In short: running a BJJ tournament means handling dozens of divisions, several mats and hundreds of matches in a single day. Octo Bracket replaces spreadsheets and competition-day chaos with a single platform: automatically generated brackets, a multi-mat schedule that recalculates itself, a scoreboard synced across every screen, and instant results. Here's the tour, screen by screen.
Competition Day Shouldn't Look Like This
If you have ever organized (or helped at) a club open or a regional tournament, these scenes will sound familiar:
| Situation | What actually happens |
|---|---|
| Brackets still live in a spreadsheet | No-shows, weight mistakes, divisions to merge: every change is redone by hand the night before. |
| Mat 3 is 40 minutes behind | And nobody knows. Other mats wait, athletes cool down, the paper schedule becomes useless. |
| "When is my son fighting?" | For the thirtieth time. Coaches and parents crowd the head table because there's no real-time information. |
| Counting medals | After the last final, someone still has to rebuild podiums and the team ranking on the corner of a table. |
The problem isn't the staff — it's the tool. A BJJ tournament is a living system that changes after every match. A static file can't keep up.
How It Works: From Registration to the Final in 3 Rounds
| Round | What you do | What Octo Bracket does for you |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Create the competition | Date, venue, number of mats, ruleset and format. | Opens online registration and prepares the divisions. |
| 2. Generate brackets & schedule | One click per division (or for all of them). | Seeding, byes and mat allocation calculated automatically. |
| 3. Go live | Referees enter the points. | Scoreboard, schedule and results update on every screen. |
1. One-Click Brackets
Brackets are the heart of any tournament — and the most painful part to do by hand. In Octo Bracket, they build themselves from each division's registrations, then advance on their own after every win: the winner is automatically placed in the next match.
- ✅ Three formats: single elimination, round robin, or single elimination with round robin for three-athlete divisions (everyone fights at least twice).
- ✅ Standard seeding and automatic byes when the number of athletes isn't a power of 2.
- ✅ Automatic pools for large divisions, with a final between pool winners.
- ✅ Start a match straight from the bracket.
- ✅ PDF export for display at the venue or archiving.
The division list gives you the big picture: estimated start and end time, assigned mat, weight, and a status indicator for divisions in progress or completed.
2. A Multi-Mat Schedule That Recalculates Itself
This is the feature that changes organizers' lives the most. Every finished match updates the order of matches on every mat. If mat 3 falls 20 minutes behind, times are recalculated instantly — and everyone sees it.
For each match, athletes see how many fights are ahead of theirs and their estimated wait time. No more "when am I up?" at the head table: an athlete types their name in the search and knows exactly when to warm up.
- ✅ List view and mat view, with fighter search.
- ✅ Match length adapted to each belt: from 5 minutes at white to 10 minutes at black, 4 to 5 minutes for kids.
- ✅ One-click publishing: you decide when the schedule becomes public.
3. A Scoreboard Synced Across Every Screen
The referee enters points on a tablet, and the match view shows full screen on the mat TV. Clock, points, advantages and penalties are synced in real time across all screens.
The referee interface is built for the edge of the mat: big touch buttons, one-tap corrections (-1, -2…), and a pause / resume clock. When the match ends, the referee picks the result: points, submission, decision, disqualification or walkover. The bracket and schedule update instantly.
- ✅ +1 to +4 points, advantages and penalties, based on the selected ruleset.
- ✅ Synced pause / resume clock across all screens.
- ✅ Match view readable from afar, with division, round and match number.
- ✅ Automatic reconnection if the network drops.
4. Registration, Payments and Check-in in One Place
Before the first match come registrations. Octo Bracket lets athletes register online, or lets the organizer add them directly. You follow registrations division by division (or academy by academy), and payments at a glance.
- ✅ Payment tracking: paid (card or on site), to collect, awaiting online payment, refunded.
- ✅ Collect online or on site, with the total amount collected.
- ✅ View by division or by academy.
On competition day, the check-in screen handles weigh-ins: one click to validate an athlete, mark them as a no-show or overweight, with filters by gender, belt, age and weight.
5. Instant Podiums and Academy Ranking
As soon as the last final ends, podiums per division are ready. No more counting medals on the corner of a table.
The academy ranking is calculated automatically from medals (gold, silver, bronze) and points. It's often the most awaited moment for clubs at the end of the day.
6. Everyone Gets Their Own Role and Access
Organizers run the competition, referees run the matches, athletes manage their registration. Nobody touches what isn't theirs.
| Role | What they can do |
|---|---|
| Organizer | Competition setup, registrations, payments, statistics, and everything on the sports side. |
| Referee | Divisions, brackets, scoreboard and check-in, without access to configuration. |
| Athlete | Online registration, tracking their match time and brackets. |
| Public | Brackets, schedule and results, no account or app required. |
Light / Dark Mode: Readable Everywhere
Under gym neon lights or on a mat screen, readability matters. Every screen in the app comes in light and dark mode.
Who Is It For? One Platform, Four Points of View
| Profile | What Octo Bracket brings |
|---|---|
| Organizers & federations | Run every competition of the season from a single dashboard, from check-in to final ranking. |
| Referees | A clear touch scoreboard built for the edge of the mat. Brackets advance on their own. |
| Coaches & athletes | Online registration, estimated match time and live brackets from their phone. |
| Spectators & families | Public brackets, schedule and results, no account or app to install. |
On the rules side, Octo Bracket supports IBJJF, AJP and Grappling Industries, Gi and No-Gi. The interface is available in English and French.
How Much Does It Cost? You Only Pay for What You Use
| Plan | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Standard (pay as you go) | Per athlete | Unlimited competitions and mats, automatic brackets and schedule, live multi-screen scoreboard, results and PDF export, online registration. |
| Your branding | On quote | Your federation's or event's logo and colors, custom scoreboard and TV screens, branded public pages. |
| Custom | On quote | New features, specific rules and formats, integrations with your tools. |
No subscription, no commitment: the organizer is charged one credit per athlete per competition, no matter how many divisions the athlete enters. The credit is returned if the athlete is refunded. Deleting or regenerating a bracket costs nothing. 🎁 20 free credits at sign-up — 20 free athletes to test it on a real event.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to create a competition?
A few minutes. You fill in the details, the number of mats and the ruleset: brackets and schedule are then generated automatically.
How many mats can I run in parallel?
As many as your venue has. The schedule is calculated per mat and recalculated after every match.
What happens if the internet goes down?
Screens reconnect automatically as soon as the network is back. A stable connection is still recommended on the day, with a 4G hotspot as backup.
How do athletes know when they fight?
The public schedule shows, for each match, the mat, the number of fights before theirs and an estimated wait time, updated live.
Can I give my referees limited access?
Yes. The Referee role gives access to the sports side (divisions, brackets, scoreboard, check-in) without access to competition configuration.
Tips for a Smooth Competition Day
No software replaces a good team. A few precautions remain essential:
- ✅ Stable internet at the venue, with a 4G hotspot as backup.
- ✅ One tablet or phone per mat for the referee, ideally plus a TV for the match view.
- ✅ A dry run the day before: create a test division and run two matches so referees get comfortable with the tool.
- ✅ Publish the schedule and share the link with academies before the competition starts.
See Your Next Competition Run on Octo Bracket
Running a tournament? Book a free 30-minute demo on octobracket.com: a demo tailored to your format, answers to all your technical questions, no commitment.
Looking for your next competition? BJJ Championships lists events from IBJJF, AJP, NAGA, Newaza and Grappling Industries in one calendar.