A round robin for 4 teams has 6 games: each team plays the other 3 once, and 4 × 3 ÷ 2 = 6. The schedule takes 3 rounds of 2 games, and every team plays in every round.
The 4 team schedule
Give each team a number from 1 to 4 (your top seed, or simply the first name on your list, is Team 1) and play the rounds in order. The 2 games of a round can be played at the same time, one per court or field.
Round
Game 1
Game 2
1
1 v 4
2 v 3
2
3 v 1
4 v 2
3
1 v 2
3 v 4
Each team's opponents
The same schedule by team: read across a row to see who that team plays in each round. Post it or hand it out so every team knows its next opponent.
Team
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
1
4
3
2
2
3
4
1
3
2
1
4
4
1
2
3
How long a 4 team round robin takes
Count time slots, not games. With 2 courts or fields a whole round is played at once, so the event takes 3 time slots. With fewer courts a round needs more than one slot (rounds played in order):
Courts
Time slots
1
6
2
3
Multiply the time slots by the length of one game, plus a few minutes to change over, to plan the day. On 1 court that is 6 slots.
How the schedule is made
Bracket Maker uses the circle method. Team 1 stays in place while Teams 2 to 4 move one position around a circle after every round, and in each round the top half of the circle plays the bottom half. After 3 rounds every pair of teams has met exactly once, which is why 4 teams need 3 rounds.
Home and away
If one side has an advantage (home field, serving first, choosing ends), give it to the first-named team in each game. Over its 3 games every team is named first 1 or 2 times, so no team gets more than one extra.
Playing everyone twice
For a double round robin, play the table a second time with the two teams in each game swapped. That makes 6 rounds and 12 games, 6 for each team. In Bracket Maker, set Play each other: Twice and it builds both halves.
One team more or less
3 teams play 3 games in 3 rounds and 5 teams play 10 games in 5 rounds. Any odd number of teams means one team sits out each round.
Open Bracket Maker, pick Round robin and paste your 4 team names: you get this schedule with names, a score box for every game and the standings with tie-breaks. Free, right here in your browser or offline in the Android app.
Frequently asked questions
How many games are in a 4 team round robin?
6. Each team plays the other 3 once, and every game involves two teams: 4 × 3 ÷ 2 = 6.
How many rounds does a 4 team round robin take?
3 rounds of 2 games, with every team playing in every round.
How many games does each team play?
3, one against each other team. Every team plays once in every round.
Who plays in round 1 of a 4 team round robin?
1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3. Team 1 then plays Team 3 in round 2.
How many courts do I need for 4 teams?
2 to play a whole round at once. On 1 court the schedule takes 6 time slots, and on 1 court 6.