Need Help: How to Organize a Badminton Tournament 101

[Jinryu]

We managed to start up the RsM Badminton Club, which has a healthy following of members, many of whom are players from here on the BFs! And though attendance has been slowly but steadily growing, it still needs an extra kick to make the club break even with the rental costs. What's been suggested by members is that one of the best ways to promote a club is to host a tournament... troubles is, I've never done this before. I've organized martial arts tournaments before, but it's a totally different ballpark by sheer virtue of the nature of the prizes, and the number of competitors.

In the process I figured that perhaps we could all learn something together by making it an open discussion.

So what I'm asking for is for some advice. What have you done as a tournament organizer to make your tournament a success? What have you as a competitor in a tournament appreciated/disliked about it?

I've got a lot of questions, but maybe by just opening up the subject, a few of them will answer themselves.

A few topics, such as the "Knight to remember" thing, have been mentioned, and I don't really ened that reiiterated since it's got it's own thread (thanks Devlicious).

My ideas so far is to charge a fee of around 15$ CAD for entry in one event, 20$ for participation in two events. The events so far are mixed doubles, and mens doubles. If I get enough teams, I will also open up a womens doubles category. There will be no rankings for the tournament-- I'm not affiliated with the local leagues.

So a few of my questions in particular-- from your experiences, have most small tournaments been best 2 out of 3 matches per stage? What do you suppose is the minimum number of teams I should have to make a worthwhile, fun womens doubles category? What about prizes-- how many people should get prizes? Not just the top players of each category, but I mean, how far down the pyramid should prizes trickle?

Etc. Etc. Etc.

Please bring up any thoughts you think are relevant!

[Cheung]

So you want some publicity? Send it round through the grapevine but you may want to limit numbers if you have to book courts. Maybe on a first come first served basis.

You only have two events. So Round robin is very appropriate (3 or 4 per group) and helps people feel they got enough time on court. I suggest one game up to 21 points (3 games might take up a lot of time and tires people out for the elimination rounds!!). Winners and/or 2nd placing go through to a knock out format.

So you want a theme? I suggest have one if you want a really big tournament. Otherwise you use the themes up on a small tournament and no more ideas left for the big ones!:p Alternatively, you could find some organisation willing to lend their name though. e.g. a chinese/vietnamese association. Then they may help supply the trophies or even help a bit with some of the other costs.

Small tournament = small trophies. Winner and runner up only.

In my experience, the biggest headache is calculating the court time needed. I allocate 20 minutes to a 21 point game and 15 minutes to a 15 point game. Granted that some games finish faster, and some are slower. At the beginning, some people have a tendency to warm up a long time (like 10 minutes). This can really harm the organisation in terms of court time and rest time for other players (in later stages of tournament). Even if people are reminded of warm up time limitation to 2 minutes, it's frequently not observed. The tournament organiser has to physicially walk up to the players and ask them to start the game.

Get games flowing to get people where they should be...on court. In my experience as a competitor, frustration sets in when games are there to be played but 3 courts out of 4 have no game arranged. It happens all the time but keep it minimal.

On the other hand the opposite situation can happen. I had a free court for a round robin tournament. Two pairs asked to play a match earlier since they were hanging around. I had to say 'no' because it upset the match schedule - it would have meant at another later stage, a couple of pairs would have had to play 3 consecutive matches without a break (this was a small tournament withe only 6 hours of court time spread over two dates). People didn't really understand why I was so strict. It was only later that one of my committee members realised the implications of what would have happened.

You always get some strong minded competitors voicing their own opinions. State clearly on the entry form that the decision of the tournament organisor is FINAL! This will save you some headaches.

Players play to their own line calls. Make this point very clear. Don't let spectators call shuttles that are in/out! Or rather let the players understand line calls cannot be decided upon by spectators. If there are disputes, replay the point and appoint impartial people to watch the lines.

Don't have line judges as a routine for every match. You find your manpower needs outweigh your supply (and your stress levels will go higher!). I actually did away with line judges when I took over of running a tournament. It's tempting to use other players standing around to act as line judges - don't do this!
i) there is the potential for conflict of interest
ii) the line judge might need to play their own match and have to be changed !

Since it is your first time, I think it's good to idea to start off with just doubles. Then later, get a feel from your badminton community on the feedback. Adding singles later on for another time may be an option.

Do not be a tournament organiser and a player at the same time! You get interrupted all the time. Or get a 2nd-in-command who has experience of entering tournaments (not necessarily badminton).

[Jinryu]

Cheung, thanks very much for your help.

With regards to the line judges, you make a very good point. Since it's a fundraising event to raise rent money for the club, everyone working with me is strictly volunteers, and so we're trying to save manpower whever we can, and so that's sorta two birds with one stone... as far as conflicts go, I was planning on getting a copy of official badminton rules (like the ones here on BC) and putting them on the website where contestants would submit entry forms. Part of the entry form would state that people have read and understood the rules-- and since there will be no referees/umpires for individual matches, everything will indeed be self-governed by the players on court. If there's ever a real ambiguity, then the players are to replay the point.

The round robin idea sounds like great way to go! Many of the ones around here are usually single elimination, so it's funny but I completely forgot about the concept. 21 point games sounds like a very good idea, something I wouldn't have thought of...

The thing I like mostly about the round robin idea is that it makes most efficient use of the courts. I was previously thinking three 15 point rounds of single elimination, but not only does that suck if your first round is against the strongest team, but I was having a nightmare trying to calculate how to book the gym time, since single elimination would have had the number of matches gradually tapering off.

What would one usually suggest as prizes (realistically)? Unfortunately, by the time I want to have my tournament, it'd take too long for my suppliers to work out a sponsorship plan-- that'd have to wait for the second tournament, in a distant future. So for now, we're operating on a sponsorless prize budget. I was thinking along the lines of t-shirts, rackets, shoes and bags. Of the bunch, I'd want to give away rackets most, however the problem I see with this is that players often don't appreciate these kinds of things because top players usually already have expensive rackets of their own. Shoes I figure are a great idea, but the problem is that I won't have sizes on hand so it'd have to be raincheck-based... which may be kind of a let down if players actually want to bring something home with them. T-shirts--- well, that seems like great for runners ups or just for participants in general, but i doubt that'll satisfy the winners.

I was considering medals, but how do players feel about medals in a tournament where there won't be a particularly grand ceremony at the end?...

I'm wondering mostly, I suppose, if people come to tournaments for the prizes, or if they come for the competition or if they come just for the fun of it... this will influence how I balance the prize budget between trying to get prizes for just the winners, or a bit of a prize (at least something small) for everyone.

[Cheung]

The round robin idea sounds like great way to go! Many of the ones around here are usually single elimination, so it's funny but I completely forgot about the concept. 21 point games sounds like a very good idea, something I wouldn't have thought of...

The thing I like mostly about the round robin idea is that it makes most efficient use of the courts. I was previously thinking three 15 point rounds of single elimination, but not only does that suck if your first round is against the strongest team, but I was having a nightmare trying to calculate how to book the gym time, since single elimination would have had the number of matches gradually tapering off..

The good thing about round robin is that you can book a session of 3 hours for 4 courts, and then quickly reduce the courts needed. Straight elimination...well, like you said, it becomes a nightmare.

Straight elimination is no fun if you get knocked out of the 1st round. I mean, lots of people will say why bother entering and then travelling at all for just one game. Giving people the knowledge of at least two games, and maybe three, will improve number of entries.



What would one usually suggest as prizes (realistically)? Unfortunately, by the time I want to have my tournament, it'd take too long for my suppliers to work out a sponsorship plan-- that'd have to wait for the second tournament, in a distant future. So for now, we're operating on a sponsorless prize budget. I was thinking along the lines of t-shirts, rackets, shoes and bags. Of the bunch, I'd want to give away rackets most, however the problem I see with this is that players often don't appreciate these kinds of things because top players usually already have expensive rackets of their own. Shoes I figure are a great idea, but the problem is that I won't have sizes on hand so it'd have to be raincheck-based... which may be kind of a let down if players actually want to bring something home with them. T-shirts--- well, that seems like great for runners ups or just for participants in general, but i doubt that'll satisfy the winners..
Too ambitious - you must be entering all the pro tournaments! If you really want to give something of use, try a racquet bag or a nice T-shirt. Get large size for guys and medium for girls. If it were me, I'd get something really modest (cos number of entries is largely unknown). Some small trophies with the engraving "1st RsM Badminton Club tournament" for winners, and a medal for the runnersup. Large trophies are just no use. They take up too much space - mine are dumped in a little used room at work.
So,
racquets= no
Shoes=no
racquet bag= possible (limited budget though!)
T shirt = possible
medals = possible
Couple of tubes of feather shuttles? = an option (dunno if you plan feather or nylon for the tournament)




I was considering medals, but how do players feel about medals in a tournament where there won't be a particularly grand ceremony at the end?...

I'm wondering mostly, I suppose, if people come to tournaments for the prizes, or if they come for the competition or if they come just for the fun of it... this will influence how I balance the prize budget between trying to get prizes for just the winners, or a bit of a prize (at least something small) for everyone.
I'm a bit surprised by this question. By the sounds of it, you should be mainly aiming for regular players in the local area (within an hours drive). Are you honestly expect Provincial/National players to come to a small club tournament? :eek:

When you yourself enter local tournaments, what do you expect from the tournament? For competition, or the fun, or both?

My view is only winners and runners up get a token of appreciation. They get their modest prizes presented from the tournament organisor. Of course, the situation may be different in your locality. Do tournaments usually give prizes out to losers as a norm? If so, the entry fees must be really high to cover the costs!

[roby2003]

Good luck..it's a tough job but someone gotta do it !!

Round robin to 21 pts highly recommended. Elimination is no good as some may not bother to sign up. Mention the minimum # of games guaranteed.
SF & Finals could be 2 out of 3.

Prizes given out depends on your budget. If budget permits, random door prize is an idea.

Prizes suggestion:
Gift cert to badminton store(s)
Grips
Bags
Feather/nylon shuttles
T-shirts
Other type of Gift certs.

To get games moving smoothly:
Have a waiting list of games that are to go on Court 1, Court 2 etc.

All the best to you.

[Devilicious]

I really appreciate round robin based games where people in the same category are divided into two pools. In the pools, participants play 1 game of 15 pts. A game of 21 would be ok too, but it might become tiring depending on the size of the pool (and is longer! if you played in the Guy-Favreau YMCA bad. tournament, you'd know what i mean). That way, although the games end quickly, it is a good way of energy saving. And participants have nothing to complain about since they play many games. When the teams have played all the others in their respective group. The top two pairs "get out" of the pool -here comes the semis. If you're doing round robin, you won't need hundreds of participants to make the tournament fun, since people will all be playing many games. I'd say 20 per category is more than enough.

Personally, as a player, I think the draw sheets are very important. I like to be informed about who my opponents are and, more importantly, when I'll be playing (approximatively). The sheets should be posted in a clear area where players can check them out without creating traffic jam. I just hate those times where a huge crowd gathers around the control table to see the draws, leaving players who come to give the scores a little disoriented. And, needless to say, the draw sheets should be updated on a regular basis. Also, as some players may participate in two categories, you need to make a schedule so their games don't conflict with each other. Maybe finish the XD first, then start MD after or vice versa. It'll also allow players who play in one category to estimate when to arrive.

As for prizes, I believe anyone who gets into the finals deserve one. I agree with Cheung in the choice of rewards. Winners don't usually expect to win a racket, since, as it has been discussed numerous times already, each person has his own suitable racket. As for shoes, it'd be such a pain to match the sizes and the value might be just too high to give out pairs to every winner. To keep it simple, avoid giving out stuff that has specific sizes for each person. In the championship hosted by BK and Lucien Laverdure, as a finalist, I was a just too speechless when I received a pack of grips and well, a pair of... BK socks. :eek: The socks were somewhat like 4 sizes bigger and were therefore of no use. LOL. I still can't help laughing at the choice of prize. Anyway, comparing to rackets and shoes, bags can be a really good choice. I mean, they aren't as expensive compared to the first two but are very practical items. Gift certificates are also pretty good. The two most popular (are they the only specialist stores around?) badminton stores I know of would be Tenniszon and Lucien Laverdure. I know many would be happy if they get money to spend at these stores. And, if not, last but not least, you own an online store! Why not reward people with gift certificates to your store? That way, you can both promote/advertise for your own shop and get to sell stock! :D If you have additional funds left, you can always get additional prizes such as grips, shuttles, wristbands and maybe even a racket (then again, there are preferences...) for draw. It's always fun to have a souvenir from tournaments we participate in.

Regarding medals, I don't know if it's necessary, since this won't really be a big tournament. What I mean is, you might want to spend that money elsewhere. Why not make some RsM keychains for each participant (just a suggestion, cuz I have no clue about the costs)?

One last note: you're thinking of charging 15 CAD/category and 20 for both. Wouldn't this be a little "unfair" for girls since they can only play in one category? As there'll probably be less girls, perhaps you can make a third category in the tournament: WS (11 pts round robin)?

[Cheung]

Devilicious has some valid points.

Regarding the scoring system, I think 21 points is mandatory if the group has 3/4 pairs. If you have 5 pairs, things get a little tricky and you may have to reduce to 15 points to get through the exponential number of games required (plus the getting tired factor may start to arise)

Once you have 6 pairs in a group...seriously consider splitting it into 2 groups.



Personally, as a player, I think the draw sheets are very important. I like to be informed about who my opponents are and, more importantly, when I'll be playing (approximatively). The sheets should be posted in a clear area where players can check them out without creating traffic jam. I just hate those times where a huge crowd gathers around the control table to see the draws, leaving players who come to give the scores a little disoriented. And, needless to say, the draw sheets should be updated on a regular basis. Also, as some players may participate in two categories, you need to make a schedule so their games don't conflict with each other. Maybe finish the XD first, then start MD after or vice versa. It'll also allow players who play in one category to estimate when to arrive. Agree, agree but it depends on the numbers of competitors. Something to always bear in mind.

[winstonchan]

Just a big GOOD LUCK & ALL THE BEST with organising the tournament. I have helped organised tournment once before and realised how hard it is and how strict you have be in keeping to your plans and schedules. Don't be influenced by players suggestions or complaints easily, cos none of them will understand the full picture. Other BC members here have covered more than what I can offer. They all gave very good and solid points and I wish your tournament a successful one.

winston :)

[sjoe]

You're running a tournament for fund raising or to promote your club ?. If its is for fund raising, in my many years experiences of running local to international level that tournaments has never made money. Do you sum carefully and soon you will find out. The implication is if you charge to much your number will be down.
This is my suggestion, run a friendly competition where no trophies will be given (can be round robin) and us players to donate foods for after match.
Many ways can make it attractive, fund and competitive by winner stay on court until beaten or pull out (for rest) or winner stay and challenger keep finding new partner.

[bkiat]

Jinryu

If you go for 21 point elimination, one option is to have a plate event. Losers of all first rounds go into another draw for the plate. The rest go on for the champ and runner up. That way, everyone would get at least 2 games? So that means you'd have 3 prizes: Champ, Runner-Up, and Plate.

If the purpose of this tourney is to promote your club, some gifts ideas would be

- vouchers for your badminton club nights
- vouchers for racquet stringing
- vouchers for discount off buying any product off your website (no harm in some shameless marketing :D)
- vouchers for any shop around your area that's willing to provide discount! (tuckshop, some sports shop, restaurants, whomever might appreciate the publicity I guess)

good luck :)

[Break-My-String]

Hi Jinryu,


It is always good to hear a new club is trying to promote oneself to attract new members into its courts!


Although I have only organized a few tournaments / events in the past years, here are some of the factors that may help you in organizing your tournament.


(1) Determine the format (F) of the tourney
ie/ single knockout, double knockout, drop-flight ABCD, round-robin


(2) Determine the number games (G) per match
ie/ one game to 21 points, best out of 3 to 15 points


(3) Based on G, determine the how much time (T) is required per match on average
ie/ for 30 minutes T=0.5, for one hour T=1


(4) Calculate the number of matches (M) based on the number of teams (t) [ex/ 16,32,64]
ie/ single knockout M=t-1, double knockout M=2t-1, etc.


(5) Based on the number of courts (C), determine how many gym hours (H) is required
ie/ H=MT/C, this will give you the “minimum” time required


(6) Based on GTM, determine how many feather or plastic shuttles (S) will be consumed


(7) Determine the approximate cost of food (F), door prizes (P), and awards (A)


(8) Presuming break-even, calculate the entry fee (E) per team
ie/ E=(H+S+F+P+A)/t




You will now need to determine if the entry fee is at a reasonable cost that players will be interested in playing your tournament. Often, the entry fee is high unless you find ways to reduce the over-all cost, example


- restrict the number of shuttles allowed per match

- increase the number of teams, decrease the number of guaranteed matches

- find local businesses near the facility who can donate door-prizes in exchange for advertising, such as a coffee or pizza shop who may benefit from players patronizing their shop in between matches on the day of the tournament, or have the facility that you are renting the gym from offer some simple door prizes

- use shuttles as awards for the winners & runner-ups, or the remaining new shuttles as door prizes

- have the players bring some snacks & fruits as a “pot-luck” way of sharing food & drinks

- you can design & print tourny t-shirts as long as players pre-order


And Now For Some Reality Check!

Unless you already have a strong commitment from existing members willing to join your tournament, set a limit on the number of teams rather than accepting every entry.

Having too many events (ex/ MS, MD, WD, MXD) with small number of teams will be difficult. It may be better just to have one doubles event, regardless gender.

Take every opportunity to not have a court empty unless it's near the finals. Players usually don't like waiting, plus if you finish early, eliminated players can have some free play time.

Definitely, get a few volunteers to help setup the tables, food and stuff while you look after the entry fees & draws, plus have 1 or 2 players (or 1 non-player) as your co-organizer and who knows the procedure of the tournament when you're on the courts.


Cheers! (for now...)

[Jinryu]

Hi all,

I'm really moved by everyone's well wishes and suggestions! Thank you all in advance for all your help-- if a month or so down the road you hear me posting that the tournament went well, then you can credit yourselves for some of the work. From what I'm reading, it seems that I may have been biting off more than I can chew in terms of going crazy with the prizes-- as pointed out, it is a local tournament and not a provincial finals, so starting out small and manageably might be wiser. I guess my enthusiasm to get this thing started really has me reaching, but this is why I ask you guys so that I can get a slap of reality.:D

As to some of the ideas:


gift certificates to my own store. Hell, why didn't I think of that?!
What does the 'Flight ABCD' thing mean? I'm not familiar with the terminology.
I realize that female participants will likely be the minority-- I was wondering, do you think it wise to charge less for women to maybe encourage their joining? Or do you think that this is patronizing? So, I was thinking, perhaps the price would be 15$ for men to join one event, 20$ to join both, and for women, it'd be 10$ for one event, 20$ for both? I'm basing this on the fact that I don't even know if we'll have a womens doubles event yet, it depends on how many people. ( i realize that the men's two-event thing is not proportional, but i don't think someone would pay 25$...)
I was also thinking that in order to get a good idea of how many people are actually going to be there, the prices I've already stated are if you register with us at least a week before the tournament... anything else is going to be 5$ more, and there's a chance that we won't even have anymore space. I figure, that's a pretty hefty price (20$ for man to participate in a single event, 15$ for a woman to participate in a single event) but the whole point is that I want people to register in advance, and not leave everything to the last minute which would be problematic for the planning. At the same time, I'd like to leave the possibility (though not guarentee) of just showing up at the last minute and finding a spot.
Sorry to dwell on the prizes thing so much, but the whole thing about a pack of grips and socks is just too hilarious. Can you guys tell me about what prizes you got at some other tournaments, and how much you paid for entry, and how many games you got to play? I just want to make sure that what i'm charging is in a reasonable ballpark.
edit: I think I'll stick to the doubles categories for now-- singles just might take too much time and takes too much court space, i'm not confident enough of my planning abilities yet to mix that into the complexity as it is!

[LazyBuddy]

gift certificates to my own store. Hell, why didn't I think of that?!
I realize that female participants will likely be the minority-- I was wondering, do you think it wise to charge less for women to maybe encourage their joining? Or do you think that this is patronizing? So, I was thinking, perhaps the price would be 15$ for men to join one event, 20$ to join both, and for women, it'd be 10$ for one event, 20$ for both? I'm basing this on the fact that I don't even know if we'll have a womens doubles event yet, it depends on how many people. ( i realize that the men's two-event thing is not proportional, but i don't think someone would pay 25$...)
I was also thinking that in order to get a good idea of how many people are actually going to be there, the prices I've already stated are if you register with us at least a week before the tournament... anything else is going to be 5$ more, and there's a chance that we won't even have anymore space. I figure, that's a pretty hefty price (20$ for man to participate in a single event, 15$ for a woman to participate in a single event) but the whole point is that I want people to register in advance, and not leave everything to the last minute which would be problematic for the planning. At the same time, I'd like to leave the possibility (though not guarentee) of just showing up at the last minute and finding a spot.
Sorry to dwell on the prizes thing so much, but the whole thing about a pack of grips and socks is just too hilarious. Can you guys tell me about what prizes you got at some other tournaments, and how much you paid for entry, and how many games you got to play? I just want to make sure that what i'm charging is in a reasonable ballpark.



1. Nothing wrong to promote ur own store. Therefore, store credit/certificate would be a nice award for us badminton fanatics. Who does NOT want to get a $20 off for the next purchase / service? ;)
1.1 Don't worry about the prize might be small in market value. PPl come here to compete and to have fun (i.e. social). No one really come here to "get rich" or hope to get 50% of ur store stock share. :D As long as the event is well organized, I am sure ppl will think they get their $20 worth for entire day of fun and excitement.

2. I don't think u really need to give out discount per gender, that will only give extra work for ur work. If a female player willing to participate, I doubt $5 will change her mind. Also, even if the female draw could be smaller, that means HIGHER chance for them to get a prize, right? :p

3. Be prepared, as it's summer time, it's hard for ppl to plan event say 3-4 weeks in advance. Don't be surprised that 70% of the participants want to do the registration in the last 1-2 weeks. Therefore, say charge an extra $2 per event for late registration (after dead line, or at the door) could be good. However, just leave a small portion of draws to be filled (i.e no more than 15%) for the last minute participants.

4. Round Robin might be the best bet, as it gives multiple games for participants, as well as u do NOT have worry about the final draw (i.e. fairly large amount of late participants or even at the door)

[Devilicious]

What does the 'Flight ABCD' thing mean? I'm not familiar with the terminology.
I realize that female participants will likely be the minority-- I was wondering, do you think it wise to charge less for women to maybe encourage their joining? Or do you think that this is patronizing? So, I was thinking, perhaps the price would be 15$ for men to join one event, 20$ to join both, and for women, it'd be 10$ for one event, 20$ for both? I'm basing this on the fact that I don't even know if we'll have a womens doubles event yet, it depends on how many people. ( i realize that the men's two-event thing is not proportional, but i don't think someone would pay 25$...)
I was also thinking that in order to get a good idea of how many people are actually going to be there, the prices I've already stated are if you register with us at least a week before the tournament... anything else is going to be 5$ more, and there's a chance that we won't even have anymore space. I figure, that's a pretty hefty price (20$ for man to participate in a single event, 15$ for a woman to participate in a single event) but the whole point is that I want people to register in advance, and not leave everything to the last minute which would be problematic for the planning. At the same time, I'd like to leave the possibility (though not guarentee) of just showing up at the last minute and finding a spot.
Sorry to dwell on the prizes thing so much, but the whole thing about a pack of grips and socks is just too hilarious. Can you guys tell me about what prizes you got at some other tournaments, and how much you paid for entry, and how many games you got to play? I just want to make sure that what i'm charging is in a reasonable ballpark.


ABC's are ways to determine the player's level like in the provincial tournaments. But as yours won't be that official, I guess it can pass by. However, if you're thinking about dividing ppl with their level of play, then you can ask them to register for Advanced, intermediate or beginner level. Then again, it is very difficult to determine one's level as each person has his own standards. Maybe, just maybe (since I've never seen such alternative before), you can define ppl's level with their experience as a bad. player? What I mean is, set like 2 categories (AB) where A=5+ yrs of play and B=under 5 years of play. It might not be that accurate, since some play more often than others, but at least it avoids having really really strong players against ones who won't stand a chance.

No I don't think it's a good idea to have girls pay less. And you might not even want to put a higher price on last minute registrations at the door as some might start bargaining with you and you'll explode before you know it.

Prizes I've seen/got in tournaments: medals, trophies (only for championship) and door prizes for draw (t-shirts, rackets, grips, shuttles, gift certificates, towels, watches, bags, socks... etc. Yes, socks again) I think gift cert., grips, shuttles and towels are more suitable for everyone. T-shirts are ok at the limit, but the sizes usually are undesirable. Btw, in case you're still laughing at the socks I got, I just want to precise that a trophy and a gift certificate with a decent sum accompanied them. :p

Also, from previous experience, always ask the winner of the match to bring back the two shuttles they used when giving the score. That way, you won't lose them as many have a tendency to keep the birds for themselves.

As for food, I suggest you bring a thermal box to keep cold water and soft drinks. You can make lots of money by selling them during the tournament, especially water since it costs very little when purchased in big quantity. I've seen different kinds of food being sold at tournaments: muffins, sandwiches, cookies (like mini Ritz, mini Oreos, etc) and even chips. I've always been wondering what good junk foods do at sporting events, but then again, bad stuff are usually what people prefer. :(

You're definitely going to bring your mobile shop there right? I guess the essentials like grips and strings should at least be there. You might make some money with your stringing services even! :D

[raptorman]

I see a couple of people worrying about getting tired :confused: On tournaments in Belgium (for recreants) you play between 6 and 10 games to 2 winning sets and most people can handle that.

[bkiat]

too right. Making it cheaper for one gender might potentially bring up issues that could be avoided otherwise :cool: One thing you could do is to make it cheaper for your club members to join.

Have you allowed for the option of players without a partner to join? A partner around their skill level would be selected for them, and this would be subject to having someone needing a partner too of course.

Last tourney I entered, this was the format:
- entry dates closed 1 week prior.
- A sheet of paper was stuck outside with the draws for the day shown. So everyone knew their first games, who they were playing, and the games after that too. Players were responsible for updating the sheet with the results
- every match got 3 shuttles, 1 reasonable one for warm-up, and 2 good ones. They then bring it back after the match, so you can reuse them for warming up
- there were at least 2 people dedicated to the draws and announcement of matches. Because the order of matches had been decided prior, as soon as a court became available, the next game was called. If the player is not available, you move on to the next match
- there was an entry pack: bottle of water, vouchers for food at the cafe, muffin bars..
- there was a cafe selling sandwiches, food, coffee
- there was a mobile shop there too with some baddy products. You could always advertise a special only for that day of say 20% off any product bought on that day
- everyone got a copy of the draw for the day
- prizes were medals, and at the end of the day, there were lucky prize draws for grips, bags, and last of all, a baddy racquet.
- we paid per event we went in
- remember to include newsletters with info on your online store & your baddy club too

As a personal opinion, having entries at the door is going to be a real nightmare. It leaves a lot of planning to the last minute as you have no idea how many entries you might get. Unless you limit the entries, but what if that quota does not get fulfilled. If something can go wrong, it probably will. Remember Murphy's Law

I would suggest closing out the entries two days before so you have time to organise the draws. If this was someone's first experience with your club, last impression I'd want to leave is for it to be unkempt and disorganised? You want them to come back again to the next tourney you organise right :D

[wirre]

As a personal opinion, having entries at the door is going to be a real nightmare. It leaves a lot of planning to the last minute as you have no idea how many entries you might get. Unless you limit the entries, but what if that quota does not get fulfilled. If something can go wrong, it probably will. Remember Murphy's Law


Totally agree, IMO at least set the closing out date to be a week before.
Put up the draw at an appropiate place at least three days in advance and if possible I'd suggest to put it on a website too (do you have space on your online shop webpage to make place temporary? more shameless advertising:D ) People really want to know when they are to play the first game, and in my experience most find it nice to know the complete pool drawing in advance.

Round-robin in pools of 4 is the way I prefer it, everyone is guaranteed a minimum of matches. IMO there is nothing more discouraging than being knocked out after one match, personally I avoid such tournaments.

Holy crap, are you going to charge $15 CAN and include shuttles in that fee?
In Sweden the regular entry fee for this kind of tournament is 150SEK , about $20 USD, and the players are expected to bring the shuttles (national tournament approved grade = equal/better than AS-30) themselves. Personally I find that system to work quite well, the organizers don't have to hustle with any shuttles (= no economic cost), but it's nice if you offer shuttles on sale.

For prizes I agree, bags are good enough for the winners, vouchers for clothes (t-shirt/shorts) should work for the runner-ups, add 2-3 small prizes (grips, towels, shuttles etc) for draw in each category. No need to get any medals/trophies.

I also support the idea of offering discount in your shop for the participants, good marketing:D I guess stringing will be a popular service many might need during/after the tournament:rolleyes:

Good luck!

/ mats

[Devilicious]

Holy crap, are you going to charge $15 CAN and include shuttles in that fee?
In Sweden the regular entry fee for this kind of tournament is 150SEK , about $20 USD, and the players are expected to bring the shuttles (national tournament approved grade = equal/better than AS-30) themselves. Personally I find that system to work quite well, the organizers don't have to hustle with any shuttles (= no economic cost), but it's nice if you offer shuttles on sale.


It's a habit for the canadian tournament hosts to supply shuttles. :) And 15$/event is even slightly higher than average price for a recreational tournament, given that "formal" regional tournaments I attend cost 9$ for two events :D if the player is already a member. Then again, these "formal" ones are very well sponsored by specialty shops.

[Break-My-String]

... what does the 'Flight ABCD' thing mean? ...

Drop Flight ABCD means, initially everybody starts as Flight-A

After Round 1
-winners stays as Flight-A
-losers goes to Flight-C

Round 2
-Flight-A winners stays as Flight-A
-Flight-A losers goes to Flight-B
-Flight-C winners stays as Flight-C
-Flight-C losers goes to Flight-D

Round 3 & any following Rounds
-(all respective Flights) winners continues on their flight level, losers are eliminated

This style of Drop-Flight guarantees players a minimum of 3 matches, minimum 6 games.



If you don't know the calibre of the players, you can do a modified round robin with knockout, this will also eliminated you to do the draw & seeding.

Round 1
Players are randomly placed in groups of 4
Within each group, players play round robin of one game to 15 (no setting). Players sum their individual scores of the 3 games, highest goes to Group-A, next is Group-B, etc.

Round 2
All Group-A players randomly draw for their partners and play a standard single knockout, games to 15 best out of 3 games, same for Group-B,C,D

or another Round 2
All Group-A players are randomly placed in groups of 4. Play round-robin to one game to 21, players sum their individual scores, top 2 (or the 1) from the set of 4 continues to Round 3, losers go home

Round 3
Randomly draws for partner, play to 15 points best out of 3 games



Cheers!

[Jinryu]

Hmm... so many things to consider!

Okay, how does this sound as a battle plan?:

I am projecting to get at least 50 people (25 pairs), though I am aiming to get 100 people (50 pairs). Games will begin at 2pm and are projected to end at 10pm. We reserve the right to refuse entry if space capacity is exceeded!

We will have four courts, one will be for mixed doubles, one for mens doubles, one for womens doubles. The fourth court will be variable, and will be used to try and get all three events to finish at the same time so that we can showcase all the final matches.


Entry is 15$ for one event, 20$ for two events. You can pay when you arrive at the tournament.
If you come to our club, pay and play for a one night drop in and pre-pay for the tournament, or if you're a member of the RsM club and pre-pay, it's 10$ for a single event entry, though for two events, it's still 20$.
All signups must be received via telephone, mail, email, or in person at least 2 days prior to the tournament. You CANNOT SIGN UP on the tournament grounds on the day of the tournament.

Matches are played round robin. Players are guarenteed at least 3 games.

Situation A-- If there are up to 5 teams in a category, players will play each other team in the category for one game to 21 points.
Situation B-- If there are 6-7 teams in a category, players will play each other team for one game for 15 points.
Situation C-- If there are 8 or more teams in a category, the teams will be divided into separate pools and be treated as situation A or B.
Each game has a maximum warmup of 2 minutes, and a maximum total court time of 20 minutes (including warmups, idle time and actual play). A secondary gym (no nets) will be available for people who wish to warmup in advance.

The final matches will be kept until the very end, and only one category's final will be played at a time (to let spectators watch). The finalists have the choice of playing either one game of 21 points or one game of 15 points. In the event of indecision, the 21/15 will be decided by cointoss.

The Most Important Rule: Tournament Organizer (me) and staff (official staff appointed by me, and not just because you're my friend or a member of my club) have FINAL SAY in ALL DISPUTES. We reserve ther right to have someone disqualified from the tournament due to inappropriate behaviour.

Birds are provided for official matches only! (So if you're in the second gym warming up on your own time, you cannot take birds) 2 birds per game. 1 warmup bird. All must be returned at the end of the match. The official birds of this tournament will be Mavis 300 Yellow or Mavis 350 Yellow, at our discretion. (You do not get to choose.) If you wish to bring your own birds, you may, provided that your opponent agrees to using them over the provided birds.

There are no referees, line judges, umpires, etc. The standard ruleset will be posted on the website, though points are kept by the players, and in the event of a dispute or interference from another court, the point is replayed.

Prizes:
There will be trophies and prizes (T.B.A.) awarded for the top team of each category, as well as for the runners up. There will also be door prizes-- make sure you check in with us when you arrive so that your name will be entered into the raffles. There are several prizes ranging from small (a replacement grip, a wristband, a tube of birds, etc) to large (a racket, a bag, gift certificate, etc.). The top players of each category get two chances to draw a prize-- they draw both prizes and chose which out of the two they want to keep (they only get to take one though!).

On site:
Spectators are welcome and can come in free, but must NEVER come within two meters of the boundaries of a court, and must observe unobtrusively, or be asked to leave. If you bring small children, for everyone's safety they must be attended to at ALL TIMES.

Food and drink will be available for sale.

Lockers and showers are available for players only. (Bring your own locks).

There will be NO ON SITE STRINGING (too much trouble for a small tournament).




..............um. so yeah. Did i leave something out?

[Cheung]

We will have four courts, one will be for mixed doubles, one for mens doubles, one for womens doubles. The fourth court will be variable, and will be used to try and get all three events to finish at the same time so that we can showcase all the final matches.

So you plan to have a lot of people hanging around? What I usually see is one event starting earlier. e.g. men's doubles. Then the ladies doubles, and mixed.

Usually men's doubles has the largest number of entries and it would be prudent to get these out of the way plus turnover of matches (and players waiting around would be less)
If you make the ladies(or guys) arrive later, they could do other more useful things rather than hanging around in the hall.



You can pay when you arrive at the tournament. That's being extremely generous. You will find people entering and not turning up (and there will be quite a few!). That's unfair to those who got their entry in later but were refused.



All signups must be received via telephone, mail, email, or in person at least 2 days prior to the tournament. 2 days is too short. You really like to put pressure on yourself. Make it at least 1 week. That way you can give some details out to people like...their entry has been successful! If they haven't been successful, they can go and make other plans for the w/end;)



You CANNOT SIGN UP on the tournament grounds on the day of the tournament.

I'm 50:50 on this one. If a registered pair doesn't turn up, would you like to fill that group up to maintain the number of games in the round robin? (plus maintain the income you are trying to generate?

One way is to allow pairs to register on the day on a first come:first served basis. i.e.
"1. All men's pairs must register by 1.45pm. If by 2pm no registration, then the entry will be forfeit."

"2. Players may be allowed to register on the day of the tournament on a first come- first served basis in the event of a registered entry forfeiting entry. Entry fees will be the same. Please note this is NOT a guarentee of entry."


The final matches will be kept until the very end, and only one category's final will be played at a time (to let spectators watch).

No need to state this point, but be prepared to run two matches at one time if it's nerly 10pm!



The Most Important Rule: Tournament Organizer (me) and staff (official staff appointed by me, and not just because you're my friend or a member of my club) have FINAL SAY in ALL DISPUTES. We reserve ther right to have someone disqualified from the tournament due to inappropriate behaviour. Absolutely;)



Birds are provided for official matches only! (So if you're in the second gym warming up on your own time, you cannot take birds) 2 birds per game. 1 warmup bird. All must be returned at the end of the match. The official birds of this tournament will be Mavis 300 Yellow or Mavis 350 Yellow, at our discretion. (You do not get to choose.) If you wish to bring your own birds, you may, provided that your opponent agrees to using them over the provided birds. Just keep to one bird. If you want the higher end shuttles in s/finals and finals, state which one will be used. My preference is to keep to one shuttle only. It's a bit crazy to keep changing types of shuttles for a small tournament that finishes on the same day.





Spectators are welcome and can come in free, but must NEVER come within two meters of the boundaries of a court, and must observe unobtrusively, or be asked to leave. If you bring small children, for everyone's safety they must be attended to at ALL TIMES. And tournament organisors accept no responsibility for their safekeeping.


There will be NO ON SITE STRINGING (too much trouble for a small tournament). Is on site stringing service normal for a small tournament in Canada? If so, you guys are realy spoilt!:p





..............um. so yeah. Did i leave something out?
Definately!
Those who forfeit entries on the day might ask for their money back giving you considerable administrative headache. I'd say, after closing date finishes, entry fee is non-refundable for those accepted into the draw.

If you let people telephone, e-mail entry, they must get an official form in WITH THE MONEY!!!!:D:D That's their responsibility. Envelopes with the postmark on the closing date will be accepted. After that it is to the discretion of the tournament referee.

Refuse all entries who don't PAY on time! Cannot stress this highly enough.

Only accept cash in person...not through the post!! (cos some will say you took their money unfairly! - i.e. they sent the money but you said you never receive the entry) :rolleyes:





Now, did I miss anything out? :p

[Jinryu]

Now, did I miss anything out? :p

Seems pretty complete--

I think I'll take your advice about paying in advance, at least by like 5 days, and that entry fees are non-refundable. I should also put in some clause that if you are kicked out of the tournament due to misbehaviour, you don't get any refund either-- I can see myself kicking out spectators with their noisy uncontrolled kids, thats for sure...

[raptorman]

We will have four courts, one will be for mixed doubles, one for mens doubles, one for womens doubles. The fourth court will be variable, and will be used to try and get all three events to finish at the same time so that we can showcase all the final matches.

I think 4 courts is not enough for 50 pairs, you'll need at least 8, otherwise waiting times will be too long. (on our tournament we had 12 courts for 77 pairs, and that was just enough)

[Jinryu]

I think 4 courts is not enough for 50 pairs, you'll need at least 8, otherwise waiting times will be too long. (on our tournament we had 12 courts for 77 pairs, and that was just enough)

I've advised the gym staff, and I can rent more courts 'at the last minute' if need be. But i need to see how many people sign up first before I can say for sure. Minimum is 4 courts at the very least, but I'm not worried.

[Devilicious]

1. Mmm... How are you going to collect the money?! You're not running around Mtl all day long to get paid I hope.

2. Is the tournament open to every body, regardless RsM/BF member or not? If so, how are you going to advertise?

3. How are you going make sure people only take one single shuttle? Let's say when called, the 1st pair comes up to collect one, then, later, the 2nd pair comes to get one also?

4. Please bear in mind that many are on trip/work during summer. It'll therefore be difficult to find the "perfect" tournament date.

Little details yes, but they can still be a pain. Anyway, if you need help or volunteers, I'm ready to give you a hand!

And btw, you have a few typos on the website: "Amateru" (amateur) and on your Weekender page, one place says the schedule is "Sat. 6pm-10pm" while on the left colum, it's written "Sat 2-10pm" :confused:

[Jinryu]

Thanks for the suggestions and the typo notes everyone, I'm actually going to really pull this togther, and the officiall annoucement of the tourney should be up and ready within a day or two... stay tuned and thanks for all your support!

[raptorman]

Thanks for the suggestions and the typo notes everyone, I'm actually going to really pull this togther, and the officiall annoucement of the tourney should be up and ready within a day or two... stay tuned and thanks for all your support!

Good luck, your motivation is admirable :)

[Cheung]

Thanks for the suggestions and the typo notes everyone, I'm actually going to really pull this togther, and the officiall annoucement of the tourney should be up and ready within a day or two... stay tuned and thanks for all your support!
A pretty good guide is to think "what things would I like in a tournament as a competitor?"

[Jinryu]

Hey all,

It's been a while since this thread was up. Just as an update on old news. It's been almost 2 years since the original tournament...

I recently joined this website called www.Facebook.com (http://www.Facebook.com) which is a sort of 'social networking' website. On this site i've started up a group for the RsM players. And i've just now uploaded the old photos from the original RsM Amatuer Open Tournament. So if you participated back then, check out the facebook link and check out the pictures!

If you're a facebook members join the group too, and maybe you can help to identify some of the faces in the pictures since I don't know all the names!

The link to the facebook group is:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2225746717

As I know it, there are actually a handful of BCers hidden in the photos, it's like playing where's waldo.

Looking back at this thread, I totally forgot how many people offered me advice on how to start this tournament, and I'm doubly grateful now that the club has been running for almost two years. I couldn't have pulled off the club (nevermind just the tournament) or the co-op store if it weren't for the help of BC members!

Please join the facebook group and send in your pictures!

[LazyBuddy]

Seems I need to register to get in. Can you send an invitational link something, which allow the pic to be shown in the public, w/o registration. :rolleyes:

Great job for the club and tourny! ;)

[venkatesh]

I'm about to organize a small corporate dual meet this coming 3rd week of April.

It's going to be Manila vs. Laguna.

I've gotten a few pointers in this thread. I'm asking if you have more ideas on how to organize such an event. What are the things that I have to remember?

I've only gotten this far.

1. Prepare the schedule (please see attachment).

2. Lay out a rough draft of the general rule (see below).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BADMINTON DUAL MEET (Laguna vs Manila)
PLAYERS
There will be 2 teams --- Team Manila and Team Laguna.
Each team will have representatives for the following:
a.Three disciplines --- men’s doubles (MD), women’s doubles (WD), mixed doubles (XD);
b.Three levels --- A, B, C;
c.Two brackets for each level--- 1, 2 (e.g., A1 and A2, B1 and B2, and C1 and C2).

3. Double entry for two different disciplines is allowed provided that the player is only one step higher or lower from his/her MD/WD’s level (e.g., WDB1 can play in XDA1 or XDC1, but WDA1 cannot play in XDC1).

Rules and regulations
1.Standard badminton rules apply (see attached badminton_law.pdf).

2.Each game is played to 21 points.

3.The pair with two games won wins the match (best of three).

4.Setting is allowed; that is, if the score reaches 20-all, then the game continues until one side gains a 2-point lead (such as 24-22), up to a maximum of 30 points (30-29 is a winning score).

5.A pair will compete against the opposing team’s two brackets of the same level.

6.For each match won, 3 points will be added to the team’s total score.

7.For each match lost, 1 point will be added to the team’s total score.

8.For players who lose by default, no point will be added to the team’s total score.

9.Players who are not on court within 5 minutes after they are called shall be considered default.

10.Players who withdraw during the game shall have no points added to the teams’ total score.

11.The team with the highest total score shall be considered the Team Champion.

In case of a tie, declaration of Team Champion will be based on the following in order:
1.number of wins minus number of loses;

2.number of games won minus games lost (two consecutive games won = 3 points, winner with three sets = 2 points, loser with three sets = 1 point, loser with two sets = 0 point);

3.point system, that is, the total number of winning points of all the pairs (winner automatically gets 42 points; loser gets the sum of the two games lost).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I haven't tackled the following:
umpire and line judges,
awards,
brand and number of shuttlecocks,
budget and registration fee,
food and drinks,
T-shirts,
courts,
score sheets and list of overall match control.
Is there anything else that I'm forgetting?
To those who are experienced in this, please help. Thanks :)

[alexh]

...
3.point system, that is, the total number of winning points of all the pairs (winner automatically gets 42 points; loser gets the sum of the two games lost)

You mean that if a close match finishes 26-24, 25-23 then the winner gets 42 and the loser gets 47???

[venkatesh]

You mean that if a close match finishes 26-24, 25-23 then the winner gets 42 and the loser gets 47???

Wow, thank you for correcting that. I may have to restructure the sentence. But you get my point right?

I'd appreciate it if you find any more loopholes. :)

[14players]

...this is interesting....i also want to know .......how/where to get the score chart

[venkatesh]

...this is interesting....i also want to know .......how/where to get the score chart

What score chart? This one?

81909