Netball Game Day Planning Guide

It's twenty past eight on a Saturday morning and your Year 5/6 team is due on court three in ten minutes. The scorer hasn't arrived. Nobody knows where the bibs are. The team manager is trying to fill out the team sheet on the bonnet of her car because she didn't get the template until last night. And the opposition is already warming up in the same colour as your girls.

Netball game day has its own planning demands. The sport typically runs at centralised venues - netball centres with multiple courts running simultaneous fixtures all morning. Your club doesn't control the venue, but you do control your own preparation. The difference between a smooth Saturday and a scrambled one is what your club coordinator does between Wednesday and Friday.

This is the logistics guide. If you want the experience side of game day - sideline atmosphere, canteen culture, what makes families come back - read our netball game day experience guide. This is about checklists, rosters, and the planning rhythm that stops Saturday from unravelling.

The week-before timeline

Wednesday - confirm and communicate

• Confirm the draw with your netball centre or association. Check court allocations, game times, and any schedule changes. Most centres publish the weekly draw by Tuesday - check it Wednesday morning.
• Confirm which teams are playing and at what times. A club with six teams might have games scattered across a three-hour window on different courts.
• Confirm umpire appointments. Netball NZ's umpire development framework means most centres appoint umpires centrally, but some junior grades rely on club-supplied umpires. If that's you, confirm the names now.
• Confirm volunteer roles: scorer per game, team manager per team, canteen duty (if your club has a rostered canteen shift at the centre), and anyone on set-up or pack-down duty at the centre.
• Send each volunteer a message with their name, role, court number, and game time. Not "can someone help at netball this week?"

Thursday - equipment and admin

• Check bibs for every team. Each set needs to be complete - seven bibs in the right positions (GS, GA, WA, C, WD, GD, GK). Missing bibs cause delays at check-in.
• Check match balls. Most centres provide balls, but carry spares in case.
• Confirm team sheets are prepared for every team. Most centres now use digital team sheets, but some still require paper. Know your centre's requirement and have them ready.
• Check the first aid kit. Netball produces ankle injuries more than anything else - make sure you have ice packs, compression bandages, and strapping tape.
• If your club provides post-game food (oranges, snack packs for juniors), organise it now. Don't leave it to Saturday morning.

Friday - final checks

• Check the weather. Outdoor courts are affected by rain and wind. If your centre has a wet-weather policy, know the trigger, the communication channel, and the decision time.
• Send final reminders to all volunteers, team managers, and coaches.
• Confirm transport arrangements for away games if your club coordinates travel.
• Pack the club kit bag: bibs, spare balls, first aid kit, team sheets, scorer's clipboard, pens, and any club registration cards your centre requires.

Game day - arrival and setup

Arrive at the netball centre at least 30 minutes before your first game. If you have canteen duty, arrive 45 minutes early.

Court prep (if your centre requires club involvement)

• Some centres ask clubs to help with court setup - setting out benches, putting up goal rings, or placing court markers for junior modified games. Check your centre's requirements at the start of the season.
• If your club is on canteen duty, open 30 minutes before the first game across all courts. Stock the bain-marie, start the coffee machine, and set up the display.

Team preparation

• Check in with every team manager as they arrive. Confirm they have their team sheet, bibs, and match ball.
• Walk to each court your teams are playing on. Confirm the scorer knows which court and what time.
• Ensure every team has a basic first aid kit courtside - even if the centre has a main station, you want ice and tape at the bench.
• Post your club's game schedule somewhere visible - your club tent, a whiteboard, or a group message. Parents with multiple kids on different courts need to know the full picture.

Scoring

Scoring duties are the most common volunteer gap in netball. Every game needs a scorer - someone who sits at the bench, records goals, manages substitutions, and keeps the official card. For junior grades, this is often a parent from one of the teams.

• Roster scorers by Wednesday. If your centre requires clubs to provide scorers for their home games, this is non-negotiable.
• Brief new scorers before their first game. The scoring card is straightforward, but the timing of centre passes, the substitution rules at quarter breaks, and what to do if there's a dispute all need a quick explanation.
• Have a backup scorer identified for each game. If someone doesn't show, you need a name to call - not a panicked scan of the sideline.

Weather contingencies

Rain on outdoor courts

Outdoor netball courts become slippery and dangerous in rain. Most centres have clear policies:

1. Light rain: Games usually continue. Courts are inspected between games.
2. Heavy or sustained rain: The centre manager or duty officer makes the call. Games are delayed, shortened, or cancelled.
3. Your job: Monitor conditions, communicate any changes to your teams immediately, and have a plan for what happens if games are called off mid-morning (transport home, refunds for canteen stock, etc.).

Wind

Strong wind makes shooting difficult and can blow score sheets and equipment around. Secure everything. For junior grades, extreme wind may warrant shortened games - check with the centre.

Heat

Summer netball runs into heat issues. Netball NZ recommends additional drink breaks when temperatures exceed 28°C. Have water bottles filled and accessible for every team. Sunscreen should be available in the club kit bag.

Equipment checklist

Netball's equipment list is shorter than most sports, but the admin requirements are higher.

Per team:

• ] Full set of bibs (7 positions)
• ] Match ball (if centre doesn't provide)
• ] Team sheet (completed)
• ] Water bottles

Club kit bag:

• ] First aid kit (ice packs, compression bandages, strapping tape, antiseptic, gloves)
• ] Spare bibs (at least one backup set)
• ] Scorer's clipboard, pens, spare scoring cards
• ] Sunscreen
• ] Club registration cards (if required by centre)
• ] Cash float for canteen duty ($150 mixed)
• ] EFTPOS terminal if your club manages canteen transactions

Canteen duty (when rostered):

• ] Stock as per centre requirements
• ] Float
• ] RSA signage (if applicable)
• ] Cleaning supplies for pack-down

Volunteer roster

Netball's volunteer needs differ from field sports because the venue is shared. Your club needs:

| Role | Per game | Notes | |------|----------|-------| | Team manager | 1 per team | Handles team sheet, bibs, substitutions | | Scorer | 1 per game | Must be confirmed by Wednesday | | First aid | 1 per session | Covers all your club's games in that window | | Canteen | 2 per shift | Only when your club is rostered | | Coordinator | 1 per session | Oversees all teams, handles issues |

For a club running six teams across a Saturday morning, that's 6 team managers, 6 scorers, 1 first aid, 1 coordinator, and 2 canteen (when rostered) - roughly 16 volunteers. Some roles overlap: a team manager whose team plays at 9am can score for another team at 10am.

Use TidyHQ's volunteer management to roster, remind, and track who's confirmed. The coordinator needs to see gaps by Thursday, not discover them on Saturday morning.

Pack-down

If your club is on centre duty, pack-down includes:

• Clean and close the canteen - wipe surfaces, empty bins, secure cash
• Return any borrowed centre equipment (benches, scoreboards)
• Pick up rubbish around your club's area
• Return all bibs to the club kit bag - count them. Missing bibs mid-season are a recurring headache.

If you're not on centre duty, your pack-down is simpler: collect bibs, first aid kit, and any club gear. Check the courts for left-behind drink bottles and clothing.

How TidyHQ helps with netball game day

Netball's volunteer demands are high because every game needs a scorer and every team needs a manager. That's a lot of names to confirm every week. TidyHQ's event management lets you attach volunteer roles to each fixture. Members see available slots, claim them, and get automatic reminders. Your coordinator sees confirmed and unconfirmed roles on a dashboard instead of chasing fifteen text messages.

Team sheets and player registrations can be managed through your membership database, so team managers aren't filling in details from memory in the car park.

Frequently asked questions

How many scorers does a netball club need per Saturday?

One per game. If your club has six teams playing across the morning, that's six scorers. Some can double up if game times don't overlap. Roster them by Wednesday and have a backup list of three or four parents willing to step in.

What happens if we don't provide a scorer?

Most centres will delay the game until a scorer is found, or the umpire may refuse to start. It reflects poorly on your club and creates friction with the centre. Treat scorer confirmation as seriously as team selection.

How do we handle a mid-morning cancellation?

Communicate immediately through your club's main channel. If families are already at the centre, direct them to the coordinator. If games are cancelled before departure, one clear message by 7am prevents wasted trips.

References

• Netball NZ - The national governing body for netball in New Zealand, including community netball resources and umpire development
• Netball Game Day Experience Guide - Our companion guide to creating a great netball game day atmosphere at your NZ club
• Sport NZ - The government agency supporting sport and recreation across New Zealand
• TidyHQ Event Management - Recurring fixture setup and volunteer rostering for community clubs
• TidyHQ Membership Management - Member database, team sheets, and participation tracking