Types of tournament

[andrew]

Looking for some ideas.

I have been asked to run a tournament for my local badminton association.

For years the interest in the tournamnet has been dropping off bit by bit so I was looking for something to spice it up a bit. Nothing too radical just a different format.

I was thinking of running the mens and ladies doubles as a "normal" knockout and trying something different with the mixed.

Have anybody any suggestions.

I thought of something like a "champions" league were a group of 4 play off against each other and the winners have semi finals and finals.,

I have heard of american tournaments but other suggestions are welcome.

Let me know the things that work and don't work.


Thank you

/Andrew

[IanRoss]

How about hidden handicaps?

[Grover]

What are hidden handicaps Ian?

[clingfilm]

grover,if you partner ian, it will be a handicap but not hidden though. sorry ian.

[IanRoss]

You handicap each pair in the normal manner (including one hand or give a hand) but don't tell anyone what their handicap is until after the event is finished.

That way everyone has to play hard to win - a weak pair could still lose every game but win the whole tournament.

[cederick]

That sounds great fun Ian!

How about a simple knock out with best of 3 games to 15. It seems quite popular.

[Balmforthk]

How do you enforce a doubles pair being handicapped one hand if you don't tell them till after the event ?

[chrisroe]

You could try a Swiss Ladder style event. The main advantages are :
i) that everyone gets the same number of games
ii) you end up with a ranking list rather than one winner.
iii) there's always an element of surprise, you don't know who you are going to play against.

Disadvatanges - it does require more time though.

Brief explanation.. (8 players.. A..H, 1 game to 15 no setting).

Round 1 (random draw from a hat)

A-E 15:6
B-F 15:9
C-D 2:15
G-H 13:15

Draw up a league table..
1st D, 2nd A, 3rd B, 4th H, ... , 8th C.

Round 2 - Play 1st against 2nd in the table, 3rd against 4th etc etc...

Draw up another league table after games.

Further rounds - Repeat..

Avoid playing the same pair against each other twice by following the rule that the highest unallocated pair in the table plays the next highest pair that they haven't already played.

I think you need (apologies for the maths..) log(n) rounds (3 in the above xample) to ensure that you have a worthy winner. You will need about double the amount of time for a normal knockout tournament of 8 pairs.

I hope that makes some sense!!

Cheers,
Chris.

[gjsims]

Chris

It did make sense until the maths part. Bring it down to a level that a psychologist can understand.

Another idea is the knock out with play-offs for everyone. I am sure it has a better name but I don't know it.

The first round is straight knock out, the winners progress through to contest the main draw. The losers enter the plate. In the next round the winners progress again. The second round losers enter their own plate. The first round losers play the plate with the winners entering their plate, same for the losers. In this structure every place is contested, so after the event finishes you are left with a placing list.

Disadvantages: Once again lots of games need to be played, but it would work well for up to sixteen entries.

Advantages: People get the same number of games. Irrespective of the draw every players eventually gets a competitive game.

[chrisroe]

Jamie,

Perhaps I should have said, 'the same number of rounds as would be required in a knockout competition with the same number of entries'. Hope this makes a bit more sense - in the midst of thesis writing so brain is somewhat addled.

cheers,
chris.