Managing Weather Delays: A Guide for Tournament Directors

When weather threatens your tournament, your communication becomes as important as your schedule. Players who receive clear, timely updates stay calm and trust your leadership — players left in the dark get frustrated and overwhelmed. This guide covers how to use PT's Weather Alert feature and how to communicate effectively throughout a delay.

Table of Contents

1. How to post a weather alert
2. Communication best practices
3. Using text messaging during a delay
4. Frequently Asked Questions
5. Related Resources

How to post a weather alert

1. From your tournament, open the 3-line menu and select Edit Tourney.
2. Go to the Basic Info section and scroll to the bottom.
3. Toggle Show Weather Alert to on.
4. Type your update message into the text box.
5. Save. Your message immediately appears as a pop-up notification on your public tournament listing.

Communication best practices

Communicate early and often

Over-communication is always better than silence. Even if nothing has changed, a brief update confirming you're monitoring the situation reassures players. Recommended cadence:

• Night before (uncertain forecast): Acknowledge the forecast and give a specific time for your next update. Example: "Update (Tues 7:00 PM): We're monitoring tomorrow's forecast. Tournament is on schedule. Next update at 6:30 AM."
• First sign of delay: Post immediately when play is suspended. Example: "Update (Tues 8:15 AM CDT): Play suspended due to lightning. All players seek shelter. Next update at 8:45 AM CDT."
• During a prolonged delay: Update every 30–45 minutes even if nothing has changed. Example: "Update (Tues 9:15 AM CDT): Courts remain wet. Rain has lightened. Still hopeful to resume. Next update at 10:00 AM CDT."
• Cancellation: Make it clear and final. Include what happens next for scheduling, refunds, or credits.

The S.I.N. method — what every update needs

• S — Status: What is the current state of play? (e.g., "Play is suspended," "Delayed start," "All matches canceled")
• I — Instruction: What should players do right now? (e.g., "Seek shelter," "Stay near the tournament desk")
• N — Next update: When will you post again? Always give a specific time — this is the most important part.

Four rules to follow

• Be the single source of truth. Direct all players to your tournament webpage for official updates. This prevents rumors and gives players a consistent place to check.
• Set a realistic tone. Be optimistic but don't make promises you can't keep. Cautious and accurate beats confident and wrong.
• Don't go dark. Silence for hours is the worst thing you can do during a delay. Regular updates show players you're organized and in control.
• Give a final decision clearly. When you cancel events, make the announcement definitive and explain what happens next.

Using text messaging during a delay

If you have PT's texting service enabled, it's especially powerful during weather delays:

• From the Attendees tab, use the menu button next to a player's name to send a text to an individual player
• From Live Console, use the Options tab on a verified event to text all players in that event at once — ideal for venue changes or calling players back to courts
• Court Desk automatically texts players when assigned to a court or when their match is ready
• Players receive a confirmation text any time a match score is entered

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Resources

• How to Send a Text or Email to a Specific Tournament Player
• How to Enable Player Scoring and Auto-Run Your Tournament
• Tournament Pricing and Fees in PT

Questions about weather delays or tournament communication? Email support@pickleball.com.