:  As usual, sign in here once you've got 7 players.  Try to
do this in the order you arrive, so that the pools fill up evenly.  Check
your team assignment; if you're one of the first 6 teams, you start right
away, so you can go right to your assigned field and get ready.  Otherwise,
you may have a first round bye.

Probable Teams:  (to be filled in before the tournament)














Sign in:

Team	Team Name			Team	Team Name

A1	_________________________	B1	_________________________

A2	_________________________	B2	_________________________

A3	_________________________	B3	_________________________

A4	________________________	B4	_________________________

A5	________________________	B5	_________________________


THREE FIELD FORMATS - for 6-8 teams

6 team/3 field format:

Field:	1     		2		3
Round
  1	A3 v 6		A1 v A2		B1 v B2 
  2	A2 v B2		A1 v A3		B1 v 6
  3	A2 v A3		A1 v B1		B2 v 6
  4	A2 v 6		A1 v B2		B1 v A3
  5	B2 v A3		A1 v 6		A2 v B1 

  Team 6 = B3 after Round 1.  Both pools will complete their 
  pool games in Round 3.  After Round 3, the tournament can 
  conclude with a game between the best team in each pool or 
  continue to complete all cross-pool games, followed by a 
  championship between the teams with the best two records.

7 team/3 field format:

Field:	1     		2		3		bye
Round
  1	A3 v 6		A1 v A2		B1 v B2		B3
  2	A2 v B2		A1 v A3		B1 v B3		6
  3	A2 v B3		A1 v B1		B2 v 6		A3	
  4	A2 v A3		A1 v B3		B1 v 6		B2
  5	B2 v B3		A1 v 6		B1 v A3		A2
  6	A3 v B3		A1 v B2		A2 v 6		B1
  7	 6 v B3		B2 v A3		A2 v B1		A1

  Team 6 = A4 if there are 7 teams.  By the end of Round 4,
  each team will have played 3-4 games.  After Round 5, only 
  one pool game remains (A2 v A4).  A championship final could 
  be played as early as the end of Round 5 if desired.  Round 7 
  would complete all cross-pool games and will leave little
  time for a final.

8 team/3 field format:

Field:	1     		2		3		bye	
Round
  1	A3 v A4		A1 v A2		B1 v B2		B3 B4
  2	B2 v B4		A1 v A3		B1 v B3		A2 A4
  3	A2 v A4		B2 v B3		B1 v B4		A1 A3
  4	B3 v B4		A1 v A4		A2 v A3		B1 B2

  After Round 4, either a final can be played between the top
  teams in each pool, or cross-pool semi-finals can be played.


FOUR FIELD FORMATS - for 8-10 teams

8 team/4 field format:

Pool:	--------A--------		--------B--------
Field:	1		2		3		4
Round
  1	A3 v A4		A1 v A2		B1 v B2		B3 v B4	
  2     A2 v A4		A1 v A3		B1 v B3		B2 v B4
  3	A2 v A3		A1 v A4		B1 v B4		B2 v B3

  For this format, it's good to advance the top two teams in
  each pool to a cross-pool semi-final.

9 team/4 field format:  (Team 9 may be A5 or B5)

Pool:	--------A--------		--------B--------
Field:	1		2		3		4	   bye
Round
  1	A3 v A4		A1 v A2		B1 v B2		B3 v B4	   9
  2	A2 v 9		A1 v A4		B1 v B3		B2 v A3	   B4 
  3	A2 v A4		A1 v A3		B1 v 9		B2 v B4	   B3 
  4	A2 v A3		A1 v 9		B1 v B4		B2 v B3	   A4 
  5			A4 v B4		B3 v 9			   A1-3 B1-2

  If Team 9 = A5, then pool play is complete after Round 4.
  Round 5 could be replaced with a cross-pool semi-final or a
  final between the top teams in each pool.

10 team/4 field format:

Pool:	--------A--------		--------B--------
Field:	1		2		3		4          bye
Round
  1	A3 v A4		A1 v A2		B1 v B2		B3 v B4	   A5 B5
  2	A2 v A5		A1 v A3		B1 v B3		B2 v B5    A4 B4
  3	A2 v A4		A1 v A5		B1 v B5		B2 v B4	   A3 B3
  4	A3 v A5		A1 v A4 	B1 v B4		B3 v B5	   A2 B2
  5	A4 v A5		A2 v A3		B2 v B3		B4 v B5	   A1 B1

  Teams will generally be happy with a single final between the
  best teams in each pool after Round 5.