A practical workflow for planning a referee crew, running the desk, and closing out the event.
Estimate referee needs
Start with courts officiated simultaneously and add realistic break and backup coverage.
Recruit officials
Publish dates, location, credential needs, compensation, lodging, meals, travel help, and openings.
Collect availability
Ask for the exact dates and work periods each referee can cover.
Confirm credentials
Verify the level the tournament genuinely requires; volunteer events may choose open signup.
Establish check-in
Give officials a report time, place, desk contact, and communication method.
Build the referee rotation
Plan a fair queue that accounts for experience and breaks.
Assign courts
Keep court, match, role, referee, and assignment time in one source of truth.
Manage breaks and lunch
Track who is on court, available, returning, or away.
Handle replacements
Define what happens after a no-show, illness, delay, or withdrawal.
Communicate schedule changes
Send one clear update instead of parallel spreadsheet, text, and email versions.
Record referee pay status
Confirm terms and record payments made through an external method.
Close out the tournament
Confirm attendance, open payments, next-day needs, and unresolved issues.