How to run a football tournament: a step-by-step plan

Six months out: decide what kind of event it is

Start with who it is for. A festival for the youngest age groups, a competitive summer cup for older players and a one-evening small-sided event for adults need different pitches, formats and helpers. Write down the age groups, whether girls, boys and mixed teams each get their own section, and roughly how many teams you want in each.

Then pick a date that does not clash with league fixtures, school exams, bank holidays that empty the area, or a bigger tournament nearby. A quick look at the tournaments already listed near you shows which weekends are crowded.

• Age groups and sections, with a target number of teams for each.
• One date and one back-up date if the venue allows it.
• A named organiser, plus a deputy who knows everything the organiser knows.

Get permission before you advertise

Most football associations require a youth tournament to be approved or sanctioned before it takes place, and many will not insure an unsanctioned event. Lead times range from a few weeks to two months, and inviting teams from another country usually adds a separate, longer process. Read the approval and insurance guide and apply before you open entries.

Book the venue and count your pitches

Check how many pitches of each size the venue can mark out, the hours you can use them, parking, toilets, a first-aid point and somewhere for teams to wait out of the weather. Ask what happens if the pitches are waterlogged and when the venue will decide.

Pitch count is the number that shapes everything else, so get it in writing before you choose a format.

Choose a format the day can actually hold

Count the matches before you fall in love with a format. In a single round-robin group of n teams there are n × (n − 1) ÷ 2 matches: four teams play 6, five play 10, six play 15. Four groups of four therefore need 24 group matches before any knockout game.

Then turn matches into time. A 12-minute match plus a 3-minute changeover is a 15-minute slot, so four pitches give you 16 slots an hour, and those 24 group matches fill six waves, or 90 minutes. Add the knockout rounds, the presentation and at least 30 minutes of slack. The fixture calculator does this sum and drafts the timetable for you; the formats guide explains the options.

Build the timetable from a team’s point of view

A timetable that fits the pitches can still be miserable to play. Read it one team at a time: nobody should play three games in a row, wait two hours between games, or switch to a pitch at the far end of the site with no time to walk there.

• Give every team at least one match-length break between games where pitches allow.
• Keep each age group on neighbouring pitches.
• Schedule knockout matches only after the group results they depend on are confirmed.
• Leave time for a disputed result to be settled before the next round starts.

Open entries with everything a team manager needs

A clear entry page saves dozens of messages. Include the date, venue, age groups and format, match length, entry fee and what it covers, the closing date, the refund policy, and who to contact. Ask for the team name, age group, manager’s contact details and the club or league the team is affiliated to.

List the event in the Playlee tournament directory so teams searching for tournaments in your area can find it. Listing is free.

Recruit and brief your volunteers

Most tournaments need more people than organisers expect: car parking, the welcome desk, a results table, referees, first aid, catering and someone free to solve problems. The referees and volunteers guide has a full rota.

The week before

• Send every team manager the final timetable, the site map, parking instructions and the rules.
• Confirm referees, first aiders and the welfare contact by name.
• Print the timetable for each pitch and the results table, in case phones or signal fail.
• Check the weather forecast and agree who decides on postponement, and by when.

On the day

Arrive early enough to mark pitches and put up goals before the first team arrives. Publish results as they come in, in one place everyone can see, so nobody crowds the results table. If a pitch runs late, check who plays next on it and move them before the delay spreads.

Afterwards

Publish the final results, thank the volunteers and the venue, and settle the money within a week. Ask team managers two questions: what worked, and what one thing would you change. Write the answers down while they are fresh — next year’s organiser will thank you.