Setting Up and Changing Events
Whether you’re scheduling Saturday’s scrimmage for the first time or moving it an hour later because the courts opened up, Headcount Buddy handles it over SMS — and keeps everyone in the loop automatically.
Creating an event
Just text the details. Location is the one thing Headcount Buddy always needs before it can save an event; if you leave it out, it’ll ask.
Example — booking a scrimmage:
You: scrimmage Sunday 9am at Riverside Park Headcount Buddy: Done — scrimmage Sunday at 9am, Riverside Park.
Start time is enough. If you also give an end time, Headcount Buddy will include the full range in your confirmation (“9am–11am”). If you don’t, it saves the event open-ended — no need to figure that out up front.
One message, one event. If you say “practice Saturday at WSC — actually make it a scrimmage,” that’s a single save, not a draft followed by an edit.
Editing an event
Tell Headcount Buddy what changed. A direct instruction — “move Sunday’s scrimmage to 10am,” “change the location to Lake WA HS” — gets made immediately, no confirmation question first.
Example — moving the start time:
You: move Sunday’s scrimmage to 10am Headcount Buddy: Done — scrimmage moved to Sunday 10am, Riverside Park. I’ve let everyone who responded know and asked them to re-confirm. (Heads up: Marcus hasn’t opted in to texts, so you’ll need to reach him directly.)
That notification goes out automatically, the moment the change saves. Headcount Buddy doesn’t ask “want me to tell them?” — it just tells them and reports back to you.
What gets sent to players — and to whom
When you change a material detail, Headcount Buddy notifies the right players right away and confirms to you who was reached — and flags anyone it couldn’t reach because they haven’t opted in to SMS.
Here’s exactly who hears about each kind of change:
Time or date change
Everyone who already responded gets a heads-up and a re-confirm ask — yes, maybe, soft-yes, soft-no, and no. A time move resets availability, so even someone who said no might now be free. Players who never responded at all are left alone.
Location change
Players who are coming (yes, maybe, soft-yes, soft-no) get an informational heads-up — no re-confirm pressure, just a friendly FYI. Players who said no are not included by default — if you want them told too, just say so.
End time, opponent, or notes change
Players who are coming get an informational update. No re-confirm pressure — it’s a heads-up, not a question.
Two situations where the audience narrows further
Two rules can narrow who gets notified. They work independently, and either one only ever reduces the list — never expands it.
1. Close to start time (within 2 hours)
If you edit an event that starts in the next two hours, only players who said yes or soft-yes are notified. There’s no point re-asking people who were already leaning out — only the ones still planning to come need to know right now.
2. A small time shift (2 hours or less), and nothing else changed
A minor nudge to the clock probably didn’t upend anyone’s plans, so the list tightens:
- Yes / soft-yes — always notified and asked to re-confirm.
- Maybe / no response — notified only if the event is still short on people. If you’re already covered, there’s no reason to stir the maybe pool.
- No / soft-no — not notified. A small shift isn’t enough to flip someone who was already out.
A bigger time move, or any change that also shifts the location, keeps the full audience.
What players see
Players get a plain, warm SMS that leads with the change and asks a simple question. No app, no link to click.
Time change example (player who said yes):
“Hey Sam — heads up, Sunday’s scrimmage moved to 10am (same place, Riverside Park). Still good? Reply YES or NO.”
Location change example:
“Update — Sunday’s scrimmage is now at Lake WA HS (was Riverside Park), still 9am. Still in? YES or NO.”
When a player replies, their RSVP updates automatically. Headcount Buddy tracks who’s re-confirmed, who dropped, and who still hasn’t answered yet — you can check at any time by asking for the headcount.
Canceling an event
Text a clear cancellation. If you mention a reason, Headcount Buddy includes it in the notice to players.
Example:
You: cancel Sunday’s scrimmage — courts are flooded Headcount Buddy: Canceled — Sunday’s scrimmage at Riverside Park is off. I’ve notified everyone who said they were coming that the courts are flooded. (Jordan hasn’t opted in — you’ll need to reach her separately.)
As with edits, the notices go out automatically. You don’t need to approve a separate step.
Who gets the cancellation notice:
Everyone who responded with yes, maybe, soft-yes, or soft-no is notified. Players who explicitly said no aren’t included by default — they weren’t planning to come. Players who never responded aren’t notified either. If you want to reach the no’s too — say “text everyone, including the people who said no” — Headcount Buddy will include them.
Un-canceling an event
Made a mistake? You can reinstate an event you just canceled.
If you act quickly — within a brief window after canceling — the cancellation notice hasn’t gone out yet, so no one was told. A wrong cancel reaches no one, and the event is simply back on as if it never happened.
If the window has already passed and the notices went out, Headcount Buddy will tell you exactly who already heard about the cancellation, so you can let those players know the event is back on.
When a player creates an event
If you’ve enabled player-created events for your group, you’ll get an automatic heads-up any time a player schedules something. You don’t need to check in or ask — Headcount Buddy pings you as soon as it’s saved.
A note on last-minute events
If you create an event that starts very soon, Headcount Buddy skips the usual “want me to ask for RSVPs?” routine — there’s no time for a full round of outreach. Instead, it asks you directly: who’s already confirmed, and is anyone coming who isn’t on the roster? That’s the fastest way to get an accurate headcount before you hit the court.
Delegating an event
Need a co-captain or trusted teammate to run a specific event? You can hand it off. That person takes over as the event’s manager — they’ll get the headcount alerts and handle anything that comes up — without becoming a captain for the whole team.
Questions?
Email help@headcountbuddy.com — or just text your Headcount Buddy number and ask.