Organising a football tournament can be a great way to support a cause, hold a company event or simply generate income for an association. It is also a fun experience, with a good atmosphere and brings people together around a shared passion: sport. As for any event, the organisation of your tournament has to be structured and well-planned in advance so that nothing slips through the cracks.
Do you want to organise a football tournament but don’t know where to start? We give you a hand:
Summary
1. Define the goals of your tournament
It is essential to define in advance the goals and raison d’être of your football tournament.
Here are some (non-exhaustive) questions to ask yourself:
- How many people and teams will participate?
- Who is the target audience?
- Is it a private tournament for employees of your company?
- Is it a tournament for your association?
- What will be the prizes for the winners?
- Is participation in the event free of charge or paid?
- Will the tournament last a whole day?
- How will the matches be organised (groups, a round of 16…)?
- How can participants register for the tournament?
2. Prepare a detailed budget estimate
The budget is also an essential element for the organisation of your tournament. As it is subject to change and you won’t know the total costs and revenues with certainty until the end, it is essential to make several detailed estimates. Your budget must be set based on your chosen goals, as mentioned at the beginning of the article (participants, sponsorships…).
You can use a registration platform to manage the list of participants better and a CRM tool to send information to tournament participants.
3. Choose a date
The next essential element before choosing the venue is the choice of the date of the tournament.
To this end, the participants’ agenda must be considered so that as many people as possible can attend. You can propose several dates through a survey and see which suits everyone’s availability best.
You will also have to define the duration of the event, depending on the number of participants and the number of playing pitches available.
4. Find a suitable venue
The choice of venue can be difficult, especially given the limited number of football pitches available.
You must often contact the local football clubs to ask if the pitch is available on your chosen date. The choice of venue will vary greatly depending on the maximum budget you have set.
The first thing to remember is that whatever time of year, the weather can be bad, even in summer. Therefore, getting a venue with sheltered stands for the public is preferable. Think also about details such as changing rooms, to provide participants with everything they need, in the best possible conditions.
5. Entertain the crowd and teams that are not playing
Organising entertainment activities, such as a raffle, a juggling contest, a penalty shoot-out, etc., is essential for children and adults.
In fact, during some teams’ breaks or rest periods, it is important to offer a fun activity that distracts and creates a relaxed atmosphere.
6. Estimate staff costs
During a football tournament, referees, security staff, cleaning staff, match organisers, etc., are needed.
To find out what local suppliers charge, do some research in advance and include these costs in your budget.
Consider finding volunteers to lend a hand for tasks such as refereeing, cleaning up or directing the crowd. This type of event tends to be very popular with older people and the people from the town or city where it is held.
7. Seek sponsors
Sponsors can help you cover a large part of the costs and provide you with some of the equipment, such as t-shirts, balls and much more.
If the tournament is a corporate event, you could also collaborate with a sponsor or client. This allows you to reduce costs and strengthen your relationship with your customer or partner.
Finally, getting a sponsor will allow you to make your football tournament better known, taking advantage of the communication on your social networks and theirs. Associating your event with a well-known name will attract more participants.
8. Manage online registrations
Once all these elements have been defined, it is essential that participants can easily register for your tournament, even remotely.
Therefore, it is necessary to open registrations weeks or even months in advance to plan the number of participants in your tournament as well as possible. Online registration is the best option, as it is more convenient and accessible, whether your competition is paid or completely free.
9. Find out about local regulations
Organising a football tournament may involve specific requirements in terms of local regulations and local council permissions.
Therefore, it is essential to promptly define what permits, documentation and applications you need to organise your competition. Finally, some councils may offer specific help for this type of event.
Do you want to organise your football tournament easily? Weezevent helps you with its solutions for online registration, access control, and CRM tools that are easy to use and implement to make your tournament a real success!
