How to run a round-robin league

In a round robin every team plays every other team once, or twice for home and away, and a league table decides the winner. Six teams play 15 games in a single round, and with two pitches that is eight time slots.

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Useful for turf regulars and office tournaments.

Try it here

Add a team. Watch the day get longer.

Your tournament
Teams6
Pitches2
The working, as you change it

Games

6 × 5 ÷ 2
15

Games per team

plays the other 5
5

Games at once

one per pitch
2

Time slots

15 games ÷ 2 at once
8
The day runs6 h 35 min8 slots of 45 minutes, with 5 minutes between games

Change the teams, the pitches and the format. Game lengths are the football formats.

6 steps

In short

  1. Create the leagueOn Create series, choose League, add up to ten teams and pick Single round or Home and away.
  2. Set a passwordAdd a password so only your scorers can start games, then create the series.
  3. Share one linkSend the league page to every team: fixtures before the day, live games during it, the table after.
  4. Start games at their pitchTap Start match on the fixture being played. A team already playing cannot be put in a second game.
  5. Let the table settle itEach result lands in the table as its game finishes, beside a players table of every named scorer.
  6. Book for slots, not gamesFifteen games on two pitches is eight time slots, and a pitch past half the teams saves no time.
The format

What a round robin is

Every team plays every other team the same number of times: once in a single round, twice when each pair plays home and away. Nobody is knocked out, so every team gets the same number of games, and a league table decides who finishes top.

It suits a group of teams with an afternoon, a weekend or a season, where everybody came to play and a bad first game should not send anybody home. The cost is time: the number of games grows much faster than the number of teams. Four teams play 6 games, six play 15, and eight play 28.

Tip

With an odd number of teams, at least one team sits out each time slot. Plan for it: that team can referee or keep score for the next game.

Ten minutes, once

Set one up

  1. Create the league

    Open Create series, choose League and add up to ten teams. Pick Single round or Home and away, the match format, and a password so only your scorers can start games. Tap Create series →.

  2. Share one link

    Every fixture and the league table are on the league page. Send that one link to every team: it shows the fixtures before the day, the live games during it and the table afterwards.

  3. Start each game at its pitch

    On a phone that holds the league's password, open the league page and tap Start match on the fixture being played. Games run side by side across pitches. A team already in an unfinished game cannot be put in a second one by mistake.

  4. Let the table settle it

    Each result lands in the table as its game finishes: points, then goal difference or net run rate, then goals or runs scored. A players table counts every named scorer across the league.

Pitches and time

Planning the day

Two numbers decide how long a round robin takes: how many games there are, and how many can be played at once. The second is the smaller of your pitch count and half your teams, because a team can only be on one pitch at a time. Past that point, another pitch does not make the day any shorter.

  • Book for the slots, not the games. Fifteen games on two pitches is eight time slots, and each slot needs the game plus a few minutes to change over.
  • Short games for big groups. If the day does not fit, a shorter format helps more than another pitch once half the teams are already playing.
  • Leave time for ties. Decide before the day what happens if two teams finish level. How league tables work explains the usual order.
Need to know

Questions people ask

About run a round-robin league.

How many games are in a round robin?

Teams × (teams - 1) ÷ 2 for a single round. Four teams play 6 games, six play 15 and eight play 28. Home and away doubles it.

What happens with an odd number of teams?

At least one team sits out each time slot, because somebody is always without an opponent. Every team still plays every other team the same number of times.

Can games run at the same time?

Yes, on as many pitches as you have. A team can only be in one game at a time, so at most half the teams can be playing at once.

How many teams can a league have?

Up to ten on Score My Match. Ten teams already play 45 games in a single round, which is more than most days can hold.

Who wins if teams finish level on points?

Goal difference, then goals scored, for football. Cricket uses net run rate, then runs scored. Your competition may have its own rules, so check them before the day.

What else it does for you

Keep exploring

Try it on your next match

Create a league

Add your teams and share one link for fixtures, results and standings.

Create a league