While I haven't done this before, if you're going to have a five team event, it makes more sense to do at least double round-robin matching. That is, each team plays each other twice (for a total of 20 matches, of which each team plays 8), or three times (for a total of 30 matches, of which each team plays 12), and so on. With five teams and just a bit of juggling, it's easy to ensure that no team plays consecutive matches, and no teams play each other twice without each playing at least two other matches in between. Here's an example triple round robin:
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Originally Posted by triple round robin
Round a1: teams play adjacent teams (modulo/clock arithmetic)
1 vs 2, 3 vs 4, 1 vs 5, 2 vs 3, 4 vs 5
round b1: teams play non-adjacent teams (modulo/clock arithmetic)
1 vs 3, 2 vs 4, 3 vs 5, 1 vs 4, 2 vs 5
round a2: adjacent again
3 vs 4, 1 vs 5, 2 vs 3, 4 vs 5, 1 vs 2
round b2: non-adjacent again
3 vs 5, 1 vs 4, 2 vs 5, 1 vs 3, 2 vs 4
round 3a
1 vs 5, 2 vs 3, 4 vs 5, 1 vs 2, 3 vs 4
round 3b
2 vs 5, 1 vs 3, 2 vs 4, 3 vs 5, 1 vs 4
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Just alternate the "A" and B" sets of matches, selecting a start point that does not include either of the teams in the preceding match.
With a small setup like this, it might make sense to take some intentional breaks (perhaps between round robins) for outreach, networking, maker fair, and such. You may want to encourage teams to let their drive/pit teams not have specific tasks during these breaks so they can take in the inspiration and expansion of horizons.
If you can't find a venue with bleachers and a usable floor, it may be worthwhile to rent or borrow or even buy a "performance surface" which you spread atop the gym floor upon which you can do robots. This might be a carpet, dance floor, gymnastics floor, wrestling mats, or something else. If I understand the FTC size, it is possible that you can find a nearby FRC team with a roll of carpet they use for their practice field that they can loan you for the afternoon that will provide enough "buffer" to play an FTC game. An FRC team may also be able to provide a lot of the manpower to host the event (For the local Fountainbleu FLL tournament, FRC 3946 provides about half the manpower: essentially all of the refereeing/field reset, and a bit of judging. For the LA state FLL tournament we provide about half the refereeing and field reset, and a bunch of other manpower. We also host an FLL "quick start" and bring a few bits of of equipment to the local tournament, and mentor FLL teams at two nearby middle schools.)
With a small setup like this, it might make sense to take some intentional breaks (perhaps between round robins) for outreach, networking, maker fair, and such. You may want to encourage teams to let their drive/pit teams not have specific tasks during these breaks so they can take in the inspiration and expansion of horizons.