Setting Up Tournament Brackets for Combat Robot Events

When it comes to organizing robot combat tournaments, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Each event organizer has the flexibility to design brackets that suit their participants and competition style. While every event has unique challenges, at Robot Smashing League (RSL), we’ve refined our system to ensure maximum fairness and excitement for every competitor, no matter their experience level. Recently, we were approached by another organizer for advice on setting up their tournament. Below, we’ll share how RSL manages its brackets, drawing from our experience organizing successful, fast-paced, high-energy combat robot tournaments.

Group Stage Format

The Group Stage format we use at RSL often gets compared to Modified Swiss. However, by ensuring that anyone with a 3-1 or better record advances to the Single Elimination Bracket, we reduce confusion for competitors and streamline the progression to the elimination stage. This approach guarantees a clear path forward for those who’ve proven themselves during the group rounds.

To manage this effectively, we typically create two separate brackets within Challonge. The first uses their "Swiss" format, which gives us the flexibility to provide all competitors a fair number of matches before progressing to the elimination rounds.

At most of our larger events, we look to have four rounds for the group stage, this helps bring the number of competitors moving into the single elimination bracket to a more manageable number. This format is ideal for larger competitions as it keeps things organized and structured, without overwhelming participants.

Ensuring More Matches for New Builders

One of the key benefits of our Group Stage format is that it guarantees each competitor an opportunity for a minimum number of fights. For RSL events, we try to have at least four rounds for all participants. This can be difficult with bye rounds or drops/forfeits. This is especially valuable for newer builders, as they get more experience and learning opportunities through multiple matches, rather than being knocked out after only two rounds. It gives them a chance to improve and adapt as the tournament progresses.

Managing Tie-Breakers and Single Elimination Format

Handling tie-breakers can be tricky in any tournament, especially when many robots finish with similar records—like several bots ending up at 3-1 after the Group Stage.

At RSL events, we allow all competitors with a 3-1 record or better to advance to the Single Elimination stage. This straightforward approach minimizes confusion and ensures fairness from the competitors’ perspective.

To handle tie-breakers, we use the Swiss system points, followed by Wins vs. Tied Participants, Points Scored, and finally the Median-Buchholz System (which takes into account the strength of opponents). This ensures that every tie is resolved fairly by considering not only wins, but also the level of competition faced during the tournament.

For the Single Elimination Brackets, we use the same tie-breaker system. Additionally, in Challonge, when setting up a Single Elimination bracket, we make sure to check the box for "Break ties with placement matches." This allows for a fight to determine 3rd and 4th place, giving competitors a chance to solidify their final rankings.

Additional Tips

For events with fewer than 8 competitors, we recommend a Round Robin format, where every participant competes against every other competitor. This ensures that even with a small group, participants get plenty of fight opportunities, making it worth their time and providing more data for fair rankings. We also recommend making the Tournament Name and URL easy to remember, so competitors or spectators can easily pull up the information.

We hope this guide helps you set up your robot combat tournament brackets for maximum fairness and enjoyment. How do you structure your tournaments, and what challenges have you encountered when managing tie-breakers and group stages? Share your experiences or questions with us by emailing us at robotsmashingleague@gmail.com.