Round robin generator: schedule, results and standings

Set up a round robin for a ping pong league, a club night or an office tournament. This round robin generator builds the rounds, shows who sits out, takes the results and works out the standings with the tie-break rule used in table tennis.

How to use the round robin generator

1. Enter one player per line, from 3 to 20 names, each one different.
2. Click Create schedule. The rounds appear in order, with every matchup.
3. After each match, type the games won by each player, for example 3 and 1 in a best of 5.
4. The standings table under the rounds updates on its own.
5. Use Print to take the schedule and table to the venue, or save it as a PDF.

Names, rounds and results are saved on your device. Creating the schedule again clears the results, so only do it if the player list changes.

How many rounds and matches

In a round robin, every player meets every other player once. The total number of matches is n x (n - 1) / 2, where n is the number of players. With an even number there are n - 1 rounds. With an odd number there are n rounds, because someone gets a bye each round.

The number of matches climbs fast. With more than 8 players, the usual approach is to split into groups of 3 to 5 and send the top finishers into a knockout, which you can build with the tournament bracket generator.

How the circle method works

The generator uses the circle method, the classic way to build a round robin schedule with no repeat matchups. Players stand in two rows facing each other. Player 1 stays put and everyone else moves one spot clockwise each round. Whoever is facing you is your opponent.

With an odd number of players, a bye slot joins the circle. Whoever lands opposite it rests that round, and every player sits out exactly once.

Standings and tie-breaks in table tennis

The table uses ITTF group scoring: 2 points for a win and 1 for a loss in a match that was played. (Under the regulations, a player who does not show up gets 0.) Since every match gives both players points, the order matches the win count whenever everyone has played the same number of matches.

When two or more players finish level on points, only the results between the tied players count:

1. Two players tied: the winner of their head-to-head match goes ahead.
2. Three or more tied: build a mini table with only the matches among them. First compare points in that mini table; if still level, the ratio of games won to games lost in those matches.
3. Under the regulations, the next steps are the ratio of points won to lost (the rally points inside each game) and finally drawing lots. Because the generator does not record rally points, it falls back to the overall games difference.

A classic case: A beats B, B beats C and C beats A, and all three win their other matches. They finish level and head-to-head cannot separate them, so the games ratio among the three decides it. That is why every game counts, even in a match you lose.

Tips for running a round robin

• Pick the match length: best of 3 games keeps things quick; best of 5 is the tournament standard. Keep score with the online ping pong scoreboard.
• Use several tables: the matches in one round do not depend on each other. With 3 tables, a whole round for 6 players runs at once.
• Put the bye to work: whoever is sitting out can keep score for another match.
• Agree on the rules first: tie-breaks, number of games and what happens if someone drops out. Other formats are covered in table tennis tournament formats.

Frequently asked questions