Make substitutions across event formats

Use substitutions to keep an event moving when a player or team changes before play starts, during the event, or after results are entered. The exact workflow depends on the format, whether partners stay fixed, and whether you want to regenerate matches or make a direct substitution.

Choose the right substitution method

• Regenerate matches: use this when the substitute should be fully built into upcoming rounds or pools.

• Edit a match directly: use this when you only need to replace one player or team in a specific matchup.

• Use substitution logic: use this when you want a sub for selected rounds without rebuilding the schedule.

Rotating partner round robin

Rotating partner events substitute individual players because partners change every round.

Before the event

1. Go to the Players tab and add the substitute player.

2. Go back to Matches.

3. Open the Admin tab.

4. Open Edit Groups.

5. Move the original player into Excluded.

6. Place the substitute into the correct group.

7. Regenerate the matches.

During the event

1. Go to the Players tab and add the substitute player.

2. Open Matches and then Admin.

3. Open Edit Groups and move the players as needed.

4. Regenerate only the affected rounds.

5. Leave completed games in place when prompted.

After the event starts

1. Go to the Players tab and add the substitute player.

2. Open the affected match.

3. Click the pencil icon.

4. Substitute the new player for the original player.

Use substitution logic instead of regenerating

If you do not want to regenerate, use the substitution logic from the Players tab when it is available for the event. For same-partner formats, first edit the substitute player in Players and change their partner to the player who is staying on the team.

For the sub dialog itself — picking dates or individual rounds, and running a different sub each week — see Assign different substitutes for different weeks or rounds. Rotating partner events have their own guide in Substitutes and player swaps in Rotating Partner Round Robin.

You can also enable "Sub games don't count" in the substitution dialog to exclude those rounds from the team's standings — see How Standings Are Calculated for format-specific behavior.

Same partner round robin

Same-partner round robins keep teams together, so the substitute must be set up with the correct partner in the Players tab before you update matches. If you skip that step, the team setup will be wrong.

Before or during the event

1. Go to the Players tab and add the substitute player.

2. In the Players tab, edit the substitute player and change their partner to the player who is staying on the team. This creates the new fixed partnership.

3. If you want the change to affect the schedule broadly, open Matches, go to the Admin tab, open Edit Pools, move the original team to Excluded, and regenerate.

4. If the substitute is only playing a few rounds, open the affected match and use the pencil icon instead.

Use substitution logic instead of regenerating

If you do not want to regenerate, use the substitution logic from the Players tab when it is available for the event. For same-partner formats, first edit the substitute player in Players and change their partner to the player who is staying on the team. To set the dates or rounds each sub covers, see Assign different substitutes for different weeks or rounds.

Ladder substitutions

Ladder substitutions follow the same general pattern as round robin. You can either edit the matchup directly or move players or teams in and out of groups.

Individual or team ladders

• Use the pencil icon on the match when you only need to replace one player or team.

• Use Edit Groups to manually move players or teams in or out when the change should affect the wider group setup.

Same partner ladders

For same-partner ladders, edit the substitute player in the Players tab and change their partner to the player who is staying on the team before you use the substitution button or edit a match.

For the full scoring workflow, see Scoring matches in Ladder formats.

Bracket substitutions

For brackets, the best option is usually the pencil icon on the affected match. If the event uses fixed partners, first go to the Players tab, edit the substitute player, and change their partner to the player who is staying on the team so the new team is set up correctly.

Use bracket edits carefully because one change can affect later rounds.

MLP and team event substitutions

For MLP-style and team events, edit lines and regenerate before or during the event when the change should affect upcoming play. After the event starts, use the pencil icon on the affected matchup for targeted changes.

For format background, see Team and MLP-style formats overview and Edit team matchups.

When to edit versus rebuild

Use a direct substitution when one player or team changes and the rest of the schedule can stay the same. Regenerate when the change should affect future pairings, pools, groups, or lines. Use substitution logic when you need a sub for specific rounds without changing the wider schedule.

Where to go next

What you do next depends on the format.

• Edit groups and regenerate in Round Robin (Set Partners)

• Edit player groups and regenerate in Rotating Partner Round Robin

• Managing rounds and dates in Ladder formats