How do I map an #OneToMany and #ManyToOne relationship properly so that I can save and update the #OneToMany side with or without the #ManyToOne side - spring

Question

I have an app with Angular front end and Spring backend. The two classes in question here are (backend):
#Setter
#Getter
#AllArgsConstructor
#NoArgsConstructor
#Entity
#Table(name = "tournament_games")
#JsonIdentityInfo(generator = ObjectIdGenerators.PropertyGenerator.class, property = "id")
public class TournamentGame {
#Id
#GeneratedValue(strategy = GenerationType.IDENTITY)
#Column(name = "id")
private Long id;
#ManyToOne(fetch = FetchType.EAGER, optional = false)
#JoinColumn(name = "code", foreignKey = #ForeignKey(name = "code_fk"))
private TournamentCode code;
#ManyToOne(fetch = FetchType.EAGER, optional = false)
#JoinColumn(name = "type", foreignKey = #ForeignKey(name = "game_type_fk"))
private GameType type;
#Column(name = "home_score")
private int home_score;
#Column(name = "away_score")
private int away_score;
#ManyToOne(fetch = FetchType.EAGER, optional = false)
#JoinColumn(name = "result_type", foreignKey = #ForeignKey(name = "result_type_fk"))
private ResultType result_type;
#Column(name = "status")
private boolean status;
#Column(name = "round")
private int round;
#Column(name = "locked")
private boolean locked;
#OneToMany(mappedBy = "game", fetch = FetchType.EAGER)
private List<TournamentGamesPlayers> players = new ArrayList<>();
}
and
#Setter
#Getter
#AllArgsConstructor
#NoArgsConstructor
#Entity
#Table(name = "tournament_games_players")
#JsonIdentityInfo(generator = ObjectIdGenerators.PropertyGenerator.class, property = "game")
public class TournamentGamesPlayers implements Serializable {
private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
#Id
#ManyToOne
#JoinColumn(name = "tournament_game_id")
private TournamentGame game;
#Id
#ManyToOne
#JoinColumn(name = "playerid")
private Player player;
#Column(name = "home")
private boolean home;
}
I need help figuring out how to persist the List<TournamentGamesPlayers> when I save and/or update a TournamentGame object. I generate 45 games. The first 30 games have known players, and so I set them before saving. The last 15 do not have entries for the TournamentGamesPlayers join table, because I need to add them later.
I am able to get some results with CascadeType.ALL on the #OneToMany side when I initially generate the games, but it fails when I try to update a game with a seemingly infinite recursion/stack overflow.
If I omit any cascade type, the games side get generated, but the join table #ManyToOne side does not get entered.

Answer 1

I ended up just putting the players back into the game table to make my life easier.

Answer 2

try putting CascadeType.MERGE, CascadeType.ALL "delete parent and orphans" (JPA CascadeType.ALL does not delete orphans).
Also, defining the relationship as EAGER and not ignoring the JSON property can have problems. I would add #JsonIgnore to one of the parts of the relationship