B-Admin-TimeOpen Sessions: Fill Spots with Outside Players
Tomorrow you’re playing on four courts, fourteen people have signed up, and nobody else in the group can make it. Instead of posting an announcement in three chats and collecting volunteers by hand, you open that one session to players from outside the group. You decide who joins.
How it works
- In the session details you tap “Open publicly” and pick a mode: listed in the “Games nearby” directory, or available by link only.
- A player from outside the group finds the session under “Games nearby” (with the distance from the venue) or gets a link from you. They send a request, can add a note and agree to show you their phone number.
- You get a notification about the request, can ask for details in the message thread, and approve or decline.
- An approved player joins the session like any other participant: they see their slot, get notifications and settle up with the cashier.
Directory or link
- Listed in the directory — the session appears under “Games nearby” for signed-in users, with the venue, date, skill level and number of free spots.
- Link only — the session isn’t in the directory. You send the link to whoever you like, e.g. friends from another group or a local sports chat.
The “Share” button prepares ready-made text with the date, venue, level, number of free spots and a link — in one of four languages. The session’s author and admins can always share, and you can allow regular group members to do so in settings.
The group stays yours
- A player from outside the group doesn’t get membership. They see only their own session and their own settlement, not the group’s roster, ranking or other sessions.
- In the participant list they carry a text label, “Outside player”, visible to all members.
- Their matches don’t change the group’s ELO ranking, badges or statistics.
- The directory shows no players’ names or photos, and the name of a private group is replaced with “Private group”.
- Closing the public opening takes effect immediately and cuts off access through the old link.
After the game: invite them to the group
If someone from outside fit in well, an “Invite to group” button appears next to their name after the session. The player gets an invitation and from the next session plays as a full member.
Open sessions work together with sign-ups and the waitlist and settlements. More on when it’s worth opening a session and how to write a good announcement: short of players for a game — how to fill the roster without chat chaos. The feature is on the Pro plan — see the full pricing.
No card required. No commitment.
Frequently asked questions
Does opening a session change the settings of the whole group?
No. You open one specific session, and the group stays as it was — private, closed or public. When you close the public opening, people from outside the group immediately lose access to the session and the link.
When can a session be opened publicly?
When the session is open for sign-ups, hasn’t ended yet, and has at least one slot with a free spot and an empty waitlist. The spot of someone who is looking for a replacement also counts as free. A full session can’t be opened — there would be nothing to share.
What does a player from outside the group see?
Before requesting: the group name (just “Private group” for a private group), the venue with its address, the date, the skill level and the number of free spots — with no names or photos of other players. After approval: their own status, slot and settlement. They don’t see the group’s roster, ranking or other sessions.
Does an outside player affect the ranking?
No. The result of a match they play in is saved, but the ELO ranking, badges and group statistics don’t include it. If they later join the group, their next sessions count normally.
Do I have to approve every request by hand?
By default, yes. In group settings you can turn off approval — then a player from outside the group is added right away as long as there are free spots, and you only get a notice that they joined.
Which plan includes this feature?
Open sessions are part of the Pro plan. During the 14-day trial you have full access to Pro features, so you can try opening sessions right after creating your group.