Case Study
Tournament Predictor
A bespoke WordPress plugin for running prediction competitions during football tournaments. Built from scratch for groups who take the banter seriously.
The Problem
Spreadsheets, group chats, and manual everything
Running a prediction competition during a tournament is a logistical headache. Someone creates a shared spreadsheet, another person manages the WhatsApp group, and a third person spends every matchday manually updating scores and arguing about who gets partial points for a correct result but wrong score.
Off-the-shelf WordPress plugins for predictions either handle simple fixtures or basic leagues — none properly support the full complexity of a 48-team international tournament with groups, knockouts, bonus predictions, and stage-weighted scoring.
The Solution
A plugin that handles the entire lifecycle
Tournament Predictor is a purpose-built WordPress plugin that manages everything from player registration through to the final standings ceremony. The admin enters results — the plugin does the rest.
Players log in, submit their predictions before kick-off, and watch the leaderboard update in real time as results come in. No spreadsheets. No WhatsApp arguments. No manual point tallying.
Key Features
Everything a tournament needs, nothing it doesn’t
48-Team Format
Built specifically for the modern international tournament structure. Group stages with multiple pools, Round of 16, Quarter-finals, Semi-finals, Third-place play-off, and the Final — the full bracket, properly modelled.
Stage-Based Scoring
Points are weighted by stage. A correct score in the Final is worth more than one in a group match. Configurable weightings let the admin tune the balance between skill and luck at each round.
Automatic Deadlines
Predictions lock automatically when each match kicks off. No admin intervention needed. Players cannot retrospectively update a prediction once the whistle blows, keeping the competition fair.
Real-Time Leaderboard
Points recalculate and standings refresh instantly as the admin enters match results. Participants can watch their position change live during a matchday without refreshing the page.
Bonus Predictions
Beyond individual match scores, players submit long-range predictions before the tournament begins: tournament winner, golden boot winner, and dark horse team to reach the semi-finals. These carry bonus points revealed only at the end, keeping the competition alive even when the leaderboard appears settled.
How It Works
From setup to final standings
-
Admin creates the tournament
Using the WordPress admin panel, the competition organiser sets up the tournament: entering all 48 teams, configuring group assignments, scheduling fixtures with kick-off times, and setting the scoring rules for each stage. Bonus prediction categories are created at this point.
-
Players register and submit predictions
Participants register on the front end and immediately see the full fixture list. They work through every match, entering their predicted scoreline for each. Bonus predictions — tournament winner, golden boot, dark horse — are submitted separately and locked before the opening game.
-
Matches lock at kick-off
The plugin compares each fixture’s scheduled kick-off time against the current time. Predictions for any match that has started are automatically locked — players can no longer edit them. This happens without any manual admin action.
-
Admin enters results
After each match, the organiser enters the final score. The plugin immediately calculates points for every participant who had a prediction for that match — applying the correct stage weighting and awarding bonuses for exact scores.
-
Leaderboard updates live
Rankings refresh in real time. Players can see their own predictions against actual results, understand exactly where they gained or lost points, and track the standings throughout the tournament. The leaderboard is publicly visible so no login is needed to follow the competition.
-
Final standings and bonus reveal
After the Final, bonus prediction points are applied. The complete standings are published, showing total points, position changes throughout the tournament, and a breakdown of each player’s score by stage. The winner is crowned without a single spreadsheet.
Tech Stack
Built on WordPress, properly
The plugin follows WordPress coding standards throughout — custom post types for tournaments and fixtures, custom tables in MySQL for predictions and scores, and a vanilla JavaScript front end that polls for leaderboard updates without requiring a page reload.
- WordPress
- PHP
- MySQL
- JavaScript
- WP REST API
- Custom Post Types
- WordPress Hooks
Results
Built for Euro 2024 and beyond
Tournament Predictor was built and deployed for Euro 2024, handling hundreds of participants across the full 51-match tournament. Every group stage match, knockout fixture, and the Final were predicted, scored, and published automatically.
The plugin has since been extended to support World Cup formats and runs without modification across different tournament structures — the fixture count, group sizes, and knockout rounds are all configurable from the admin panel. Zero spreadsheets were harmed in the running of this competition.
Bespoke Development
Need a bespoke WordPress plugin?
Got a problem that off-the-shelf software doesn’t solve? That’s exactly what GairWare is for. Founder-led, North East based, and focused on building software for people who actually need it.