1. Prepare the roster
Use the current CSV/XLSX template, manual entry, or a reviewed WeighNReg transfer. Include Name, actual Weight, Division or age group, Team, Record, Skill, BirthDate, stable Athlete ID when available, and Rating. Assigned Weight Class is normally blank for Grapevine.
Test files should deliberately cover different weights, ages, teams, records, and ratings so the matching logic and blocked explanations are visible.
2. Five-stage setup
- In Event Setup, choose all mats and their Paper or Digital method. Add optional age and weight limits to small or split mats.
- In Format and Rules, choose Scramble, then the Grapevine Wrestling League preset.
- In Roster, import or enter wrestlers and resolve every validation message.
- In Build Tournament, generate the schedule.
- In Check and Start, run Tournament Check, choose public or local operation, and start.
3. Ratings
The standard scale is 0.5 through 6.0 in half-point steps. The standard allowed difference is 1.0 and remains configurable. A blank stays blank and blocks building; Tournament does not silently assign 4.
| Rating | Working interpretation |
|---|---|
| 0.5–1.5 | Beginner end of the scale. |
| 2.0–3.0 | Developing wrestler. |
| 3.5–4.0 | Middle range. Enter the approved value explicitly. |
| 4.5–5.0 | Strong wrestler. |
| 5.5–6.0 | Exceptional end. A 6 should be rare. |
4. Pairing rules
- Weight difference is evaluated as a percentage using the lighter wrestler as the basis.
- Age is determined from BirthDate using December 31 of the event year where the preset requires it.
- Rating, experience, skill, record, age, weight, team, prior opponents, rest, and mat availability are considered.
- Same-team bouts and repeats are avoided when possible and surfaced when unavoidable.
- Blocked, approval-required, and unmatched wrestlers need explicit Director review. Automatic does not mean unreviewed.
5. Small or split-mat limits
Event Setup can give a Scramble mat optional age and weight limits. Automatic assignment respects those limits, allowing smaller or younger wrestlers to use a reduced mat while older or larger wrestlers stay on a full mat.
- Limits guide new automatic assignments; they never silently move an existing queue.
- A Director may deliberately place a bout outside a limit only after an explicit warning and override.
- Pause one mat immediately for an injury, equipment problem, or long delay while all other mats continue.
6. Review and approve
- Every active wrestler has the intended bout count or a clear explanation.
- Age, actual-weight, and rating spreads are acceptable.
- Same-team and repeat pairings are understood.
- Rest order is reasonable and no wrestler overlaps.
- Mat limits are honored and loads are practical.
- Approval-required pairings are deliberately accepted or rejected.
7. Operate and adapt
Every mat stays visible in Live Control. The Director can place any eligible bout on any safe mat as Now Wrestling, On Deck, In the Hole, or Coming Up; pause automatic flow for the event or one mat; move a safe queued bout; and add a late or walk-up bout through Add Scramble Bout.
For a manual bout, select two eligible wrestlers, review age, weight, rating, team, prior-opponent, and approval guidance, select its mat, then verify the exact bout before wrestling begins.
8. Results and displays
Digital and Paper mats use their normal result workflows. A manually added bout follows the same local scorer, display, Parent Portal, Tournament Cloud, save, undo, correction, and recovery paths as an automatically generated bout.
Print or export match lists and participation records appropriate to the league. Keep BirthDate, private notes, internal ratings, license details, and full roster data out of public output.
9. Boundaries
- Grapevine has no championship bracket.
- A rating is a pairing aid, not a public ranking or medical clearance.
- The Director remains responsible for each pairing under local rules.
- If Tournament cannot find a safe bout, leave the wrestler unmatched instead of forcing a bad pairing.