When creating a Round Robin draw, you have the option to also create playoffs. If you want to add the playoffs you need to choose the Round Robin with Playoff option as the draw type. You can not create playoffs unless you choose this option. For an overview of draw creation and draw creation options, please refer to the Creating Draws in Tournament Desk Overview article. This article explains how to create a Round Robin with Playoff and different advancement types.
How to Create Round Robin Playoffs for the Top Finishers
How to Create Round Robin Playoffs based on Group Finishing Position
How to Create Round Robin Playoffs for the Top Finishers
Using this method, the playoff draw is created from the top finishers in the group.
- Navigate to Tournament Desk by clicking Launch Tournament Desk on the tournament menu.
- Click on the Events tab and select the appropriate event.
- Click on the Draw tab.
- Click Make Draw.
- Ensure you have completed all the pre-draw activities you require (avoidances, seeds, etc) before clicking Make Draw.
- Select Round Robin with Playoff.
- In the Advancement type, select Top finishers.
- In this advancement type, only the top player from each group will advance.
- If you want to create a consolation draw for the remaining player, select place remaining players in a second playoff draw.
- Once you are done choosing your draw options, click Make Draw.
- To schedule the playoffs, click main at the top left of the screen and select the playoff draw you are looking to schedule.
- For more information on Scheduling matches, please refer to the Scheduling Matches in Tournament Desk Overview article.
How to Create Round Robin Playoffs based on Group Finishing Position
Using this method, a separate playoff draw is created for each finishing position in the group.
- Navigate to Tournament Desk by clicking Launch Tournament Desk on the tournament menu.
- Click on the Events tab and select the appropriate event.
- Click on the Draw tab.
- Click Make Draw.
- Ensure you have completed all the pre-draw activities you require (avoidances, seeds, etc) before clicking Make Draw.
- Select Round Robin with Playoff.
- For Advancement type, select Group Position.
- Once you are done choosing your draw options, click Make Draw.
- To schedule the playoffs, click main at the top left of the screen and select the playoff draw you are looking to schedule.
- For more information on Scheduling matches, please refer to the Scheduling Matches in Tournament Desk Overview article.
Round Robin Playoffs FAQ's
Q: What happens in the playoff if there are uneven number of groups in the playoff
A: As per the procedure in the 2021 Friend at Court (USTA Regulation II.B.6.c) page 73. In the case of the 4 brackets, the top finisher in each bracket would be placed in a playoff draw. If there are 3 brackets, the top finisher from the 3 brackets - a bye could be assigned to the top seeded player among the finishers. A copy of the Friend at Court can be downloaded at the following link: 2022 Friend at Court.
Q: Why are the final positions not showing up?
A: The first thing to check - are all the scores inputted? Even if a match did not go ahead, a WO needs to be entered.
If you have checked this, then click on one score and save the score, this is sometimes needed to generate the positions.
Q: How do I know how the system awards the positioning when there is a tie.
A: As per Friends at Court - Page 73 Determining order of finish. The player who wins the most matches is the winner. If two players are tied, then the winner of their head to-head match is the winner. If three or more players are tied, the Referee shall use the following steps in the order listed to break all ties. The Referee shall break as many ties as possible using a given step before using the next step.
These steps are:
- The head-to-head win-loss record in matches involving just the tied players;
- The player with the highest percentage of sets won of all sets completed;
- The head-to-head win-loss record in matches involving the players who remain tied;
- The player with the highest percentage of games won of all games completed;
- The head-to-head win-loss record in matches involving the players who remain tied;
- The player with the highest percentage of sets won of sets completed among players in the group under consideration;
- The head-to-head win-loss record in matches involving the players who remain tied;
- The player with the highest percentage of games won of games completed among the players
- under consideration;
- The head-to-head win-loss record in matches involving the players who remain tied.
If the Referee has applied all the steps and a tie still cannot be broken, the Referee shall use a random drawing among the remaining tied players to determine their order of finish.