How to Run a Volleyball Tournament

Volleyball tournaments are complex—multiple courts, pool play, playoffs, refs, and dozens of teams all need to run smoothly. Whether you're organizing a youth club tournament, a beach doubles event, or a rec league championship, this guide has you covered.

Choose Your Format

Pool Play → Bracket (Most Common)

This is the standard format for volleyball tournaments:

Phase 1: Pool Play

Divide teams into pools of 4-6 teams
Each team plays every other team in their pool
Use results to seed the playoff bracket

Phase 2: Playoff Bracket

Top 1-2 teams from each pool advance
Single elimination to determine champion

Why this works:

Guarantees every team multiple games
Seeds the bracket fairly based on actual play
Creates exciting knockout rounds at the end

Straight Bracket (Single Elimination)

One loss and you're out
Best for: Limited time, many teams, simple logistics
Downside: Teams could travel far for one match

Double Elimination

Lose twice before elimination
Best for: Competitive events where fairness matters
Downside: Takes roughly 2x as long

Round Robin Only

Every team plays every other team
Best for: Small groups (6 or fewer), social events
Downside: No dramatic championship moment

Pool Play Math

Ideal Pool Sizes

Games per pool by size:

3 teams = 3 games (2 per team)
4 teams = 6 games (3 per team)
5 teams = 10 games (4 per team)
6 teams = 15 games (5 per team)

Sweet spot: 4-team pools — Everyone plays 3 games, manageable schedule.

Creating Balanced Pools

If you have seeding info (rankings, previous results), use snake seeding:

Snake seeding for 4 pools:

Pool A: Seeds 1, 8, 9, 16
Pool B: Seeds 2, 7, 10, 15
Pool C: Seeds 3, 6, 11, 14
Pool D: Seeds 4, 5, 12, 13

This distributes strength evenly across pools.

Pool Play Tiebreakers

When teams are tied in pool standings:

Head-to-head result (if only 2 teams tied)
Set differential (sets won minus sets lost)
Point differential (points scored minus points allowed)
Points scored (total points)
Coin flip (last resort)

Court and Time Planning

How Long is a Volleyball Match?

Best of 3 (to 25): 45-60 minutes
Best of 3 (to 21): 35-45 minutes
Best of 5 (to 25): 75-90 minutes
2 sets only (pool play): 30-40 minutes

Court Capacity Planning

Example: 16 teams, 4 pools of 4, best-of-3 pool play

Pool play games: 4 pools × 6 games = 24 games Time per match: ~50 minutes (including warmup/transition) With 4 courts: 24 ÷ 4 = 6 rounds = 5 hours of pool play

Then add bracket play time.

Sample Tournament Timeline

16 teams, 4 courts, pool play + single elimination:

7:00 AM — Setup, net check
7:30 AM — Check-in opens
8:00 AM — Captains meeting
8:15 AM — Pool play Round 1
9:15 AM — Pool play Round 2
10:15 AM — Pool play Round 3
11:15 AM — Break / Seed bracket
11:45 AM — Quarterfinals
12:45 PM — Semifinals
2:00 PM — Finals
3:00 PM — Awards

Match Format Decisions

Pool Play: Sets to Play

Options:

2 sets, no third (fastest, common for large tournaments)
Best of 3 (standard, takes longer)
1 set to 25 (very fast, less accurate results)

For pool play with time constraints, "2 sets no third" works well—you get useful data without marathon matches.

Pool Play: Points per Set

25 points (standard)
21 points (faster, common in pool play)
15 points (very fast, often used in time crunches)

Cap Rules

Some tournaments add point caps:

"First to 25, cap at 27" — If tied 26-26, next point wins
Useful for staying on schedule

Referee & Officials

How Many Refs Do You Need?

Rec/Social: Optional (1 ref helpful)
Club/JV: 1 ref per match, second ref optional
Varsity/Competitive: 2 refs required, 2-4 line judges

Work Team System (Common in Club)

Teams scheduled off play can officiate:

Winning team from previous match refs next match
Reduces ref costs
Brief teams on responsibilities

Ref Costs

Typical rates:

Youth/rec: $20-30/match
Competitive club: $30-50/match
High school varsity: $50-75/match

Equipment Checklist

Courts

Nets at correct height (women: 7'4⅛", men: 7'11⅝")
Antenna attached
Court lines visible/taped
Ref stands (if used)
Scorekeeping table

Balls

Game balls (1 per court minimum)
Warm-up balls (3-6 per court)
Ball cart or bag
Pump and needle

Admin

Printed brackets/pool sheets
Rosters
First aid kit
PA system
Scorekeeping solution (paper or digital)

Digital Tools

Bracket Management

Paper brackets get messy. Digital brackets:

Update automatically as you enter results
Share link with all teams
No erasing/rewriting
Everyone can check from their phone

Create free bracket →

Per-Court Scoreboards

Give each court a digital scoreboard:

Parents can follow their team's game
No disputes about score
Refs can focus on calls, not scorekeeping

Create free volleyball scoreboard →

Pool Play Standings

For round robin pools, a live leaderboard:

Auto-calculates standings
Shows set/point differentials
Updates in real-time

Create free leaderboard →

Beach Volleyball Specifics

Beach tournaments have unique considerations:

Court Setup

Net height: Same as indoor
Court size: 8m × 16m (smaller than indoor)
Sand depth: At least 12 inches
Lines: Usually rope or tape

Format Differences

2 players per team
Best of 3 sets to 21 (third set to 15)
Switch sides every 7 points (5 in deciding set)
No rotation (only 2 players)

Weather Contingency

Wind affects play significantly
Have delay/cancellation policy
Start early to avoid afternoon heat

Common Problems & Solutions

"Pool play is running long"

Reduce sets to 21 points
Play 2 sets only (no third)
Implement hard time caps

"Bracket seeding disputes"

Use objective tiebreakers (set differential, point differential)
Publish criteria in advance
Have tournament director make final call

"Team no-shows"

Require payment in advance
Send reminder 48 hours before
Have waitlist teams ready

"Not enough refs"

Use work-team system
Train parent volunteers
For rec: teams self-officiate

Ready to Host?

Get your tournament set up with free tools:

Good luck with your tournament!