Swiss System

The perfect tournament format for our amateur league

What is the Swiss System?

The Swiss system is a tournament format where players are not eliminated after losing. In each round, you play against an opponent with similar results to yours, ensuring balanced matches throughout the season.

No Elimination

You play all rounds regardless of your results

Fair Pairings

Always play against someone at your current level

Maximum Participation

Everyone plays the same number of matches

Unlike a knockout tournament where you can be eliminated in the first round, the Swiss system guarantees you play all 8 rounds of the season, giving you multiple opportunities to improve and compete.

History of the Swiss System

The Swiss system was created for chess tournaments in Switzerland in the late 19th century. Its goal was to allow many players to compete without everyone having to play each other.

1895

Origin

First used in Zurich, Switzerland

1900s

Chess

Becomes popular in chess tournaments

1970s

Expansion

Adopted by other sports and games

2025

Tenis del Parque

Perfectly adapted for our league

Today, the Swiss system is used in sports like tennis, golf, esports, and many more. It's ideal when you want all participants to play multiple rounds without elimination.

Why Swiss System for our league?

We chose the Swiss system because we want all our players to have a complete experience throughout the season, not just the best ones.

Comparison with other formats

Knockout

Pros:

  • Exciting
  • Clear winner

Cons:

  • 50% eliminated in first round
  • Few matches for majority
  • No second chances
Swiss System

Pros:

  • Everyone plays all rounds
  • Multiple opportunities
  • Balanced pairings
  • Fair ranking

Cons:

  • More complex to organize

Perfect flexibility

With 8 rounds in the season, you have time to recover from a bad start or maintain your momentum.

Continuous learning

Every week you play and learn, without the pressure of being eliminated.

Social and competitive

Meet more players by not repeating opponents unnecessarily.

Combines with ELO

The Swiss system uses ELO rankings to create the best possible pairings.

How the Swiss System works in our league

Here's how we organize the 8 rounds of our season using the Swiss system:

Pairing process

1
Round 1

Random pairings within your category (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced)

2
Rounds 2-8

Pairings based on league points and similar ELO

3
No repeats

We avoid having you play the same opponent twice

4
Balance

If you have 6 points, you play against someone with 5-7 points

Progression example

Maria
Round 1vs Random
Loses0 pts
Round 2vs Another with 0 pts
Wins3 pts
Round 3vs Another with 3 pts
Wins6 pts
Round 4vs Another with 6 pts
Loses6 pts
Round 5vs Another with 6 pts
Wins9 pts

Benefits of the Swiss System

The Swiss system offers unique advantages that make it perfect for amateur leagues:

Everyone plays everything

Guaranteed 8 matches in the season, regardless of results

Fair competition

Pairings adjust based on your current performance

Recovery possible

A bad start doesn't ruin your entire season

More social

Meet and play against more people in the league

With the Swiss system combined with ELO, every match counts but no match eliminates you. It's the perfect way to enjoy competitive tennis without the pressure of elimination.

Ready to play all rounds?

Join the league and enjoy 8 guaranteed matches with the Swiss system

Sign up now