League Registration and Waitlists

Running a well-organized league starts with a smooth registration process. ServeLeague gives you complete control over how players sign up, whether you need a simple open registration or a managed process with approvals, waitlists, and payment collection.

This tutorial covers everything from enabling registration on your league to managing waitlists and processing payments through Stripe.

Enabling Registration

To set up registration, go to your league's settings page. From your club admin dashboard, click "Leagues" in the sidebar, select the league you want to configure, then click the "Settings" tab. Scroll down to the "Registration" section.

Registration settings panel in league configuration

Here you can configure:

  • Registration status: turn registration on or off
  • Registration type: choose between open (anyone can join) or managed (requires approval)
  • Capacity limit: set a maximum number of players (leave blank for unlimited)
  • Registration deadline: optionally set a cutoff date
  • Payment required: control whether players must pay to register
  • Registration fee: the amount to charge (requires Stripe Connect: see Subscription and Billing Management)

Click "Save" to apply your settings. When registration is open, a "Register" button appears on your league's public page.

[!TIP] Start with managed registration for your first league. It gives you the chance to review each player before adding them, which helps you plan divisions and skill groups.

The Public Registration Page

When registration is open, players can find it in two ways:

  1. Direct link: share the registration URL with your members
  2. League page: a prominent "Register" button appears on the league's public page

The registration page shows players:

  • League name, format, and schedule details
  • Registration fee (if applicable)
  • Current capacity (e.g., "12 of 16 spots filled")
  • A registration form with any required fields

Public registration page showing league details and registration form

Players fill out the form and submit their registration. If payment is required, they are redirected to a secure Stripe checkout page before the registration is confirmed.

[!NOTE] Players must have a ServeLeague account to register. If they do not have one, they are prompted to create an account first, then returned to the registration form.

Managing Incoming Registrations

All registrations appear in the Registration Admin Table, accessible from your league's admin view. Click the "Registrations" tab to see the full list.

Registration admin table showing all registrations with status columns

The table shows:

Column Description
Player Name and profile link
Date When they registered
Status Pending, Approved, Rejected, or Waitlisted
Payment Payment status (if applicable)
Actions Approve, reject, or waitlist buttons

Approving and Rejecting Registrations

For managed registrations, each entry starts in Pending status. Click on a registration to open the detail panel, where you can:

  • Approve: the player is added to the league roster
  • Reject: the player is notified that their registration was not accepted
  • Waitlist: the player is placed on the waitlist (see below)

Registration form showing player details and confirmation fields

You can also add a personal message when approving or rejecting, which is included in the notification email sent to the player.

[!TIP] When rejecting a registration, always include a brief reason. Something like "League is full, but we've added you to the waitlist for next season" goes a long way toward keeping players engaged.

Payment Collection

If you have enabled payment for registration and connected Stripe (see Subscription and Billing Management), payments are handled automatically during the registration flow.

How Payment Works

  1. Player fills out the registration form
  2. They are redirected to Stripe's secure checkout page
  3. Payment is processed and confirmed
  4. The registration is recorded with a "Paid" status

The registration admin table shows payment status for each registration with clear indicators:

Registration admin view showing payment and status columns for each player

Status Meaning
Paid Payment successfully captured
Pending Player started checkout but has not completed payment
Refunded Payment was refunded by an admin
Failed Payment attempt failed

Issuing Refunds

To refund a registration payment, click the "Refund" button on the registration detail. You can issue a full or partial refund. The refund is processed through Stripe and the player is notified by email.

[!WARNING] Refunds can take 5-10 business days to appear in the player's account, depending on their bank. Communicate this to players to set expectations.

Waitlist Management

When your league reaches its capacity limit, additional registrations are automatically placed on the waitlist. You can also manually move registrations to the waitlist at any time.

Waitlist management showing waitlisted players with promote buttons

The waitlist is ordered by registration date, first come, first served. From the waitlist view, you can:

  • Promote: move a player from the waitlist to the approved roster
  • Remove: remove a player from the waitlist entirely
  • Notify: send a custom message to waitlisted players

When you promote a player from the waitlist, they receive an email notification. If payment is required, the email includes a link to complete their payment.

Capacity Settings

Set your league's maximum capacity in the registration settings. The capacity counter is displayed on the public registration page so players can see how many spots remain.

Registration settings showing capacity limit and current count

[!TIP] Set your capacity slightly higher than your ideal number. A few players inevitably drop out, and having a small buffer avoids the need to promote from the waitlist for every cancellation.

Email Notifications

ServeLeague automatically sends email notifications at key points in the registration process:

  • Registration received: sent to the player confirming their submission
  • Registration approved: sent when an admin approves the registration
  • Registration rejected: sent with the admin's reason for rejection
  • Waitlisted: sent when the player is placed on the waitlist
  • Promoted from waitlist: sent when a player moves from waitlist to approved
  • Payment confirmed: sent after successful payment capture
  • Refund issued: sent when a refund is processed

Admins also receive a notification when a new registration comes in, so you never miss a sign-up.

[!NOTE] Players can manage their notification preferences to control which emails they receive. See Notifications and Push Setup for details.

Best Practices

  1. Open registration early: give players at least two weeks to sign up before the league starts
  2. Set a clear deadline: having a cutoff date creates urgency and helps you plan
  3. Communicate capacity: let players know how many spots are available so they do not delay
  4. Use managed registration for competitive leagues: it lets you balance divisions and skill levels before the league starts
  5. Follow up on pending payments: players sometimes abandon checkout. A gentle reminder email often does the trick
  6. Keep your waitlist informed: send periodic updates to waitlisted players so they know they have not been forgotten

Summary

Registration and waitlists give you full control over who joins your league and how. Whether you run a casual open league or a competitive managed league with fees, ServeLeague handles the entire process, from sign-up forms and payments to waitlist promotion and email notifications. Setting up registration takes a few minutes and saves you hours of manual coordination.

What's Next?

  • Creating Your First League: set up a league before opening registration
  • League Settings and Access: configure all aspects of your league
  • Subscription and Billing Management: set up Stripe Connect to collect registration payments