How We Use a Check-In Spreadsheet to Make Challonge Setup Easier

Running a combat robot event means keeping track of a lot of small details at the same time. Competitors are arriving, robots need to be weighed, safety checks need to happen, payments or waivers may need to be confirmed, and brackets still need to get built before matches can start.

One thing we have found helpful is using a dedicated check-in Google Sheet before building our brackets in Challonge and managing registrations through RobotCombatEvents.

Instead of manually entering every competitor into Challonge one at a time, we use the sheet to organize check-in, tech inspection, readiness status, and postponements. Once a competitor is ready, the sheet helps us move them into the correct bracket much faster.

Here is the basic workflow we use with our RSL Competitor Checkin Sheet template. To utilize the sheet for your self. Click File > Make a Copy.

Why We Started Using a Check-In Sheet

At an event, the hard part is not just knowing who registered. The hard part is knowing who is here and actually ready to compete.

Someone may be registered in RobotCombatEvents, but still need to:

• Arrive at the venue
• Check in with event staff
• Pay, if payment is handled on site
• Sign a waiver
• Pass weight inspection
• Pass safety inspection
• Be placed into the correct weight class bracket

If we build the Challonge bracket too early, we may end up with competitors listed who are not even there. If we wait too long and enter everyone manually, bracket setup can become a stressful bottleneck. It can also cause miss-spelling of names, which can effect rankings for some events.

The check-in sheet gives us one place to track readiness before competitors get copied into Challonge.

Step 1: Export the RCE Information

We start by exporting the event information from RobotCombatEvents. We typically do this the night before, to reduce day of stress.

That export gets dropped into the first sheet of the Google Sheet, labeled for the RCE report. This gives the workbook the raw competitor and robot information it needs to populate the other tabs.

The important part here is to replace the correct tab, not the entire workbook. The template has formulas and supporting tabs that make the rest of the workflow work, so we only update the RCE Report tab with the new event data.

Step 2: Use the Competitor Status Tab for Check-In

Once competitors start arriving, we use the Competitor Status tab as our main check-in screen.

This is where we track whether each competitor has completed the event-day requirements. Depending on the event, that may include:

• Checked in
• Paid
• Signed waiver
• Passed weight inspection
• Passed safety inspection
• Ready status

As competitors move through check-in and tech inspection, we update their status from false to true.

This gives event staff a quick way to see who is still waiting on something. It also helps prevent the common problem of asking, “Is this bot actually ready for the bracket?” when matches are about to begin.

Finding issues early is always easier than troubleshooting them while competitors are waiting.

Step 3: Only Move Ready Competitors Into Challonge

Once a competitor is marked as ready, they can be included in the bracket upload.

The template has separate Challonge tabs for the weight classes, including:

• Challonge Antweights
• Challonge Beetleweights

Once the ready competitors are listed correctly in the appropriate weight class tab, we can copy the whole tab directly into Challonge using the bulk participant import feature.

That saves a lot of time compared with typing names into Challonge manually.

It also helps reduce mistakes. Manual entry is easy to mess up when you are trying to move quickly, especially if multiple robots have similar names, builders have multiple entries, or the event has a larger field.

Step 4: Track Postponements in One Place

After brackets are built and matches begin, we use the Postpone tab to track who has used their postponement. This only applies if you use postponements at your event, but it is nice to track.

This gives staff a clear reference during the event. If someone asks for a postponement, we can quickly check whether they have already used one.

We have also found it useful to write down the time when the postponement ends. That gives the event team a better reference point later if there is a question about when a competitor should be ready.

This is one of those small details that can prevent confusion during a busy tournament.

What This Helps With

Using the check-in sheet has helped us with a few practical event-day problems:

• Faster Challonge bracket setup
• Fewer manual entry mistakes
• Clearer communication between check-in and tech inspection
• Better visibility into who is ready to compete
• Easier postponement tracking
• Less pressure right before matches start

The biggest benefit is that it gives the event team a shared source of truth.

Instead of relying on memory, side conversations, or scattered notes, we can look at one sheet and see what still needs to happen.

Tips for Using This at Your Event

If you want to use a similar system, a few habits make it work better:

• Make a fresh copy of the template for each event
• Export the event data from RobotCombatEvents before check-in starts
• Assign one or two people to keep the sheet updated
• Do not add competitors to Challonge until they are actually ready
• Keep the Postpone tab updated during matches
• Review the sheet before brackets are finalized

This process works best when the event team treats the sheet as the live check-in record, not just a backup document.

Final Thoughts

Event day always has moving parts, and no spreadsheet will remove all of them. But a good check-in workflow can remove a lot of unnecessary stress.

For us, this sheet helps connect registration, check-in, tech inspection, bracket setup, and postponement tracking into one practical system. It makes Challonge setup easier, keeps the team aligned, and helps competitors get into matches with fewer delays.

If you are planning a combat robot event, setting up this kind of check-in process ahead of time can make the day run much smoother.