A common source of confusion for first-time hosts is: "I finished my group stage — why didn't finals appear automatically?" PingPongArena never generates finals or a consolation bracket on its own, even if your chosen format supports them. This guide explains exactly how advancement works, step by step, and what settings control it.
What formats are available, and on which plan
- If you're on Free and try to select Doubles, a group-medal format, or the larger Giant Round Robin size, you'll need to upgrade to Club (or Club Pro for the largest Giant Round Robin) to use it.
| Format | What it is | Plan needed |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | A basic single format for a small event | Free |
| Groups | Round robin in small groups, then knockout | Free |
| Ladder | An ongoing ranking format where players challenge upward | Free |
| Doubles | Not a separate format — a variation applied on top of any format; pairs play together, partners alternate every shot | Club |
| Group-medal formats | Group-stage formats that resolve medal positions (1st/2nd/3rd, etc.) within groups | Club |
| Giant Round Robin (smaller size) | A large round-robin format, size-limited | Club |
| Giant Round Robin (larger size) | The larger size variant of the same format | Club Pro |
Nothing advances automatically — the "Play finals" toggle
Finals, and any consolation ("plate") bracket, only exist if you turn them on explicitly. There is no format that generates finals automatically just because it's capable of having them — the host has to decide this upfront.
Before your event starts (or any time before finals are generated), open your event's settings and find the Play finals toggle. Turn it on if you want a finals stage after your group or bracket play, showing both its off and on states clearly in the settings screen. Leave it off if you want the event to end once group/bracket play is complete, with no separate finals stage.
If Play finals is off, nothing further happens after your main bracket or groups finish — there's no finals stage to generate.
Choosing who qualifies for finals
Once Play finals is turned on, a separate Finals settings panel appears, letting you choose how many players qualify out of each group or bracket into the finals stage — for example, the top 2 or top 3 players per group, selected from a qualifier-count picker.
With Play finals on, open the Finals settings panel and choose how many players qualify from each group's (or bracket's) standings. You can leave this panel open to revisit any time before finals are actually generated — see the next section for exactly how long you can still change it.
The consolation ("plate") bracket
If your event uses single-elimination knockout, you can also give first-round losers a second chance instead of sending them home after one loss: the consolation bracket, also called the plate bracket, is a second bracket built specifically for players who lost their first knockout match, so they keep playing.
This only applies to single-elimination knockout brackets — it isn't a separate toggle you enable independently of your bracket format; it's part of how single-elimination is run at your club when you choose to use it.
How long can you still change finals settings?
Finals configuration — the Play finals toggle and the qualifier-count choice in the Finals settings panel — stays editable right up until the host actually generates finals (or resets them). Once finals have been generated from the current standings, that's the cutoff: to change qualifier counts or turn finals off after that point, the host would need to reset finals and generate them again.
Make sure you're happy with the qualifier count and the Play finals toggle before you click whatever generates finals in your event flow — the Finals settings stay visible right up to that action. If you need to change something afterward, look for a reset option for finals in the same area: resetting re-opens the settings for editing, but any finals matches already played will need to be re-run.
Quick checklist before your event starts
- Pick your format (Simple, Groups, Ladder on Free; Doubles, group-medal formats, or Giant Round Robin variants if you're on Club or Club Pro).
- Decide whether you want a finals stage at all, and turn Play finals on or off accordingly.
- If finals are on, set how many players qualify per group/bracket in the Finals settings panel.
- If you're running single-elimination knockout and want first-round losers to keep playing, use the consolation (plate) bracket for that.
- Double-check these settings before finals get generated — after that point, changing them means resetting finals.
Common questions
Why didn't finals appear automatically after my group stage finished?
PingPongArena never generates finals on its own. You have to turn on the Play finals toggle in your event settings before finals will be generated, regardless of format.
How do I seed a table tennis tournament fairly for finals?
Set the qualifier count per group or bracket in the Finals settings panel — for example top 2 or top 3 per group — before finals are generated. That's what decides who advances.
Can I change the finals qualifier count after finals are generated?
Not directly. Once finals are generated from the current standings, you'd need to reset finals to reopen the settings, and any finals matches already played will need to be re-run.
What is the consolation (plate) bracket?
A second bracket for players who lost their first match in a single-elimination knockout, giving them more matches instead of going home after one loss. It only applies to single-elimination formats.
Which formats and features need a paid plan?
Simple, Groups, and Ladder are free. Doubles, group-medal formats, and the smaller Giant Round Robin need Club; the larger Giant Round Robin size needs Club Pro.