Tournaments & Competition

HEMA Tournament Formats Explained

By HILT Official · Feb 25, 2026 · 10 min read

Swiss system, round robin, pools to elimination: what each format is good for and when to use it.

Not All Brackets Are Created Equal If you're organizing a HEMA tournament (or competing in one), it helps to understand why the organizer chose a particular format. Each one has trade-offs between time, fairness, and the total number of fights each competitor gets. Round Robin Every competitor fights every other competitor. The person with the best overall record wins. Good for: Small pools (4–8 people), ensuring everyone gets maximum fights, producing the most statistically fair result. Bad for: Anything over 10 people. A 16-person round robin requires 120 bouts. You'll be there for two…

Continue reading

How ELO Ratings Work in HEMA The chess-derived rating system adapted for swordfighting: how it works, what it means, and why it matters.
Preparing for Your First HEMA Tournament Everything you need to know before stepping into the ring, from gear checks to managing competition nerves.
Running a Tournament: The Organizer's Checklist Everything that can go wrong at a HEMA event, and how to prevent it, from venue logistics to referee coordination.

← All HILT Resources