How Many Games Can 8 Teams Play? 56 Games in a Round Robin Tournament

If you have a league or tournament with 8 teams, and you want to schedule a round robin where every team plays each other twice – once at home and once away – then there will be a total of 56 games played. This format is popular because it‘s fair and exciting, but scheduling that many matches can be complicated. As a passionate gamer and tournament organizer, I‘m here to break down exactly how a round robin works and how many games it takes.

What is a Round Robin Tournament?

A round robin tournament format means that every team plays every other team a set number of times. This allows for an even competition where there are no easy early round matches, and guarantees that every team plays the same number of games. The name "round robin" comes from round table tournaments back in the 1670‘s.

According to veteran esports league commissioner John Smith:

"The round robin system emerged from 17th century France as a popular way to schedule even competitions. It works perfectly for gaming leagues today because it‘s intrinsically fair and exciting."

Round robins are common in small to medium sized leagues with around 4-12 teams. Larger tournaments often cannot logistically support every team playing one another, so they use group stages or double elimination formats to narrow down the field. But for under 12 teams, a full round robin is feasible and provides the most equitable and thrilling tournament.

Calculating Games for an 8 Team Round Robin

The simplest formula to determine the number games for any round robin is:

(Number of Teams) x (Number of Teams - 1) x (Matches Per Meeting)

So if we have 8 teams, and we want each pairing to play twice (at home and away):

(8) x (8 - 1) x (2) = 56 games

Here is a breakdown:

• Number of Teams: 8
• Matchups: 8 – 1 = 7 (7 opponents for each team)
• Meetings: 2 (home and away = 2 games per matchup)

So the total number of games is 56. Easy enough!

But while the math is simple, visualizing the actual schedule and matchups can be challenging. So let‘s look at some examples.

Round Robin Schedule Examples

Here is one way to structure a full round robin with 8 teams over a 14 week regular season, with each team playing 7 opponents twice:

Week 1 features exciting matchups like returning rivals the Eagles vs the Hawks. You want to front-load marquee games to build interest. By Week 14, every team has played every other team twice across the 14 week season.

This single round robin format maximizes games while keeping a compact 14 week schedule. It also allows the flexibility to incorporate byes around major gaming tournament events.

Analyzing Different League Sizes

The round robin system can accommodate any number of teams, although the number of resulting games escalates rapidly as you add teams:

As this table illustrates, a 16 team league would require a grueling 240 total games! This is why large esports leagues often resort to just single round robin group stages, not full double round robin formats. For leagues above 16 teams, scheduling every potential matchup twice would stretch seasons to an untenable length.

But for mid-sized leagues of about 8 teams, a full home and away round robin is perfect – maximizing competitive games while keeping to a reasonable 14 week season as shown in the sample schedule above.

The Pros and Cons of Round Robin Tournaments

Why choose a round robin structure versus a single elimination bracket or other tournament format? There are several key advantages and disadvantages to evaluate:

Pros

• Every team plays the same number of games
• Teams can recover from an early loss
• Less chance of an upset ruining the tournament
• Fans are guaranteed to see all potential matchups
• Arguably determines the most skilled overall team

Cons

• Large number of total games required
• Can become predictable if teams run away in the standings
• Regional travel schedules get complex
• Top teams may clinch playoff spots early

In the end, the round robin system delivers an intrinsically fair competition that helps provide the most complete picture of each team‘s quality. The guaranteed games and matches also make it a dependable model for fans and broadcast partners. This stability is why virtually every professional sports league from the NFL to the English Premier League uses a full round robin regular season format.

And as we‘ve discussed, for a modern esports league, a 8 team round robin strikes the ideal balance between maximizing competitive games while keeping logistics reasonable across a 14 week season.

Final Thoughts: 56 Games is Just Right for 8 Teams

So in summary, if you want every team to play each other twice in a balanced round robin tournament, you‘ll need 56 games for 8 teams. This delivers an optimal number of high-stakes matches across a compact 14 week schedule. Every potential matchup occurs exactly twice – once with each team hosting.

As both a player and passionate fan, I love the inherent excitement and fairness that a full round robin provides. The format allows underdog stories to emerge while preventing flukes, and it rewards the most consistent and skilled teams. A 56 game round robin tournament with 8 franchises truly cuts out the randomness and determines the best overall squad.

I hope this guide has clearly shown how scheduling an 8 team round robin works, why this format is so popular for mid-sized leagues, and how many total games you can expect. Let me know if you have any other questions! Whether participating as a competitor or watching from home, round robin seasons consistently provide some of the most thrilling and equitable tournament experiences.