GUIDE

Everything you need to know about creating and running tournaments on Dart Seed — from bracket setup to recurring events and SMS notifications.

Jump to Section

1 TV Layout Overview 2 Basic Info 3 TV Casting & Rules 4 Format & Settings 5 Color Schemes 6 Players & Teams 7 Payouts 8 Skill Shots 9 TV & Casting 10 Share / Mobile View 11 Managing Brackets 12 Tips & FAQ

TV LAYOUT OVERVIEW

Here's how your bracket settings map to the TV display. Each labeled zone corresponds to a field on the create/edit form.

RULES TITLE

Rule content
goes here...

RULES TITLE

BASIC INFO

Bracket name & display title

Bracket Name

Required. The internal name for your bracket. Shows on your dashboard and in the URL slug.

TV Header

Display Title

Optional. Overrides the bracket name on the TV display and share view. Use this for a shorter or more stylized name on screen (e.g., "FNF" instead of "Friday Night Fights #47").

TV Header Optional

TV CASTING & RULES

Logo, rule panels, and appearance

On the create/edit form, the TV Casting section (collapsible) contains everything that affects the TV header: logo, rule panels, and preset loader. The Appearance section contains the color scheme picker. Both are collapsed by default to keep the form clean.

Logo

Optional. Upload a venue or league logo. Replaces the text title in the TV header center when set. Logos are saved to your library for reuse across brackets.

TV Header (center) Optional

Load Preset

Select a saved preset from the dropdown to instantly fill both rule panels. Presets store a name, left panel title + content, and right panel title + content — perfect for league nights where your scoring rules never change.

Save as Preset

Hit + Save as Preset inside the TV Casting section to save your current rule panels as a new preset without leaving the page. You can also create and manage presets directly from Rule Presets in your account menu — useful for setting them up before your first bracket.

How to set up Rule Presets

1. Go to Account → Rule Presets and click Add Preset.
2. Give the preset a name (e.g. "Weekly League"), then fill in your left and right rule panel titles and content.
3. When creating or editing a bracket, open the TV Casting section and pick your preset from the Load Preset dropdown — both panels fill in instantly.

Rules (Left Side)

Title + content for the first rule box, displayed in the top-left area of the TV header. Supports multi-line text.

TV Header (top-left)

Rules (Right Side)

Title + content for the second rule box. Each side can be independently toggled on/off for TV display without deleting the saved content.

TV Header (top-left)

Tip: Save your most-used rule configurations in Rule Presets. When creating a bracket, select a preset from the dropdown and both panels fill in instantly — no page reload.

FORMAT & SETTINGS

Player count, teams, elimination type

Number of Players

Required. Enter 2–128. The bracket auto-sizes to the next power of 2. If your count isn't a perfect power of 2 (e.g. 12 players), BYEs are automatically assigned to the top seeds so they skip Round 1.

Example: 12 players → 16-slot bracket → 4 BYEs → top 4 seeds auto-advance past Round 1.

Team Size

Choose Solo (1v1), Doubles (2v2), Trios (3v3), Quads (4v4), or 5v5. When team size is greater than 1, the player input section generates fields for each team member. The TV display shows both total player count and team count.

TV Player/Team Chip

Bracket Type

Single Elimination — Lose once, you're out. Faster tournaments.
Double Elimination — Lose twice to be eliminated. Includes Winners bracket, Losers bracket, and Grand Finals (with potential reset). The TV auto-rotates between bracket views.

COLOR SCHEMES

Theme your TV display

Choose a color scheme to theme the entire TV display and share view. Each scheme includes a background color/pattern, accent color, text color, and borders — all optimized for full-screen TV readability.

Standard Themes

Midnight
Ember
Forest
Royal Purple
Ocean
Gold
Neon Arcade
Arctic
Sunset
Stealth

Holiday Themes

Easter
Halloween
Christmas
Valentine's
St. Patrick's
New Year's
4th of July
Thanksgiving

Tip: Holiday themes include subtle background patterns (snowflakes, pumpkins, etc.) for atmosphere. Set a default color scheme in Bracket Defaults under your account menu.

PLAYERS & TEAMS

Enter names and seed positions

After setting your player count and team size, the form generates a card for each seed slot with a #N seed label. Players are seeded in order — slot 1 is the #1 seed, and so on.

Player Names

Enter each player or team name. Order determines seeding: #1 seed plays the lowest seed, #2 plays the second-lowest, etc. BYEs are automatically assigned to top seeds if the bracket isn't full.

Bracket Matches

Phone Number

Optional Enter a player's mobile number to enable SMS notifications. When you call a player to a board, they automatically receive a text with their board number and a link to the live share view. For team slots, each member can have their own number — all members are texted when the team is called up.

SMS on Board Call

Team Members

When team size is 2+, each slot expands to show name and phone fields for each individual team member. Each member can receive their own SMS when the team is called to a board.

Player Database

Save players (name + phone) to your Player Database once and reuse them across every bracket. When filling player slots, start typing a name and your saved players appear as suggestions — phone numbers carry over automatically so SMS just works.

SMS on Board Call

How to use the Player Database

1. Go to Account → Player Database and add your regulars with their name and 10-digit mobile number.
2. When creating or editing a bracket, click any player slot — a dropdown appears with your saved players. Select one to fill the name and phone instantly.
3. When you call a player to a board, they receive an SMS with their board number and a link to the live bracket. No manual texting needed.
4. Players who reply STOP are automatically opted out — you can see them under the Opted Out tab on the Player Database page.

Tip: You can re-seed (shuffle) the bracket after creation from the bracket management page. This re-randomizes player positions while keeping all names and phone numbers intact.

PAYOUTS

Prize amounts per placement

Set prize amounts for up to 8 places. These display as compact chips in the TV header's right side, and as a placements section on the share view.

Paid Places

Select 0–8 paid places. This determines how many payout input fields appear and how many placement chips show on the TV display.

Payout Amount

Enter the prize for each place. Enter "$500" or just "500" — a dollar sign is added automatically on the TV and share views. Each payout appears as a chip with the placement label (1st, 2nd, 3rd…) and the player name once determined.

TV Header Chips

TV Display Example

1st

PlayerName

$500

2nd

PlayerName

$250

3rd

PlayerName

$100

SKILL SHOTS

Optional side-event tracking

Skill Shots let you track a side event alongside your main bracket — like a bullseye challenge, closest-to-bull, or any special throw competition. Each slot can have its own prize amount.

Skillshot Enabled

Check this box to activate the skill shot section. When enabled, a purple "Skill Shots" chip appears in the TV header and a dedicated section shows on the share view.

Number of Skill Shots

How many skill shot slots to track (1–50). Each slot is an independent entry with its own player name, hit count, and prize amount.

Player / Hits / Amount

Track who hit each slot, how many times, and the prize value. Leave blank until someone makes it — you can update at any time from the bracket's edit page.

TV Skill Shot Chip

Tip: Skill shots are fully editable after bracket creation. As players hit their shots during the event, update names and hits from the Edit page.

TV & CASTING

Display on a big screen or Chromecast

The TV view is a full-screen, auto-refreshing display optimized for 16:9 screens. It's designed to be cast to a pub/bar TV and updates automatically every 15 seconds as you record match results.

How to Cast

Open your bracket and click the TV / Cast button

Use Chrome's built-in Cast feature or open the TV URL directly on a connected device

The display auto-refreshes and rotates between bracket views (Winners, Losers, Finals)

TV View Features

• Auto-rotation — For double elimination, the view cycles through Winners, Losers, and Grand Finals automatically.
• Live updates — Refreshes every 15 seconds. Record a match result on your phone and it appears on the big screen moments later.
• QR code — A QR code on the TV links to the share/mobile view so players can follow along on their phones.
• Chromecast compatible — Uses the Cast Receiver SDK for native Chromecast support. No extra apps needed.

MANAGING BRACKETS

After creation

Recording Match Results

From the bracket page, tap any match to record a winner. The bracket advances automatically — winners move forward, and in double elimination, losers drop to the losers bracket. Results appear on the TV and share views within seconds.

Editing a Bracket

Edit a bracket at any time to change the title, logo, rules, payouts, skill shots, and color scheme. Player names and match results can also be updated. The edit page mirrors the create page with all fields pre-filled.

Re-seeding

Use the re-seed option from the bracket management page to shuffle player positions while preserving all names. Best done before matches start.

Calling Players to a Board

From the bracket page, assign players to a specific board (e.g., "Board 1"). Any phone numbers on file receive an SMS with their board number and a link to the live share view.

Resetting a Match

Made a mistake? Reset individual matches to clear the result and undo the advancement. This cascades to later rounds if needed.

TIPS & FAQ

Common questions answered

How many players can I have?

Up to 128 players per bracket. The system supports any count from 2 to 128 and auto-fills BYEs as needed.

What's the difference between single and double elimination?

Single Elimination: One loss and you're out. Quick and straightforward.

Double Elimination: You need to lose twice. After your first loss, you drop to the Losers Bracket. If you survive there, you can fight back to Grand Finals. If the Losers Bracket winner beats the Winners Bracket champion, a reset match is played.

Can I change bracket settings after creation?

Yes. You can edit the title, logo, rules, payouts, skill shots, and color scheme at any time. The only things you can't change after creation are the player count and bracket type (single vs. double elimination).

Do spectators need an account?

No. The share/mobile view and TV display are fully public. Anyone can scan the QR code or open the link to follow along. Only the bracket creator needs an account.

How do BYEs work?

When your player count isn't a perfect power of 2 (4, 8, 16, 32, etc.), the system adds BYEs to fill the bracket. BYEs are awarded to the highest seeds first. For example, with 12 players in a 16-slot bracket, the top 4 seeds get a BYE and auto-advance past Round 1.

How do SMS notifications work?

Enter a phone number for a player (or team member) and when you call them to a board from the bracket page, they receive a text with their board assignment and a direct link to the live bracket view. Save regular players to the Player Database so their numbers are always on hand.

What devices support Chromecast?

Any Chromecast device (including Chromecast with Google TV) or TV with built-in Chromecast. You can also use the TV URL directly on any browser — open it full-screen on any computer connected to a TV.

Can I use this for games other than darts?

Absolutely. While Dart Seed is built with dart tournaments in mind, it works for any 1v1 or team-based elimination bracket — pool, cornhole, beer pong, foosball, or anything else. The bracket structure, TV display, and casting features are game-agnostic.

How do I manage my account settings?

Click your username in the top-right corner to open the account menu. Your settings are split into four sub-pages:

• Account Info — Change your password or email address.
• Bracket Defaults — Set default team size, bracket type, and color scheme for new brackets.
• Rule Presets — Save rule text configurations to quickly load into any bracket.
• Player Database — Save players with phone numbers for quick reuse and SMS notifications.

READY TO GO?

Now that you know the ropes, create your first bracket.

Create a Bracket

Jump to Section

1 What Are Events? 2 Creating an Event 3 Schedule & Recurrence 4 SMS Notifications 5 Sending Reminders 6 Managing Events

WHAT ARE EVENTS?

Events let you track recurring or one-time tournament nights, send SMS reminders to your player list, and keep everyone informed automatically.

An Event represents a recurring or one-time tournament night at your venue — for example, "Friday Night Luck" every Friday at Oak Lanes. You can build a player list for each event and send them SMS reminders before the event starts, either manually or on an automatic schedule.

📅

Recurring Schedule

Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or one-time events with signup and start times

📱

SMS Reminders

Send personalized text reminders to your player list — manually or on a schedule

🌟

Player List

Maintain a dedicated list of players for each event with phone numbers

CREATING AN EVENT

Fields on the create/edit form

Event Name

Required. The name of your event (e.g., "Friday Night Luck", "Weekly Steel Tip"). Appears in SMS reminders sent to players and on the events list page.

Location

Optional. The venue or address for the event (e.g., "Oak Lanes, 123 Main St"). Included in SMS reminders so players know where to go.

SMS — Where Line

Sign-up Time

Optional. What time players should arrive to sign up (e.g., 6:00 PM). Included in the SMS "when" line alongside the start time.

SMS — When Line

Event Start Time

Optional. The actual start time of the event (e.g., 7:00 PM). When both sign-up and start times are set, the SMS shows "Sign Up 6:00pm / Start 7:00pm" in the when line.

SMS — When Line

Active

Toggle an event on or off without deleting it. Inactive events won't appear on the public events list and won't trigger automatic SMS sends.

SCHEDULE & RECURRENCE

When your event runs

Events can recur on a regular schedule. The system uses the recurrence pattern to calculate the next upcoming date for SMS scheduling and display on the events list.

Recurrence

Choose how often the event occurs:

Weekly — Same day every week (e.g., every Friday)
Bi-weekly — Every two weeks on the same day
Monthly — Once a month on a specific date
One-time — A single date with no recurrence

Day / Date

For weekly or bi-weekly events, select the day of the week (e.g., Friday). For monthly or one-time events, select the specific date. The system uses this to determine the next occurrence for scheduling reminders.

How next occurrence works: When scheduling an SMS reminder, the system calculates the next upcoming date based on the recurrence pattern. For a Friday weekly event, if today is Monday the next occurrence is this Friday. If today is Saturday (past the event), it calculates the following Friday.

SMS NOTIFICATIONS

Reminders sent to your player list

Event SMS reminders are personalized messages sent to each player on your event's player list. Every message is guaranteed to include the event name, when it's happening, and where — so players have all the info they need in one text.

Message Format

Hey [Player Name]!

Don't miss Friday Night Luck!

When: Friday, Aug 1 at Sign Up 6:00pm / Start 7:00pm

Where: Oak Lanes, 123 Main St

Details: https://dartseed.com/?page=event_view&id=5

Reply STOP to unsubscribe.

The greeting, reminder line, when line, where line, link label, and opt-out are each drawn from independent template pools. If randomization is on, each part is picked independently at random for variety.

Adding Players to an Event

From the event detail page, add players by name and phone number. Players saved in your Player Database can be added quickly from a dropdown. Each player's SMS opt-out status is respected — players who replied STOP won't receive messages.

Opt-Outs

Players can reply STOP to any message to opt out. Opt-outs are tracked sitewide — any player who opts out won't receive SMS from bracket board calls or event reminders.

SENDING REMINDERS

Manual and scheduled sends

You have two ways to send event SMS reminders: immediately from the events page, or on an automatic schedule tied to the next occurrence of the event.

Send Now

From the Events page, click Send Now next to any event to immediately send reminders to all players on that event's list. A confirmation dialog shows a preview of the message and how many players will receive it.

Scheduled Sends

Schedule a reminder to go out automatically at a specific time before the next event. From the events page, use the schedule picker on the event row to choose a send time (e.g., day-of at noon, or the day before at 6 PM). The system sends the messages automatically at that time.

How scheduling works: The system checks for pending scheduled sends on every page load. When the scheduled time arrives, messages go out automatically. After a send completes, the schedule resets for the following occurrence so you don't have to reschedule every week.

Send History

Each event tracks a log of previous sends — who was contacted, when, and whether the message was delivered or skipped (e.g., no phone number, opted out). View the history from the event detail page under the SMS History section.

MANAGING EVENTS

Day-to-day operations

Events List Page

The Events page shows all your active events with their next occurrence date, player count, and send controls. From here you can create new events, send now, schedule reminders, or jump into the event detail page.

Editing an Event

Edit any event to update its name, location, times, recurrence, or active status. Changes take effect immediately. If you update the schedule while a reminder is queued, the scheduled send still uses the original timing — cancel and reschedule if you need to adjust.

Customizing SMS Templates

Each part of the message (greeting, reminder line, when line, where line, link label, opt-out) has its own template pool. Enable randomization to pick a different variation each send for a more personal feel.

Deactivating vs. Deleting

If an event is on hiatus, toggle it inactive rather than deleting it. Inactive events are hidden from the public events list and won't trigger scheduled sends, but all your player lists and send history are preserved. Reactivate when the event returns.

SET UP YOUR EVENT

Create your first recurring event and start sending reminders to your players.

Go to Events

GUIDE

Jump to Section

TV LAYOUT OVERVIEW

BASIC INFO

TV CASTING & RULES

FORMAT & SETTINGS

COLOR SCHEMES

Standard Themes

Holiday Themes

PLAYERS & TEAMS

PAYOUTS

SKILL SHOTS

TV & CASTING

How to Cast

TV View Features

SHARE / MOBILE VIEW

MANAGING BRACKETS

Recording Match Results

Editing a Bracket

Re-seeding

Calling Players to a Board

Resetting a Match

TIPS & FAQ

READY TO GO?

Jump to Section

WHAT ARE EVENTS?

CREATING AN EVENT

SCHEDULE & RECURRENCE

SMS NOTIFICATIONS

Message Format

Adding Players to an Event

Opt-Outs

SENDING REMINDERS

Send Now

Scheduled Sends

Send History

MANAGING EVENTS

Events List Page

Editing an Event

Customizing SMS Templates

Deactivating vs. Deleting

SET UP YOUR EVENT