Managing Weather Delays: A Guide for Tournament Directors

For any outdoor event, inclement weather can significantly impact its success. When weather is a factor, your communication becomes as important as the schedule itself. The goal is to be the single, reliable source of truth for all participants. Silence creates anxiety and confusion, while clear, regular updates build trust.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Rule #1: Communicate Early, Communicate Often
• What to Include in Every Update: The "S.I.N." Method
• Pro-Tips for Great Communication
• Using the Software Live Updaters
• How to Use Text Messaging

Rule #1: Communicate Early, Communicate Often

Over-communication is always better than leaving players guessing. Even if you have no new information, a quick update confirming that you are still monitoring the situation is valuable (see below these tips for how to use the software and messaging for these updates).

Recommended Update Cadence:

• The Night Before / Early Morning: If the forecast looks uncertain for the next day (e.g., a 60% chance of rain in Frisco starting at 8:00 AM), post a message the night before.

  • Example: "Update (Tues, 7:00 PM): We are actively monitoring the forecast for tomorrow morning. As of now, the tournament is scheduled to run on time. Please check back here at 6:30 AM for our next official update."

• First Sign of a Delay: The moment you suspend play, post an alert immediately.

  • Example: "Update (Tues, 8:15 AM CDT): Play is currently suspended due to lightning in the area. All players, please seek shelter. Our next update will be in 30 minutes, at 8:45 AM CDT."

• During a Prolonged Delay: This is the most critical period. Update every 30-45 minutes, even if there's no change. This prevents dozens of players from asking you for an update individually.

  • Example (if nothing has changed): "Update (Tues, 9:15 AM CDT): Courts remain wet. The rain has lightened, and we are still hopeful to resume play. We will continue to monitor conditions and provide the next update at 10:00 AM CDT."

What to Include in Every Update: The "S.I.N." Method

A good update is clear, concise, and tells players everything they need to know.

• S - Status: What is the current state of the tournament? (e.g., "Play is suspended," "Delayed start," "All matches canceled for the day.")

• I - Instruction: What should players do right now? (e.g., "Seek shelter," "Stay near the tournament desk," "Do not head to the courts.")

• N - Next Update: When will you provide the next piece of information? This is the most important part. Always give a specific time.

Putting it all together (Good Example):

(S) "Update as of 10:00 AM CDT: All matches are still in a weather delay due to wet courts. (I) Please remain off the courts as our team works to dry them. (N) Our next official update will be posted here at 10:45 AM CDT. Thank you for your patience."

Pro-Tips for Great Communication

• Be the Single Source of Truth: Direct all players to your tournament webpage for official updates. This prevents rumors and misinformation from spreading.

• Set a Realistic Tone: Be optimistic but avoid making promises you can't keep (e.g., "It looks like we'll definitely start in 20 minutes!"). It's better to be cautious and accurate.

• Don't Go Dark: The worst thing you can do during a delay is to say nothing for hours. Regular updates show players that you are organized and actively managing the situation.

• Provide a Final Decision: When you decide to cancel events for the day, make the announcement clear and final. Provide information about what happens next regarding scheduling, refunds, or credits.

  • Example: "Update (Tues, 1:30 PM CDT): Unfortunately, due to the persistent rain and current court conditions, all remaining matches for Tuesday, September 9th, have been canceled. We will email all affected players this evening with information regarding the revised schedule for tomorrow."

To help you keep participants informed, we've built a Weather Alert feature. You can find it under the "Edit Tourney" > "Basic Info" section. Simply activate the "Show Weather Alert" toggle and type your message into the text box. 

Your update will instantly appear as a pop-up notification on your tournament's public listing on pickleballtournaments.com.

Type your desired text here:

And the Pop Up will display the info on the listing here:

IMPORTANT: We highly recommend that you include an email to all players a week before the tournament begins letting them know of the weather alert option as well as turning the option on like we have done above so anyone who visits the listing knows it will be present.  This will help the players in your tournament, and you quickly communicate changes to your tournament players.

Text Messaging for Quick Communication

Pickleballtournaments.com offers texting to those directors in the US and select other countries as well for an additional fee per player.  Texting being turned on offers the following benefits:

• From the attendee's tab, use the menu button to send a text directly to an individual player
• From the Live Console tab, use the "options" tab once an event is verified to send a text message to all players in that event.  This is very helpful during a tournament if a change in venue or starting times must be made quickly
• When using court desk, text messages will be sent to a player anytime they are assigned to the que (matche ready to start) and when they have been assigned to a court
• A confirmation of a match and score will send to a player anytime a match score is entered in the software

With proper planning and preparation, weather delays can be quickly and efficiently communicated to players to save them time and frustration by using these simple steps.