How to Run Walk-In Tournaments in LeaguePals

Walk-in tournaments move quickly, and LeaguePals is designed to support that pace when the event is set up correctly ahead of time. The key is to build flexibility into your lane and roster setup so last-minute bowlers can be added without disrupting scoring.

This guide walks through the recommended setup for walk-in tournaments.

Step 1: Create the Tournament and Enter Known Details

Start by creating your tournament and entering everything you already know, including:

• The lanes that will be used for the tournament
• Any teams or bowlers already registered
• Known averages, divisions, or squads

You do not need to wait until all bowlers are known before continuing.

Step 2: Add Known Bowlers (CSV Import or Manual Entry)

You can add confirmed bowlers in either of the following ways:

• CSV Import (recommended for larger preregistration lists)
• Manual entry, one team or bowler at a time

Both methods work the same for tournaments.

If you already have a registration spreadsheet, CSV import is usually the fastest option. If your list is smaller or still changing, manual entry works just as well.

Step 3: Create Vacancy Teams for Walk-Ins (Critical Step)

Because walk-in tournaments always include last-minute bowlers, you must create additional teams that will remain vacant.

How to set this up correctly:

• Create extra empty teams on:
  • One end of your lane block or
  • Both ends of the lane block (recommended when expecting a high number of walk-ins)
• Do not pre-fill these teams

 Do not pre-fill these teams. They must remain vacancies, this is what enables empty teams to be sent to the lanes and allows walk-in bowlers to enter their names directly on the scoring system. 

Although this article references leagues in Week 1, the same concept applies to walk-in tournaments:
 https://help.leaguepals.com/support/solutions/articles/44002493829-create-new-teams 

Step 4: Send Rosters to Lanes (Select “Empty Teams”)

When preparing and sending rosters to the lanes:

• Confirm “Empty Teams” is selected before sending

This ensures:

• Walk-in bowlers can type their names in at the lane
• Lane assignments do not need to be rebuilt mid-event

If empty teams are not sent, adding or moving bowlers after scoring starts may cause issues or require workarounds outside of LeaguePals.

Step 5: Handling Walk-Ins on Tournament Day

As bowlers arrive:

1. Assign them to one of the pre-created vacancy teams
2. Provide them an empty score sheet
3. Bowlers enter their names directly at the scoring console (or staff can assist)
4. Apply averages or divisions as needed
5. Continue play without stopping scoring or re-sending rosters

This approach avoids:

• Mid-event roster rebuilds
• Post-event spreadsheets or manual score reconciliation

Common Questions & Best Practices

What if we expect a high percentage of walk-ins?
Create more vacancy teams than you think you need. Extra vacant teams will not affect scoring.

Does this work with Vector, Sync, or BES-X?
Yes. Vacancy teams are the most reliable way to support walk-ins while keeping scoring systems in sync.

What causes walk-in issues most often?

• Not creating vacancy teams ahead of time
• Pre-filling teams instead of leaving them vacant
• Forgetting to send “Empty Teams” to lanes