Tennis Match Day Planning Guide for Community Clubs

Tennis match day at a community club looks simple from the outside. People turn up, they play on their allocated court, they go home. But anyone who's run a Saturday pennant fixture knows the reality is more complicated. You're managing court allocation across multiple grades, coordinating with the association on start times, dealing with weather that can end the day at fifteen minutes' notice, and running a canteen for five hours with two volunteers.

The difference between a club that handles match day smoothly and one that scrambles every Saturday is a plan that's written down and shared before the weekend. Not a plan in someone's head - a document that any committee member could pick up and follow.

This guide covers the week-before, day-before, and day-of planning for pennant and competition match days. If you're looking for the broader picture of what makes a great match day experience at a tennis club, we've covered that in our tennis game day experience guide.

One week before

Fixtures and court allocation

• Confirm fixtures with your association. Pennant draws are published at the start of the season, but check for rescheduled washed-out matches, byes, or late changes.
• Allocate courts to fixtures. Most community clubs have four to eight courts and run multiple grades simultaneously. Map out which teams play on which courts and at what time. Post this allocation at the clubhouse and send it to team captains.
• If you're hosting a home-and-away fixture, confirm with the visiting club: start time, number of courts available, any surface-specific requirements (hard court vs clay vs synthetic grass).
• Check court condition. If you run clay or en-tout-cas courts, they need watering and rolling in the days before. Synthetic grass courts need leaf blowing and a check for moss or slippery patches. Hard courts need a sweep and a check for cracks or pooling areas.

Volunteer roster

• Confirm your match day coordinator. For a big Saturday with juniors in the morning and seniors in the afternoon, this person needs to be on site from before the first ball is hit.
• Roster your canteen volunteers. Two people per shift minimum. If you're running morning and afternoon sessions, plan a changeover or overlap at lunchtime.
• Confirm a first aid officer is available and on site for the duration of play.
• Roster ball kids for finals or feature matches if your club uses them.
• Send the roster by Wednesday with names, roles, and shift times. Follow up on Thursday with anyone who hasn't confirmed.

Equipment check

• Check match balls. Most associations specify the brand and type. You need three new balls per match (or per set, depending on competition rules). Don't leave this to Saturday morning - buy in bulk at the start of the season and check stock weekly.
• Inspect nets - height, tension, and condition. A sagging net that's clearly wrong at the start of a match looks unprofessional and can cause disputes.
• Check net posts, winders, and centre straps.
• Confirm the scoreboard (manual or electronic) is working for each court.
• Check the first aid kit. Tennis injuries tend toward rolled ankles, blisters, and heat-related illness. Stock ice packs, strapping tape, blister plasters, and electrolyte sachets.
• Confirm the defibrillator is charged and its location is signed.

Day before

• Check the weather forecast in detail. Tennis is more weather-sensitive than most sports. Rain cancels play immediately on most surfaces (clay is unplayable when wet; hard courts become dangerous). Extreme heat triggers association heat policies - know your state body's thresholds.
• If rain is likely, confirm the wet weather decision process with your association. Who makes the call? By when? How is it communicated to clubs?
• If extreme heat is forecast (usually 36 degrees and above), confirm your heat policy. Tennis Australia's heat policy specifies when play should be suspended, when extreme heat breaks are mandatory, and when matches should be postponed.
• Water and roll clay courts if applicable.
• Pre-pack canteen supplies. Sandwiches, slices, fruit, cold drinks, tea, coffee. Tennis match days run long - your canteen needs to sustain people across a five-to-six hour window.
• Charge any electronic scoreboards or tablets.
• Print the court allocation sheet and match draw for display at the clubhouse.

Game day - 90 minutes before first match

Court and facility setup

• Arrive 90 minutes before the first scheduled match.
• Unlock the clubhouse, change rooms, and toilets. Check toilets are stocked and clean.
• Set up courts: nets at correct height (0.914m at centre), centre straps in place, court surfaces swept or blown clear of debris.
• Place new match balls at each court.
• Put out scoreboards and set them to zero.
• Set up chairs or benches at each court for players between sets.
• Confirm shade structures are available for spectators. Permanent shade is ideal, but pop-up marquees along the fence line make a significant difference on hot days.

Canteen

• Open the canteen 30 minutes before the first match. Parents and players arrive early, and a cup of tea at 8:30am sets the tone for the day.
• Set up the urn, coffee machine, and cold drinks.
• Display the menu and prices.
• Have the cash float ready or card reader charged.

Safety

• Walk all courts. Check for puddles, debris, cracks, loose net posts, or anything that could cause an injury.
• Set up the first aid station in a visible location inside or adjacent to the clubhouse.
• Confirm the defibrillator is accessible.
• Post the address of the nearest hospital at the clubhouse and at the main entrance. Visiting players may not know the area.
• If it's a hot day, set up water stations at each end of the courts and confirm ice is available.

During play

Scheduling discipline

Tennis match days can run long. A three-set singles match that goes to a tiebreak in the third set can take two and a half hours. If you have back-to-back grades on the same courts, a long match in the morning pushes everything else back.

• Build buffer time into the schedule. Allow 15 minutes between matches on each court for changeover.
• If matches are running late, communicate with waiting teams immediately. Don't let them sit in the car park wondering.
• The match day coordinator monitors court availability across all fixtures and makes reallocation decisions if courts free up early or matches run over.

Canteen and hospitality

• The canteen stays open for the full duration of play. Close it between sessions and you lose the social glue that keeps people at the club.
• The busiest periods are between morning and afternoon sessions and during set breaks. Have extra stock ready for those windows.
• Cold water and ice are not optional on hot days. Treat them as essential infrastructure, not a bonus.

Heat management

If the temperature exceeds your association's threshold during play:

• Implement mandatory 10-minute heat breaks between the second and third sets (or as specified by your competition rules).
• Move spectators into shade. Open the clubhouse for anyone who needs air conditioning.
• Monitor players for signs of heat exhaustion. Your first aid officer should be actively watching, not waiting to be called.
• If conditions deteriorate, the match day coordinator has the authority to suspend play. Don't wait for the association to call it - player safety is your responsibility at your venue.

Post-match

Social time

• Keep the clubhouse open for at least an hour after the last match. Tennis's social tradition is the post-match drink - players from both sides at the bar, talking about the match that just happened. This is where your club's culture lives.
• Run any presentations - player awards, milestone recognitions - in the clubhouse while people are still there.
• If you run a club dinner or social event on match day, time it for 30 to 45 minutes after the final match.

Pack-down

• Lower nets or remove them if your courts require it overnight.
• Collect scoreboards and match balls. Count balls back in - they walk off courts regularly.
• Clean the canteen. Wipe surfaces, empty bins, secure cash or reconcile card payments.
• Lock change rooms after confirming everyone has left.
• Water clay courts if required for next-day use.
• Walk the courts one final time. Pick up any litter, check for left-behind equipment.
• Lock the clubhouse, turn off lights, set the alarm.

Weather contingency plan

Tennis is one of the most weather-affected community sports. Have a written plan for each scenario.

• Rain: Play stops immediately on clay and synthetic grass courts. Hard courts may handle light drizzle for a short period, but any standing water means play stops. The match day coordinator calls it - don't wait for the association. Communicate cancellations via text and social media within 30 minutes of the decision.
• Extreme heat: Follow your state body's heat policy. Tennis Australia mandates suspension of play when the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) reaches specified thresholds. Know how to check the WBGT (the Bureau of Meteorology publishes it) and make the call early.
• High wind: There's no formal wind policy in most competitions, but sustained winds above 40km/h make play unsafe - balls fly off court, shade structures become projectiles. Use common sense and consult with team captains.
• Lightning: Clear courts immediately if lightning is observed or thunder is heard. 30-minute minimum wait after the last observed strike before resuming play.

How TidyHQ helps with tennis match day

Tennis clubs juggle court allocations, volunteer rosters, and multiple competition grades on the same day. TidyHQ's event management lets you set up each match day as a recurring event with court assignments and volunteer roles built in. Your canteen crew, first aid officer, and match day coordinator confirm their shifts through the platform - not through a chain of text messages that someone forgets to send.

For clubs that run both pennant and social tennis, the membership management tools help you track who's financial, who's registered for which competition, and who owes rego fees - all without a spreadsheet.

Frequently asked questions

How many volunteers do I need for a tennis match day?

For a standard Saturday with morning juniors and afternoon seniors across four to six courts, plan for 5 to 7 volunteers: a match day coordinator, two canteen staff per shift (with a changeover at lunch), a first aid officer, and one or two people for setup and pack-down. If you run evening social tennis as well, you'll need a separate small crew for that session.

What's the most common planning mistake at tennis clubs?

Not building enough buffer time between grades. A seniors match that runs 30 minutes over pushes the next round back, which pushes pack-down into the evening, which means your last volunteer is still there at 7pm. Build 15-minute gaps into your schedule and have a plan for what happens when matches run long.

How do we handle washouts mid-match?

Follow your association's rules on incomplete matches. Most competitions have specific regulations about when a match is considered complete (usually after one set is finished in each rubber). The match day coordinator records the state of play at the time of suspension and reports to the association. Communicate with all players immediately - don't leave them guessing about whether play will resume.

References

• Tennis Australia - The national governing body for tennis in Australia, including heat policy guidelines and community club resources
• Tennis Game Day Experience Guide - Our companion guide to the full tennis match day experience at Australian clubs
• Australian Sports Commission - Heat Guidelines - National guidance on extreme heat policies for community sport
• Play by the Rules - Safe, fair, and inclusive sport resources for community clubs
• Bureau of Meteorology - Weather forecasts and WBGT data for heat policy decisions
• TidyHQ Event Management - Recurring event setup and volunteer rostering for community clubs