Creating and Managing a 7s Tournament

Creating, planning, organising and managing a successful 7s tournament can be a daunting task, especially as the team numbers start to increase and the day gets closer.

It's easy to overlook the match official planning, issues that could impact on the day and other small details that can turn an excellent day into a disapointment.

The team at 7s Referee is well versed in advising and managing key details for you to lift some of that burden when people start to come at you from all directions with questions and issues.

As well as working with you ahead of time to plan the match official component (a crucial part of the planning often overlooked) we can help with managing the actual rugby side of the day.

Smooth operation is key to success.  Your registration officials will be inundated with players, coaches and interested fans wanting to know whether their team has progressed and who they play next.  They want that in real time and not content with waiting you will soon be overwhelmed.

Here are some of our tips and tricks to help the day go smoothly.

• Plan kick offs 25 minutes apart (no less)
• Plan natural 15 or 20 minute breaks
• Have some down time in the middle of the day (especially if you have an AGP - water it to prevent burns)
• Make sure ALL pitches have full crowd barriers (even temporary or a rope) far enough away from the edge of the pitch
• Make sure all pitches have clearly marked technical areas on the same side of the pitch for both teams
• Appoint a Pitch Manager and Pitch Runner (even if you have radio comms) to each pitch
• Do the toss for game 2 during the half time interval in game 1.  If a representative fails to turn up they lose the toss
• Clear pitches quickly ready for the next game

All of these tips are born from our considerable experience of travelling the world and seeing what works well, and what causes issues.  When you choose 7s Referee to be your partner we will work through these and more in detail so that you understand the rationale.

We also offer sage advice on how to manage expectations, scoring, discipline and much more.

Click on the button below to complete our enquiry form about your tournaments and we will be in touch shortly.