How Tournaments Work
Understanding the structure of a tournament in Torneos MVP makes setup much easier. This page explains the key concepts before you start creating.
Key terminology
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Tournament | The main container. Has a name, date range, and holds one or more categories. |
| Category (Valid) | A specific competition division inside a tournament — for example, "U14 Boys Singles" or "Open Women Doubles". Each category has its own registrations, bracket, and results. |
| Phase | A competition stage within a category — for example, a Group Stage followed by a Knockout Stage. |
| Match | An individual game between two players, pairs, or teams. |
| Draw / Bracket | The structure that determines which players face each other and in what order. |
| Court / Field | A physical venue where a match is played (court, table, or field depending on the sport). |
Typical tournament workflow
Create tournament
↓
Define categories (Valids)
↓
Open registrations
↓
Close registrations & set seeding
↓
Generate draw / bracket
↓
Schedule matches (calendar)
↓
Assign courts and referees
↓
Run live matches
↓
Results published automatically
↓
Rankings update automatically
Tournament formats
Each category (Valid) can use one of the following competition formats:
| Format | How it works |
|---|---|
| Group Stage + Knockout | Players first compete in round-robin groups. Top players from each group advance to a knockout bracket. |
| Pure Knockout | Direct single-elimination bracket from the first round. |
| Round Robin | Every player plays against every other player. Final standings are determined by win/loss record. |
| Hybrid | A custom combination of the above formats configured phase by phase. |
Tournament visibility
| Setting | Who can see it |
|---|---|
| Public | Anyone browsing the platform. Players can self-register if inscriptions are open. |
| Private | Only members with direct access. Self-registration is not available. |
Tournament status
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Not Started | Tournament is created but matches have not begun |
| In Progress | Matches are being played |
| Paused | Temporarily halted |
| Finished | All matches are complete |
| Canceled | Tournament was canceled |