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Organize a pétanque tournament using ABC format

  1. Petanque Manager
  2. Tutorials

The ABC tournament format is very popular because it guarantees several games for each team and allows teams to be divided according to their level after a qualification phase.

📌 What is a ABC format tournament ?

The ABC tournament begins with a group stage made up of 4 teams. Each team plays 2 matches. At the end of this stage, teams are divided into three different brackets: A, B, and C.

  • Group of 4 teams
  • Each team plays 2 matches.
  • Allocation into 3 tournaments: A,B and C
Objective: to create balanced knockout stages based on the teams’ skill level.
📣 Promote your tournament!

To attract as many players as possible, consider publishing your tournament on specialized platforms such as the website petanque-generation.fr or petanque-world.com or the application Bouliste+ .

You can publish your tournament here in less than a minute: Add a petanque tournament

Publishing your tournament online significantly increases participation and contributes to the success of your event, both in terms of visibility and benefits for the club.

🧮 Team allocation (Tournament A, B and C)

After the group stage, teams are ranked according to their results:

  • 2 wins → qualification for Tournament A
  • 1 win → qualification for Tournament B
  • 0 win → qualification for Tournament C
Each group therefore sends 1 team to A, 2 teams to B, and 1 team to C.

⚙️ Steps to organize a tournament using ABC format

1. Creation of the tournament

Create your tournament by entering the main information: name, date, location, tournament type, format (head-to-head, doubles, or triples), ABC format, and number of available courts.

Team registration

Add registered teams. Teams will be automatically generated during the draw.

Tip: choose a number of teams that is a multiple of 4 for optimal organization.
3. Generate team badges

Generate team badges. Each team receives a unique number which makes it easier to identify teams on the pitch. The team keeps its badge for the duration of the tournament.

Example of badges for teams - ABC format tournament

Example of badges for teams

4. Group stage (2 matches)

Each team plays 2 games against opponents from its group.

  • Match 1
  • Match 2
Example of group in ABC format

Example of group of 4 teams

5. Entering match results

After each match, enter the scores. This automatically generates the ranking of the group.

6. Allocation into tournaments : A, B and C

Once the group stage is completed, teams are automatically assigned:

  • Top teams → Tournament A
  • Mid-ranked teams → Tournament B
  • Lower-ranked teams → Tournament C
7. Knockout stages

Each tournament (A, B, and C) then continues as a single-elimination bracket until a winner is determined.

  • Bracket A (highest level)
  • Bracket B
  • Bracket C
Each team therefore continues playing even after the group stage.
8. Final result

Three winners are crowned: one for each tournament (A, B, and C).

9. Close the tournament

Once all tournament have been completed (A, B and C), you can close the tournament.

📱 Follow the results live

Players can follow the results live via a QR code or shared link.

Live game tracking for ABC pétanque tournaments

💡 Practical advice

  • Plan for a number of teams that is a multiple of 4
  • Ensure you have enough courts
  • Clearly display brackets A, B, and C
  • Explain the format to players before the tournament begins
With Petanque Manager, managing ABC format tournaments is fully automated: group stage, tournament allocation and live results.