Groups then knockouts
This is the classic club-tournament shape: teams are split into small groups of three or four, play everyone in their group, then the top finishers move into a knockout bracket. iTournee supports two versions — Groups then Main knockout, and Groups then Main and Plate knockouts, where teams who don't make the Main draw get a second-chance Plate draw instead of simply going home. Knockout seeding follows the group standings, and because iTournee never uses byes, uneven numbers are handled with a short play-in round for the lowest seeds.
- Pros: guarantees every team several matches, builds to a genuine final, rewards good group-stage form through seeding.
- Cons: needs more courts and time than a single knockout; group sizes need balancing for fairness.
- Best player counts: works well from around 8 teams upward, where you can form multiple groups of 3–4.
League only (round robin)
In a round robin, every team plays every other team once, and the final standing is decided by a single table — there's no knockout stage at all. It's the fairest format in a strict sense, because no team is knocked out early and every result counts toward the final table.
- Pros: simple to explain, fair across the whole day, no team is eliminated early.
- Cons: takes longer per team than a knockout, and can feel anticlimactic without a final.
- Best player counts: ideal for smaller groups, roughly 4–8 teams, where everyone playing everyone is realistic within your time window.
Knockout only
A single-elimination bracket: win and progress, lose and you're out (plus an optional third-place match). It's the quickest way to produce a winner from a large field.
- Pros: fast, dramatic, easy to follow on a printed bracket or a bracket maker.
- Cons: teams can be eliminated after a single bad match, and some teams only get one game all day.
- Best player counts: works at almost any size, but suits larger fields where you don't have time for groups first.
Americano
Americano is a social format where partners rotate every round, so players mix with different partners and opponents throughout the day, and individual points are tallied across the rounds rather than match wins. It's popular for club socials because everyone plays with and against everyone else.
- Pros: maximum social mixing, keeps everyone involved all day, no fixed pairs needed.
- Cons: needs careful round-by-round scheduling to rotate partners fairly.
- Best player counts: typically 8–16 players on a few courts, so rotations stay manageable.
Mexicano
Mexicano works like Americano but pairs are reshuffled after each round based on current standings, so stronger players tend to face each other as the day goes on. It keeps matches competitive but relies on the same partner-rotation mechanic as Americano.
- Pros: keeps matches close as the day progresses, rewards good form round to round.
- Cons: requires live recalculation of pairs after every round, which takes more organiser attention.
- Best player counts: similar to Americano, around 8–16 players.
King of the Court
King of the Court moves winning pairs up a court and losing pairs down a court after each round, so the top court becomes a running decider between the strongest players of the day.
- Pros: creates a clear, visible hierarchy of courts; exciting for spectators near the top court.
- Cons: needs close management of promotions and relegations between courts every round.
- Best player counts: works well with enough courts to create several tiers, typically 12 or more players.
What iTournee runs today
| Format | Available in iTournee today? | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Groups then Main knockout | Yes | Medium to large groups wanting a fair build-up to a final |
| Groups then Main and Plate knockouts | Yes | Larger groups where everyone wants a shot at a final |
| League only (round robin) | Yes | Small, friendly groups who want everyone to play everyone |
| Knockout only | Yes | Larger fields with limited time |
| Americano | Not yet — partner rotation isn't available | Social groups wanting maximum mixing |
| Mexicano | Not yet — partner rotation isn't available | Social groups wanting competitive rebalancing |
| King of the Court | Not yet | Groups with several courts and a visible hierarchy |
Americano and Mexicano both rely on partner rotation, and King of the Court relies on moving pairs between courts each round — none of these are available in iTournee yet. If you want that Americano-style feel today, the closest option is the Points race scoring preset, where every point counts and you count up to a target score, but it still uses fixed pairs for the whole tournament rather than rotating partners.
Whichever format you choose, iTournee builds the draw, groups and schedule for you from a simple 4-step wizard — see the how-to-run guide for the full process, or compare player counts and timing in the schedule planner.