Tournament States
Understanding the tournament lifecycle and what's possible in each state.
State Overview
Tournaments progress through these states:
Optional states:
Not Started
The initial state when a tournament is created. This is the setup phase where the tournament director prepares everything.
What Can Be Done
- ✅ Edit tournament details
- ✅ Open/close registration
- ✅ Open/close check-in
- ✅ View/manage entries
- ✅ Remove entries
- ✅ Start the tournament
- ✅ Cancel the tournament
Independent Controls
Registration and check-in have their own independent states:
| Registration | Check-In | Typical Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Closed | Closed | Just created, not announced yet |
| Open | Closed | Accepting registrations, not tournament day |
| Open | Open | Tournament day, accepting late registrations |
| Closed | Open | No new registrations, checking in existing |
In Progress
The tournament is actively running. Games are being played and scored.
What Can Be Done
- ✅ Score active games
- ✅ View bracket/standings
- ✅ View game history
- ✅ Pause the tournament
- ✅ Complete the tournament (when all games done)
- ❌ Add new participants
- ❌ Change format or rules
- ❌ Edit completed games
No Going Back
Once started, you cannot add participants or modify the structure. Make sure everyone is checked in before clicking Start!
Paused
Tournament is temporarily halted. Use this for breaks, weather delays, or other interruptions.
What Can Be Done
- ✅ View current state
- ✅ Resume the tournament
- ❌ Score games
- ❌ Modify structure
Completed
All games are finished and final standings are set. This is the end state for successful tournaments.
What Can Be Done
- ✅ View final standings
- ✅ View complete game history
- ✅ View statistics for all participants
- ✅ Share results
- ❌ Modify anything
Canceled
Tournament was canceled before completion. Only possible from "Not Started" state.
Cannot Cancel In Progress
You cannot cancel a tournament that has already started. If you need to end early, you would complete it with current standings.
State Transitions
| From | To | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Not Started | In Progress | Start Tournament |
| Not Started | Canceled | Cancel Tournament |
| In Progress | Paused | Pause Tournament |
| In Progress | Completed | All games finished |
| Paused | In Progress | Resume Tournament |