tournament format advisor

Design Your
Ideal Tournament.

Answer six quick questions about your event and we'll recommend the right draw and scoring format — with the reasoning, alternatives, and an honest check against your court time.

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Step 1 of 6

17%

first upWhat kind of event are you running?This shapes which scoring formats make sense.

the full playbook

Our Favorite Formats, Explained.

Every draw and scoring format the advisor can recommend — and every one NextOnCourt can run for you.

Draw formats

Single Elimination

A straight knockout — lose once and you're out.

Best for
Large fields, tight time, a decisive winner
Min field
4+
Guaranteed
1 match

Double Elimination

A winners and a losers bracket — you're out after two losses.

Best for
Competitive events wanting fairness plus a champion
Min field
4+
Guaranteed
2 matches

Round Robin

Everyone plays everyone in the group.

Best for
Small groups, ranking the field, social play
Min field
3–10
Guaranteed
Every round

Round Robin + Playoffs

Group round robin, then top finishers into a knockout.

Best for
Mid-size events wanting guaranteed play plus a champion
Min field
8+
Guaranteed
3 matches

Pool Play + Finals

Small pools of four, top two advance to a final draw.

Best for
Large fields with plenty of courts
Min field
12+
Guaranteed
3 matches

Swiss Draw

Paired by record each round — nobody is eliminated.

Best for
Large fields, ranking, no eliminations
Min field
8+
Guaranteed
Every round

Compass Draw

Losers feed sideways into E/W/N/S draws — play continues.

Best for
Maximizing play with level-matched competition
Min field
8+
Guaranteed
3 matches

Feed-In Consolation

First-round (or deeper) losers feed into a consolation draw.

Best for
A knockout with a consolation safety net
Min field
8+
Guaranteed
2 matches

Curtis Consolation

Structured consolation giving losers a full second event.

Best for
Giving early losers a full second event
Min field
8+
Guaranteed
2 matches

Olympic Draw

Full main draw plus a full consolation draw for all losers.

Best for
Maximum play when court time is generous
Min field
8+
Guaranteed
3 matches

Playoff (Page System)

A compact playoff for a small, already-ranked field.

Best for
Small, already-ranked finals stages
Min field
4–8
Guaranteed
2 matches

Scoring formats

Standard Tournament

  • Best of 3 Sets~90 min

    First to two sets, 7-point tiebreak at 6–6; the competitive standard.

  • Best of 5 Sets~180 min

    First to three sets; a full championship test, best for elite singles.

  • 2 Sets + 10-Point Tiebreak~60 min

    Two full sets; a 10-point match tiebreak decides a split.

  • 3rd Set Super Tiebreak~75 min

    Two full sets, then a 10-point super tiebreak for the third.

Quick Play

  • Pro Set (8 games)~45 min

    First to 8 games (win by 2), tiebreak at 8–8.

  • Pro Set (10 games)~55 min

    First to 10 games (win by 2), tiebreak at 10–10.

  • Pro Set No-Ad (8 games)~35 min

    First to 8 games, no-ad deuce points.

  • Single Set~30 min

    One standard 6-game set.

  • Short Sets (4 games)~45 min

    Sets to 4 games with a tiebreak.

  • Fast4~40 min

    First to 4 games, no-ad, tiebreak at 3–3.

  • UTR Short Sets~45 min

    UTR-style short sets that feed ratings.

  • 2 Sets + 7-Point Tiebreak~55 min

    Two short sets with a 7-point tiebreak decider.

  • 10-Point Match Tiebreak~10 min

    A single 10-point match tiebreak; biggest time-saver.

  • 7-Point Match Tiebreak~8 min

    A single 7-point tiebreak; fastest possible result.

Social / Recreational

  • No-Ad Scoring~70 min

    Standard sets with no-ad deuce points.

  • No-Ad + Super Tiebreak~60 min

    No-ad sets with a 10-point super tiebreak decider.

College Tennis

  • College Singles~75 min

    NCAA/ITA singles: best-of-3, no-ad.

  • College Doubles~25 min

    NCAA/ITA doubles: one 6-game no-ad set.

Team Competition

  • Laver Cup Singles~75 min

    Laver Cup-style singles scoring.

  • Laver Cup Doubles~30 min

    Laver Cup-style doubles scoring.

  • Dominant Duo~40 min

    Team doubles format rewarding the strongest pairing.

  • Timed 2×10 min~25 min

    Two 10-minute halves, most games wins.

  • Timed 1×10 min~15 min

    A single 10-minute block, most games wins.

Advanced / Professional

  • Best of 5 (Advantage Final)~210 min

    Best of 5 with a full advantage final set.

  • Best of 5 + Super Tiebreak~180 min

    Best of 5 with a 10-point tiebreak for the fifth.

  • 12-Point Tiebreaks~95 min

    Sets decided by 12-point tiebreaks.

  • 12-Point Final Set Tiebreak~90 min

    Full sets with a 12-point tiebreak in the decider.

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