Roundnet Double-Elimination Tournament
A roundnet doubles tournament with a double-elimination bracket, run and officiated by the students themselves: no one is knocked out after a single loss. Students work on organizing competitions, officiating, and competing with sportsmanship.
How to play
- Draw names to form 12 pairs and set up six numbered nets; if there is an odd number, the extra student becomes tournament director with the teacher.
- Draw the bracket on the whiteboard: a winners' bracket and a losers' bracket. A team that loses in the winners' bracket drops to the losers' bracket and is out after a second loss.
- Games are to 7 points or 4 minutes on the stopwatch, whichever comes first. Each net has a referee from a resting pair, who records the score and brings it to the whiteboard.
- Later rounds alternate winners' and losers' bracket games; eliminated pairs become referees or scorekeepers.
- The final pits the winner of each bracket against each other; if the losers' bracket team wins, play one last game to 5. Finish with 2 minutes of handshakes and feedback on the officiating.
Rules
- The referee decides any close call, and the decision is accepted without argument.
- If a team is hindered, replay the point.
- Nets are 4 m (13 ft) apart, and no one walks through a live game to get to the whiteboard.
Variations
Easier
A single-elimination bracket with a consolation round for first-round losers.
Standard
Double-elimination bracket with games to 7 points or 4 minutes and student referees.
Harder
In addition, the director must assign nets and referees without repeats and manage time so the tournament ends on schedule.
Adaptations
- A student with limited mobility can be the tournament director, manage the whiteboard and stopwatch, or play on a raised net with one bounce allowed.
- For students with autism, show them the bracket in advance and highlight their games and refereeing turn in one color.
- To balance skill levels, pair more experienced players with less experienced ones.
Learning goals
- Organize a competition with a double-elimination bracket.
- Officiate games by applying the rules fairly.
- Compete while accepting officials' calls and the result.
Equipment for a class of 25
- Roundnet sets: 6
- Whiteboard: 1
- Stopwatches: 6
- Cones: 6
Teacher tip
The whiteboard is the heart of the tournament: draw the bracket before class and put one student in charge of updating it.
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