For Organizers For Players Become an Owner Formats Pricing FAQ Own a League

Run Your Tournament Like a Contender

Free tournament and league management for any sport, any game, any size. From backyard brackets to competitive leagues.

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For Organizers

Everything you need to run professional tournaments and leagues — free for league owners.

Tournament Creation

Single elim, double elim, Swiss, and Pool Play formats. Set up in minutes.

Live Brackets

March Madness-style visualization with real-time score updates.

Smart Scheduling

Auto-generate schedules with location and time constraints. No conflicts.

Payment Collection

Stripe-powered split payouts. Per-player fees auto-routed to league owners.

QR Check-ins

Scan players in instantly. No paper rosters, no manual tracking.

League Managers

Delegate permissions for roster, scores, scheduling, and financials.

League Management

Multi-division, round robin, guaranteed games, and full season history.

Analytics

Track attendance, revenue, and engagement across all your events.

For Players

Your competition identity. Track your rating, manage your teams, and never miss a match.

Contender Rating

Global Elo-based skill rating with sportsmanship and margin-of-victory weighting.

Player Profile

QR code for check-ins, custom badges, and match history across all events.

Live Match Tracking

Real-time bracket updates. Know exactly when and where your next game is.

My Teams

All your teams in one place. Upcoming matches at a glance, one tap away.

Stats Dashboard

Win/loss record, rating progression, and full tournament history at your fingertips.

Match Notifications

Get alerted the moment your next match is called. Never miss a game.

Become an Owner

Turn your passion into organized competition. Anyone can host free backyard tournaments instantly. Official leagues require verification to keep the platform trusted.

League Owner

Tournament Organizer

Create and manage official leagues and tournaments.

  • Create leagues, tournaments, and divisions
  • Set formats, rules, and schedules
  • Collect entry fees via Stripe
  • Manage rosters and team registration
  • Report scores and update brackets
  • Delegate permissions to league managers
League Manager

Event Staff

Scoped access delegated by the league owner.

  • Check in players via QR scan
  • Report match scores
  • Manage rosters and team lists
  • View schedule and assignments
  • Access only what the league owner grants
  • No access to financials or settings
Full Bracket Integration

Live Brackets That Run Themselves

Auto-generated brackets update in real time as scores come in. Single elimination, double elimination, Swiss, pool play — Contend handles the math so you can focus on the game. This is the hallmark of the platform.

Contend tournament bracket with live scores and auto-advancing rounds

What You Can Do as a League Owner

Any Sport, Any Game

Basketball, esports, chess, cornhole — if you can score it, Contend can run it.

Collect Payments

Charge per-player entry fees. Stripe handles splits — platform fee out, rest to you.

Live Brackets

Auto-generated brackets update in real time as scores are reported.

QR Check-ins

Scan players in with their phone. No clipboards, no spreadsheets.

Delegate Staff

Assign league managers with scoped permissions for scores, check-ins, and rosters.

Track Everything

Attendance, revenue, match history — full analytics across all your events.

Anyone can host a backyard tournament for free, instantly. Official leagues require platform review and verification.

1

Create a free Contend account with your phone number

2

Start a backyard tournament instantly — no approval needed

3

Submit a league application for platform review

4

Connect your Stripe account and start collecting entry fees

Become an Owner

Tournament Formats

Four formats covering every type of competition — from casual game nights to pro leagues.

Free

Single Elimination

Classic bracket. Win or go home.

Pro

Double Elimination

Winners and losers brackets. One second chance.

Free

Contender Format (Swiss)

Play every round. No elimination. Skill-based pairings.

Pro

Pool Play → Bracket

Round robin pools feed into a championship bracket.

Backyard Mode — Tournament Night, Simplified

Free, casual, up to 6 teams. No commitment, no history tracking, just pure competition. Perfect for game nights, tailgates, and friendly rivalries.

1

Create

2

Share Link

3

Play

Start a Backyard Tournament

3 free backyard tournaments per month

Go Pro. Go Bigger.

$4.99/month
  • Unlimited backyard tournaments
  • Double elimination brackets
  • Up to 16 teams per tournament
  • Backyard rating & record system
  • Advanced stats dashboard
  • Custom branding (logo, colors, banner)
  • Pool Play format
  • Group chat for tournaments
Start Free Trial

Cancel anytime

Pricing

Free for league owners. Small per-player fee for official leagues. Backyard mode is always free.

Free
Backyard Pro
Tournaments / month
3
Unlimited
Max teams
6
16
Formats
Single + Swiss
All formats
Rating system
—
Backyard rating
Stats
Basic
Advanced
Custom branding
—
Yes
Match history
—
Yes

Get the App

Contend

Scan to Download

Download on the App Store

Available on iOS and Android — Coming Soon

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Contend really free? +
Yes for league owners. A small per-player service fee applies to official league sign-ups. Backyard mode is completely free — 3 tournaments per month, no cost.
What sports does Contend support? +
Contend supports anything a league owner needs help managing. From traditional sports like basketball, tennis, and soccer to esports, chess, cornhole, and backyard game nights — if you can score it, we can run it. Every league and tournament comes with a full set of customization options, so you can tailor formats, rules, divisions, and scheduling to fit your exact needs. You bring the competition, Contend handles the rest.
How do payments work? +
All financials are handled by Stripe — one of the world's most trusted and secure payment processors, powering millions of businesses across the globe. League owners connect their own Stripe account, players pay per sign-up for official leagues, and Stripe automatically routes the funds: the platform fee goes to Contend, and the rest goes straight to your connected account. Your financial data is encrypted end-to-end and never stored on our servers. Stripe handles the heavy lifting so you can focus on running a great event.
What is the Contender Rating? +
A global skill rating that factors in match results, opponent strength, margin of victory, and sportsmanship. Think of it like a credit score for competitors — it follows you across every event.
Can I run a league, not just a tournament? +
Yes. Full league management with divisions, round robin scheduling, guaranteed games, standings, and permanent season history.
What's Backyard Mode? +
Casual, free tournaments up to 6 teams. No ratings impact, no history tracking. Perfect for game nights, tailgates, and friendly rivalries. 3 free per month.
How do I own a league? +
Anyone can run backyard tournaments instantly — no approval needed. To own an official league with paid entry fees, submit a league application for platform review. Once approved, connect your Stripe account, and you are the league owner — you control the format, the rules, and the payouts.
Do players need to download the app? +
Players can join via a browser link — no download required. The app enhances the experience with notifications, profiles, and match alerts, but it's optional.
Is my data safe? +
Absolutely. Your data is protected at every level. All accounts are phone-verified to prevent fraud and ban evasion. Every piece of information — from your profile to your match history — is encrypted in transit and at rest. Payment processing is handled entirely by Stripe, a PCI-DSS Level 1 certified processor, meaning your financial details never touch our infrastructure. League owners control all data access with granular permissions, and all sensitive actions are logged in a permanent audit trail. Contend was built with security as a foundation, not an afterthought.