The Tournament "How to post" Guide

[Benzo]

The intention of this thread is to assist those who want to host a Videogame tournament here on the Pokegym.
This will help you as the host to have a good example of how to have a successful tournament by showing you how to post your tournament guidelines.

The more information you post in the main headline, the less questions you will have to answer later on after you posted the tournament thread and the guidelines you want your participants to follow.

The title to your thread should draw attention that it is a tournament.
Having an icon like a smiley face next to the thread title will help bring attention too your tournament as well as making it easy to find the thread when you need to edit or add players to the roster.

The lay out of the main headline should be typed up in a manner that looks as professional as you can make it. I will type in an example thread main headline to demonstrate: All {enclosed} typing are hints or suggestions to help you out.

Mr. Pokémon's Level 100 Tournament!

{Centering the title with bold and slightly larger font makes for a business like document.}

{introduction}
This tournament is going to begin on Monday the 31st. Registration begins today and will close on midnight the 30th.
{post your tournament at least 1 to 1 &half week ahead of your intended start date}

{spacing out the different "segments" will make it easier for those reading it to follow along}
Format: { here is where you type in what format you want people to play by }
6 on 6 double battle level 100
Single round elimination

Rules:
No duplicate Pokémon
No duplicate hold items

Banned list: { break it down by categories}
moves
hold items
Pokémon that are not eligible
no hacked Pokies

{above you will notice that there is a difference with the "rules" and "banned". Keeping the two separate will make it easier for potential participants to see the base rules and the restrictions in an organized manner.}

{If you are offering a prize, type it in here}
PRIZES! I am offering a life time supply of poffins to the winner.

{Now, for the roster. }
This is open for 16 players. Pairings for round 1 will be posted on the 31st.
{Now, list the sign-up players}
1.
2.
{ and so on....}

{closing: All good documents have some form of closing.}
I hope you all have good battles, and blah-blah-blah....

So, now you have a basic concept of how to post for a tournament here on the 'gym. There are people who can assist you in the process of creating and running a successful tournament, all you need to do is ask. I will now stop using the { }, as the rest of this is advice and tips.

O.K. So, here are some tips and advice on having a successful tournament.

Using different font sizes can help as a visual aid in keeping the page flowing like an article.
bold and underline can help stress importance on a particular area.
Do not register to many people unless you have enough experience to handle a large "crowd". If you have to many sign-ups and become overwhelmed, it can get pretty ugly and frustrating for both you and the players.
Keep the "headline" thread up-to-date. Post in the thread daily to keep the thread "alive", and post in the thread that your participants are doing a great job.
Pairings are easy to do. If you have an odd number of players, a person will get a "bye", and will need to battle in the next round.
Do not have or place to many restrictions in your format and rules. A good balance of give and take will make it fair to all who sign up.
Use spell check on your headline! ( I know, I know.....)
Do not use to much "slang" terms, such as dblbtl, lvl, sre, ect.... be professional!
When the tournament is complete, request that the thread be closed.
Have fun. Keep it simple as possable.

This is just an example. The more information you provide in your headline, the better the experience will be for you and the players. I myself have participated/hosted in tournaments and still sometimes do not provide enough information about the event. Sometimes it is due to error or misunderstanding, such as a Pokémon used in a battle that has a special move (like an event Pokemon), or a technicality that went unnoticed.
But it is your tournament that you are hosting, so how you run it and present it is how the results will show.
So, if anyone would like to add into this, please feel free to add on, another set of eyes never hurts when you type up a guide.
So, host a tournament and have fun!