Free tool

Swiss pairing generator

Paste your players and pair round 1. Enter results, pair the next round, and the standings and tiebreakers work themselves out.

How it works

Paste the namesOne per line, from 4 to 64. The suggested rounds and top cut follow the size of the field.
Play a roundTap each table's winner. Pairings can be redone until the first result is in.
Pair the next onePlayers meet someone on the same record, never twice. Then the top cut decides it.

How Swiss pairing works

Round 1 is random. After that, players are paired at random within the same record, starting from the top, and nobody plays the same person twice. With an odd number, someone from the lowest record gets a bye (it counts as a win), and nobody gets two.

These are the rules the Play! Pokémon handbook uses, and most chess, card game and video game locals run Swiss the same way.

Rounds, tiebreakers and the top cut

The suggested rounds and top cut follow the handbook's table: 8 players play 3 rounds, 9 to 12 play 4 and a Top 4, 21 to 32 play 5 and a Top 8. Change either before round 1.

Level on points, players are sorted by their opponents' win percentage, then their opponents' opponents' win percentage, then head-to-head. Byes don't count toward anyone's win percentage.

Take your tournaments further

Free account

Keep every tournament

A free account gives each event its own page people can find and join, keeps the players and results, and runs it live from your phone.

GS Circuit

Run bigger events

Fields of 64 or 256, championship seasons, co-organizers and your branding on the tournament page.

Questions

How many rounds of Swiss should I play?

Enough that one undefeated player can emerge: about log2 of the field. The tool suggests the Play! Pokémon numbers: 3 rounds for up to 8 players, 4 for 9 to 12, 5 for 13 to 32 and 6 for 33 to 64, with a Top 4 or Top 8 cut from 9 players.

What are the tiebreakers in Swiss?

Opponents' win percentage (how well the people you played did), then opponents' opponents' win percentage, then head-to-head when exactly two players are level. Each win percentage counts at least 25%.

How are byes handled?

With an odd number of players, one player sits out the round and gets a win. It goes to someone on the lowest record, and nobody gets two byes.

Can a player drop out?

Yes. Between rounds, press Drop next to their name in the standings; they keep their record and aren't paired again.

Can I redo a round's pairings?

Yes, until the first result of the round is in. Press Pair again.

Does it work for Pokémon, Magic or chess?

Yes. It follows the Play! Pokémon pairing rules, which match how most card game and chess clubs run Swiss. Results are a win, a loss or a tie.

Do I need an account?

No. The event stays in this browser and in its link. Run it as a live tournament and players report their own results from their phones, with a round clock and deck lists for Pokémon TCG.