Note, if more than four teams are advancing, the format described in 8.3 can be used.
Note: what's the point of double elimination if only one team is advancing?
On the first day, play a round-robin. On the second day, split the teams as following: the top two teams in each pool move to pool A, the other two teams in each pool move to pool B. Then, the teams each new pool can play a round-robin. The teams from pool A finish in 1st through 4th. The teams from pool B finish in 5th through 8th.
The format can be done with only three fields, because, fortunately, two pools of four can be played on three fields, in four rounds. (See Table 8.2).
Note that on the second day's play, each team will play one other team that they have already played the day before. If there is extreme weather (e.g., very hot, cold and rainy, etc.) or if many of the teams are new or low on numbers, you can eliminate the repeat game. In other words, pool A plays a round-robin on the second day, but instead of playing a repeat game, count the game from the day before. So, in effect, in each pool on the second day, two teams will be starting with a 1-0 record, and two teams with an 0-1 record, and will have to play two games to complete the round-robin. This format, then, gives each team three games the first day and two games the second day. This format was used in the Spring 1989 M.A. Regionals, where (a) some of the teams were new; (b) it was a very hot weekend; and, (c) all eight teams qualified for Easterns.
The schedule for the second day's pool play should be tailored to the strength of the teams. See the discussion of the "flexible" four team round-robin (4.2). You can also play, instead of the second day's round-robin, a modified four-team elimination on the second day (see Table 4.4).
The reason why this format is unacceptable for qualifying four or less teams is that it is possible to finish fifth while losing only one game. If, in one of the pools, there is a three way tie for first, one of those teams will be relegated to the losers pool and can finish no higher than fifth despite losing only one game. This less of a problem if five or more teams are qualifying.
If you're certain that teams will not drop out, and if you are qualifying more than four teams, a round-robin will guarantee the most possible games for everyone.
A round-robin of eight teams takes seven rounds. If the first four rounds are the first day, and the last three on the second day, there is time for a finals pitting the top two teams, if everyone is up for it.
Saturday Sunday . . .
last Round 1 Round 2
round
A1 -----
A ---------_
B4 ----- _ 1st place - winner of I
E __________ 2nd place - winner of N
B2 ----- _ _ 3rd place - loser of N
B --------- _ 4th place - loser of M
A3 ----- _ 5th place - winner of Q
I _ ___________ 6th place - loser of Q
A2 ----- _ first place 7th place - winner of P
C ---------_ _ 8th place - loser of P
B3 ----- _ _
F __________
B1 ----- _
D ---------
A4 -----
Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4
LA --------
G ----------
LB -------- J -----------_
LF --------- _
LC -------- M ---------
H ---------- - _
LD -------- K ----------- N _ ____________
LE --------- _ second place
LI -------
LG ---------
P -----------
LH ---------
LJ ----------
Q ---------
LK ----------
Sunday . . .
Round 1 Round 2
round
A1 -----
A ---------_
B4 ----- _
E ___________
B2 ----- _ _
B ---------_ _
A3 ----- _
I _ ___________
A2 ----- _ 1st place
C --------- _
B3 ----- _ _ 1st place - winner of I
F ___________ 2nd place - loser of I
B1 ----- _ 3rd place - winner of K
D --------- 4th place - loser of K
A4 ----- 5th place - winner of J
6th place - loser of J
LA --------- 7th place - winner of M
G -----------_ 8th place - loser of M
LB --------- J _ __________
LC --------- _ 5th place
H -----------
LD ---------
LE -----------
K ----------
LF ----------- 3rd place
LG -----------
M ---------
LH ----------- 7th place
A1-A3 A2-A4 B1-B4
A1-A4 B1-B3 B2-B4
A2-A3 B1-B2 B3-B4
A1-A2 A3-A4 B2-B3
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
- - - - - - -
1 - 7 2 5 3 6 8 4 1 v 2 3 v 8 4 v 7 5 v 6
2 - 6 1 4 7 8 5 3 1 v 5 2 v 4 3 v 6 7 v 8
3 - 5 8 6 1 4 7 2 1 v 3 2 v 7 4 v 5 6 v 8
4 - 8 7 2 5 3 6 1 1 v 6 2 v 8 3 v 4 5 v 7
5 - 3 6 1 4 7 2 8 1 v 8 2 v 5 3 v 7 4 v 6
6 - 2 5 3 8 1 4 7 1 v 4 2 v 3 5 v 8 6 v 7
7 - 1 4 8 2 5 3 6 1 v 7 2 v 6 3 v 5 4 v 8
8 - 4 3 7 6 2 1 5
DIVISION I
Round #1 Rnd 2 Rnd 3 Rnd 3
A1 ----- LE -----------
A ---------_ K ---------
D2 ----- _ LF ----------- 3rd place
E _----------_
B2 ----- _ _ LG -----------
B --------- _ M ---------
C1 ----- _ LH ----------- 7th place
I _____________
A2 ----- _ 1st place
C ---------_ _
D1 ----- _ _
F _----------
B1 ----- _
D ---------
C2 -----
LA---------
G ----------_
LB--------- J _____________
LC--------- _ 5th place
H ----------
LD---------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
DIVISION II
Round #1 Rnd 2 Rnd 3 Rnd 3
A3 ----- LE -----------
A ---------_ K ---------
D4 ----- _ LF ----------- 3rd place
E _----------_
B4 ----- _ _ LG -----------
B --------- _ M ---------
C3 ----- _ LH ----------- 7th place
I _____________
A4 ----- _ 1st place
C ---------_ _
D3 ----- _ _
F _----------
B3 ----- _
D ---------
C4 -----
LA---------
G ----------_
LB--------- J _____________
LC--------- _ 5th place
H ----------
LD---------
Recommendation: All games to 15, except Division I games E, F, and I,
which are to 17, and I to 19 by mutual agreement. For the sixteen game
schedule, all games to 17, and Division I finals to 19 by mutual agreement.