Professional Digital Scoring for Lawn Bowls Clubs

Real-time scorecard app with spectator access, multi-rink support, and automated match reports for UK & Worldwide bowling clubs

WEBA Score - Tournaments Feature Guide

WEBA Score - Tournaments Feature Guide

Table of Contents

  1. Overview
  2. Tournament Types & Structures
  3. Creating a Tournament
  4. Tournament Phases
  5. Managing Tournaments (Organiser)
  6. Viewing Tournaments (Participants)
  7. Knockout Stage
  8. Scoring & Progression
  9. Technical Details

Overview

WEBA Score's Tournament feature allows clubs to run complete bowling tournaments with: - Group stages with automatic league generation - Knockout stages with Quarter Finals, Semi Finals, and Finals - Automatic progression - winners advance automatically - Real-time updates - all participants see live scores - PDF generation - print fixture sheets - Flexible formats - supports 8-24 teams

Access Levels

  • FREE tier: No tournament access
  • BASIC tier: Full tournament access
  • CLUB tier: Full tournament access
  • ASSOCIATION tier: Full tournament access

Tournament Types & Structures

Supported Team Counts: 8-24 Teams

The system automatically generates optimal league structures based on team count:

2-Group Structures (8-12 teams)

Teams Structure Sessions Knockout Format
8 2 groups of 4 3 Semi Finals → Final
9 2 groups (5, 4) 5 Semi Finals → Final
10 2 groups of 5 5 Semi Finals → Final
11 2 groups (6, 5) 5 Semi Finals → Final
12 2 groups of 6 5 Semi Finals → Final

3-Group Structures (13-15 teams)

Teams Structure Sessions Knockout Format
13 3 groups (5, 4, 4) 5 Semi Finals → Final
14 3 groups (5, 5, 4) 5 Semi Finals → Final
15 3 groups of 5 5 Semi Finals → Final

4-Group Structures (16-24 teams)

Teams Structure Sessions Knockout Format
16 4 groups of 4 3 Quarter Finals → Semi Finals → Final
17 4 groups (5, 4, 4, 4) 5 Quarter Finals → Semi Finals → Final
18 4 groups (5, 5, 4, 4) 5 Quarter Finals → Semi Finals → Final
19 4 groups (5, 5, 5, 4) 5 Quarter Finals → Semi Finals → Final
20 4 groups of 5 5 Quarter Finals → Semi Finals → Final
21 4 groups (6, 5, 5, 5) 5 Quarter Finals → Semi Finals → Final
22 4 groups (6, 6, 5, 5) 5 Quarter Finals → Semi Finals → Final
23 4 groups (6, 6, 6, 5) 5 Quarter Finals → Semi Finals → Final
24 4 groups of 6 5 Quarter Finals → Semi Finals → Final

Qualification Rules

2 Groups (8-12 teams)

  • Top 2 from each group = 4 qualifiers
  • Advance to: Semi Finals

3 Groups (13-15 teams)

  • Top 1 from each group = 3 teams
  • Best runner-up = 1 team
  • Total: 4 qualifiersSemi Finals
  • Runner-up comparison uses:
  • Points per game
  • Shot difference
  • Manual one-end shootout if still tied

4 Groups (16-24 teams with 8 qualifiers)

  • Top 2 from each group = 8 qualifiers
  • Advance to: Quarter Finals

Creating a Tournament

Prerequisites

  • Must be a club admin
  • Club must have BASIC tier or higher subscription
  • Access via Admin Dashboard → Tournaments button

Step-by-Step Creation

  1. Navigate to Tournaments
  2. Open Admin Dashboard
  3. Click "Tournaments" button
  4. Click floating "+" button to create

  5. Basic Information

  6. Tournament Name: e.g., "Summer Pairs Competition 2026"
  7. Date: Select tournament date
  8. Rink Configuration: Number of available rinks (1-12)

  9. Game Format

  10. Bowls per Player: 2, 3, or 4 bowls
  11. Ends per Game: Number of ends (typically 5-6)

  12. Team Configuration

  13. Number of Teams: Use slider to select (8-24)
  14. System shows preview of league structure
  15. Team Names: Enter all team names

    • Default: "Team 1", "Team 2", etc.
    • Customise as needed
  16. Review & Create

  17. Preview shows:
    • League structure (e.g., "4 groups of 4")
    • Number of sessions
    • Total fixtures
  18. Click "Create Tournament"

What Happens Next

The system automatically: - ✅ Generates league structure - ✅ Assigns teams to groups (A, B, C, D) - ✅ Creates all group stage fixtures - ✅ Assigns rinks for each session - ✅ Generates unique 6-character tournament code - ✅ Sets tournament status to "Setup"


Tournament Phases

Phase 1: Setup

  • Status: "Setup"
  • Tab: "Upcoming"
  • Actions Available:
  • View fixture schedule
  • Print fixture sheets
  • Share tournament code
  • Edit tournament details
  • Delete tournament

Phase 2: Group Stage

  • Status: "Group Stage" (set manually by organiser)
  • Tab: "In Progress"
  • What Happens:
  • Teams play round-robin within their groups
  • Organiser enters scores after each game
  • Standings update automatically
  • Fixtures marked complete in real-time

Phase 3: Knockouts

  • Status: "Knockouts" (set automatically)
  • Tab: "In Progress"
  • Triggered When: Organiser clicks "Generate Knockouts"
  • What Happens:
  • System determines qualifiers based on standings
  • Creates Quarter Finals or Semi Finals fixtures
  • Winners advance automatically as games complete
  • Final is generated when Semi Finals complete

Phase 4: Complete

  • Status: "Complete" (set automatically)
  • Tab: "Completed"
  • Triggered When: Final score is entered
  • Tournament Winner: Team that wins the final

Managing Tournaments (Organiser)

Accessing Organiser Mode

  1. Navigate to tournament
  2. Click "Organiser Mode" button
  3. Access full management interface

Organiser Dashboard Features

Session Selector (Group Stage)

  • View fixtures by session number
  • Filter by league (A, B, C, D)
  • See which games are scheduled vs complete

Knockout Selector (Knockout Stage)

  • Switch between stages:
  • Quarter Finals (if applicable)
  • Semi Finals
  • Final
  • View bracket progression

Entering Scores

  1. Select Fixture
  2. Choose session/stage
  3. Click on fixture card

  4. Enter Score

  5. Home team score
  6. Away team score
  7. Click "Submit"

  8. Automatic Updates

  9. Fixture marked complete ✅
  10. Standings recalculated (group stage)
  11. Winner advances (knockout stage)
  12. Next round generated if needed

Editing Scores

Scores are fully editable at any time:

Group Stage: - Edit any completed fixture - Standings recalculate automatically

Knockout Stage: - Edit any completed knockout fixture - System detects if winner changed - Automatically updates next round with new winner - If next round already played, it gets reset for replay (or score re-entry)

Example:

Quarter Final: Team A beat Team B (21-10)
Semi Final created: Team A vs Team C

[You realise you entered wrong score]

Quarter Final: Changed to Team B beat Team A (21-10)
Semi Final automatically updated: Team B vs Team C ✅

Generating Knockouts

  1. Complete Group Stage
  2. Ensure all group fixtures are complete
  3. Check final standings

  4. Generate Knockouts

  5. Click "Generate Knockouts" button
  6. System determines qualifiers based on rules
  7. Knockout fixtures created instantly
  8. Tournament status → "Knockouts"

  9. Automatic Progression

  10. Enter Quarter Final scores
  11. Semi Finals generate automatically
  12. Enter Semi Final scores
  13. Final generates automatically
  14. Enter Final score
  15. Tournament marked "Complete" ✅

Printing Fixture Sheets

  1. Access Print Dialog
  2. Click "Print Fixtures" button
  3. Choose session or knockout stage

  4. Layout Options

  5. Full Page: One teams fixtures per page
  6. 2 Per Page: Two teams fixtures per page (Landscape)
  7. Professional PDF format
  8. Print or save for distribution

Viewing Tournaments (Participants)

Finding Tournaments

Method 1: Tournament List (Club Members)

  • Tournaments appear automatically in your list
  • Filter by tab: Upcoming, In Progress, Completed

Method 2: Join by Code (Anyone)

  1. Click search icon in Tournaments screen
  2. Enter 6-character tournament code
  3. View tournament details

Tournament Tabs

Fixtures Tab

Shows all scheduled games: - Group Stage: Organised by session - Filter by League: A, B, C, D - Completion Status: ✅ or ⏱️ - Live Scores: Updates in real-time

Standings Tab

League tables for group stage: - Points: Win = 2pts, Draw = 1pt, Loss = 0pt - Games Played - Shot Difference (aggregate) - Sorted by: Points → Shot Difference - Updates live as scores are entered

Knockouts Tab

Bracket-style view: - Quarter Finals (if applicable) - Semi Finals - Final - Shows matchups and results - Live updates as games complete

Real-Time Updates

All participants see updates instantly: - ✅ Scores appear as they're entered - ✅ Standings update automatically - ✅ Knockout progression visible - ✅ No refresh needed


Knockout Stage

Quarter Finals (8 qualifiers)

4-Group Standard Pairings

When you have exactly 4 groups with top 2 from each:

QF1: 1st in Group A  vs  2nd in Group B
QF2: 1st in Group C  vs  2nd in Group D
QF3: 1st in Group B  vs  2nd in Group C
QF4: 1st in Group D  vs  2nd in Group A

This avoids same-group rematches in Quarter Finals.

5-6 Group Seeding

When you have 5-6 groups (top 1 + best runners-up): - Teams seeded by: 1st place teams first, then by points per game - Pairings use best-vs-worst seeding:

QF1: Seed 1  vs  Seed 8
QF2: Seed 4  vs  Seed 5
QF3: Seed 2  vs  Seed 7
QF4: Seed 3  vs  Seed 6

Semi Finals (4 qualifiers)

2-Group Standard Pairings

SF1: 1st in Group A  vs  2nd in Group B
SF2: 1st in Group B  vs  2nd in Group A

3-Group Pairings

When qualifiers are top 1 from each + best runner-up: - First-place teams ranked by points per game

SF1: Best 1st place  vs  Runner-up
SF2: 2nd best 1st    vs  3rd best 1st

From Quarter Finals

Quarter Final winners paired:

SF1: QF1 Winner  vs  QF2 Winner
SF2: QF3 Winner  vs  QF4 Winner

Final

Semi Final winners compete for the championship.

Rink Selection

Knockout fixtures intelligently avoid repeat rinks: - Priority: Rinks neither team has used - Fallback: Rinks both teams used (not recently) - Final: Typically Rink 1 (unless played in Semi Final)


Scoring & Progression

Group Stage Standings

Within-Group Ranking

Teams sorted by: 1. Total Points - Win = 2 points - Draw = 1 point - Loss = 0 points 2. Shot Difference (aggregate) 3. Head-to-head result 4. One-end shootout (manual, if needed)

Cross-Group Comparison

When comparing teams from different groups: 1. Points per game (PPG) - Example: 6 points from 4 games = 1.50 PPG - Example: 5 points from 3 games = 1.67 PPG - Team with 1.67 PPG ranks higher ✅ 2. Shot difference 3. One-end shootout (manual)

This ensures fairness when groups play different numbers of games.

Automatic Progression

Quarter Finals → Semi Finals

  • As Quarter Final scores entered, system tracks completion
  • When all 4 Quarter Finals complete:
  • 4 winners identified automatically
  • 2 Semi Final fixtures created instantly
  • Organiser notified

Semi Finals → Final

  • When both Semi Finals complete:
  • 2 winners identified
  • Final fixture created instantly
  • Organiser notified

Final → Tournament Complete

  • When Final score entered:
  • Winner determined
  • Tournament status → "Complete"
  • Moves to "Completed" tab

Score Editing & Correction

The system handles score corrections intelligently:

If you edit a knockout score: 1. System detects if winner changed 2. Automatically updates next round with correct winner 3. If next round already played: - Resets that fixture to "Scheduled" - Removes invalid scores - Must be replayed with correct teams or enter corrected score.

Example scenario:

Quarter Final 1: Entered Team A beat Team B
Semi Final 1 created: Team A vs Team C
Semi Final 1 played: Team A beat Team C

[Realise QF1 score was wrong]

Edit QF1 to: Team B beat Team A
System automatically:
- Updates SF1: Team B vs Team C
- Resets SF1 score (Team A's win invalid)
- SF1 must be replayed with correct teams

Technical Details

Tournament Statuses

Status Description Tab Next Action
setup Created, not started Upcoming Start group stage
group_stage Group games in progress In Progress Complete all fixtures → Generate knockouts
knockouts Knockout stage active In Progress Complete knockout fixtures
complete Tournament finished Completed View final results

Fixture Stages

  • group - Group stage fixtures
  • quarter - Quarter Final fixtures
  • semi - Semi Final fixtures
  • final - Final fixture

Data Structure

Each tournament stores: - Tournament document: Name, date, settings, status - Teams collection: All participating teams with league assignments - Fixtures collection: All games (group + knockout) - Standings collection: League tables (one per group) - Tournament code: 6-character unique identifier

Real-Time Sync

Uses Firestore real-time listeners: - All devices see updates instantly - No manual refresh needed - Works across web and mobile - Handles offline mode gracefully

Subscription Limits

Tier Tournament Access
FREE ❌ No access
BASIC ✅ Full access
CLUB ✅ Full access
ASSOCIATION ✅ Full access

PDF Generation

Features: - Multiple layout options - Professional formatting - Print-ready quality - Session/stage specific sheets


Best Practices

For Organisers

  1. Pre-Tournament
  2. Print fixture sheets before tournament day
  3. Share tournament code with participants
  4. Test one score entry to ensure system works

  5. During Group Stage

  6. Enter scores promptly after each game
  7. Double-check scores before submitting
  8. Monitor standings for any issues

  9. Generating Knockouts

  10. Verify all group fixtures complete
  11. Check final standings before generating
  12. Announce knockout pairings to participants

  13. During Knockouts

  14. Enter scores immediately after each game
  15. Watch for automatic progression
  16. Verify correct teams in next round

  17. Score Corrections

  18. Edit mistakes as soon as noticed
  19. Check if next round needs replay
  20. Inform affected teams if fixtures reset

For Participants

  1. Before Tournament
  2. Join using tournament code
  3. Check your group and fixtures
  4. Note your game times/rinks

  5. During Tournament

  6. Check standings after your games
  7. Monitor knockout progression
  8. Refresh if updates seem delayed

  9. Viewing Results

  10. Fixtures tab shows all games
  11. Standings tab shows league tables
  12. Knockouts tab shows bracket

Troubleshooting

Tournament Not Showing in List

  • Check subscription tier - Must be BASIC or higher
  • Check tab - Look in correct tab (Upcoming/In Progress/Completed)
  • Try joining by code - Use search icon to join manually

Knockouts Not Generating

  • Verify all fixtures complete - Check every group game marked ✅
  • Check standings - Ensure all teams have results
  • Reload page - Force refresh if needed

Score Won't Submit

  • Check network connection - Must be online
  • Verify both scores entered - Both home and away required
  • Try again - Temporary network issue

Wrong Team in Knockout

  • Edit the previous round score - System updates automatically
  • Check next round - Should show correct team
  • If already played - Next round resets for replay (or score re-entry)

Fixture Not Showing

  • Check session/stage selector - Ensure correct session selected
  • Check league filter - May be filtered to different league
  • Refresh page - Force reload of data

Support & Feedback

Getting Help

  • Contact tournament organiser for game-day issues
  • Check this guide for feature explanations

Changelog

Current Version Features: - ✅ 8-24 team support - ✅ Automatic league generation - ✅ Intelligent knockout pairings - ✅ Editable scores with automatic updates - ✅ Real-time synchronisation - ✅ PDF fixture generation - ✅ Cross-group comparison using PPG - ✅ Automatic tournament completion


Last Updated: February 2026 WEBA Score - Lawn Bowls Scoring Management