How do you run pickup basketball without the group chat chaos?
Every basketball group has the same game-night problem: who’s in, who paid, who dropped, and how to split fifteen people into fair teams before tip-off. Here’s how that runs on Fellow.
ANTI Hoops58 fellowsANTI Wednesday RunsMove the run onto Fellow, which is free for basketball groups. Post a signup with a set number of spots, collect payment when players sign up, let the waitlist fill dropouts on its own, and build balanced teams in a tap, all in your group’s chat.
The game-night problem
Most runs are organized in a group chat, with a payment app on the side and a list in somebody’s notes. It works until the run fills up. Then it’s twenty “I’m in”s for fifteen spots, three people who haven’t paid and an argument about teams.
An app for running a basketball group should hold the spots, take the money, handle dropouts and make teams that are actually even. Fellow does all of it right inside your group’s chat.
Signups that fill themselves
Post a signup to your line with the number of spots. Players tap to sign up and their names fill in as green chips. When it’s full, the next players join the waitlist.
If you charge for the run, players pay when they sign up. No chasing anyone for five dollars at the gym door.
A waitlist that handles dropouts
When someone cancels, the first player on the waitlist moves in and gets a notification. You see it all in the signup’s activity, so you know exactly who’s playing tonight.
Balanced teams in a tap
Turn the signup into teams with Team Builder. Pick how many teams, and Fellow splits the players into even sides. Tweak it if you want, then post the teams to the chat so everyone knows their color before they get there.
Everything around the games
Put game nights on your circle as events, offer a monthly membership for your regulars, and keep a line for the group. Check players in at the door if you want to know who actually showed. When it’s time to vote on jerseys, run a poll.
What to keep using
Fellow doesn't ask you to give up the tools that already work. Here's how it fits next to them.
The group chat
Your group moves into its line on Fellow, with the signup, the waitlist and the teams right next to the trash talk.
Venmo and Cash App
Players pay when they sign up, so you don’t have to match payments to names after the run.
Spreadsheets
Signups, waitlists, check-ins and teams already live in the app, so the sheet can retire.
What it costs
Fellow is free to start, with unlimited members and events, and members never pay to use it. Fellow only earns when you sell something through it: 5% on tickets and Shop and 10% on paid memberships on the Free plan, less on paid plans, plus card processing. See pricing
Getting started
- 1Create your group’s circleAdd your logo and invite your players with one link.
- 2Post the first signupSet the spots and the price, and post it to the line.
- 3Build teams before tip-offOpen Team Builder from the signup and post the teams.
Questions
Fellow is built for it and free to start. Signups with set spots and payment, a waitlist that fills dropouts on its own, Team Builder for balanced teams, and a chat for the group, all in one app.
Yes. The Free plan has unlimited members and events, and members never pay to use the app. Fellow only earns when you sell something through it: 5% on tickets and Shop and 10% on paid memberships on Free, down to 1% and 3% on Fellow Brand, plus card processing.
Yes. Set a price on the signup and players pay when they sign up. The money goes to your Stripe account.
When every spot is taken, new players join the waitlist in order. If someone cancels, the first player on the waitlist moves in and gets a notification.
Pick how many teams you want and Team Builder splits the signed-up players into even sides. You can adjust any player before posting the teams to the chat.
Yes. A league uses the same signups, waitlist and teams, with game nights as events and a line for each team.
NYC Hoopers is an example made up for this article. Names and numbers in the figures are illustrative.
