📝 1. Sign-up and first access
Standard sign-up
- Click on "Sign up" at the top right
- Enter first name, last name, email and password (min. 8 characters)
- Accept the Privacy Policy
- Click on "Create my account"
- Check your email and click the confirmation link
Sign up with Google
- Click on "Sign up with Google"
- Choose your Google account
- Authorize access (email and basic profile)
- You are automatically registered and logged in
🏆 2. Creating a new tournament
To create a tournament you need to be registered and logged in.
Step 1: Details
- Name and description — Choose a recognizable name and describe the tournament.
- Sport and venue — Select from the list or type the venue where it takes place.
- Visibility — Public (visible to everyone) or Private (code only).
- Lunch — If you turn on this option, you can manage meal times.
- Teams — Teams sign up already formed, or draw: you sign up on your own and the teams are drawn when registrations close (see further down).
- Registration closing date — After this date teams can no longer sign up.
- Poster — Optional, upload a JPG/PNG/WebP image, max 5MB.
Step 2: Format
- Single elimination, double elimination, round robin, groups + playoffs, Swiss — see how they work below.
- Americano — Shown only for doubles sports (padel, tennis, beach volleyball, table football…).
- Custom — Build the tournament yourself: groups, final stage, home and away, or a free schedule.
- Match type — Single leg (one match) or Home and away (two-legged tie).
Step 3: Teams and players
- Number of teams — Set the minimum and maximum number of participating teams.
- Players per team — Set how many players each team can have.
📊 3. How the tournament types work
🏆 Single elimination
Teams face each other in successive rounds. Whoever loses is eliminated. The bracket is generated automatically when the tournament switches to "in progress". Up to 128 teams: if they are not 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 or 128, some (drawn) go straight through the first round (bye). You can add the final for 3rd and 4th place between the losers of the semi-finals.
🔁 Double elimination
You are eliminated only after two defeats. Whoever loses in the winners' bracket moves to the losers' bracket; the winners of the two brackets meet in the grand final. If the grand final is won by the team coming from the losers' bracket, a decider is played (now both have one loss). Exactly 4, 8, 16, 32 or 64 teams are required.
♟️ Swiss system
A classic in chess, great with lots of players and little time. Everyone plays the same number of rounds (you choose how many); each round participants with similar scores face each other, without ever repeating a match-up. The first round is drawn at random, the following ones are created automatically when the previous round is complete. With an odd number of participants, each round someone sits out and gets the points for a win. On equal points what counts is the Buchholz (the sum of the points of the opponents faced).
🎾 Americano (doubles sports)
You sign up alone and each round you play in a pair with a different partner, until you have played with everyone (or for the number of rounds you choose). Each player adds up the points or games scored in all matches: whoever has the most wins. If the number of players is not a multiple of 4, someone sits out each round (in turn). Draws are allowed.
📋 Single group
All teams play each other. On equal points what counts, in order: head-to-head, point/goal difference and points/goals scored (in sports without draws: head-to-head, wins and point difference). At the end of the group, the team with the most points wins the tournament.
🔄 Groups + playoffs
Stage 1 (groups) — The teams are divided into groups.
Stage 2 (playoffs) — The top teams of each group qualify for the knockout playoffs.
For tournaments with this format, you can choose between automatic mode (random draw) or manual (you drag the teams into the groups). Here too you can add the 3rd place match.
🧩 Custom
For tournaments that don't follow a classic scheme. With the automatic stages choose how many groups (even none), whether groups are played home and away, how many teams go through to the final stage (2, 4, 8, 16, 32 or 64) and whether the final stage is single-leg or home and away: Matchora prepares the schedule and the bracket. With the free schedule instead you create every match (who plays, when, and the stage name, e.g. "Matchday 1" or "Grand final"): the standings count every match played and you conclude the tournament whenever you want.
🎲 Team draw
It can be used with almost all formats (not with Americano and double elimination). On the tournament page everyone presses "Join the draw"; the organizer can also add people without an account. When registrations close the organizer opens "Draw the teams", chooses how many players per team, looks at the preview (and redoes it if they want) and confirms: the teams are created, the tournament starts and everyone with an account receives an email with their teammates. If the number of players doesn't divide exactly, some teams have one extra player. Team names can be changed later.
Single group and groups are organized in matchdays (like a league): with the automatic schedule you can even put each matchday on a different day, for example one a week.
👥 4. Registering a team for a tournament
For the captain (the user who creates the team)
- Go to the page of the tournament you want to join
- Click on "Register team" (only if the tournament is still open)
- Choose a name for the team (must be unique in this tournament)
- Add players — search by first name, last name or email (they must be registered on Matchora)
- You are automatically the captain
- Send the request → the organizer receives an email and must approve
For invited players
You'll get a notification (by email) when you are added to a team. You don't need to do anything: you are automatically a member of the team once the organizer approves the request.
⚽ 5. Managing matches and results
For the organizer
- Go to the section "Tournament structure" (in the menu below the tournament name)
- Each match has a form to enter the results
- Enter the goals/points for the home team and the away team
- If the match is over, click on "Save result"
- Standings and brackets update automatically
- For matches not played yet, you can enter time and pitch
- Clicking the match number (or the score) opens its page: there you can add scorers, MVP and cards, which end up in the individual rankings on the page Statistics
Automatic management
- Single elimination — After each match, the winner automatically advances to the next round
- Single group — The standings update in real time
- Groups + playoffs — After the groups, the qualified teams go automatically to the playoffs
- Double elimination — Winners and losers advance in the two brackets up to the grand final
- Swiss — When a round is complete, the next one is drawn based on the standings
- Americano — All rounds and pairs are generated right away, the individual standings update with every result
🧰 Organizer tools
- Automatic schedule — say how many pitches you have, how long a match lasts and the break between matches (step 3 of the creation or "Edit tournament"): Matchora assigns a time and pitch to each match without making a team play twice at the same time. From the Structure page you can recalculate it whenever you want.
- Co-organizers — from the tournament page add other users (with their email): they can enter results, times and scorers, but not edit or delete the tournament.
- Players without an account — in the team you can enter just the name of people who aren't registered (children, friends without email…). For individual tournaments there's thequick registration: one name per line and everyone is registered.
- Categories — age (Under 14, Over 35…) and men/women/mixed: on the home page you can filter by category and city.
- Print and PDF — schedule with space for results, standings and bracket ready to print or save as PDF, with the tournament QR code.
- Automatic poster — an image ready for WhatsApp, Instagram or to hang up, with date, venue and QR code. You can set it as the official poster.
- Map — from the tournament address Matchora finds the location and shows an OpenStreetMap map (it loads only if the visitor opens it).
- Duplicate tournament — create the new edition with the same settings, even with the same teams.
- Your club — from Profile → «My club» set your association's name, logo and colors: they appear on your tournament pages, printouts, poster and graphics, and the club gets its own page with all your tournaments. If the club already has its own domain, anyone who opens it lands on that page.
- Sponsors — from the tournament page add sponsors with their logo and a link to their website: they show up on the tournament page, printouts, poster and graphics.
- Social media graphics — after every match or matchday you create the image with the result, the matchday's results or the standings, ready for Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook.
- Export to Excel — teams, matches, standings, scorers and cards in an Excel file (co-organizers can download it too).
- Registrations and payments — from the tournament page open «Registrations»: you approve or reject teams without looking for the email, mark who has paid the fee and, on the day, who has arrived (also by scanning the team's QR code).
- Entry fee — in «Edit settings» write how much it costs and how to pay (bank transfer, PayPal or Satispay, cash at the venue). Matchora collects nothing: the money goes straight to you.
- Waiting list — when the tournament is full, teams queue up: if one withdraws or is rejected, the first gets in and everyone is notified.
- Import from Excel — register all the teams in one go from an Excel or CSV file, or by copying the cells.
- Rules — upload the PDF with the rules: participants open it from the tournament page.
- On the club website — «Put the tournament on your website» gives you a code to paste (WordPress, Wix, Google Sites…): standings and results update by themselves.
- Bookings and suspensions — in sports with cards you choose after how many bookings a player misses a match and how many matches a sending-off costs: from the scoresheet Matchora works out who is suspended and who is one booking away, and shows it on the match page and in the statistics.
- Address to share — every tournament has a readable address, for example /torneo/12-coppa-di-cuneo-2026, and appears on pages like "padel tournaments in Turin".
🔒 6. Private tournaments and invite codes
Private tournaments are not visible in the public list. To take part you need an invitation code that the organizer gives you.
How to join a private tournament
- Go to "Private" in the navigation menu
- Enter the code you received from the organizer
- Click on "Search tournament"
- If the code is correct, you'll see the tournament and can sign up as usual
⭐ 7. Following a tournament
If you're interested in a tournament but don't take part directly, you can follow it to receive updates and always have it at hand.
- Go to the tournament page (public, or private with a code)
- Click the button "Follow" (next to the tournament name)
- The tournament will appear in the list "Followed" (accessible from the navigation menu)
- You'll get an alert when a result comes in, a match time changes, or the tournament starts or ends
You'll find alerts under the 🔔 bell at the top. From the Notifications page you can also get them on your phone, even with the site closed, and choose whether to get a summary by email. On iPhone and iPad, first add Matchora to the Home Screen.
You can stop following a tournament by clicking the same button again (it now says "Unfollow").
🍽️ 8. Meal management
If the tournament has the option "Meal" enabled when creating the tournament, you can manage the times and the number of people who will eat.
For the organizer
- When the tournament is in progress, the item "Meal management" appears on the tournament page
- Click on it: you will see all approved teams
- For each team, set the lunch time using the date/time field
- Captains can indicate how many people from their team will eat
For captains
- Go to the page of the your team (from the tournament's team list)
- In the "Lunch management" section, enter the number of people who will eat
- The organizer will see the total and can arrange the restaurant
For players
- Go to "Meal management" from the tournament page menu
- You'll see your team's lunch time (set by the organizer)
⭐ 9. Organizer reviews
After a tournament ends, you can leave a review for the organizer. This helps the community recognise reliable and serious organizers.
How to leave a review
- The tournament must be completed (status "Completed")
- You must have participated to the tournament (as captain or player of an approved team)
- Go to the public profile of the organizer (click the name on the tournament page)
- Fill in the form with a rating (1-5 stars) and a comment (optional, max 500 characters)
- You can review an organizer only once per tournament
Where to see reviews
The organizer's public profile shows the average rating, the star distribution and all reviews received, newest first.
📊 Disciplines and ranking rules
Each sport uses the official federation rules. If your tournament uses different ones, at step 3 of the creation you can set custom rules (points for a win, draw and loss, half points too). With Other / Generic you can organize any game, giving it whatever name you want.
Team sports
| Discipline | You enter | Points e spareggi |
|---|---|---|
| ⚽ 11-a-side football | Goals | Win 3 · Draw 1 · Loss 0. On equal points: head-to-head, goal difference, goals scored. |
| ⚽ 8-a-side football | Goals | Win 3 · Draw 1 · Loss 0. On equal points: head-to-head, goal difference, goals scored. |
| ⚽ 7-a-side football | Goals | Win 3 · Draw 1 · Loss 0. On equal points: head-to-head, goal difference, goals scored. |
| ⚽ Five-a-side / Futsal | Goals | Win 3 · Draw 1 · Loss 0. On equal points: head-to-head, goal difference, goals scored. |
| 🏀 Basketball | Points |
Win 2 · Draws not allowed · Loss 0. On equal points: head-to-head, point difference, points scored. In basketball there are no draws: enter the result after any overtime. |
| 🏀 3x3 basketball | Points | Win 2 · Draws not allowed · Loss 0. On equal points: number of wins, head-to-head, points scored. |
| 🏉 Rugby | Points |
Win 4 · Draw 2 · Loss 0. On equal points: head-to-head, point difference, points scored. Enter the points (try = 5, conversion = 2…). Bonus points are not counted: if you use them, set custom rules. |
| 🤾 Handball | Goals | Win 2 · Draw 1 · Loss 0. On equal points: head-to-head, goal difference, goals scored. |
| 🏑 Hockey | Goals | Win 3 · Draw 1 · Loss 0. On equal points: head-to-head, goal difference, goals scored. |
| ⚾ Baseball / Softball | Points | Win 2 · Draws not allowed · Loss 0. On equal points: head-to-head, point difference, points scored. |
| 🥏 Ultimate frisbee | Points | Win 2 · Draws not allowed · Loss 0. On equal points: head-to-head, point difference, points scored. |
Volleyball
| Discipline | You enter | Points e spareggi |
|---|---|---|
| 🏐 Volleyball | Sets |
3-0 and 3-1: 3 points to the winner · 3-2: 2 points to the winner and 1 to the loser. On equal points: number of wins, set ratio (won/lost), head-to-head. Enter the sets won (e.g. 3-1). FIPAV rule: 3-0 and 3-1 are worth 3 points; 3-2 is worth 2 points to the winner and 1 to the loser. |
| 🏐 Beach volleyball | Sets |
Win 2 · Draws not allowed · Loss 1. On equal points: head-to-head, set ratio (won/lost). Enter the sets won (e.g. 2-1). FIVB rule: 2 points for a win, 1 for a defeat. |
Racket and one-on-one
| Discipline | You enter | Points e spareggi |
|---|---|---|
| 🎾 Tennis | Sets |
Win 2 · Draws not allowed · Loss 0. On equal points: head-to-head, set difference. Enter the sets won (e.g. 2-1). |
| 🎾 Padel | Sets |
Win 2 · Draws not allowed · Loss 0. On equal points: head-to-head, set difference. Enter the sets won (e.g. 2-0). |
| 🎾 Beach tennis | Sets | Win 2 · Draws not allowed · Loss 0. On equal points: head-to-head, set difference. |
| 🏓 Pickleball | Game | Win 2 · Draws not allowed · Loss 0. On equal points: head-to-head, game difference. |
| 🏓 Ping pong / Table tennis | Sets |
Win 2 · Draws not allowed · Loss 1. On equal points: head-to-head, set ratio (won/lost). Enter the sets won (e.g. 3-1). ITTF rule: 2 points for a win, 1 for a defeat. |
| 🏸 Badminton | Sets |
Win 2 · Draws not allowed · Loss 0. On equal points: head-to-head, set difference. Enter the games won (e.g. 2-1). |
Table, bar and mind games
| Discipline | You enter | Points e spareggi |
|---|---|---|
| ♟️ Scacchi | Result |
Win 1 · Draw 0,5 · Loss 0. On equal points: head-to-head, number of wins. Enter 1-0 for a win for White, 0-1 for Black, 0-0 for a draw (half a point each). |
| ⚫ Draughts | Result |
Win 1 · Draw 0,5 · Loss 0. On equal points: head-to-head, number of wins. Enter 1-0 or 0-1 for a win, 0-0 for a draw (half a point each). |
| ⚽ Table football | Goals | Win 2 · Draws not allowed · Loss 0. On equal points: head-to-head, goal difference, goals scored. |
| 🎯 Darts | Legs | Win 2 · Draws not allowed · Loss 0. On equal points: head-to-head, leg difference. |
| 🎱 Billiards | Matches | Win 2 · Draws not allowed · Loss 0. On equal points: head-to-head, game difference. |
| 🔴 Bocce | Points | Win 2 · Draws not allowed · Loss 0. On equal points: head-to-head, point difference, points scored. |
| 🃏 Card games | Points |
Win 2 · Draws not allowed · Loss 0. On equal points: head-to-head, point difference, points scored. You can specify the game (burraco, briscola, scopa…) in the sport name. |
Other
| Discipline | You enter | Points e spareggi |
|---|---|---|
| 🎮 Video games / eSports | Points |
Win 3 · Draw 1 · Loss 0. On equal points: head-to-head, point difference, points scored. You can specify the game in the sport name. For games without draws set custom rules. |
| 🏆 Other / Generic | Points |
Win 3 · Draw 1 · Loss 0. On equal points: head-to-head, point difference, points scored. Suitable for any game or competition: give the discipline a name and, if needed, set the points with custom rules. |
❓ 10. Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
🔐 I don't get the sign-up confirmation email. What should I do?
Check the folder Spam or Promotions of your email. If it does not arrive within 10 minutes, contact us through the page Contact.
👥 Can I change the team captain?
The captain is the user who registered the team. If they delete their account, the role automatically passes to another player on the team.
🏆 How do you switch a tournament from "open" to "in progress"?
The organizer can close registrations early from the tournament page ("Close now" button). Otherwise, the system does it automatically on the set closing date. If the minimum number of teams is not reached, the tournament stays on hold.
📊 How do draws work in the different sports?
It depends on the discipline: in football, handball, rugby, chess or video games draws are allowed; in basketball, volleyball and racket sports they are not, and the site does not accept a tied result. You will find all the rules in the section Disciplines and ranking rules. In single-leg knockout matches a draw is never allowed: enter the result after extra time or penalties.
🔒 I forgot my password. What do I do?
Go to Recover password, enter your email and you will receive a link to reset it. If you used "Log in with Google", the password is managed by Google.
🔑 In which ways can I log in?
With email and password, with Google or without a password: choose "Log in with an email link" and we will send you a link valid for 15 minutes. From your Profile, section "Login methods", shows which ways you can log in.
🗑️ Can I delete a tournament I created?
Yes, from the tournament page as organizer you'll find the button "Delete tournament" in the sidebar on the right. Deletion is irreversible: all teams, matches and related data will be deleted.
👥 Can a player be in two different teams of the same tournament?
No, each user can be part of a single team per tournament. The system prevents it automatically both when registering and when adding manually.
📱 Is Matchora optimized for mobile devices?
Yes, the site is fully responsive and works well on smartphones, tablets and computers. You can manage tournaments and matches from mobile too.
💰 Is it free?
Yes, Matchora is completely free. No hidden costs, no subscription, no intrusive advertising.
✏️ 11. Editing an existing tournament
If you are the organizer, you can change the tournament settings at any time (until it is deleted).
- Go to the page of the tournament you created
- In the sidebar on the right, click on "Edit settings"
- Update the fields you want (name, description, sport, place, team/player limits, etc.)
- Click on "Save changes"
⚠️ Some settings (like the tournament format or the match type) can't be changed after creation, to keep the tournament consistent.
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