"Big Field" is PingPongArena's term for a large, open club night — everyone plays a full round-robin style pool stage, then splits into tier brackets by exact finishing position, rather than a small elite group monopolising the only final.
If you've been searching for how to run a round robin table tennis league or the easiest way to run a club table tennis tournament at real scale, this is that format. It is not a separate wizard card: you reach it as a variation inside the Classic Groups format. Read the tournament format guide first if you're unsure this is the shape you want.
Step 1 — Start the wizard as Classic Groups
In the setup wizard's Step 1, tap the Classic Groups card — there is no "Big Field" card, this is the correct starting point.
Add your players as usual, the same add-players flow used for any club night, whether you're entering a short roster by hand or pasting in a long one to add quickly.
Step 2 — Pick the Big Field variation
At Step 4 of the wizard ("Group Setup"), the Variation selector shows four cards. Two of them are the Big Field options:
- Classic (not Big Field): top finishers from each group advance into one shared finals/consolation/placement bracket.
- Group Medals (not Big Field): every group is self-contained — each crowns its own gold/silver/bronze, no cross-group finals.
- Giant RR Brackets: every player enters a tier bracket matching their exact pool finish — a Final A knockout for everyone who finished 1st in their group, Final B for every 2nd place, Final C for every 3rd, Final D for every 4th, and so on.
- Giant RR Groups: same tiering as Giant RR Brackets, but the tier stage is a new round-robin pool instead of a knockout tree.
- Tap Giant RR Brackets if you want a knockout decider within each tier, or Giant RR Groups if you'd rather everyone in a tier play each other again. A contextual info callout explains the choice you just made — read it before continuing, since this decision is locked once matches exist.
- Continue through Groups (Auto or Custom, with Snake/By Rank/Random seeding), the Finals YES/NO toggle, and the live group-distribution preview exactly as in a normal Classic Groups event — none of that changes for Big Field. Tap Start Tournament when ready.
The capped tiers, and what they mean for you
The tier structure itself (Final A/B/C/D…) is not capped — it scales to however many groups you end up with. The real cap that matters is a plan limit on how big an event can use this format at all.
- Free plan: Big Field (either Giant RR variation) is not available at any size. Free is limited to Single Match, Classic Groups and Ladder.
- Club plan: Big Field is included for events of 16 players or fewer. Above 16, the app blocks starting the tournament with a message pointing you to Club Pro.
- Club Pro: Big Field runs at any size, no player-count limit. Club Pro is currently listed as "Coming soon" and is not yet purchasable.
- This means the "16+ players" in this format's name describes the kind of night Big Field is built for — a large, open field — while the number your plan actually lets you run it at may be smaller. If your club regularly runs 20–30+ player nights on Big Field, check your current plan's cap before the night starts, not after everyone has arrived.
Honest limits
Club Pro — the plan that removes the 16-player ceiling — is visible in the app's Pricing page but is not currently available to buy ("Coming soon"). If your club regularly exceeds 16 players and needs Big Field at that size, there is no paid path to it today.
The variation choice (Classic / Group Medals / Giant RR Brackets / Giant RR Groups) locks once matches exist, same as the format itself — plan this before you start, not mid-event.
Common questions
What is the easiest way to run a club table tennis tournament for a large field?
Start the wizard as Classic Groups, then pick the Giant RR Brackets or Giant RR Groups variation at Step 4. Everyone plays a pool stage first, then splits into tier brackets by exact finishing position, so a big field doesn't collapse down to one small final.
How do I run a round robin table tennis league for 16 or more players?
Use the Big Field variation: a full round-robin pool stage inside groups, followed by tier brackets (Final A, B, C, D...) matching each player's exact group finish, rather than one shared knockout.
Is Big Field available on the Free plan?
No. Big Field is not available at any size on Free, which is limited to Single Match, Classic Groups and Ladder. Club includes it up to 16 players; Club Pro removes the cap but is currently "Coming soon" and not yet purchasable.
What's the difference between Giant RR Brackets and Giant RR Groups?
Both tier players by their exact pool-stage finish. Giant RR Brackets runs each tier as a knockout; Giant RR Groups runs each tier as a fresh round-robin pool instead.
Can I change the variation after the tournament starts?
No. The variation choice locks once matches exist, the same as the overall format — decide before you start, not mid-event.