Host a Match Day (Auto-Schedule a Tournament)

Overview

Hosting a festival or round-robin tournament? Host a match day (previously called Festival planner, it's the same screen) builds the whole schedule for you: every pairing, kick-off time, pitch assignment and bye, in seconds, then turns it into a real match day you can run from your phone.

No spreadsheet, no fixture grid falling apart when a team drops out: change the inputs and regenerate.

Where to find it

Fixtures tab → + New → Host a match day ("Auto-schedule a round-robin tournament").

Setting it up

  1. Event details: tournament name, date, location/postcode, and the match format (3v3 to 11v11).
  2. Teams: type each team name (2 to 16 teams). Your own side counts as one of them.
  3. Pitches available: 1 to 8. The planner runs games in parallel across however many pitches you have.
  4. Timing:
    • Each game: tap a preset or type your own length (12-minute games, no problem), then choose how it's split: No half time (the usual for short festival games), Halves, Quarters or Thirds. With halves you can set the first half if the two aren't equal.
    • The break: with halves it's the Half-time break; with quarters or thirds it's the break at each one (Break between quarters or Break between thirds). There's no break box when there's no half time.
    • Break between games, and the first kick-off (a tap-to-pick time control).
  5. Tap Generate schedule.

You'll get a live preview of the full schedule, already in shareable form: matches, rounds, time slots, byes, and the estimated finish time, laid out kick-off by kick-off.

How the timings add up

Each slot is play, then every break within the game, then the break between games. For example, 2 x 10 minute halves with a 2 minute half-time and 5 minutes between games puts kick-offs 27 minutes apart. Quarters have three breaks and thirds two, so 4 x 10 minute quarters with 2 minute breaks and 5 minutes between games puts kick-offs 51 minutes apart (40 + 3 x 2 + 5).

The breaks are a scheduling figure only. They don't change the live-match clock once you're running the game, which pauses at each break when you tap it.

Sharing the schedule

From the live preview, or the Share button in a match day's Matches section afterwards, you can share a schedule graphic (for WhatsApp), a personal schedule card for one visiting team, a print-ready PDF, or the schedule as plain text, and set each club's badge right from the preview. See Sharing a match day schedule for the full set of options.

Turning it into a match day

Tap Create match day and the planner creates the whole thing in Squadd: a match day for the date with every game as a fixture, kick-off times, opponents and durations all set, including any games that are between two other teams. From there it works like any match day: availability, squad picking, live recording, results.

Tip: the game length and how it's split (halves, quarters, thirds or no half time) carry through to every game's live match clock automatically.

Editing timings after the day's created

Open Edit match day to change the game length, how it's split, the break, or the Break between games.

  • Save stores the change without moving any kick-off times. The times you've already published stay put, and the gap between games absorbs it.
  • Re-space kick-off times instead moves every later game so each slot runs play, then every break within the game, then the break between games. The first kick-off never moves, and only games that are still upcoming and scheduled are affected.

Good to know

  • Byes are handled. Odd team counts get a rest round each, listed under the schedule.
  • Regenerate freely. Nothing is saved until you tap Create match day, so tweak teams/timings and generate again as often as you like.
  • A team dropped out on the day? Edit the match day's fixtures like any others.
  • Club badges are set by tapping a badge circle on the schedule preview, saved once per opponent and reused all season. See Sharing a match day schedule.
  • Looking to import a schedule someone else made (e.g. a Tournify screenshot)? That's Scan, an invite-only beta available from the "Match day (you're taking part)" flow. See Adding a fixture to an existing Match Day.

FAQs

Can I do groups + knockouts?
Not yet. The planner builds round-robins (everyone plays everyone). For finals, add a fixture to the match day afterwards.

What's the team limit?
16 teams. For bigger events, split into two match days (e.g. morning/afternoon groups).

How many pitches can I use?
Up to 8.

Does it work for senior tournaments?
Yes, it's the same planner for youth festivals and adult round-robins alike.

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