Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know before running your tournament with OpenShuttle.
Do I need an internet connection?
No. OpenShuttle runs fully offline, on a single computer. You only need the internet to download it.
Can I use it for sanctioned tournaments?
No. OpenShuttle is made for non-sanctioned club tournaments: internal club days, friendly tournaments, end-of-season events.
What equipment do I need?
A laptop for the control desk and, if you like, a projector or a TV for the display screen. No printer needed.
Is it really free?
Yes, with no subscription and no paid edition. OpenShuttle is free and open source software made by volunteers.
Windows shows a warning when I start it. Is that normal?
Yes, for new releases. Click “More info”, then “Run anyway”. The Download page walks you through it.
On a Mac, the app will not open. What should I do?
Open OpenShuttle once and close the message. Then go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and click “Open Anyway” at the bottom of the page. You only need to do this once.
How many categories can play at the same time?
One or two per tournament, on the same courts: one men’s and one women’s category, for example men’s doubles and women’s doubles. A player can only be entered in one of them. Mixed doubles always runs on its own.
Which tournament formats are possible?
You chain stages freely: pools, single elimination brackets, a consolation bracket, with full placement to rank everyone place by place. Each stage has its own win condition: sets to win, points per set, a point cap, or timed matches played in rounds with a golden point (when a single category plays).
Ready-made presets save you from rebuilding everything from one tournament to the next.
Does OpenShuttle handle player rankings or levels?
No, there are no levels or federation rankings. To balance the pools, you pick your seeds and put them in order at the draw.
How do I import the list of entrants?
From a CSV file with the columns category, player 1, club 1, player 2, club 2 (semicolon or comma separated). Invalid or already entered rows are reported, and the whole import can be undone in one click.
Where are my tournaments saved?
On your computer: one .openshuttle file per tournament. Every action is written to disk at once and a backup copy is made regularly, so a power cut loses nothing.
Can players follow the scores on their phones?
Not for now: everything happens on the control desk computer, and players follow along on the display screen in the hall.
Which languages does the app speak?
English and French. You can switch the language at any time in the settings.
Who makes OpenShuttle?
OpenShuttle is created and maintained by Thomas Da Rocha, as a volunteer. It is free and open source software: the code is public on GitHub under the AGPL licence, and contributions are welcome, whether reporting a bug, suggesting an idea or writing code (see the contributing guide).
Your question is not here?
Read the 10-step guide or ask it on GitHub.