In this guide: Create tournament brackets in Fluid PB—configure divisions, registration pricing, age and rating restrictions, playoff structure, scoring, and match settings.
Brackets define:
- Divisions
- Skill levels
- Match formats
- Registration rules
- Scoring formats
- Playoff structures
You can create brackets for:
- Doubles
- Singles
- Mixed
- MLP
- Junior divisions
- Age-based events
You'll learn how to:
- Open the Brackets section and start a new bracket
- Configure bracket details and registration pricing
- Set division format, age, and rating restrictions
- Choose bracket format and playoff seeding
- Configure scoring and match settings
- Save the bracket for player registration
Step 1 — Open the Brackets Section
Inside your tournament:
- Navigate to Brackets
- Click Create Bracket
This opens the bracket configuration page.
Bracket Configuration Sections
The bracket creation page includes:
- Details
- Format
- Ratings & Age Restrictions
- Bracket Format
- Scoring
- Match Settings
Step 2 — Configure Bracket Details
Custom Title
Fluid automatically generates a default bracket title based on:
- Group
- Format
- Rating
- Age range
You can optionally enter a custom title.
Example Titles
- Winner Takes All 4.5+
- Advanced Mixed Doubles
- Friday Night Singles Shootout
Start Date & Time
Set when bracket play begins.
This helps:
- Schedule matches
- Organize court assignments
- Coordinate tournament flow
End Date & Time
Set the expected bracket completion time.
Useful for:
- Multi-day tournaments
- Court scheduling
- Player communication
Enable Registration
Controls whether players can register for the bracket.
Yes
Players can join the bracket.
No
Bracket is hidden from registration.
Publicly Visible
Controls whether players can view the bracket publicly.
Useful for:
- Internal divisions
- Invite-only brackets
- Hidden test brackets
DUPR Recorded
Enable this setting if match results should be submitted to DUPR.
DUPR Enforced
Restrict registration based on player DUPR ratings.
This helps ensure fair competition within skill divisions.
Step 3 — Configure Registration Pricing
Registration Fee
Set the registration fee per player.
Example:
- $25 per player
- $50 per team
Early Bird Pricing
Optional discounted pricing for early registrations.
Useful for:
- Increasing early signups
- Forecasting tournament attendance
- Improving cash flow
Member Registration Fee
Optional discounted pricing for club members.
Example:
- Public registration: $40
- Member registration: $30
Multi Registration Bracket Fee
Additional fee applied when players register for multiple brackets.
Common examples:
- Second event fee
- Additional division surcharge
Force Pay For Partner
Determines whether one player pays for both partners during registration.
Enabled
One player completes payment for the entire team.
Disabled
Partners can register and pay separately.
Step 4 — Configure Division Format
Group
Select the division category:
- Men
- Women
- Mixed
- Co-Ed
- Boys
- Girls
- Junior
Format
Select the bracket format:
- Doubles
- Singles
- MLP
- Triples
Maximum Teams
Set the maximum number of teams or players allowed.
This controls:
- Registration limits
- Scheduling capacity
- Court planning
Waitlist Capacity
Set the number of waitlist spots available after the bracket fills.
Step 5 — Configure Age Restrictions
Minimum Age
Optional minimum age requirement.
Maximum Age
Optional maximum age requirement.
Examples:
- 18+
- 50+
- Junior divisions
Split Age
Enable Split Age to separate players into different age groups automatically.
Useful for:
- Senior events
- Junior tournaments
- Age-based competition brackets
Step 6 — Configure Rating Restrictions
Minimum Rating
Optional minimum DUPR or skill rating requirement.
Maximum Rating
Optional maximum rating limit.
Examples:
| Minimum | Maximum | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 3.0 | — | 3.0+ |
| 3.0 | 3.49 | 3.0–3.49 |
| 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.0–4.5 |
Leaving both fields empty allows all skill levels.
Combined Ratings
Combined ratings validate the total team rating during registration.
Example:
- Combined max rating: 8.0
- Two 4.0 players qualify
- A 4.5 + 4.0 team does not qualify
Useful for:
- Balanced team divisions
- Competitive parity
Step 7 — Configure Bracket Format
Bracket Formats
Fluid supports multiple tournament structures.
Available Formats
- Single Elimination
- Double Elimination
- Round Robin
- Double Round Robin
- Triple Round Robin
Playoff Seeding
Choose how teams advance into playoffs after pool play.
Options Include
- None
- Top One
- Top Two
- Top Three
- Top Four
- Seed All
- Medal Round Only
- Custom
After pool play finishes, Fluid ranks teams and builds the playoff bracket from these settings. For how standings, tiebreakers, and cross-pool seeding work, see How Playoffs Are Seeded.
Auto Generate Pool
Automatically creates pools based on:
- Team count
- Bracket format
- Advancement settings
Recommended for most tournaments.
Bronze Medal Match
Enable or disable bronze medal matches.
Step 8 — Configure Scoring
Fluid allows different scoring formats for each stage of the bracket.
Round Robin Scoring
Examples:
- One game to 11 win by 2
- Best of 3 to 11
- One game to 15
Playoff Scoring
Configure scoring specifically for playoff matches.
Semi Final Scoring
Optional custom scoring for semifinal matches.
Bronze Medal Scoring
Optional bronze medal match scoring.
Gold Medal Scoring
Optional championship match scoring.
Rally vs Sideout Scoring
Choose the scoring system for matches.
Rally Scoring
Points can be scored by either team.
Sideout Scoring
Only the serving team can score.
Step 9 — Configure Match Settings
Default Referee
Assign a default referee to matches created within the bracket.
Useful for:
- Staffed tournaments
- Assigned officiating crews
- Professional events
Number of Timeouts
Set how many timeouts each team receives per game.
Timeout Duration
Configure the timeout length in seconds.
Self Reporting
Allow players to submit match scores without a referee.
Enabled
Players can self-report scores.
Disabled
Only referees or staff can enter scores.
Recommended:
- Enable for recreational events
- Disable for high-level competitive tournaments
Step 10 — Save the Bracket
Once setup is complete:
- Review bracket settings
- Verify registration rules
- Confirm scoring formats
- Click Save Changes
The bracket is now available for player registration.
Recommended Bracket Setup Examples
Recreational Round Robin
- Format: Doubles
- Rating: Open
- Bracket Type: Round Robin
- Scoring: One game to 11
Competitive Skill Division
- Format: Mixed Doubles
- Rating: 4.0–4.5
- DUPR Enforced: Enabled
- Playoffs: Top Four
Senior Division
- Format: Men's Doubles
- Minimum Age: 50
- Bracket Type: Double Elimination
Best Practices
Use Clear Naming
Players should immediately understand:
- Skill level
- Format
- Age restrictions
Keep Formats Consistent
Using similar scoring formats across brackets helps tournaments run more smoothly.
Limit Oversized Brackets
Very large brackets can create:
- Scheduling delays
- Long wait times
- Court congestion
Use Waitlists
Waitlists help maximize registration capacity and replace canceled teams quickly.
Recommended Next Guides
After creating brackets, continue with:
- Managing Tournament Registrations
- Running Tournament Operations
- Using Courtside
For bracket sizing and match counts by player field, see How to set up brackets for your player count.
Need help? Reach out to our team at help@fluidpb.com.