bocce@boccesport.com
|
WELCOME TO BOCCESPORT.COM |
At an early stage, a bocce club will be faced with organizing a tournament. The guidelines covering project planning apply here. It usually takes the main steps to organize a successful tournament; they are detailed here we will give suggestions on how to proceed with each one.
It’s important to note that using free tournament management software makes a big difference. You will optimize each step, reducing time and increasing quality, without paying for it.
The following are the steps on how to organize a successful tournament.
|
1. |
Plan your tournament |
Hosting a tournament is not difficult, but it requires much planning, organization, and a concentration of effort to make it successful.
In order to coordinate all of your planning, you should schedule regular meetings. In one of your very early meetings, you should appoint a Tournament Management Committee, tournament director, and activity coordinators. The following coordinators should be appointed:
|
|
tournament administration and game management, team registration, ceremonies, announcements, draws, |
|
|
facilities, courts, equipment, timekeeping, and scoreboards, |
|
|
accommodation and billeting (optional), hospitality, transportation (if any), |
|
|
budget, fundraising, donors, sponsors, concessions, souvenir sales, |
|
|
communications, tournament program, sings, dignitaries, awards, thank-yous, |
|
|
referees, rules, and schedule, protest and grievance, |
|
|
problem-solving (troubleshooter), and |
|
|
first aid. |
One volunteer may fulfill one or more of these roles, depending on the tournament size, complexity, and other items. Also, more than one volunteer may be needed to cover some of these activities.
If this is your first endeavor at hosting a tournament, it is advisable to start small, possibly one or two divisions with four teams each.
You should book the facilities you think you may require, as soon as possible, even as much as several months in advance.
Team entry fees should cover the cost of all expenses.
With the main tournament organization and people involved are in place, the following items should be defined:
|
|
name of the tournament, |
|
|
ideal date(s), |
|
|
whether it will be singles, doubles, teams, number of teams (players), |
|
|
the tournament system (divisions, brackets, elimination/advancement scheme), |
|
|
location(s), |
|
|
the costs (tournament budget), |
|
|
team (player) registration fees, |
|
|
potential donors and sponsors, |
|
|
partners who can help you promote your tournament. |
When talking about the costs, here are some items:
|
|
tournament materials printing cost, |
|
|
banners, scoreboards, clocks, |
|
|
pens, measure tapes, |
|
|
bocce balls, |
|
|
trophies, medals, shirts, souvenirs, |
|
|
food, water, towels, referees, |
|
|
court maintenance, and |
|
|
any other expenses you may have. |
Searching for donors and sponsors is always important. However, if your estimated profit is negative, this activity becomes essential to make the tournament feasible. Sponsors can invest in exchange for advertising with their logos on banners and shirts, tournament materials, the club’s website, etc. They can also help you reduce costs by giving discounts on products to be used in the tournament.
|
2. |
Create your art design and tournament materials |
Having defined all the planning items, it is time to move on to a very important stage when it comes to organizing tournaments. Creating the banners and any other art designs of the tournament to promote it as clearly and comprehensively as possible.
It is very important to always put the essential information into your tournament banners and all promotional materials:
|
|
tournament name, |
|
|
location, address, |
|
|
date, time, |
|
|
contact details: name, phone, email, website, social media, |
|
|
registration fees, registration deadline, where and how they can be done, |
|
|
tournament system, team composition, number of teams, |
|
|
other information such as gifts, awards, food... |
You can now create an invitation letter, web page, tournament program, brochure, rules, press releases, registration form, maps, directions, and other necessary tournament materials.
Figure 127: Bocce tournament - Teams introduction
|
3. |
Promote your tournament |
The world is changing rapidly, and dissemination in the digital world is also very important. In addition to posting on your club website and social media accounts, try advertising on the main channels where potential players from your tournaments are present:
|
|
Facebook - There’s no denying it, everyone is on Facebook, |
|
|
Instagram - Social photo network, ideal to display photos of their courts, tournaments, and students, |
|
|
Whatsapp - Promote your tournament to all your groups and people who may be interested in your tournament, |
|
|
email, |
|
|
mailing, |
|
|
free online platforms to advertise and help you sell registrations. |
The Welcome Package (Tournament Information Kit) should contain all essential tournament information.
|
|
The Welcome Package (Tournament Information Kit) should contain the following: |
|
|
|
|
tournament name, date, and location (address), |
|
|
|
tournament system (format) and guaranteed number of games, |
|
|
|
registration deadline, entry fees, and who to make check payable to, |
|
|
|
tournament chairperson’s name, phone, email, address, |
|
|
|
awards, |
|
|
|
whether food and/or drink are provided. |
|
|
tournament program (master schedule, rules, maps, notices, emergency numbers, ads, etc.), |
|
|
|
registration form, |
|
|
|
tournament rules, |
|
|
|
tournament location, map, and directions to the bocce facility. |
|
|
4. |
Generate draws, knock out brackets, and group formations |
The registration end date is usually very close to the beginning of the tournament. Therefore, you must be quick to generate brackets, match schedules, and notify players in advance.
Factors that need to be considered when deciding on the tournament system and schedule are:
|
|
number of available courts, |
|
|
available time, |
|
|
number of teams/players, |
|
|
number of games. |
A single round-robin is the most common, however, if fewer teams are involved, a double round-robin offers the fairest method of determining finalists. A modified round-robin is often used when there are more teams than available time and courts. If there are 5-7 teams, for example, and you only have time for three games each, before the medal or crossover game, then schedule each team for three games. Try not to schedule the best teams against each other during the modified round-robin, or one may eliminate the other before the medal game or crossover games.
Sometimes pools are used if there are too many teams to put together for a round-robin format. In a single pool, the top two teams advance to the next round. In 2 pools, there should be crossover games (i.e., 2nd in Pool A vs 1st in Pool B and 2nd in Pool B vs 1st in Pool A). The winners advance to the final game. If not possible due to time constraints, then let the top team in each pool advance. Be aware that this is not the best choice because the top teams could have been placed in the same pool.
With the tournament systems established and draws completed, it’s time to organize schedules that contain the list of all matches as well as days, times, and courts used. After setting up draws and schedules, all teams/players need to be notified using email, website, social media, etc.
More details about tournament systems (brackets), draws, and schedules, you can find on the next page (Brackets).
Figure 128: Bocce tournament
|
5. |
Organize the place |
The bocce facility should be thoroughly prepared to be in perfect condition. Make a list of the main things that should be done, and check it before the matches start. Some of them are:
|
|
banners and other advertising products properly positioned, |
|
|
courts in perfect condition, lines, scoreboard, clocks, benches to sit, |
|
|
bocce balls, jacks, measures as needed, |
|
|
clean bathrooms with toilet paper, soap, and disposable towels, |
|
|
water available to everyone, |
|
|
food and drinks either provided or for sale, |
|
|
tournament administrators and referees, and |
|
|
draws and schedules available at strategic locations. |
Double check that everything is in place, working, and ready for the game.
|
6. |
Publicity / Media |
Your Communications Coordinator’s job is to contact the media in the area to promote your tournament as a major sporting event.
Relations with the media cannot be a one-shot deal. Provide a regular and consistent campaign. Assume that the people you speak to know nothing about the sport of bocce, but speak as if it is a household name that they all should know about.
The best news is “people”, not “events” or “scores”. If you cannot find news, make some.
When you are hosting a tournament, mention it early and keep the media posted regularly. Reporting of results to the media is more likely to get printed if you connect it to a personality from the local community.
BEFORE the tournament, send a Press Release - info about the tournament - background, schedule with team names and home team information. Send all information to your local radio and TV stations as well as newspaper and local Internet portals two weeks in advance of the event.
DURING the tournament, arrange to have someone knowledgeable about the tournament and the game itself to be available to answer questions, etc.
AFTER the tournament, send follow-up information immediately - scores, awards, prizewinners, etc.
|
7. |
Opening ceremonies |
It is up to the discretion of the Tournament Management Committee to be as elaborate or simple as you wish.
Invite dignitaries to make short speeches possibly the mayor or a representative from the local community or city’s/community’s Parks and Recreation Department.
Invite sponsors to present the awards they have provided.
You will need an organized game plan as to where all teams, referees, dignitaries, and executives are to be and the order in which presentations will be made.
|
8. |
Game administration |
We finally got to the interesting part, the big day, when it all happens! This is when people interact and exciting matches take place.
For this stage, it is important that organizers have the matches information in a well-organized way. A list of matches per day is required, with information such as:
|
|
phase (round), |
|
|
time, |
|
|
team/players’ names, |
|
|
court number(s), |
|
|
referee, |
|
|
the score for each match, |
|
|
ranking updated after each match... |
|
9. |
After the tournament |
Last but not least, we have the financial side of things. After so much work, you want to know how much this tournament has earned you, right? To analyze the numbers well, have all income and expenses organized.
Have a final wrap-up meeting to go over what went well and what should be altered for the next event.
After the tournament, make sure thank-you letters are sent to all teams/players, dignitaries, referees, sponsors, donors, media representatives, and volunteers who assisted with the tournament and were directly involved with the organization.
Figure 127 Photo Credit: Bocce Federation of Croatia (hrvatski-bocarski-savez.hr)
Figure 128 Photo Credit: Federation Internationale de Boules (FIB - fiboules.org)
More detailed information about the tournament systems, brackets, can be found on the next page Brackets.
BRACKETS LINK
Link to Brackets (click arrow)
|
|
Brackets |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
WELCOME TO BOCCESPORT.COM |
Site design, development, and technical support: Zijo Saric.
Copyright@2024 boccesport.com. All rights reserved.