Free resource
The season-planning checklist
Everything a league organizer has to get right, from eight weeks out to game day — collected from the leagues running on Staty. Use it with any tools you like; it's yours either way.
Lock the foundations
8+ weeks before first game- Pick season dates and work back: registration open/close, team formation, schedule release.
- Reserve venues and courts — confirm the nights and time slots in writing.
- Set your budget: venue cost + refs/officials + insurance + equipment, divided by expected teams = your registration fee floor.
- Decide divisions and skill levels (and what happens if one division is short on teams).
- Set roster rules: min/max players, coaches required, age or rating bands.
Open registration
6–8 weeks out- Publish the registration link with fees, dates, and rules visible before anyone commits.
- Take payment at signup — an unpaid roster spot is a no-show waiting to happen.
- Set division capacity and a waitlist so late demand isn't lost.
- Add digital waivers and any custom questions (jersey size, skill rating) to the form itself.
- Announce the deadline everywhere twice: earlier signups mean easier scheduling.
Build the schedule
2–4 weeks out- Wait for registration to close before scheduling — mid-build team changes are the classic time sink.
- Balance home/away, time slots, and back-to-backs across the season, not per week.
- Publish the full season schedule at once; changes after publish get an email, not a quiet edit.
- Recruit and confirm refs/scorekeepers per game slot.
- Plan the playoff format now (bracket size, seeding rule, tiebreakers) — not in the last week.
Run the season
Game day onward- Post scores same-day — live standings are why players check your site.
- Track the stats you promised (and only those — consistency beats ambition).
- Handle drops/adds with a written policy: refunds, roster locks, waitlist promotions.
- Collect a highlight or photo each week; next season's marketing writes itself.
- Debrief within a week of the final: what to change, then open next season's registration while enthusiasm is high.
Not starting your season yet?
Leave your email and we'll send a planning reminder when league season ramps up, plus occasional Staty updates.
Ready now? Staty runs every item on this list — registration, payments, scheduling, standings — free to use.
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