Game-day preparation is more than preventing forgotten gear. A manager helps the team share event information, prepare what it needs, and make sure each person knows where to go. Keep team preparation separate from the official duties of table officials (TO), and adapt this checklist to the tournament.
The day before: collect the event details
Review the organizer’s notice and messages. Put the venue, arrival time, entry instructions, parking or equipment area, game order, uniform requirements, roster-submission method, and emergency contact in one place. Decide who will pass along changes.
Check the equipment the team has agreed to bring: balls, pinnies, first-aid supplies, water, towels, record-keeping materials, or chargers. Requirements vary by event. If you handle a roster or contact list, limit access to people who need it.
On arrival: confirm locations and responsibilities
Find the team meeting point, bench, warm-up area, permitted equipment area, restrooms, and first-aid location. Follow venue staff instructions. Briefly assign event check-in, equipment, team reminders, and any record-keeping support.
The people assigned by the event operate the official score table and clocks; a team helper should not replace those officials or make official rulings. See our guide to table-official roles for that separate responsibility.
Before tip-off: recheck submissions and timing
Confirm the tournament’s roster deadline and method, uniform colors, scheduled start, and warm-up timing. If a name or number looks wrong, do not alter an official record yourself. Ask the team’s responsible coach or manager to follow the organizer’s correction process. Team submission methods and deadlines come from the event notice.
Check that players have arrived and the agreed equipment is present. Decide who will communicate with players and who is responsible for contacting the coach or tournament desk. For season-long roster and record organization, see our team-management overview (Japanese).
During the game: communicate changes and route decisions
A manager can keep the team’s own notes, but those notes are not the official record. Do not independently decide a ruling, foul penalty, or clock operation. Direct questions through the coach or event staff.
Agree in advance who will relay an injury or illness, equipment issue, or schedule change. Share health or contact details only with people who need them to respond safely.
After the game: follow the event’s process
Follow the organizer’s instructions for checking the result or signing paperwork. If team notes and the official scoresheet differ, do not edit the official record from the sideline; ask the team’s responsible person to contact the designated event official.
Gather balls, pinnies, first-aid supplies, and belongings, dispose of team waste, and share the next game or travel information. Note any missing item or confusing step for next time.
A quick checklist to reuse
- Event notice, arrival time, venue directions, emergency contact
- Roster-submission deadline and method; uniform requirements
- Balls, pinnies, first-aid supplies, water, towels, record materials
- Meeting point, bench, warm-up area, and end time
- Team communication, equipment, and tournament-contact assignments
- Result-check process, cleanup, and next update
Tournament procedures and equipment needs change. Treat this as team preparation, not official TO instruction. Check current JBA materials and the event notice for rules and game administration.