FreeScoreBoard

The program has the possibility to pre-define tournament systems. This has the advantage that a tournament system can be defined once and used many times. It also brings the advantage that a definition of a tournament is very easy.

A tournament always has this Hierarchie: A group is based on two or more teams. A round is based on one or more groups. A tournament is based on one or more rounds.

This is also valid for KO-systems. In this case a group is always based on two teams.

Also for each vs each this is valid. Here each team is in the same group.

The groups of the first round are defining the quantity of teams which participating the tournament.

From the second round on just teams of the previous rounds can participate. Normally just teams of the direct previous round are participates of the next round. Exceptions are tournaments with separate round for losers like for example double KO systems.

Inside each group a point based ranking table is calculated, which defines the place of each team. By grouping the teams of the previous round, it is defined which and how many teams are come forth to the next round. During the definition of a tournament system no real teams are existing. Therefor the teams are reflected by a shortcut which contains place, round, group form the second round on. Examples:
“1ter-1A” = first place round 1 group A
“3ter-5F“ = third place round 5 group F
The program does also allow to group comprehensive when a round has finished. This function allows to group for example all first of all groups and find the best first team. At the end a phantom group is calculated. This will be displayed like this: 1ter-1ter; 1ter-2ter where the first part is the place in the phantom group and the second part is the place in the real group. Groups are numbered from A to X inside a round. If more than one round is existing, each round can contain a group A. To make it unique, the round number must always be added to the group letter.

If the last round of a tournament contains only one group, the tournament winner can be determined based on the point table of this group. Some tournament system needs more than on group in the last round. One for the first and second winner and another one for the third and fourth place. In this case the place must be specified directly on the match.

So we have 4 steps to define a tournament:

1. Define the quantity of teams
2. Define the quantity of rounds and the quanity of grous in each round
3. Grouping the teams
4. Define the matches for each group in each round (optional with direct place assignment)

German Soccer Bundesliga:
18 teams – each vs each incl. Scond round
rounds: 1
groups: 1
places: by table

Soccer World Championship:
32 teams – mix of groups and KO system
round 1: 32 teams in 8 groups
round 2: 16 teams in 8 groups
round 3: 8 teams in 4 groups
round 4: 4 teams in 2 groups
round 5: 4 teams in 2 groups mit Platzierungsangabe
(group 1 = match for place 3 + 4) (group 2 = match for place 1 + 2)

Evidence:
By using these rules it is possible to define own tournament systems. As more teams should participate to a tournament and as more rounds and groups must be defined, it will get more and more essential to draw the tournament system on paper at first. This helps enormously when the tournament is entered into the program. In the Excel file which can be found on the home page, most of the already implemented tournament systems are described in a graphic.

caution:
The program does not support optional Rounds. Example: If a team is losing first time in a final and the tournament system is a double KO system, then a second final will be necessary. In practice this second final is not played. But, if wanted, an additional free match can be played.  

new:
Define new tournament system.

change:
The name and description can be changed.

delete:
The tournament system will be unrecoverable deleted.

import:
Import one or more tournament systems.

export:
Export the selected tournament system into an xml file.

Export all: Export all tournament systems into xml files.

Graph:
Opens a graphical display of the tournament system. The graph is calculated on the fly. So, this can also be used for your own defined tournament systems.

Like already mentioned it will be helpful to draw the system onto paper at first. It is recommended to read the section “tournament systems” at first.

Tournament name:
Short name of the tournament system.

Number of teams:
Number of teams which should participate the tournament.

scoring:
If the last round of the tournament contains just one group, the places can be determined by the table of this group. KO systems for example needs often 2 groups in the final round. In this case the places must be specified on the matches.

description:
It is recomended to enter here a rough descrition of the tournament structure..

round:
If round are taken over to the right side or if rounds are pushed back to the left side, this counter will be changed automatically.

Number of teams:
In the first round always all teams have to participate. Therefore the number of zteams cannot be changed in the first round. From round 2 on, the number of teams must be specified here.

Number of groups:
For each round it must be specified here how many groups the round contains. The number of teams needs to be dividable throu the number of groups. Also the number of groups and the number of teams for one round cannot be identical.

button „→“:
Takes the round over into the table. The round counter is increased and the next round can be defined.

button „←“:
Here it is possible to delete the last round from the table. The round counter is decreased and the round can be defined newly.

round:
This tab is only appearing is more that one round is defined. In the first round the programm can automatically grouping the teams. From the second round on it must be defined which team is reaching the next round. If the scond or higher round contains again more than one group, the groups are listed on the right side table.

display:
With this selection the content of the left table is changing. For most tournament system it is enough to display the teams of the previous round. Double KO systems needs also teams of other rounds. In this case “teams of all rounds” needs to be selected. If phantom grouping is needed, the selection “best n-te of the pre. Round”.

Grouping functionality:
Select a team and click „→“. Or, double click a team. The right table is filled in top down direction.

button ←:
already grouped teams can pushed back to the left side. Alternatively you can double click the team on the right side.

Now the matches and schedule must be defined. By the combo boxes on the top single matches can be defined. With the arrow down button the match can be taken over into the table. In a normal case inside each group each team has to play gainst each team. Here the program is able to automate the definition of matches.

button „auto – everyone against everyone group“
After the selection of a round and a group this button gets active. By a click the program calculates itself all matches for the selected group.

button „auto – everyone against everyone round“
After the selection of a round this button gets active. By a click the program calculates itself all matches for each group the selected round.

Combo boxes „winner place“ / „loser place“ and button „add rank“
These fields are only visible if a direct place assignment is selected on the first tab. In this case it must be assigned which match is for wich place. If single games are defined, this places can directly set and taken over into the table. If the automatic match definition functionality is used, the places can be assigned by selecting a row and click add rank.

Right side buttons:

- Select all matches

- Unselect all matches

- Move all selected matches one row up

- Move all selected matches one row down

- Delete all selected matches

After click next, the tournament system is saved.