Before you start any round robin, league night, or tournament, you need to make sure your available player list matches who actually showed up.
Without Check-in Mode enabled, all players are marked as available by default, whether they’ve arrived or not. That means you have to either mark everyone unavailable first, or do a roll call and uncheck the players who aren’t there.
With Check-in Mode enabled, every player starts as unavailable, and they get checked in as they arrive, either on their own or by you. Here’s how to set it up and when we recommend you use each method.
How to set it up
1. Turn on Check-in Mode
When you create or edit a session, under the Add a Round Robin section, you’ll find Enable Check-in Mode. It defaults to No, so flip it on.
You can enable it when you first create the session or any time before your event starts, and it works on any round robin, including fixed partner formats.
Check-in Mode is included with Pickleheads Pro and available on Plus-powered sessions.
💡 Good to know: turning it on for a session that already has signups marks everyone as not checked in, so you start from a clean slate. Nobody shows as “here” until they actually are.
2. Choose how players get checked in
There are four ways to check players in. Use whichever fits your event:
- The check-in QR code. With Check-in Mode on, open Invite and you’ll find a check-in QR alongside your invite and spectator links. Print the flyer from web before game day, or pull the QR up on your iPad or phone at the event. Players scan it as they walk in, and it opens their Availability tab with them marked as playing.
- The player list. Check players in yourself: tap their name on the player list as they arrive, same as marking availability.
- The app prompt. Starting an hour before your session, players see a check-in prompt on the app’s home screen. One tap and they’re checked in, even if they never saw your QR.
- The check-in link. There’s also a shareable check-in link in the Invite panel. It also acts as the backup for when someone’s camera won’t scan or they don’t see the app prompt. Since anyone can tap it from anywhere, it’s best to share it at the court rather than in the group chat beforehand.
💡 Good to know: Printing the QR code is only available on web. Head to your session’s invite panel on desktop before game day to print your QR code. Pro tip: print more than one for big events so check-in goes quickly.
3. Sort your players and start Round 1
If you’re running a seeded format (like Gauntlet or Up & Down the River) or a league, tap Sort by Rating or Sort by Standings to put your checked-in players in order first.
Then tap Create Round 1 Matchups and the app builds each round from everyone who’s checked in.
Late arrival? Check them in whenever they show up and they’re included starting with the next round.
Which method to use when
All four methods work at any event. Which one fits comes down to three things: how big your event is, whether you know every player by name, and whether it’s a one-off or recurring event.
Here’s what we recommend for each event and why.
Big round robins and tournaments
Use the printed QR code. At bigger one-off events, you don't know everyone's name, and finding each arriving player in a long list means a lot of scrolling.
Post the QR at the front table and direct players to scan it and check themselves in as they walk up.
League and ladder nights
This one depends on your crowd:
- Bigger or advertised league nights: use the QR code. If your league draws players you don't know by name, treat it like a tournament and post the printed QR at the entrance.
- Casual league nights with your regulars: use the player list or the app prompt. You know everyone's name, so tapping them in from the player list is quick. And since regulars come back every week, show them the app prompt once and they'll check themselves in from then on.
Either way, tap Sort by Standings before tapping Create round 1 matchups.
Fixed partner team events
All the same methods work for fixed-partner formats, and when one partner checks in, the whole team is checked in.
CourtReserve Facilities
Use the QR code at the front desk. Collect signups in CourtReserve like always, and everyone who physically shows up scans to check themselves in. The organizer starts Round 1 when ready.
Ready for game day
Turn on Check-in Mode when you create your round robin, hang the QR at the entrance, and players check themselves in as they arrive. When everyone’s in, sort and start. You’re good to go.
FAQs
