League, combination and challenge tournaments

Single league: every team plays every other once; matches = N(N - 1) / 2. Double league: twice; matches = N(N - 1). Merits: the true winner, more matches, a full ranking, no waiting. Demerits: needs much time and facilities; weak teams lose interest.

Cyclic method: fix team 1 (even N) or a Bye (odd N) and rotate the others clockwise; rounds = N - 1 (even) or N (odd).

Tabular method: a grid with N + 1 (even) or N + 2 (odd) columns filled with round numbers. Staircase method: list 1-2, 1-3 ... in steps; simple, but it does not show rounds.

Points: win 2, draw 1, loss 0; ties settled by the federation's or organisers' rules made beforehand. Combination tournaments (knock-out or league within zones, then knock-out or league between zone winners) save time and money for inter-school events.

Challenge tournaments (ladder, pyramid) suit individual games like badminton and table tennis: players challenge those just above them over a set period; in a pyramid a player must first beat someone in their own row.