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Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started

What is Saturday Ball?
Saturday Ball is a pickup basketball stat tracker. It's a web app for pickup basketball groups and leagues to record game data and view stats, leaderboards, and player profiles. The system computes advanced stats from the data you enter — going well beyond basic points, rebounds, and assists.
What is the difference between a pickup group and a league?

Pickup groups are for casual, unstructured play. There are no fixed teams — players show up, you build teams on the fly, and the app tracks leaderboards and individual stats over time. Players can be activated or deactivated each session.

Leagues are for structured, team-based competition. You define teams, manage rosters, and the app tracks standings, win/loss records, and both player and team stats across a season.

You choose which type to create when you start a new group, and this cannot be changed later.

How do I create a group?
Click Create a Group on the home page or from your account menu. You'll choose a name, select pickup or league, and configure a few defaults like your stats method (play-by-play or box score). Once created, you can invite players and start adding games right away.
Can I switch between pickup and league after creating a group?
No. The group type (pickup or league) is set at creation and cannot be changed. If you need a different type, you'll need to create a new group.
How do I invite players to my group?
Go to your group's Settings page and find the Members section. You can send email invitations directly from there. Invited players will receive a link to join your group.

Tracking Games and Stats

What is the difference between play-by-play and box score mode?

Play-by-play lets you record individual events (field goals, rebounds, assists, turnovers, etc.) as they happen or after the fact. This unlocks advanced stats like True Passing %, Defensive Rating, and per-100 possession metrics.

Box score mode is simpler — you upload a stat line per game (points, rebounds, assists, etc.) without tracking individual plays. It's faster to enter but produces only basic stats.

Your stats method is chosen when creating the group and cannot be changed later.

Can I change my stats method after creating a group?
No. The stats method (play-by-play or box score) is fixed at group creation. Plan accordingly when setting up your group.
How do I enter stats during or after a game?
You can enter plays on your phone during the game in real time, or track on paper and enter everything after. If you're using play-by-play mode, create the game first, then use the Add Plays screen to log each event. Box score groups can upload a stat sheet for each game.
Can I upload box scores from a spreadsheet?
Yes. If your group uses box score mode, you can upload a CSV file for each game directly from the game page. This is useful if your group already tracks stats in a spreadsheet.
How does video integration work?
You can link a YouTube video to a game and sync individual plays to timestamps in the video. This lets you review and highlight specific moments — like a great pass or defensive stop — directly from a player's profile or the game page.
What are per-100 stats and advanced metrics?
Per-100 stats normalize each player's numbers to 100 possessions, which makes it fair to compare players with different playing time. Advanced metrics include things like True Shooting %, True Passing %, and Defensive Rating — these go beyond counting stats and give a more complete picture of how each player contributes. Per-100 and advanced stats are only available for groups using play-by-play mode and require a minimum number of plays to be meaningful (configurable in group settings).

Leagues and Seasons

How do seasons work?
Seasons let you organize games into distinct time periods (e.g., Spring 2025, Fall 2025). Stats, standings, and leaderboards can be filtered by season so you can track how things change over time. For leagues, each season tracks standings, win/loss records, and streaks. For pickup groups, seasons help organize leaderboards and records over different periods.
How do I create a new season?
Go to your group's Settings page and navigate to the Seasons tab. From there you can create a new season with a name and start date.

Players and Teams

How do I add or remove players?
Go to the Players section of your group to add new players by name. You can also deactivate players you no longer need rather than deleting them, which preserves their historical stats.
What does deactivating a player do?
Deactivating a player hides them from active rosters and team-building screens so they don't clutter things up for players who no longer participate. Their past stats and game logs are fully preserved and still appear in historical leaderboards and records.
How do player profiles work?
Each player has a profile page showing their total and per-100 stats, a full game log, and any video highlights linked to their plays. Profiles are a great way to review a player's contributions over time and analyze their style of play.
How does the AI team generator work?
The AI team generator uses player stats from your group to suggest balanced teams for a game. Select the players who are present, and the generator will propose team splits designed to make the games competitive. You can find it under the Games section of your group.

Privacy and Data

Who can see my group's data?
Game data, stats, leaderboards, and player profiles may be publicly accessible by default. If you have privacy concerns about your group's data, please contact us at customer-support@saturdayball.com.
What data do you collect?
We collect the information you provide when creating an account and entering game data. We also use Google Analytics to understand how the app is used. For full details, see our Privacy Policy.
Can I delete my account or group?
To request account or group deletion, contact us at customer-support@saturdayball.com and we'll take care of it.

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