Field Notes
Run Your Tournament
April 11, 2026·6 min read
How to Organize a Fantasy Football Playoff Bracket
The format, seeding, timing, and rules decisions that go into a fantasy football playoff — and how to structure yours so the end of the season stays competitive.
April 9, 2026·5 min read
How to Run a Cornhole Tournament at a Backyard Party
How to set up and run a cornhole tournament at a backyard event — format options, scoring rules, board spacing, handling odd team counts, and keeping it fun.
April 7, 2026·6 min read
How to Set Up a Soccer Tournament for Kids
A practical guide to organizing a youth soccer tournament — age-appropriate formats, field setup, handling parents on the sideline, and keeping the day on schedule.
April 5, 2026·5 min read
How to Organize a Ping Pong Tournament at Work
How to run an office ping pong tournament that actually works — picking the right format for your headcount, setting clear rules, running it on one table, and making it feel like a real event.
April 3, 2026·6 min read
How to Run a Volleyball Tournament (Step-by-Step)
A practical guide to organizing a volleyball tournament — format selection, pool play structure, net heights, court allocation, and keeping matches on schedule.
March 22, 2026·8 min read
How to Organize a 3v3 Summer Basketball League for Your Community
A practical roadmap for running a 3v3 summer basketball league — venue, permits, sponsorship, scheduling, standings, and everything else first-time organizers don't think about until it's too late.
March 18, 2026·7 min read
How to Organize a Community Basketball Tournament
A step-by-step guide to planning and running a community basketball tournament — from registration and rules to scheduling, bracket management, and day-of tips.
March 14, 2026·5 min read
Round Robin vs Single Elimination: Which Format Should You Use?
A practical comparison of the two most popular tournament formats — when to use each, their pros and cons, and how to choose the right one for your event.
March 10, 2026·6 min read
How to Run a Single Elimination Tournament (Step-by-Step)
Everything you need to know to run a single elimination tournament — how the bracket works, handling byes, seeding teams, and keeping things running smoothly on the day.
Inspiration
April 1, 2026·6 min read
How the NBA Playoffs Format Works
The NBA playoffs use best-of-seven series, a play-in tournament, and conference-based brackets. Here's the full structure and how it compares to single elimination.
March 30, 2026·5 min read
How the US Open Tennis Draw Works
How the US Open's 128-player singles draw is seeded and structured — from qualifying through the final — and the principles every tournament organizer can apply.
March 28, 2026·6 min read
How the UEFA Champions League Format Works
The Champions League changed its format in 2024. Here's how the classic group stage worked, how the new league phase works, and how to apply either structure to a community tournament.
March 26, 2026·6 min read
How March Madness Seeding and Regions Work
How the NCAA Tournament field of 68 is selected, how regions and seeding work, why the 5 vs 12 upset happens so often, and what the bracket structure means for your own tournament.
March 25, 2026·6 min read
How the NFL Playoffs Bracket Works
A breakdown of the NFL playoff format — conferences, seeding, the bye system, Wild Card through Super Bowl — and what community tournament organizers can take from it.
March 22, 2026·7 min read
How the US Open Pickleball Championships Is Structured
The US Open Pickleball Championships runs hundreds of divisions using pool play into elimination brackets. Here's how it works and what community pickleball organizers can take from it.
March 21, 2026·7 min read
How the FIFA World Cup Bracket Works (And How to Run the Same Format)
The World Cup uses a group stage followed by a knockout bracket — one of the most effective tournament formats ever designed. Here's how it works and how to apply it to your event.
March 20, 2026·6 min read
How the Wimbledon Draw Works (And What You Can Learn From It)
A breakdown of how Wimbledon structures its 128-player single elimination draw — seeding, byes, bracket placement — and the lessons every tournament organizer can apply.