Tournament Bracket Planning Checklist
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A phase by phase checklist of every decision an organizer must settle, write down, and publish before, during, and after a bracket tournament.

[ ] Before entries close: count usable hours, courts, and a realistic slot length (match plus changeover), and confirm the format's match count fits the day.
[ ] Before entries close: choose single elimination, double elimination, or pool play then bracket, and write down the minimum games every entry is guaranteed.
[ ] Before entries close: state the format, the guaranteed games, and the entry cap in the registration materials.
[ ] Before entries close: pick the seeding source (prior results, a ranking list, pool records, coach ratings, a random draw, or a partial seed) and name it in the rules.
[ ] Before entries close: decide byes or play-ins for a field that is not a power of two, and confirm byes will appear in round one only.
[ ] Rules document: write one page covering scoring authority, lateness grace period, the recorded forfeit score, tiebreaker order with a capped differential, the rest rule, withdrawal handling, and who makes final rulings.
[ ] Rules document: name the tournament director and every person authorized to enter a score.
[ ] One week out: build the schedule backward from the hard end time, with a buffer between rounds, and check that the first match does not need to start before doors open.
[ ] One week out: number every match and assign courts in playable order, respecting the minimum rest rule.
[ ] One week out: publish the bracket and the rules document together, then treat the bracket as final except for withdrawals handled by the written policy.
[ ] One week out: put the read-only public bracket link in the pre-event email so teams have it before they leave home.
[ ] One week out: print QR codes for the entrance, the scorer's desk, and the restrooms, plus a paper master bracket and blank scorecards.
[ ] Event morning: check in every entry, apply the withdrawal policy to no-shows, and update the bracket only as that policy allows.
[ ] Event morning: at the captains meeting, read the public link aloud and restate tiebreakers, forfeit rules, the rest rule, and who makes final rulings.
[ ] Event morning: test phone score entry and venue wifi, and confirm everyone at the desk knows the paper master is the fallback.
[ ] During the day: for every result, record the score, confirm it with both sides, advance the winner in the master, call the next match on that court, then update the public view.
[ ] During the day: allow corrections only before the next match on that bracket line begins, and only by the named scorekeeper or the director.
[ ] During the day: log every ruling with the time, the matter, the decision, and who was told.
[ ] During the day: keep the public view clean, with a visible last-updated indicator and no internal notes or contact numbers.
[ ] After the final: reconcile the master against the paper record, label forfeits and walkovers, and mark champion, runner-up, and placements before officials leave.
[ ] After the final: leave the public link live and archive the bracket where next year's organizer can find it for seeding.
[ ] After the final: write down what went wrong while it is fresh and fold it into the next version of the rules document and schedule.