To organize a tennis tournament, rely on a club affiliated with the FFT, get the tournament sanctioned through ADOC (with a certified referee, at least 90 days in advance), define the events by age, sex and ranking category, open registrations, build the bracket (with seeds), schedule the courts, then publish the results. Allow 3 to 6 months of preparation.
Step 1: understand the governing framework and sanctioning
Which governing body to organize a tennis tournament in France?
In France, the FFT (Fédération Française de Tennis) is the governing body for tennis. It represents France within the ITF (International Tennis Federation) and sanctions tournaments: a sanctioned tournament earns points toward the national ranking of players. An official competition requires licensed players and a certified referee.
Your first choice shapes everything else: the level and scope of the tournament. A sanctioned tournament (open to certain ranking bands, counting toward the ranking) follows the FFT specifications; an internal club event is freer. In both cases, the bracket, the score tracking and the schedule are the same building blocks, but sanctioning adds requirements (referee, declaration through ADOC, lead times).
Inquire early with your departmental committee and your league: they validate the sanctioning, provide the framework and specify the requirements (open categories, ranking bands, referee). Plan ahead for the sanctioning, because its lead time determines the tournament date.
Step 2: define the events, the categories and the ranking
What categories and what rankings in tennis?
Tennis is played by sex, by age category and by ranking, in singles as well as doubles. The age categories range from juniors (in brackets from 8-10 to 17-18 years) to seniors, then to seniors plus (from 35 to 80 years, in five-year brackets). The FFT ranking includes several series and tiers, from the 4th series up to the numbered players.
Tournaments are most often organized by ranking bands to group players of similar level (for example "up to 30/2" or "4th series"). Decide on the open events (singles, doubles, mixed doubles), the age categories and the ranking bands, and publish them clearly: they are what determines who can register and how many brackets you will have to manage.
On the play itself, a game is scored 15, 30, 40 then game; a set is won at six games with a two-game margin, with a tie-break at 6-6; a match is most often played as best of three sets. At amateur level, it is often shortened with a ten-point super tie-break or the no-ad format. Announce the chosen game format right from registration.
Step 3: set the date, the venue and the budget
How long does it take to organize a tennis tournament?
Allow 3 to 6 months, including the sanctioning lead time (at least 90 days in advance). Book the courts and set the dates from the start, taking your league's calendar into account. Open registrations several weeks ahead, and set a closing date to lock the brackets.
The venue is above all the number of available courts, which determines how many matches you can run in parallel and therefore the duration of the tournament. A singles court measures 23.77 m by 8.23 m (10.97 m in doubles), on clay, hard court, grass or indoor. Also plan for a welcome and posting area, and a table for the referee.
The budget depends on court rental, balls, the referee, prizes and the sanctioning. Build it item by item rather than as a single figure. The detail is further down. Do not announce any license or registration fee amount without having checked it at the official source.
Step 4: get the tournament sanctioned and obtain the authorizations
How do you get a tennis tournament sanctioned?
Sanctioning is requested from the FFT, through the ADOC application, by an affiliated club, an authorized organization, a departmental committee or a league. Allow a lead time of at least 90 days before the tournament and the appointment of a certified referee. The departmental committee handles the follow-up and forwards it to the league for validation.
Sanctioning is the central step of an official tennis tournament: it determines the allocation of ranking points and is done exclusively through ADOC. If your tournament is held on a public road or a public space, add a sports event declaration on declaration-manifestations.gouv.fr. Refer to fft.fr and to your league for the up-to-date procedure.
On participation, each player must present a current-year FFT license. For adults, the medical certificate is no longer systematically required since 2022 (health questionnaire); for minors, an attestation of the health questionnaire is enough, except for a positive answer calling for a certificate. The license includes civil liability insurance. Date each step on your countdown plan.
Step 5: open registrations and build the brackets
How do you manage registrations for a tennis tournament?
Open registrations online: each player chooses their event, their age category and their ranking band, and indicates their club. Also collect, depending on your rules, the license number and the ranking. Approve or reject each request, set a closing date, then lock the brackets. Software avoids double entry and the Excel list to cross-check.
For the competition, plan to collect from each registrant: name, sex, date of birth (for the age category), ranking, target event, club and license number. This information helps you place the players in the right brackets and position the seeds. Since clubs enter several players, plan to enter lists all at once rather than registration by registration.
Competition management software collects these registrations online by category, whereas an Excel sheet forces you to retype everything by hand. You keep a clean list, filterable by category and by status, with search by name, ready to generate the brackets and the pools.
Step 6: build the bracket, the seeds and the pools
What format for a tennis tournament?
The most common format is the single-elimination bracket, where the seeds are placed according to the ranking to prevent the top-ranked players from meeting too early. For small events, the pool (round-robin) guarantees several matches to everyone, and the formats with consolation or multi-chance offer a second match to those who lose.
Placing the seeds, according to the ranking of the registrants, is a key step of the draw: it is up to the organizer and the referee to position the best players at opposite ends of the bracket. Then choose the game format (best of three sets, decisive super tie-break, no-ad) according to the number of registrants and courts to keep to your duration.
Drawing these brackets by hand and recomposing them after each result is the leading source of error and delay. A software that automatically generates your tennis bracket produces the single-elimination (with an optional match for 3rd place), the double-elimination and the pool in one click, and advances the winner as soon as you enter the result of a match.
Step 7: schedule the courts
How do you schedule a tennis tournament on a limited number of courts?
The number of available courts is the number one constraint. Estimate the average duration of a match according to the chosen format, and spread the matches by court and by time slot while respecting the rest times of players who play back-to-back. Post a schedule by court and keep it up to date as the results come in.
A tennis tournament lives to the rhythm of its courts. When a match ends early or late, the whole schedule shifts: you have to reschedule, notify the players and prevent the same player from being expected on two courts. On paper, this tracking is the leading source of confusion.
Assigning a court and a time to each match, and detecting time-slot conflicts, is exactly the kind of task that competition management software takes on, keeping the schedule up to date as the matches advance and the bracket fills in.
Step 8: the referee and the officials
What is the role of the referee in a tennis tournament?
The tournament referee (JAT), certified, is responsible for the conduct of the competition: they validate the draw and the seeds, manage the schedule, enforce the rules and settle disputes. Their appointment is mandatory for a sanctioned tournament. Around them, plan for the welcome desk, the posting and, depending on the level, chair umpires.
Scorekeeping during the matches is most often handled by the players themselves (self-officiating), under the authority of the referee who supervises all the courts. At the highest levels, chair umpires officiate. Your role as organizer is to give the referee the right conditions (clear schedule, match sheets, posting) and to relay the results.
Also plan for the welcome and logistics roles: registration and match-sheet handout table, posting of the brackets and the schedule, balls in sufficient quantity, refreshments, and something to award the prizes. For a club event, the organization is light; for a sanctioned tournament, the governing framework applies.
Step 9: prepare the courts and the equipment
What courts and what equipment for a tennis tournament?
You need compliant courts (23.77 m by 8.23 m in singles, 10.97 m in doubles), ideally of the same surface (clay, hard court, grass or indoor) for fairness, balls in quantity (new each round at high levels), regulation nets and posts, and a posting of the brackets. Plan for lighting if you play in the evening.
The surface influences play: clay is slow with a high bounce, grass is fast, hard court is intermediate. For a fair tournament, preferably play a given event on a single surface, and plan for a fallback solution in case of rain (covered courts) that can save your calendar.
Complete with the referee's table, the posting of the brackets and the schedule, the signage to the courts, a first-aid kit, refreshments and something to award prizes and gifts. A clear welcome point smooths the arrival of players and the handout of match sheets.
Step 10: communicate and fill the tournament
How do you communicate about a tennis tournament?
Create a public page with the presentation, the dates, the venue, the rules (events, age categories, ranking bands, game format) and the list of registrants by event. Share it with neighboring clubs, your committee and on social media. Specify the conditions (license, ranking, format) early to avoid back-and-forth by email.
The amateur tennis audience is local: neighboring clubs, families, licensed players looking for matches. Relay the announcement to the clubs of your committee and through the league's channels. Clearly indicate the open events, the ranking bands and the format, because these elements determine who registers. A public page with the list of entrants by bracket gives a serious image and limits questions.
Step 11: manage the matches on event day
How do you track the matches of a tennis tournament on event day?
After the welcome and the verification of the licenses, launch the brackets. The referee calls the matches court by court; at the end of each match, the score is reported and entered. The winner advances to the next round, the pool ranking updates, and the audience follows brackets and results without a paper sheet.
Event day flows to the rhythm of the courts. Welcome, handout of the match sheets, calling of the players, then the matches start. When a match ends, the result is entered right away and the court is reassigned to the next match. Watch the rest times of players who play back-to-back and keep the schedule up to date to avoid court conflicts.
Centralized tracking changes the day. When the result is entered, the winner advances automatically in the bracket, the pool ranking recalculates, and the public page updates automatically for the clubs and the audience. This removes the scattered sheets, makes the brackets reliable and keeps the club informed.
Step 12: publish the results and review
How do you establish the ranking of a tennis tournament?
In a single-elimination bracket, the winner of the final is first, the finalist second. In a pool, the ranking is done by points (three per win), tied broken by the differential. Publish the results on the public results page; registrants, pool ranking and schedule export to CSV. For a sanctioned tournament, the referee transmits the results to the FFT for the ranking.
Once the finals are played, thank the referee, the officials and the volunteers, do the real financial review against the forecast, gather the feedback of the clubs and archive results and registrations. Export the list of registrants, the ranking of the pools and the schedule to CSV for your archives, and let the referee finalize the official transmission to the FFT.
How much does organizing a tennis tournament cost?
How much does organizing a tennis tournament cost?
The budget is built item by item: court rental or mobilization, balls, referee, sanctioning, prizes, communication and refreshments. Courts and balls often weigh the most. The revenue (registration fees, refreshment stand, sponsors) often balances a weekend. Check each federation amount at the source before announcing it.
Here are the items to plan for, with indicative ranges to adapt to your context. The amounts tied to the governing body (license, registration fees, sanctioning) change every season: confirm them on fft.fr or with your league before any announcement.
| Item | Indicative range |
|---|---|
| Courts (rental or mobilization) | often the 1st item, varies by club |
| Balls | varies by the number of matches and rounds |
| Referee and officials | allowances and expenses, depending on the league |
| Sanctioning | according to the FFT scale |
| Prizes (gifts, cups) | varies by the events |
| Communication and printing | variable |
| Refreshments and refreshment stand | variable |
| Contingency margin | 10 to 15% |
On the revenue side: registration fees per player and per event (to confirm with your league), refreshment stand and local sponsors. A well-filled tournament, with a refreshment stand running, often covers a notable share of the costs over a weekend.
Countdown plan and checklist to organize your tennis tournament
A countdown plan avoids oversights on the sanctioning, the courts and the referee.
- D-6 to D-4 months: define the events and ranking bands, book the courts, set the dates, identify the referee, build the forecast budget.
- D-4 to D-3 months: file the sanctioning request through ADOC (at least 90 days in advance), confirm the referee, prepare the communication.
- D-3 to D-2 months: open online registrations, define the age and ranking categories, communicate with the clubs, organize the welcome and the logistics.
- D-1 month to D-2 weeks: close registrations, build the brackets and place the seeds, finalize the court schedule and the equipment checklist (balls, posting).
- Event day: welcome and verification of the licenses, launch of the brackets, calls court by court, entry of the results, automatic posting.
- After: publish the results, export registrants, pool ranking and schedule to CSV, let the referee transmit to the FFT, give thanks, do the financial review, archive.
The common mistakes to avoid
- Sanctioning too late. FFT sanctioning through ADOC requires at least 90 days and the appointment of a referee. Plan ahead for it, because it determines the date and the ranking.
- Underestimating the number of courts. The number of courts sets the match throughput and the duration of the tournament. Calculate the number of matches per event before settling the format and the schedule.
- Placing the seeds poorly. A draw that pits the top-ranked players against each other in the first round spoils the tournament. Place the seeds according to the ranking, at opposite ends of the bracket.
- Choosing a game format that is too long. On few courts, matches in two full sets overrun. The decisive super tie-break or the no-ad make it possible to keep to the schedule.
- Mixing the surfaces. Having a given event played on different surfaces creates inequalities. Keep a homogeneous surface per bracket as much as possible.
- Managing the brackets on paper. Redrawing the brackets and rescheduling the courts by hand quickly distorts results and schedule. Centralized entry makes everything reliable.
FAQ: organizing a tennis tournament
Do you need software to organize a tennis tournament?
It is not mandatory, but strongly recommended from a few dozen players onward. Between events by category and by ranking, the single-elimination bracket, the pools, the matches to schedule on a limited number of courts and the ranking to maintain, manual tracking quickly becomes unmanageable. Software generates the brackets, advances the winner automatically and publishes the schedule by court.
How do you get a tennis tournament sanctioned?
Sanctioning is requested from the FFT, through the ADOC application, by an affiliated club, an authorized organization, a departmental committee or a league. Allow a lead time of at least 90 days before the tournament, and the appointment of a certified referee. A sanctioned tournament earns points toward the national ranking of players.
What categories and what rankings in tennis?
Tennis is played by sex, by age category (juniors in brackets from 8-10 to 17-18 years, seniors, then seniors plus from 35 to 80 years) and by ranking. The FFT ranking includes several series and tiers (from the 4th series up to the numbered players). Tournaments are often organized by ranking bands to group players of similar level.
How is a tennis match scored?
A game is scored 15, 30, 40 then game. A set is won at six games with a two-game margin, with a tie-break at 6-6, won by the first to seven points with a two-point margin. A match is most often played as best of three sets. At amateur level, a ten-point super tie-break or the no-ad format is often used to shorten matches.
What license and what medical certificate to play?
For a sanctioned tournament, a current-year FFT license is mandatory. For adults, the medical certificate is no longer systematically required since 2022 (health questionnaire); for minors, an attestation of the health questionnaire is enough, except for a positive answer which calls for a certificate. The license includes civil liability insurance.
Can you organize a tennis tournament for free?
You pay certain items (courts, balls, referee, prizes) and the sanctioning. However, the management tool can be free: CompetHub is free to start, no credit card. You manage registrations, brackets, scores, court schedule and ranking with no software cost.
The software to organize your tennis tournament
Once the method is set, the tool does the rest. CompetHub connects every step of this guide: online registrations by category and by ranking, bulk entry of club lists (profiles without an account), single-elimination, double-elimination and pool brackets generated automatically, entry of the winner and the score, automatic winner advancement, pool ranking, schedule by court, branded public results page and CSV export of the registrants, the pool ranking and the schedule. The sanctioning and the official ranking remain managed by the FFT and the referee. Organize the tournament. We make it come alive.
To compare the features in detail, see the tennis tournament software page.
Launch your tennis tournament right now.
Registrations by category and ranking, single-elimination brackets, pools, score tracking and court schedule: everything is brought together. Free to start, no credit card.