Applicable to: Association Administrators
Application(s): Admin Portal > Competition Management

This article will cover the following:

1. Understanding game allocations
2. The four ways to allocate games
3. Accessing the Season > Allocations area
4. Reading the Months and Dates summary
5. Understanding allocation statuses

Related articles:

• Allocating a game using the List View
• Allocating games using the Calendar View
• Allocating a game direct from the Fixture View
• Allocating games using Game Slots (Domestic competitions only)

Overview

A game allocation is the scheduling of a game to a venue, playing surface (court/field), date, and time. Allocating games lets participants, officials, and spectators know exactly where and when to show up.

Games can be allocated to venues and playing surfaces:

• After a grade's fixture has been generated, in Domestic and Tournament competitions
• While a grade's fixture is being generated, in Home & Away competitions

Note that when games are fixtured for a Domestic or Home & Away competition, they are not allocated to venues, playing surfaces, or times by default — they're only assigned a round date as part of the fixturing process. Allocating venues, surfaces, and times is a separate step.

This article gives a high-level overview of where to view and manage allocations in the Admin Portal. For the actual step-by-step allocation process, see the four method-specific articles linked above.

The four ways to allocate games

There are four ways to view and edit game allocations in PlayHQ:

1. Fixture View — allocate a single game directly from a grade's fixture. Available for both regular-season and finals fixtures.
2. List View — allocate games from a spreadsheet-style list, grouped by grade.
3. Calendar View — allocate games by dragging and dropping them onto a visual calendar for a selected date.
4. Game Slots — bulk-allocate an entire regular season at once by assigning recurring venue, surface, and time slots. Domestic competitions only.

Tip: Which method should I use? Game Slots is the fastest way to allocate a full Domestic season in one pass. Use the List View or Calendar View when you need to allocate or adjust games one at a time, or when working across multiple competitions sharing the same venues. Use the Fixture View when you're already looking at a specific grade's fixture and want to allocate a single game without leaving that screen.

Accessing the Season>Allocation area

Select the Competition Management main menu item, and then the appropriate Competition and Season tile, and then select the Allocations tab.

Accessing the Season > Allocations area

1. Open the Allocations tab Select Competition Management from the main menu, then select the appropriate Competition and Season tile, then select the Allocations tab.
2. Choose Games or Game Slots Within the Season Allocations menu, you'll see a Games tab. If you're working in a season of a Domestic competition, you'll also see a Game Slots tab. 

Reading the Months and Dates summary

Once at least one fixture has been generated in a season, the Games allocation area displays a list of months in which season games have been scheduled.

Months

• Each month shows how many games are allocated out of the total that need to be allocated for that Competition Season, e.g. x / y.
• If there's at least one clash in the month involving a game from your Competition Season, a red triangle appears — you'll need to resolve it.
• Select the expand (upside-down triangle) icon to see the individual dates within a month.

Dates

• Each date shows the same x / y allocation count for that day.
• A red triangle indicates a clash on that date.
• A green tick indicates all games are allocated and clash-free for that date.
• Select View next to a date to jump straight to that date's Calendar View. See Allocating games using the Calendar View for more.

Frequently asked questions

Who can view and edit game allocations? Association Administrators with access to Competition Management in the Admin Portal.

Why can't I allocate a game yet? The grade's fixture needs to be generated first. In Home & Away competitions, allocation can begin while the fixture is being generated; in Domestic and Tournament competitions, the fixture must be generated first.

What does "TBC" mean on a fixture? It means the game has been fixtured to a round date but hasn't yet been allocated to a venue, playing surface, or time.

How do I resolve a clash? Open the clashing date in the Calendar View or List View and change the venue, playing surface, or time for one or both of the clashing games. 

Which allocation method should I use for a Domestic season? Game Slots is the quickest way to allocate a full Domestic regular season in bulk. Finals games in a Domestic competition still need to be allocated individually via the List View, Calendar View, or Fixture View.