Running a one-day junior carnival on hired courts

Most basketball clubs hire their courts by the hour. That makes a carnival day a race against the clock. A good plan fits every game into the booking, with time to set up and pack up.

This is a method you can reuse every year.

1. Work backwards from the booking

Book the courts for the whole day, including 30 minutes at each end for setting up and packing away.

• Pick a game length first. Short games on a running clock keep the day moving for juniors.
• Add a changeover between games, so teams can warm up and the scorers can reset.
• Count your slots: hours booked, times slots per hour, times courts. Three courts for six hours with 30-minute slots gives 36 games.

2. Group teams by age and ability

Pools of four teams make a tidy round robin. Each team plays three games, and each pool needs six.

• Give each age group a block of time on the same court, so families aren't there all day.
• Put the youngest teams on first, while they're fresh.
• Leave every team at least one slot off between games.

3. Fill the table and the whistle

Every game needs a scorer, a timer and referees. Decide who covers each one before the day, not at the court.

• Ask each team to supply a scorer or timer for set games, and publish this roster with the draw.
• Older juniors often referee the younger grades. Pair a new referee with an experienced one.
• Keep spare scoresheets and a backup timer at each court. A phone stopwatch works.

4. Publish the draw and keep it moving

Send the draw at least a week ahead. Include courts, start times and which team wears light or dark.

• Have one person on the day who owns the draw and the results.
• Enter scores as games finish, so coaches can see where they stand.
• If a game runs late, shorten the next one instead of pushing back the whole day. The booking won't stretch.

5. Plan the finish

Decide early whether pools play finals or finish with the round robin. For the youngest groups, many clubs skip finals and give every player a ribbon.

Finish the last game with time to spare. Have a pack-up crew ready for bins, lost property and the scoreboard, so you hand the courts back on time.

Do it in Sportdify

Create the carnival as a tournament with a category for each age group. Set the match length, changeover and rest between games, then generate the draw across your courts.

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