Nailing the day of your tournament: the organiser's checklist

The calm of the night before beats improvising in the morning. Check that the schedule is complete, that the draw has been made and that the team list is up to date.

Get the equipment ready: balls, bibs, whistles, group posters, match sheets and your display gear (screen or projector). Charge the devices you will use to enter the scores.

Set up a clear welcome point right at the entrance. Tick off attendance, hand out the programme and point teams to the changing rooms and the court for their first match.

A smooth welcome sets the tone for the day. Display the schedule and the groups somewhere visible so no one has to ask you when their next match is.

Divide up the tasks in advance: referees, scorekeeper, welcome desk, refreshment stand. Everyone should know what they are doing without having to ask you.

Assign one person per court to enter the results. If the scores come in as they happen, the standings stay accurate all day long.

Running late is the main enemy. Keep an eye on the timings and don't hesitate to shorten the breaks if a court falls behind.

With a digital schedule, you can see at a glance which matches have been played and which are coming up. A screen showing the schedule and live scores greatly cuts down on questions and confusion.

A no-show team, an injury, a court out of use: have a simple plan B ready. Keep a few minutes of slack in the schedule to absorb these hiccups.

Write down important decisions as you make them, so you stay consistent if a similar situation comes up later in the day.

As soon as the last match is over, the final standings should be ready. If the scores were entered as you went along, there is nothing left to recalculate.

Move straight on to the prize-giving while everyone is still there. Remember to thank the volunteers and sponsors too: they are the ones who will make the next edition possible.