> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.podplay.app/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.podplay.app/pro-system/tournaments/running-an-open-play.md). # Running an Open Play ### Overview Open Plays are PodPlay Tournaments at their most flexible — players come and go, matches generate on the fly, and byes get distributed fairly. This guide walks you through choosing a format, setting it up, and running the event from start to finish. *New here? Start with PodPlay Tournaments: Overview.* #### Pick Your Open Play Format **Shuffle Play.** Randomized rounds with balanced court time and partner/opponent variety. The best default for casual drop-ins. Players can freeze themselves in the standings if they need to step out, and unfreeze when they're ready to rejoin. Frozen players won't get new matches until they unfreeze. **Challenge Court.** Pick a court where winners hold their spot. * Choose whether winners always stay on, or rotate off after a set number of wins. * Each round, a winning team from the previous round is randomly selected to challenge. * Teams who haven't played the challenge court (or have played it least) get priority. * The overall winner is determined by total challenge court wins. **Challenge Ladder.** A ladder across multiple courts where players move up or down by result. * Both winners and losers split for the next round. * Winners always stay on the challenge court. * Losers move down one court — or drop to the bottom (your choice). * When byes are needed, teams with the fewest previous byes sit out first. **Paddle Rack.** Queue-based continuous play with no rounds. * Defaults to "2 On / 2 Off". Switch to "4 On / 4 Off" in Open Play Settings. * For "2 On / 2 Off", choose how many matches the winner stays on, or whether winners split. * Rotating Doubles supports fixed partners. When enabled, players tap another player in the standings to request them, then travel through the queue together. * Players can move down the queue at any time (not up), or skip a match if they've already played the same people too many times. * Players can queue for a specific court by tapping the court name on a match card. **Timed Play.** Available for any Open Play format. Turn on a per-round timer in Tournament Settings. * Players finish the current point, then stop when the timer expires. * Scoring switches to sudden death / win by 1 once the timer is up. * If matches finish before the timer, it stops automatically and the next round can be generated. #### Step 1: Create the Tournament Go to the **Tournaments** tab and click **+ New Tournament**. **Find the event.** Select your location (auto-selected for single-location clubs). Choose your event from the next 35 days of scheduled events. Search by name to find it quickly. {% hint style="warning" %} Private Reservations are not included in the event list. **Choose format and settings.** Pick **Open Play** and configure: {% endhint %} * **Games per Match:** Single Game, Best of 3, or Best of 5. * **Points to Win:** 11 (win by 1 or 2), 15 (win by 1 or 2), or 21 (win by 2). * **Event Type:** Singles, Doubles, Rotating Doubles, MLP 4 Players, or MLP 3 Players. Click **Create Tournament**. Courts and players are imported from the linked PodPlay event. #### Step 2: Finalize Players Right Before Tip-Off {% hint style="warning" %} Wait until right before the event to lock in players. There will be no-shows, late sign-ups, and cancellations. {% endhint %} * **Refresh** — syncs with PodPlay for the latest lineup. Right before the event, this also surfaces check-in status. * **Add Walk-Ons** — adds ad hoc players who didn't sign up on PodPlay. Note: matches with Walk-Ons can't submit DUPR results. * **Get Non-Participants** — pulls eligible non-participants you can choose to add. #### Step 3: Set Up Teams (Doubles, MLP 4, MLP 3 Only) For Doubles or MLP event types, complete team setup: * **Drag + Drop** — drag from Available Players into team slots. * **Auto-Assign** — automatic pairing. With DUPR ratings, the highest-rated is paired with the lowest-rated for balanced play. *Example: A=1700, B=1600, C=1500, D=1400 → A pairs with D, B pairs with C.* For Doubles with an odd number of players, a single-player team is created on the assumption they'll get a rotating partner. To prevent this, click the red X next to the lone player to return them to the available pool. Click **Submit Teams** to continue. #### Step 4: Configure Open Play Group Setup This is where Open Play setup differs from a fixed tournament: * **Min # of Matches** — generates as many rounds as needed so each player plays at least this many. Set this low — you can always generate more rounds later. * **Challenge Court** — when selected, **Min # of Matches** disappears (with a Challenge Court you can only generate the next round once the current round's results are in). Pick which court hosts the challenges. * **Winner Stays On** — appears with a Challenge Court. Choose **Always** (until defeated) or set a max number of wins. * **Challenge Court Ladder** — configure a series of courts as ladder rungs that players move up and down based on results. For **Paddle Rack** specifically: * **Player Stays On** — "2 On / 2 Off" or "4 On / 4 Off". * **Allow Fixed Partners** — lets players choose a set partner who travels through the queue together. Click **Generate Matches** to start the event. #### Step 5: Run the Event Once matches are live, admins or players can submit scores. Click **Tournament Settings** to control the event: **General Tab:** * **Show Tournament In App** — controls visibility in the PodPlay app. Keep off while testing. * **Player Score Entry** — lets players submit scores from the app. Turn off for moneyball or admin-managed events. * **Who Can Generate Next Round** — for Open Play, decide whether players or admins generate the next round. **Open Play Settings:** * **Round Timer** — Open Play only. Once expired, any winning score is valid (e.g., 9–8 counts even with 11-win-by-2 scoring). * **Challenge Court** — pick or change the challenge court. * **Winner Stays On** — see above. * **Add Late Arrivals** — finds event attendees in PodPlay not yet in the Open Play and adds them. * **Add Walk-On Player** — adds ad hoc players not in PodPlay. **Manage Courts:** enable or disable any court on the tournament. Disabled courts won't get new match assignments. Use **Refresh Courts** to sync court edits from the underlying PodPlay event. {% hint style="info" %} Court changes only apply to **future rounds** that are generated. {% endhint %} #### Tips * **Test before going live.** Keep **Show Tournament In App** off until you've confirmed the format and matchups look right. * **Start with a low Min # of Matches.** You can always generate more rounds. Setting it too high can create extra rounds you don't end up needing. * **Use Timed Play for tight schedules.** Daily Open Plays with a hard end time benefit from a per-round timer to keep the event on rails. * **Walk-Ons break DUPR submission.** If DUPR submission matters, ask players to sign up in PodPlay rather than walking on. * **Challenge Court pairs well with skill-similar groups.** When the field is mixed, a Shuffle or Paddle Rack format usually keeps everyone happier. #### Related Articles * *PodPlay Tournaments: Overview* * *Running a Tournament or League* **Last Updated:** April 25, 2026 --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. 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