Round Robin Calculator
A free round robin calculator: enter your team count to get the total number of matches, the rounds it runs over, the games each team plays, and an estimate of how long it will take. Works for a single or double round robin, any field from 3 to 128.
A single round robin plays N(N-1)/2 matches: 4 teams play 6, 6 teams play 15, 8 teams play 28, 10 teams play 45. It runs N-1 rounds for an even field or N for an odd one, and every team plays N-1 games. Enter any team count below for the exact numbers, a run-time estimate, and a link to build the schedule free with no signup.
15
Total matches
5
Rounds
5
Games per team
3
Matches per round
A 6-team round robin plays 15 matches in total, because every team meets every other once - that is N(N-1)/2 = 15. Each team plays 5 games, and the schedule runs over 5 rounds of 3 matches each. Because 6 is even, no team ever sits out.
How long will it take?
3 hr 20 min
Estimated run time on 2 courts
With 2 courts, each round takes 2 back-to-back slots of 20 minutes, so 5 rounds run in about 3 hr 20 min. This is a planning estimate from your own inputs - it ignores changeover gaps, warm-ups and breaks, so pad it for a real event.
Round robin vs other formats for 6 teams
5
Round robin rounds
3
Swiss rounds
3
Single-elim rounds
Round robin is the most thorough format - everyone plays everyone - but it needs the most games. For a faster clear ranking of the same field, a Swiss tournament reaches one leader in 3 rounds, and single elimination crowns a winner in the same 3 but eliminates half the field each round.
Round robin matches and rounds by field size
| Teams | Matches | Rounds | Games / team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 4 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| 5 | 10 | 5 | 4 |
| 6 | 15 | 5 | 5 |
| 8 | 28 | 7 | 7 |
| 10 | 45 | 9 | 9 |
| 12 | 66 | 11 | 11 |
| 16 | 120 | 15 | 15 |
| 20 | 190 | 19 | 19 |
| 24 | 276 | 23 | 23 |
| 32 | 496 | 31 | 31 |
Every figure is the round-robin arithmetic for that field: matches = N(N-1)/2, games per team = N-1, rounds = N-1 for an even field or N for an odd one. Ready to build the schedule? Generate a round robin.
Round Robin Matches by Field Size
| Teams | Matches | Rounds | Games / team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 4 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| 5 | 10 | 5 | 4 |
| 6 | 15 | 5 | 5 |
| 8 | 28 | 7 | 7 |
| 10 | 45 | 9 | 9 |
| 12 | 66 | 11 | 11 |
| 16 | 120 | 15 | 15 |
| 20 | 190 | 19 | 19 |
| 24 | 276 | 23 | 23 |
Matches = N(N-1)/2, games per team = N-1, and rounds = N-1 for an even field or N for an odd one (one team byes each round when N is odd). These are checkable arithmetic, not survey figures. Double the match and round columns for a double (home-and-away) round robin.
How the Round Robin Numbers Work
Matches. Every pair of teams meets once, and the number of pairs from N teams is N(N-1)/2. With 6 teams that is 6 x 5 / 2 = 15 matches; with 8 teams, 8 x 7 / 2 = 28. A double round robin plays each pair twice, so N(N-1) matches.
Rounds. If the field is even, all N teams pair up each round, so the schedule fits into N-1 rounds. If the field is odd, one team must sit out each round, which needs N rounds - and every team ends up with exactly one bye. The circle method produces this balanced schedule: fix one team, rotate the rest, and add a phantom bye entry for an odd field.
Games per team. Everyone plays everyone else once, so each team plays N-1 games in a single round robin (2(N-1) in a double). That is the same whether the field is odd or even.
Round Robin Calculator FAQ
How many matches are in a round robin?
A single round robin plays N(N-1)/2 matches, where N is the number of teams, because every unordered pair of teams meets once. So 4 teams play 6 matches, 5 teams play 10, 6 teams play 15, 8 teams play 28, 10 teams play 45, and 12 teams play 66. A double round robin (home and away) doubles that: 6 teams play 30 matches.
How many rounds are in a round robin?
For an even number of teams the schedule takes N-1 rounds, because in each round all N teams are paired at once. For an odd number of teams it takes N rounds, since one team sits out (byes) each round. A 6-team round robin runs 5 rounds; a 5-team or 7-team round robin runs 5 or 7 rounds respectively. A double round robin doubles the round count.
How many games does each team play in a round robin?
Each team plays N-1 games in a single round robin - one against every other team. In a 6-team round robin every team plays 5 games; in an 8-team round robin every team plays 7. A double round robin doubles it to 2(N-1) games per team.
How long does a round robin tournament take?
Multiply the number of rounds by the time each round takes. With C courts or tables, a round of floor(N/2) matches runs in ceil(floor(N/2)/C) back-to-back slots, so the whole event is rounds x slots x minutes-per-match. A 6-team round robin (5 rounds, 3 matches each) on 2 courts at 20 minutes a match is about 5 rounds x 2 slots x 20 = 200 minutes, or roughly 3 hr 20 min before changeovers and breaks. The calculator above does this from your own numbers.
What is the difference between a single and double round robin?
In a single round robin each pair of teams meets once, for N(N-1)/2 matches. In a double round robin each pair meets twice - typically once at home and once away - which doubles everything: N(N-1) matches, 2(N-1) games per team, and twice the rounds. Most domestic football leagues, like the Premier League, use a double round robin.
Round robin or Swiss - which needs fewer games?
Swiss needs far fewer. A round robin plays every pairing, so N-1 rounds (16 teams = 15 rounds, 120 matches). Swiss pairs on record and reaches a single clear leader in ceil(log2(N)) rounds (16 teams = 4 rounds), which is why large fields use Swiss and round robin is reserved for small groups where every result should count.