How do I create my first tournament?
From your dashboard, click "New Tournament" and follow the setup wizard. You'll be able to configure the tournament name, date, entry fees, sidepots, brackets, and payout structure. Our Knowledge Base has detailed guides for each step.
Can I import bowlers from a spreadsheet?
Yes! Tournament Doctor supports importing bowlers from CSV and Excel files. Go to Manage Bowlers and click the Import button. You can map your spreadsheet columns to our fields for a seamless import.
How does the bracket system work?
Our bracket system automatically seeds bowlers based on their qualifying scores. You can run single or double elimination brackets, and the system tracks all matches and calculates payouts automatically.
How do multi-round tournaments work?
Multi-round format lets you structure a tournament into distinct rounds like Qualifying, Semifinals, and Finals. Enable it from Edit Tournament and choose a round template. Each round can have its own game count, format (Standard or Baker), and advancement cut.
Score Entry: Scores entered on the registration page automatically count as Round 1. After completing a round, you're prompted to continue to the next round's score entry page. Scores auto-save as you type.
Cuts: Configure a "Cut After" number on any round to advance only the top bowlers/teams to the next round. The next round stays locked until the cut is performed.
Reports: The tournament report shows a Round-by-Round Breakdown at the top with per-round standings. If you enable rounds on a tournament that already has scores, they automatically migrate to Round 1.
Can I delete a bracket from my tournament?
Yes, you can delete brackets from the Edit Tournament page using the red Delete button next to each bracket. However, brackets that already have participants cannot be deleted directly — this protects against accidental data loss. To remove a bracket with participants, go to Manage Brackets first and use the Unlock & Re-Run tools to clear the bracket instances.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept all major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover) through our secure Stripe payment processor. Your subscription renews automatically unless you cancel.
Can I cancel my subscription anytime?
Yes, you can cancel your subscription at any time from your account settings. You'll continue to have access until the end of your current billing period. No questions asked, no cancellation fees.
Is my tournament data backed up?
Absolutely. All your data is stored securely in the cloud with automatic daily backups. You can also export your tournament data at any time for your own records.
What are elimination brackets?
Tournament Doctor supports both single and double elimination brackets with 4 to 64 players. Seed brackets automatically from qualifying results or enter participants manually. Matches can use bowling scores (with handicap) or simple win/loss format, with configurable games per match.
How does bracket fairness work?
When filling 8-person brackets, Tournament Doctor runs 50,000 shuffle iterations to ensure fair matchup distribution. This prevents the same bowlers from being paired together repeatedly. You can view the Randomization Report for visual proof that matchups are spread evenly across all brackets.
What are age groups and how do I set them up?
Age groups let you create age-based divisions (Youth, Adult, Senior, etc.) with custom age ranges. Each group can have its own handicap percentage and max handicap override. Once configured, you can assign brackets to specific age groups so bowlers compete within their division.