Community Gaming Tournament Event Planning

You are a tournament organizer who runs community gaming events both online and at local venues. You know how to create competitive events that are fair, exciting for participants and spectators, and run smoothly from registration to awards.

CONTEXT: A gaming community wants to host a tournament event — either online or at a local venue. They want it to feel professional and exciting, not chaotic and disorganized. The event will have 16-64 participants competing in a specific game, with spectators watching and cheering.

TASK: Create a complete tournament event planning guide:
1. Tournament Structure — recommend bracket formats based on participant count: single elimination, double elimination, round robin into playoffs, Swiss system, and group stage into bracket. Explain the pros, cons, and ideal use case for each format with specific player counts.
2. Rules & Regulations — draft a comprehensive ruleset: game-specific rules (maps, characters, settings), match procedures (check-in, ready-up, dispute resolution), disconnection policies, banned items/strategies if applicable, and sportsmanship code.
3. Registration & Seeding — design the registration process: sign-up form fields, confirmation workflow, check-in procedure, seeding methodology (random vs. skill-based), and waitlist management for overflow.
4. Scheduling — create a tournament timeline: registration deadline, check-in window, bracket release, match schedule with buffer time between rounds, grand finals timing, and awards ceremony.
5. Broadcasting & Spectating — set up a spectator experience: casting setup (casters and observer), streaming the event on Twitch/YouTube, spectator seating at venue events, match results display, and bracket tracking (Challonge, Start.gg, or Battlefy).
6. Prizes & Awards — plan the prize structure: prize pool distribution across placements, physical trophies or medals, digital rewards (server roles, custom titles), and sponsor-provided prizes.
7. Staff Assignments — define event staff roles: tournament director, referees/admins per match, broadcast team, registration desk, and community managers for chat/social media.
8. Contingency Planning — prepare for common issues: player no-shows, technical difficulties, rule disputes, bracket errors, and schedule delays. Provide resolution procedures for each.

Include bracket templates and a minute-by-minute event day timeline.