Guides for organisers
How to put a tournament together, schedule the rounds, agree on the rules and keep the budget straight.
This section is being expanded: articles are updated as we learn more from running our own leagues.
How to run a five-a-side football tournament
Step by step: how many teams to invite, how to book a pitch, which format to pick, how to build the schedule, budget the day and get to the final.
8 min readFor organisers
How to build a tournament schedule for 8 teams
Ready-made round-robin grids for 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 teams. How the circle method works and what to do with an odd number of teams.
6 min readFor organisers
Round robin or knockout: which to choose
Round robin, knockout, groups plus knockout and the Swiss system: how many matches, how long they take and who each format suits.
5 min readFor organisers
Rules for an amateur tournament
A rules template: points for a win and a draw, tie-breaking order, goal difference, forfeits, player registration and discipline. Wording you can copy.
7 min readFor organisers
How to split a group of friends into two fair teams
Captains, the snake draft and rating-based balancing. Why the snake draft gets it wrong more often than you think, and how to separate the goalkeepers.
5 min readFor whoever organises the game
This is fellasport — stats for amateur football
Run a tournament or set up a squad: table, bracket, matches and player stats.
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