Configuring Tournament Structure

The Structure section holds settings that shape coach assignments, scorer ballots, award nominations, and standings. Changes apply to the tournament, so review them before rounds are locked.

Manage the scorecard

Open Structure and select Manage Scorecard.

The scorecard is organized into categories and fields. Drag categories to reorder them, use Add category to create a section, and add or remove fields within each category.

Each field includes:

Setting	Effect
Role	Label shown to coaches and scorers.
Min and Max	Range accepted by the ballot.
Multiplier	Multiplies the entered score; it cannot be zero. Negative values can be used for deductions.
Assignable	Lets coaches attach a student to the role.
Award	Makes students assigned to the field eligible for that award category.
Visible	Determines whether the scorer enters a value for the field.

Regular fields must apply to the prosecution/plaintiff side, defense side, or both. Witness fields must apply to Calling, Crossing, or both.

The page calculates the maximum score available to each side. An unequal maximum produces a warning; verify that any difference is intentional.

Caution

Changing a scorecard after coaches have created assignments or scorers have submitted ballots can make the tournament harder to audit. Finalize the scorecard before publishing the first pairings whenever possible.

Manage witnesses

Open Structure and select Manage Witnesses.

1. Set how many witnesses each side calls in a trial.
2. Add every prosecution/plaintiff and defense witness.
3. Enable Case has swing witnesses if a character can be called by either side, then add the swing witnesses.
4. Select Save.

Witness names cannot be empty. A side’s witnesses called value cannot be negative or exceed the witnesses available to that side, including swing witnesses.

Coaches use these names when they set a call order and assign students. Enter the character names exactly as they should appear on the ballot.

Manage individual award categories

Open Structure and select Manage Awards.

For each category, configure:

• Category Name
• Min Nominees, which may be zero
• Max Nominees, which must be at least one

The minimum cannot exceed the maximum. After creating a category, return to Manage Scorecard and link the appropriate assignable fields to that award.

Removing an award category unlinks any scoring fields that used it. It does not automatically replace those links with another category.

Manage custom roster fields

Open Structure and select Custom Roster Fields. Custom fields add organizer-defined columns to every coach’s roster.

Available field types are:

• Text, for values such as grade level or T-shirt size.
• Number, for numeric values such as year in competition.

Coaches edit these values directly in the roster table. Removing a custom field also removes the values coaches entered for it.

Manage standings rules

Open Structure and select Manage Tiebreakers to choose which statistics appear in standings and how tied teams are ordered. See Managing Tiebreakers for the visual editor, DSL grammar, and validation guidance.

Final structure review

Before teams begin preparing for a round, confirm that:

• The case type uses the correct prosecution or plaintiff label.
• Every witness is listed on the correct side.
• The number of witnesses called matches the competition rules.
• Score ranges and multipliers match the official ballot.
• Assignable fields cover every role coaches must fill.
• Award eligibility and nomination limits are correct.
• The standings configuration produces the intended order.