Guide/Suggestions to a Successfull League

within the next Few Days I'll be putting together a guide for new League Operators on what works what doesn't how to keep a league active and innovative while not lossing your head at doing so.So look here for it and if you have ideas please feel free to PM me with them.

Ok here's the guide in a roundabout way

The first and formost thing to running a league successfully is PLAN AHEAD having a plan and sticking to it helps you get the league off the ground and moving.
examples-Having a League set at 30 Teams stick to that,If you can't fill your cap then make sure you have a backup number that works.

Don't get Over ambitious with your plan
ex-Think realisticly don't do too much too soon,I've found this out the hard way with the SIIHF I may have had too many tournaments and not enough intrest.

Make sure you try and keep it as active and fun as possible
ex-In the case of the STHL I've had a hard time this season updating the scores due to RL but I at least make sure to let those in the league know whats going on and when they can expect an announcement. I also went the route of Customizing the Game I was using as a simulator right down to uniforms in game etc..../in teh case of the SLB joe has done a wonderfull thing by using graphics and hopefully will follow up on the OOTP site thing cause that was phenominal

Make sure there's a desire for the league
ex-Don't create a league when theres already one out there or the sport isn't popular(sorry) like Handball.

The time you put into it will pay off in the long run
ex-I hope all my time put into the STHL pays off if not I at least had fun and that brings me to the next point

Have FUN!!!
ex-If you can't have fun with what your doing then why on earth are you doing it?

This is just a small guide on what to do I'll try and post more Ideas and I ask Joe to help out him and I apparently were nominated for a Trixie(lol) which he one(you bastard!!!! j/k)

if you'd like help on what works for league structures feel free to ask me anytime

I agree with pretty much everything you've got there. Might as well add my 2c worth too:

canuck3360 wrote:The first and foremost thing to running a league successfully is PLAN AHEAD having a plan and sticking to it helps you get the league off the ground and moving.
examples-Having a League set at 30 Teams stick to that,If you can't fill your cap then make sure you have a backup number that works.

I consider "The Plan" to be more about scheduling and promotion. You can't control how many teams you get - that depends on the viewers and your sales ability - so you should get the stuff you can control sorted: How long is your season? How long until the next season? How many games per team? What is the playoff format? Provide dates for all activities for the current season, and an idea when the next one will be. Don't leave people hanging by not saying when your league will run. This goes for you too - it's ok to have a break, but let people know when you'll be back and when the next league is. Same thing if you need to shut the league down. Someone may want to take it over, but you won't know unless you say something.
Bear in mind I run the SLB without a teams cap. We thought about capping it at a MLB-standard 30 teams, and in the end got 44. I don't like cutting people out because they don't see a particular thread on time.

When formulating "The Plan" remember to give details. LOTS of details. Show how you intend to manage teams & players, organise the league, simulate & disseminate results etc. I know I tend to pass on anything that just says "Here's my League - please join."
Also, random number generators will only get you so far. Consider how you can employ alternate methods, such as games, online sims, etc. to provide a better product. Generally, the more 'real' your results engine is (even if it ultimately boils down random numbers), the more people will be interested. (Consider a baseball game where the end score is randomly generated, versus a game where every at-bat or every pitch is randomly generated - think about the extra detail you can offer with the second method).

Once you finish your League, don't make the down time between seasons too big, or people will lose interest/patience and drift away. One month is enough, two is pushing it. If you have a particularly long season (like the seven-month SLB), try and provide some means of accommodating people who arrive mid-season (ie AAA/lower divisions). They won't stick around if they have to wait for next year.

canuck3360 wrote:Don't get Over ambitious with your plan
ex-Think realisticly don't do too much too soon,I've found this out the hard way with the SIIHF I may have had too many tournaments and not enough intrest.

I see no harm in running competitions non-stop, even if you only have 6 entries. Might raise your League's profile a bit at least.

canuck3360 wrote:Make sure you try and keep it as active and fun as possible
ex-In the case of the STHL I've had a hard time this season updating the scores due to RL but I at least make sure to let those in the league know whats going on and when they can expect an announcement. I also went the route of Customizing the Game I was using as a simulator right down to uniforms in game etc..../in teh case of the SLB joe has done a wonderfull thing by using graphics and hopefully will follow up on the OOTP site thing cause that was phenominal

Cheers! We'll see about the 09 website, because currently its offline. But don't forget about bells and whistles! People like fancy stuff!

canuck3360 wrote:Make sure there's a desire for the league
ex-Don't create a league when theres already one out there or the sport isn't popular(sorry) like Handball.

- Remember your target audience. The vast majority of people on ST/SC4D are American or British (or British descent), so American and British sports sell better. The more popular the sport, the more entrants you'll get. Global sports will obviously work too.
- Try not to copy. Despite what you may think, there aren't enough people around to support competing leagues.
- Do your research. There may have been a previous league in your chosen sport that failed. Find out why. (perfect example: stock car racing - tried and failed at least three times I know of)

canuck3360 wrote:The time you put into it will pay off in the long run
ex-I hope all my time put into the STHL pays off if not I at least had fun and that brings me to the next point

If you don't update, people will drift away. More and better updates might win you a few followers too! Its interesting to note that the three largest SimCity-inspired leagues (SLB/STHL/Simlympics) are probably the three longest-running, and have three dedicated organisers.

canuck3360 wrote:Have FUN!!!
ex-If you can't have fun with what your doing then why on earth are you doing it?

Other points I'd like to add:

- Check to see if there are appropriate stadiums available on the STEX/LEX/other exchanges. People like to see their team's home ground in the game. Indoor arenas are particularly versatile, given the roof hides the playing area! I think this is holding the cricket league back, since there are *no* proper cricket fields available at all. (Something I'd fix if I knew how to BAT )
- Don't get over-anxious. People are not going to sign up immediately. Most won't even notice the league exists for a while. Give it some time. Advertise (sigs are useful for this ). I usually allow at least a month for gathering entries.

And finally, the Golden Rule:

Running a league is like running a CJ. Follow the guidelines for successful CJs and you'll most likely have a successful league.

canuck3360 wrote:This is just a small guide on what to do I'll try and post more Ideas and I ask Joe to help out him and I apparently were nominated for a Trixie(lol) which he one(you bastard!!!! j/k)

canuck3360 wrote:if you'd like help on what works for league structures feel free to ask me anytime

Or me

very well put/added on Joe

as to the capping of teams that usually has to do with what your using to simulate in my case the STHL is set at 30 because I only have 30 NHL teams and using EA's NHLXX to run it limits the ammount of teams. I know Sens once hada javascript applet where we had around 34 teams.

all in all tough Joe I think if the read our long winded posts It'll help so yes feel free to ask away

Great Guide there canuck, im gonna start my new league pretty soon and this should help alot. thanks!

Wow, congrats on the Trixie Joe! Great to see sports leagues are finally getting the recognition they deserve, although next year I think it should be for 'Sports event' so The Simlympics can have a shot .

Guide looks great canuck, in a bit of a rush atm but I'll read it in full later and post my thoughts/suggestions.

canuck3360 wrote:This is just a small guide on what to do I'll try and post more Ideas and I ask Joe to help out him and I apparently were nominated for a Trixie(lol) which he one(you bastard!!!! j/k)

canuck3360 wrote:if you'd like help on what works for league structures feel free to ask me anytime

Or me

Joe, Canuck: I feel left out I'm a top sports league here too.

this was written before you joined here lol

yes but I was on ST at the time

mayorm wrote:yes but I was on ST at the time

I know how you feel .

Very good advice both of you. In fact, this guide is now mandatory reading before anyone starts a new league.

Joe 90 wrote:

canuck3360 wrote:The time you put into it will pay off in the long run
ex-I hope all my time put into the STHL pays off if not I at least had fun and that brings me to the next point

If you don't update, people will drift away. More and better updates might win you a few followers too! Its interesting to note that the three largest SimCity-inspired leagues (SLB/STHL/Simlympics) are probably the three longest-running, and have three dedicated organisers.

To add a point onto this. When you look at the 3 sports Joe pointed out, each have a special something which separate them out. IMO, this is why they've been successful.

SLB - Just look at the website, so in depth, so much detail.
STHL - In game pictures are huge.
Simlympics - Bidding (At least, that's what I see as the key component)

Now, this isn't to say you should copy a secret ingredient from above; you have to find your own which you can then apply to your league. It might not work at first, but stick with it.

Case in point: Bidding in the Simlympics. The first round we only had 3 bids, with very little detail in them. There was no standard, no expectation but as the games developed competition and desire to host the games increased, leading to more bidders and higher quality bids. You have to have the patience to be persistent.

I have something to add:

Remember that when starting a league it takes time for people to notice so be patient and people will come.

Joe 90 wrote:- Don't get over-anxious. People are not going to sign up immediately. Most won't even notice the league exists for a while. Give it some time. Advertise (sigs are useful for this ). I usually allow at least a month for gathering entries.

I know its a long post, but its worth reading all of it

lol very true this guide isn't a hey copy what's worked guide it's a hey heres some idea's see what you can do to make yourself stand out and hey there's a few of us here that have been through this and can help guide you to success.

Well it looks like theres an occasional exception to the takes awhile for a following not to mention any names *cough* Nates Football League*cough*

Just moved this out into the open because I think it should be read a lot more than it has been in the past.

Ill make sure the STSL is very sucsessful, then by next year, ill have 30 teams or so!