Round-robin generator: schedule for 3 to 32 teams
In short
Enter your teams or players and this free generator lists every round of a round robin: who plays whom, and who has a bye when the number is odd. Choose single or double. With n teams, a single round robin is n(n − 1) ÷ 2 matches over n − 1 rounds, or n rounds when n is odd. Copy it for WhatsApp or print it.
One name per line, 3 to 32 teams or players
Want live scores and standings that update themselves?
Run a league in FlobitHow do I use the round-robin generator?
List your teams or players, one per line, from 3 to 32. Or choose a number and press Fill in names to get Team 1, Team 2 and so on. Pick Single round robin (everyone plays everyone once) or Double round robin (twice, home and away), then press Generate.
Each round lists its fixtures, with a Bye line when one entrant rests. Copy for WhatsApp pastes the whole schedule into a group chat, and Print keeps the rest of the page off the paper.
The generator keeps the order you typed, and the order matters a little: the first name is the one the method holds still, and with an odd number of entrants it gets the bye in round one. For a random draw, put the names in order by lot first. Your names stay in your browser; the generator doesn't send them anywhere.
How many rounds and matches will I get?
With n teams, a single round robin has n(n − 1) ÷ 2 matches. If n is even there are n − 1 rounds of n ÷ 2 matches. If n is odd there are n rounds of (n − 1) ÷ 2 matches, because one team rests each round. A double round robin doubles both.
| Teams | Rounds | Matches per round | Matches | Matches if double |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 20 |
| 6 | 5 | 3 | 15 | 30 |
| 8 | 7 | 4 | 28 | 56 |
| 9 | 9 | 4 | 36 | 72 |
| 12 | 11 | 6 | 66 | 132 |
Matches in one round can be played at the same time, so matches per round is the number of courts or tables that keeps everyone busy. The round robin schedule guide works out the time for different court counts.
What happens with an odd number of teams?
The generator adds an empty slot, a bye. Whoever meets it rests that round, and the round shows Bye: name. Every team gets exactly one bye in a single round robin, and two in a double one. Five teams, A to E, entered in that order, give 5 rounds of 2 matches:
| Round | Matches | Bye |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | B–E, C–D | A |
| 2 | A–E, B–C | D |
| 3 | A–D, C–E | B |
| 4 | A–C, B–D | E |
| 5 | A–B, D–E | C |
Decide before round one what a bye is worth, and tell everyone. Because a team rests each round, a mid-season table has teams on different numbers of matches, so compare points per match played until every team has had its bye.
Should I choose a single or a double round robin?
Choose single for a one-day event or a small group, and double when you have several weeks and want one bad day not to decide a place. The tournament formats guide compares the options. Six teams play 15 matches single, or 30 in 10 rounds double.
In the generator's double round robin, the second half repeats the first with home and away swapped, and the rounds are numbered straight on. The team named first in a fixture is "home". The first entrant swaps sides every round, which keeps home and away within one of each other for every team when the number of teams is even. In a sport with no home advantage, use the label for who serves or chooses ends first.
How does the generator build the schedule?
It uses the circle method. One entrant stays fixed, the rest are turned one place each round, and the entrants facing each other play. As Wikipedia describes it, one competitor is fixed and the others are rotated one position in a fixed direction. Every pair meets exactly once and nobody plays twice in a round.
An odd number gets a bye as the extra slot. The round robin schedule guide walks through the method by hand, with finished tables for 4, 5, 6 and 8 players.
How do I break ties in a round robin?
Agree the order before the first match and write it down. Wikipedia names the two most common tiebreakers: the scores in matches between the tied teams, and the scores across all matches.
A workable order for a club league is points (or wins), then the difference between scored and conceded, then total scored, then the result between the tied teams, then a deciding match or a coin toss. Rule books differ and the order can change who wins, so the round robin schedule guide shows how the Premier League and the 2026 World Cup do it.
When should I run the league in Flobit instead?
This tool writes the schedule and stops there: it keeps no scores and no table. Use it to plan on paper, or when your league lives in a spreadsheet or a group chat.
Flobit calls a round robin a League. In Flobit tournaments you choose once or twice, approve entries, and the fixtures, live scores and standings table are kept for you. Results confirm automatically after 24 hours, and organizers can correct tournament results. For a social padel night where partners change every round, see the Americano generator.
Frequently asked questions
How many matches are in a round robin?
With n teams, a single round robin has n(n − 1) ÷ 2 matches, and a double round robin has n(n − 1). Six teams play 15 matches single or 30 double; eight teams play 28 or 56. Every team meets each of the other n − 1 teams, and the formula counts each pairing once.
How many rounds does a round robin have?
With an even number of teams, n − 1 rounds, each with n ÷ 2 matches. With an odd number, n rounds of (n − 1) ÷ 2 matches, with one team resting each round. Six teams need 5 rounds and seven teams need 7. A double round robin has twice as many rounds.
What is a bye in a round robin?
A round in which a team has no opponent. With an odd number of teams someone must rest every round, so the generator adds an empty slot and whoever is paired with it has the bye. Each team gets exactly one bye per round robin. Decide before the first round whether a bye earns any points.
What is a double round robin?
A round robin in which every pair plays twice, usually once with each side at home. In this generator the second half repeats the first with home and away swapped. The number of matches and rounds doubles: six teams play 30 matches in 10 rounds.
Does the generator draw teams at random?
No. It keeps the order you type, and the first name is held fixed by the circle method (and gets the round-one bye if the number is odd). For a random draw, put the names in order by lot first, then paste them in.
Is the round-robin generator free?
Yes. It is free, has no sign-up and no ads, and the names you type stay in your browser. It writes the schedule only. For scores and a standings table, keep a sheet or run a League in Flobit, which is free too.
Can Flobit run a round robin?
Yes. Flobit calls it a League: everyone plays everyone once or twice, fixtures and live scores are kept for you, and the standings table updates as results are confirmed. Create it inside a community, cap the entries anywhere from 2 to 512, approve who joins, then generate the fixtures and publish.
Sources
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