The Day of Your Event

Check-In Process

If you are using Eventbrite or another similar program to sell tickets, learn to use the system to check in your attendees.

If a player must forfeit their spot in a tournament for any reason, their opponent should still play the match (2 games) to give them the same opportunity to throw as all other registrants. The absentee thrower will receive 0’s for every round.

• Once a tournament has started, players cannot be added or deleted. Unlike league play, no additional players will be allowed to join once the bracket has begun. 

  • A well-defined check-in time is imperative.

If a player or team does not show for the tournament, you CANNOT sub another player or team under that ID to play

Equipment Checks

Checking axes/knives to ensure they meet WATL/WKTL specifications is not required, but strongly recommended. Build time for this into your check-in/warm-up before brackets, or during a meet and greet the day before.

For an expedient process, consider the following:

• • Get dot stickers or something similar to mark axes/knives that have been checked. Make sure to initial and/or date each sticker, as other tournaments use the same method.

    • Or consider getting custom/unique stickers!

  • Ensure Judges know to check the stickers before a match begins.

  • Stock WATL/WKTL axes/knives that have not been visibly modified do not need to be fully vetted with weight/measurements.

  • Set up an assembly line for checking to speed up the process:

    • Tape off a table with the minimum/maximum measurements for each instrument. Throwers can quickly lay the axe/knife down and if it falls within the taped range, it is good.

    • Have 2-3 scales available so more than one thrower can be checked at the same time.

Warm-Up Throws/Practice

• The venue may decide how long the initial warm-up period is before the tournament begins. Throwers are encouraged to take ten practice throws and rotate to the back of the line to allow fair practice time for all participants.

• Once the tournament begins, players are allowed:

  • 3 warm-up throws before their first match

  • 1 warm-up throw before every subsequent match after that

  • 1 practice throw between match sets

    • i.e. best 2/3 matches, players may take one practice throw between games

  • The number of warm-up throws may be adjusted by the venue host, so long as it is fair for all competitors

• When determining what practice times/length should be, make sure it is fair for all throwers. If you are running multiple brackets, having one warm-up period only at the start of the day is not fair to the later bracket participants.

  • It is suggested that you either host a warm-up period for EACH bracket or no warm-up period for any bracket, that way it is fair for all competitors

    • If choosing to not host any warm-up time, giving throwers 10 practice throws before their first match is suggested (instead of the stated 3) so that all throwers have a chance to warm up equally

Finals Formats

All sanctioned tournaments will follow the same format for final matches.

1 bracket 

Played through to the end

2 brackets

Double elimination finals bracket

A and B Finalists taken from each bracket

Seeded:

1 bracket 1 A winner

2 bracket 2 A winner

3 bracket 2 B winner

4 bracket 1 B winner

B bracket winners are manually pushed to B bracket in new finals bracket before matches are played

4 brackets

Double elimination finals bracket

A and B Finalists taken from each bracket

Seeded:

1- bracket 1 A winner

2- bracket 3 A winner

3- bracket 4 A winner

4- bracket 2 A winner

5- bracket 2 B winner

6- bracket 4 B winner

7- bracket 3 B winner

8- bracket 1 B winner

B bracket winners are manually pushed to B bracket in new finals bracket before matches are played