In certain situations where there is an uneven number of players, at least one player may need to be assigned a bye, granting them an automatic win for the round. While Melee automatically assigns byes in most cases, tournament officials may need to intervene under exceptional circumstances.

Here’s how to manually assign a bye in Melee:

1. Access Edit Match-ups:
   • Navigate to the Matches tab.
   • Use Match Actions > Edit match-ups to open the edit dialog.
2. Find the Correct Player:
   • Use filters to find the correct player.
   • If the player is sitting at a table, un-match them from the table.
3. Assign Bye:
   • Use the blue “Bye” button next to the player’s name to assign them a bye.
   • If needed, use the red “Loss” button in cases of late arrival or inappropriate byes.
4. Handle Other Player:
   • If the player was already assigned a match, ensure something is done about the other player at the table (bye, loss, or new pairing).
5. Automatic Win:
   • Once the bye is assigned, the player will receive an automatic win for the round.
6. Qualified Player Status (Optional):
   • In tournaments where players qualify for the elimination portion based on points or wins, use the Qualified Player Status to automatically give a bye for each subsequent round.

Manually assigning byes should be done cautiously, considering the tournament’s rules and fairness to all participants.