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FAQs.
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How tournaments work
How does a tournament work?
An organiser sets up a tournament for a sport with a format, size, skill level, and entry fee. Players find it in Discover and join. When sign-ups close the seedings are set, then matches are played round by round, scores are reported, and the bracket or standings update until a winner is decided.
What tournament formats are there?
Knockout is single elimination. Lose a match and you’re out, win and you advance to the next round. Round robin puts everyone in a group where each player plays everyone else, and a standings table decides the final placings.
Singles or doubles?
Singles is one player per spot. Doubles is a pair per spot, with each partner joining themselves so you both keep your own rating.
What does the tournament size mean?
Size is the number of player spots, for example 8, 16, or 32. In knockout the size sets the number of rounds (a 16-player draw has 4 rounds). In doubles, a pair fills two of those spots.
What are skill levels?
A tournament can be open to all levels or restricted to Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced. You can always play up (enter a higher level), but you can’t join a tournament rated below your own level for that sport.
How do I join a tournament?
Open a tournament from Discover or a shared link and tap Join. For doubles you pick an open pair to partner with or start a new one. Your place is confirmed straight away. There’s no approval step.
When do matches start and what are deadlines?
Sign-ups close at the time the organiser sets. That’s when seedings are locked in. Knockout rounds and round-robin tournaments each have deadlines by which matches need to be played so the tournament can progress.
Entry fees
How much does it cost to enter?
Each tournament sets its own entry fee, and some are free. The fee is always shown before you join.
Are there cash prizes?
No. Playtopus is not a prize competition. You pay an entry fee to take part, and winning moves your rating and puts you on the podium, but there is no prize money.
Where does my entry fee go?
The organiser running the tournament keeps most of the fees to cover their costs, and the app keeps a small share. The organiser keeps 90% and the app keeps 10%, the same for public and private tournaments. Card processing fees come out before the split.
When does the organiser get paid?
The organiser is paid their share automatically when the tournament completes, straight to their connected Stripe account.
What if I can’t play after paying?
Your card is only charged when the organiser starts the tournament, so if you withdraw before it starts you are not charged. Once it has started, leaving forfeits your remaining matches and the entry fee isn’t refunded. If the organiser cancels a started tournament, everyone is refunded in full automatically.
Playing and scoring
How do I report a match score?
Open your live match and enter the result. A tournament is either “enter scores”, where you report the set/game scores, or “win/lose only”, where you just report who won.
What does “best of” mean?
A match is won by taking the majority of a set number of sets, frames, or legs (the unit depends on the sport). Best of 3 means first to 2; best of 5 means first to 3.
Where do I see the bracket or standings?
On the live tournament screen. Knockout shows the rounds and bracket; round robin shows the matches and a standings table.
Disputes
What if I disagree with a reported result?
If your opponent submits a result you disagree with, you can dispute it within 24 hours, before it’s locked in. Open the match and tap Dispute result.
What happens when I raise a dispute?
The organiser is notified and decides the final result. Message the organiser to explain why you’re disputing. They adjudicate based on what both sides report.
Who can dispute a result, and for how long?
The side that did not submit the score can dispute it, not the person who entered it, while the 24-hour window is still open and it hasn’t already been disputed.
Account and roles
What’s the difference between a player and an organiser?
Players join and play in tournaments. Organisers create and run them. The same account can be both. Switch between the two anytime in Settings.
How do I run my own tournament?
In Settings, tap Switch to Organiser, then create a tournament from the organiser home. You choose the sport, format, size, fees, schedule, and rules in a short step-by-step flow.
How do I contact an organiser?
Open the organiser’s profile and tap Message to start a direct chat, or use the tournament chat once you’ve joined.
How do I delete my account?
In the app: Me → Settings → Delete account. Or email us and we’ll do it for you. The account deletion page sets out exactly what is removed and what has to be kept.
How do I report something or block someone?
Tap the ⋮ menu at the top right of a player’s profile or a conversation to report or block them. You can also long-press any message to report it. Blocked people can be reviewed and unblocked from Settings.