Talk Fantasy Football

Hello everyone,
I asked about this at a recent tournament and had some interesting feedback and it was suggested I ask here and on NAF site.

What are your thoughts on holding mid week tournaments.
A lot of players have to work weekends only on shifts they find hard to move a lot of coaches are employed in education so during holidays a weekend is the same as a weekday.
A lot of single parents only have access to their children at weekends.
As Sunday trading changes so more people get days off in the week rather than weekends.
Would students on holiday have a problem with weekdays?
Unemployed does it matter if held during the week or weekends?
Would this open the tournament scene to more players or cause more problems.

I would like some feedback on this one please.

Try it and find out...

Go for a one dayer and take it from there.

In principle, I'm all for it, especially for one-dayers, but just for me, weekdays can be as problematic as weekends, it's all just depends on my rota.

Give it a try and tell us how it works out.

Sadly I work a "traditional" schedule so wouldn't be able to make it until evenings.

OOH! How about:
5-game, 5-day tournament, each game is played in the evening of a weeknight?

I'd be up for that! But at least in my Blood Bowl circle, there's a solid group that always reliably complains about tournaments. Throw a one day tournament and it's not enough games, luck of the draw becomes too much of a factor, why would I drive all the way to (Location) for just one day ... throw a two day tournament and it's too long, I'd love to go but that's my whole weekend, plus it's expensive, that's two days of buying drinks at the venue and lunches ... and so on and so on. Always seems to be the same people, over and over. Anyway, I can just picture one of them complaining about "well that's a whole week's worth of evenings gone, I'll have to find someone to pick up the kids from school and I'll be home late every day ..."

I've got to stop listening to those kinds of people. It's infectious!

I wonder if Bank Holidays are ever used to host tournaments. I'd definitely be up for filling those days and, with businesses and shops being closed, that opens your demographic up for another day.

Not a tournament organiser or experienced players, but just a thought.

Considering all (family matters and work), I could only go on the weekday evenings and for sure not all 5 of them. I reckon, for me it is much easier to go for one or two days on a weekend than it is under the week.
Maybe a three game BB7's event on a weekday evening?

I'd be all for it, but work is 9-5 Monday to Friday for me.

Problem you have is all "us" shift workers don't have the same rotational shifts..... So, Mon-Fri workers are all off at weekends ( non shift workers) however not all shift workers are off say Tue-Wed, I am this week, but not next. In saying that as a shift worker it's as easy if not easier to take Tues- wed off as my co-workers want the weekends to visit family see kids Ect.

I'd not be adverse to a weekday tournament, as it's just another day for me.

Jip wrote:I wonder if Bank Holidays are ever used to host tournaments. [snip] and shops being closed,

How would a league format tournament go down, both with people and the naf.

For example a six games swiss tournament, playing one game a week, with no official location ? So the games can be played anywhere at any time.

You gain massive flexibility, without a venue ticket cost would be low but you lose that tournament social aspect and you need reliable players to get there games played.

stanrichardson wrote:How would a league format tournament go down, both with people and the naf.
For example a six games swiss tournament, playing one game a week, with no official location ? So the games can be played anywhere at any time.
You gain massive flexibility, without a venue ticket cost would be low but you lose that tournament social aspect and you need reliable players to get there games played.

I was straying towards the same idea. But two things came to my mind:

- it would be/feel closer to league play than tournament play
- you would take away the (theoretical) access for all and practically allow only residents to play.

In my thinking a weekday tournament would have to go down in 1 or 2 days. How to do that though... tough and I don't have any good ideas.
As I said before, maybe with a variant (BB7's or Streetbowl) where you get more games in in a shorter time.

In Northern Pennsylvania they hold the Hooky Bowl on a Friday. The idea behind it is much as lemf has said: spouses and children keep coaches tied up on the weekends, and for some it's easier to take a day off work than negotiate time away from the family.

This was its second year and it does about as well as any other 1-day tournament in that immediate area. They added a Saturday tournament this year and attendance for that was slightly lower, for whatever it's worth.


I agree with the concerns regarding a league-style tournament (an idea which has come up a few times before). While it might technically qualify as a tournament, in practice it would probably prove pretty difficult to manage.

Thanks for the feedback so far.

Yes the intention would be to run exactly the same kind of format as the weekend formats either a 1 day (4 game) or 2 day (6 game) format.
Therefore retaining the standard NAF tournament status and ideals.

lemf wrote:Thanks for the feedback so far.

Yes the intention would be to run exactly the same kind of format as the weekend formats either a 1 day (4 game) or 2 day (6 game) format.
Therefore retaining the standard NAF tournament status and ideals.

The more I think about this, the more it seems to be a good idea..... I know most people would have to take holiday from work, however, pretty sure if you needed to book a B&B it would be cheaper mid week, so it has some merit.

As I said previously, as a shift worker it's just as easy for me ( or possibly easier) to take days off midweek rather than weekends.

Someone once told me ( Sann90210 perhaps) that the 2 main factors for tournament attendance was location and cost, not the rulespack or bonus points, so, maybe a hall rental mid week would also be cheaper?


In short, I'd be interested

I always take time off work for tournaments due to my working week starting on the weekend, I think it could work. Depending on location I would be interested.

Got me thinking also about something I've been thinking over, it's not a new idea but was thinking of having two one dayers back to back. Perhaps the first one could run on Friday followed by Saturday and your free to choose which you attend but the big prizes being awarded for th overall winners who accumulate t most points across all games.

Give it a go and see how it goes