Guides for tournament directors
Practical, plain-English guidance for every stage of a table tennis tournament.
Planning your event
How to Run a Table Tennis Tournament: A Complete Guide
A step-by-step guide to planning and running a table tennis tournament: format, budget, equipment, staff, entries, scheduling and the day itself.
Read the guide →Table Tennis Tournament Equipment: Tables, Nets, Balls, Lighting and Space
What to buy or rent for a table tennis tournament, with quality notes for tables, nets, barriers, flooring, lighting, balls and extras, plus space requirements by grade.
Read the guide →Choosing a Table Tennis Tournament Format: Round Robin, Knockout and More
Compare round robin, single elimination, groups plus knockout, consolation brackets and double elimination, with match counts and advice by number of players.
Read the guide →How to Seed a Table Tennis Tournament
How seeding works in a table tennis draw: how many players to seed, where seeds go so the top two meet in the final, how byes work, and how to separate players from the same club.
Read the guide →Scheduling a Table Tennis Tournament and Managing Tables
How to estimate match times, keep every table busy, give players rest and avoid double bookings when scheduling a table tennis tournament.
Read the guide →Tournament Day Timeline: A Template for Directors
A time-by-time template for running a table tennis tournament, from setup before doors open to awards and pack-down, with a checklist for the briefing.
Read the guide →Table Tennis Categories and Ratings: Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced
How to divide a tournament into Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced categories, set rating bands, handle unrated players and avoid sandbagging.
Read the guide →Table Tennis Tournament Entry Fees and Budget
How to build a tournament budget, set entry fees, find break-even and think about sponsors, with the typical line items for a table tennis event.
Read the guide →Tournament Staff and Volunteers: Who You Need
The roles that make a table tennis tournament run: director, referee, control desk, umpires, runners, first aid, and how many volunteers a small or large event needs.
Read the guide →Promoting a Table Tennis Tournament and Taking Entries
How to find players, set entry deadlines, collect entries and fees, handle waitlists and withdrawals, and send the information players need before the day.
Read the guide →Sanctioned vs. Unsanctioned Table Tennis Tournaments
What it means to sanction a table tennis tournament with a national association, what you get and what it costs, and when a club event does not need it.
Read the guide →15 Common Table Tennis Tournament Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
The recurring organizing mistakes at table tennis tournaments, from unrealistic schedules and unseeded draws to missing referees, with the fix for each.
Read the guide →Running a Youth or School Table Tennis Tournament
How to plan a table tennis tournament for children and teenagers: age bands, formats, match lengths, safeguarding, parent communication, schedule and equipment.
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Formats and categories
Doubles, Team Events and Novelty Formats for Table Tennis Tournaments
How to add doubles, team matches and fun side events such as round-the-table, handicap and mixed events to your table tennis tournament without wrecking the schedule.
Read the guide →Running a Table Tennis League Night or Ladder
How to run a recurring table tennis league night, ladder or box league: formats, scoring, promotion and relegation, scheduling and keeping players coming back.
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Rules and umpiring
Round Robin Tie-Breakers in Table Tennis
How to rank players in a table tennis round robin group: match points, head-to-head among tied players, game ratio, points ratio and what to do when still tied.
Read the guide →Umpiring a Table Tennis Match: A Practical Guide for Organizers
What a table tennis umpire or marker actually does: the pre-match routine, keeping score, calling services, lets and the expedite rule, and when to call the referee.
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Running the day
Handling Disputes, No-Shows and Walkovers at a Table Tennis Tournament
Policies to set before the event for late players, no-shows, injuries, equipment disputes and protests, plus how to record walkovers so standings stay fair.
Read the guide →Venue Safety, Insurance and Liability for Table Tennis Tournaments
A practical checklist for venue safety, first aid, floor and lighting hazards, and how to think about insurance and liability when you organize a table tennis event.
Read the guide →After the Tournament: Results, Reports, Refunds and Feedback
What to do in the week after a table tennis tournament: publish results, submit rating reports, close the books, thank people and collect feedback for next time.
Read the guide →Prizes and Awards for a Table Tennis Tournament: What to Give and How to Budget
How to choose and budget prizes for a table tennis tournament: medals, trophies, cash, vouchers and equipment prizes, who gets one, how many to order and how to present them.
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Software and tools
Table Tennis Tournament Software: What Exists and What to Look For
A comparison of ways to manage a table tennis tournament, from paper and spreadsheets to dedicated software, and the features that matter most for a tournament director.
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