We’ve had a few questions around how to set up a basketball tournament so we thought it might be good to put some guidance up here.
Why bother with tournaments?
While it can be difficult to set up and run a basketball tournament, always remember why you’re doing it – there’s very little that basketball players love as much as the chance to play! And tournaments are an awesome way to bring the community together, meet new players and develop the game.
Setting up tournaments is a big job, so make sure you cover the basic points first before you start to worry about the details.
Setting up a basketball tournament
Although there are lots of little things you’ll need to look at, here are some of the basics you need to consider:
- What type of tournament will it be? [3-on-3, 5-on-5 or something else]
- What rules do we need? [important to keep order and control on the day, so be clear here]
- Who will be competing? [what age group am I targeting]
- Where will it be held? [what courts are available and can I realistically get]
- What tournament layout will we use? [once you know where it is you can plan how it should look and run]
- Who will be involved in putting it together? [you'll need refs, scorers and assistants - who will actually help out]
- Can I get sponsors? [which local companies or brands could help us out and also benefit]
- What merchandise and prizes will there be? [does each player get a shirt, and what prizes would be appreciated]
- What will players and fans be needing/expecting? [things like food and drinks, music and first aid]
- How can we market this to attract the right people? [things like flyers, radio adverts, social media, listing your event on the 'Hood - be sure to give people enough time to think about it and sign up]
- How will it be financed? [consider all the costs involved above, less what you can get from sponsors and volunteers - the balance at least has to be covered by tournament fees - just don't make it too high to stop teams from entering or enjoying themselves]
Make sure people know about it
While it can take a lot of effort to put together a tournament, there’s little point if no-one shows up. Be sure to get word out about the tournament several weeks before it happens.
Remember – you can also add your event on The ‘Hood by clicking here, then selecting “Add an Event” and putting in the details.
Just do it
You’ve got the desire, now go ahead and do it! And please send us a report and some photos to publish here on MyBasketball for the community to see and hear about the events happening.
If you’ve got some experience to share or other suggestions as to what needs to be considered, please leave your comments below.
Other useful articles about organising basketball tournaments
- How to organize a 3 on 3 basketball tournament – Basketball Manitoba
- How to organize a basketball tournament – Basketball Manitoba
- How to organize a basketball tournament – Ball or Die
- How to plan a three on three basketball tournament – eHow
