The Rulebook (FAQ)

General Info

Hello, my name is Sportsvite.

Sportsvite is a free social network that connects people who play sports and helps them organize their sports activities. Sportsvite aims to build an online community to make it easier for athletes to play. Using Sportsvite, players can manage their games or teams, recruit players, join a team, find a playing field or even post sports classified on our listings board.

What is a Sportsvite?

A sportsvite is a message sent through the system notifying others of a scheduled game or activity. Kind of like an "Evite". We are being so bold as to try to turn our name into a verb. It's as audacious as professional athletes that talk in the third person during interviews or press conferences. So to recap, Sportsvite thinks you should be sending out a sportsvite.

How much does Sportsvite cost?

Sportsvite is and always will be a FREE Web site. It is free to join and free to use. We drive revenues through advertising and promotions. Perhaps one day we will create a product or service for which we will charge a subscription or membership fee, but that day is still a few flag football seasons away.

Why should I join another social network?

Sportsvite is committed to creating a Web site for people who play sports. All of our features are specifically designed for sports activities and every member of the sportsvite community is an athlete. Simply put, we can help you make your sports life easier.

Myspace is great for wasting time, checking out good looking folks, receiving spam and to kick start your punk rock career. Evite is excellent for sending out invites to your swanky birthday party. Facebook is a great service for undergrads. Craigslist is amazing if you are looking to find a new apartment or buy a used dishwasher. Sportsvite is the place to be if you want to play sports.

Okay, what's the catch?

No catch. None, zilch, zero. If you are not happy with Sportsvite you can deactivate your account at any time. If you have any questions or concerns we encourage you to email us at feedback@sportsvite.com.

Is Sportsvite available in my city?

Yes. Sportsvite is available in every city around the world (although we only support English for now... lo siento). The more athletes that use Sportsvite in your area, the more valuable the service is to everybody so tell your friends!

¿Es el Sportsvite internacional disponible?

Mais oui! Le Sportsvite est avilable en tout du monde.
( we're not cursing... we promise )

The Playbook

How do I sign in?

In order to sign in, you need to enter the email address you registered along with your password. If you cannot remember your password, you can recover it here.

What do I do if I forget my login information?

If you have experienced one too many helmet to helmet collisions and can't remember either your email address or password, then email us for some help at help@sportsvite.com, or click here.

How do I create a team?

Setting up your team on Sportsvite is a piece of cake. To set up a team, follow these steps:

  • Click on the 'Teams' tab on the main navigation page.
  • Select the sport for which you are creating the team.
  • Click 'Begin', and type in a team name, select the level of play, the gender, city, state and zip code, team description and if your team is accepting other players or if it is accepting challenges.
  • Type in the e-mail addresses of your teammates and/or select players from your 'Players list' of people you'd like to add to join your team.

How do I invite people to play on my team?

While you're creating your team, there is a field to enter email addresses so you can invite as many players as you like. If you have already created a team, simply click the "add players to team" link in the manage section of your team page and you'll be able to send out email invitations to as many people as you like.

How do I tell people on my team about upcoming games / announcements?

Notifying your teammates of upcoming games is simple. Follow these steps:

  • Find My teams in your locker.
  • Select your team and then 'Organize a Team Game'.
  • You will be asked to select the type of game you would like to set up. Include all of the game details, including location, time, date and invite list.
  • Once you've finished typing in this information, you can send the Sportsvite to your team's players, who can respond with their status.

Each of your players will then be able to RSVP to the Sportsvite, so you don't have to deal with back-and-forth email.

How do I create a Sportsvite (game invitation)?

To set up a pick-up game among friends and others, do the following:

  • Click the 'Games' tab on the main navigation bar.
  • Select the type of game you would like to set up (private games are for teams, and public games are pickup games among friends) and then include all the game details, including location, time, date and invite list.

Once you've finished typing in this information, you can post and send the Sportsvite to your friends who will respond with their status.

How do I find a team to join?

You could almost find a team with your eyes closed, except you'd need to look at the computer screen. To find a team, or to find other players to form a team follow these steps:

  • Click 'Teams' on the main navigation bar.
  • Indicate the type of sport for which you are looking to play, the distance you are willing to travel, the gender and the age range.
  • Selecting 'Search' and a list of teams in your area that fit your search will come up.
  • Send a Sportsvite message to the team captain or other players to organize the squad.

How do I manage my games?

Once you send out a Sportsvite, you can go to "My Clipboard" and look under the section marked "Coming Up". Here, you?ll be able to click on "My Schedule" and on the middle part of the page and you'll see all of your future games. You can view, edit, and manage all the details of your Sportsvite(s) right from this page.

What is a private game?

A private Sportsvite is only available to the specific friends and teammates to whom you sent the Sportsvite. Other Sportsvite members will not be able to browse or join your game. You can also allow just your roster to invite other individuals to join the Sportsvite, or you can keep the invite list closed.

What is a public game?

A public Sportsvite is one that you post and make available to the entire Sportsvite community. When other members search for games or teams, public games will come up based on their search criteria. You can still invite friends directly, but others in the Sportsvite community can view your event and may ask to play.

Can I join someone else's games?

Depends. If it's a public game, you will be able to join at any time. If it's a private game, you will be able to send the captain or organizer a message right from the game page requesting an invitation to join.

How do I find other players?

You can click on the Players tab in the main navigation bar at the top of the page and select criteria such as distance, sport, skill level, gender and age. After finding a person that fits your criteria, you will be able to send them a message that indicates your interest in having him or her join your team or pick-up game.

How do I find a place to play?

Sportsvite has a directory of locations to play sports in your area football fields, basketball courts, indoor soccer arenas, school gyms, etc. You can sort locations by sport or other criteria. To find a location, go to the Locations tab on the main navigation bar and type in a zip code, your sport and the type of facility you are looking for. Your results should show up on the map and also as a list below the map. Click on the map or any location name on the list for more information such as address, phone number and Web site.

What is a sports classified?

Classifieds have been around since the inception of the used car salesmen and real estate brokers. Sportsvite has taken it upon itself to make classifieds cool. The listings section is an area where you can post and view specific sports information that other members post to the community. The listings section is location-based so you will only see posts in your area.

Sportsvite Videos

How do I upload my video?

Uploading your video to Sportsvite is easy. Just click "Upload Video" and follow the instructions.

Why must I agree to Revver terms of service?

Revver is our video partner. Sportsvite used Revver's API to help upload, serve and syndicate videos. There terms of service are pretty reasonable but feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

What kind of videos can I submit?

You can submit just about any kind of video you want, as long as you're the creator. We do have a size restriction of 100MB per file and we can't accept anything illegal or obscene or similarly objectionable, including content that contains hate speech, infringes copyright, and/or violates personal privacy or obscenity laws and/or which we deem inappropriately offensive. No pornography. We staunchly support copyright laws. We also believe strongly in the protections provided by the doctrine of Fair Use, which is part of US copyright law, and to comparable protections provided under the copyright laws in other jurisdictions. While it is impossible to draw a hard and fast line between what is Fair Use and what is not, we understand that we are living in a remix culture and we support an open media environment that allows creators to lawfully build on the work of earlier creators. Read more on our copyright policy.

What are the size limits and file types on videos?

Your video must be at minimum 4 seconds long. This is because it can take up to three seconds for the ad to be delivered to the end of your video once someone starts watching it. We do not have an upper limit on length of video so long as your file is under 100MB.

We accept the following formats: MOV, MPEG, MPG, MP4, WMV, ASF, AVI (including DIVX).

Is there a limit on the number of videos I can upload?

Upload as many as you like as long as you've created them. There is currently no limit to the number of videos a creator can upload.

Where is my video after upload?

Once you upload a video and add the details , you will see it on your ÒMy Videos page with the status as "processing." This means we are transcoding your clip.

Next, your video will go into "review" where a real human will watch it before approving it to go online. Revver's content reviewers scan every video in an effort to protect against copyright violations and other illegal content. Once your video is reviewed (this may take up to 24 hours but it's usually way faster) and has been cleared by our reviewers, your video will become available.

If you have any questions regarding the status of your video, please contact Revver.

Why do I have to enter a description?

Descriptions and data helps us share them with Sportsvite members that would be interested in viewing. All videos will be published to your player profile. If you associate the video with a sport, team or game the videos will also be available to be viewed on that page. Tags are another way we can sort videos to make it easier to search and find exactly what you want.

Why did my video get rejected/taken down?

Videos are most commonly rejected due to apparent copyright infringement. If your video is rejected or removed, you should receive an email outlining the reasons. Be sure to use royalty-free music in your videos! If you have a question about why your video was rejected or what you can do to remove the copyright violation, contact Revver.

How can I embed videos in other websites?

Every video on Revver includes lots of sharing options including the permanent URL and the embed code to post the video on your online profiles or blog.

What's up with the ads?

They are just three seconds long and only show up after the video is viewed. It helps us put bread on the table so check them out.

Does Sportsvite obey copyright laws?

Absolutely. Revver screens every video that is submitted to our system in an effort to promote legality and to police obvious copyright infringement, and we respond promptly to Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) content takedown requests.

Who owns what I publish on Sportsvite?

You retain ownership of your video. Sportsvite may host and share your video only for as long as you leave it up on our site.

Can I take back my stuff?

Once you've deleted a video we will no longer distribute it at their website.

A Nice Clean-cut Online Experience

Is my email address shown to everyone and their mother?

No. Your e-mail address is only shown to users that you invite to play a game.

Who can see my profile? And what can they see?

Besides some basic information, you do not have to provide any information in your profile if you are not comfortable sharing it with the community. The more info you share about yourself, the more likely you will be able to connect with other teams and athletes with similar skills and interests.

What does Sportsvite do with my personal information?

Sportsvite will only use your personal information to make the service better. Sportsvite will not share your personal information with any third parties without your prior consent.

Am I going to get spammed all day?

No. Spam is about as much fun as a rock fight. Sportsvite does not send unsolicited emails from third parties, and we do not allow strangers to contact you. We are constantly improving our mail system to prevent spam. You will receive occasional e-mails from Sportsvite and messages from athletes on your roster or members of the Sportsvite community looking to play with you. If you ever receive mail through Sportsvite that goes against the spirit of the community, please notify us immediately. Also, feel free to check out our privacy policy for more details.

Why do I see advertisements on the site?

Like Roger Clemens, we're doing this for the love of the game... and the money. The best way to allow this community to be free to our athletes is through advertising and sponsorship. We will try our best to do this in a way that is beneficial to the Sportsvite community and our members. If you have a gripe with an ad, or believe Sportsvite is contributing to the commercial exploitation of world media consumption tell us what you think.

Leagues on Sportsvite

What is a league community?

A league community is a way for a league organizer to set their intramural or recreational league on Sportsvite. It is intended to be used by league organizers to share information with league captains and players, allow teams and players to use social media features to connect with each other and organize their games, and promote the league to the sportsvite community.

How can I create a league community?

Click here and request to add a league. Submit information about your league and somebody from Sportsvite will get in touch with you to approve your league and grant access.

How can I edit my league profile?

Creating a league profile will allow you to provide news and information as well as promote your league to the Sportsvite community. A league manager can select "EDIT PROFILE" on the League Stuff menu to complete a league profile.

Can I add my teams and players to my league profile?

Yes. Sportsvite allows you to invite all of the players and teams in your league onto Sportsvite. Community features also allow players to view other teams and players in your league and to easily interact before or after the game. There are also tremendous team management benefits for your captains. This will allow teams in your league to more easily communicate with each other and even avoid the dreaded forfeit by using the game invitation system.

To Invite Players and Teams:

  • Click Invite People on league organizer menu
  • Enter email addresses and customize email subject and note
  • Optional: If you have already entered the teams and schedules you can associate a team with a captain so they can easily control their team when they join Sportsvite

Can players or teams request to join my league?

Sure. Players and teams can request to join your league through your league profile. Within the edit profile settings, you can determine if a team or player needs your approval before they can officially join your league.

Can there be more than one manager for my league?

You can make other players in your league co-managers. To do this select "Players" and the click on the player's name to add them as a co-manager. Co-managers are displayed on the league page and they also have access to additional functionality.

League Feature Manager / Co-Manager Member
     
Member of League Community X X
Update personal or team profile X X
Upload Photos & Videos X X
Update league profile X
Invite players to league X
Upload/Edit Schedule X
Edit Results X
Message Community X

Can I send a Sportsvite message my entire league?

Yes, you can directly message all the team captains and players that are connected to your league profile.

  • Click Message Members on league organizer menu
  • Customize the subject and message in designated fields
  • To message all members click "All Players", to reach your entire community or "Team Captain" to just send messages to your team captain
  • After selecting who to message click on "Send Messages"

Can I publish league schedules through Sportsvite?

Yes. Sportsvite allows you to add your leagues entire schedule. Each game is entered on an individual basis by the league manager. This allows for a centralized and organized system to show schedule, results and team standings for your league. This league schedule is controlled solely by the league organizer and has no effect on individual team management features.

Can I publish results and standings?

Yup. It's easy to add results for each game. The standings will automatically update as the results are entered.

Updating Results and Standings:

  • Click Schedule on league organizer menu
  • Click "Add Score" and input score results for that game
  • Standings will automatically update

How do I create different divisions for my teams?

We realize that many leagues have more than one division. Once all the teams are entered, it is simple to break them into separate divisions.

To Create Divisions:

  • Click Manage Divisions under Teams in the league organizer menu
  • Create a new divisions and select all teams that belong to that division

How Can I share Photos and Vidoes?

Sportsvite allows you to upload videos and photos to your league page. League Organizers have the ability to upload videos of games played, photos of their actual game or team pictures. Team captains and players can also associate their photos and videos with the league for everybody to view when they upload their media.

Upload Photos:

  • Click Photos on league organizer menu.
  • Click browse, select the photo of your choice.
  • Upload photo.
  • Optional: You have the capability of changing the picture you have uploaded to be your primary photo.


Upload Videos:
  • Click Videos on league organizer menu.
  • Click browse to upload the video.
  • In designated boxes fill in appropriate information (e.g., Title, Description and Tags).
  • Continue to fill in all information including check box (By uploading videos, I accept the terms of service of Revver, Sportsvite's video Partner).
  • Click submit after video has been updated.

What are some other ways I can promote my league to the Sportsvite Community?

There are various ways to promote your league to the Sportsvite community in your area.

  • Email Blasts
    Contact us and we'll discuss how we can help get the word out about your league through targeted email blasts to Sportsvite members in your area.

  • Bulletins
    You can post broadcast messages to the entire Sportsvite community to promote upcoming events, such as a season registration.

  • League Directory
    We can add you're a link to your league in our directory so that members can view your league information and profile when searching for leagues in Sportsvite.

What is the Sortsvite Recreational Sports Network (RSN)?

The Sportsvite RSN is an advertising and sponsorship network of the top recreational sports leagues in the country. These leagues work with Sportsvite to attract national advertising and sponsorships. Sportsvite offers advertisers a national footprint of of recreational athletes through its league partners that they can reach through a single, cost-effective media campaign.

Does Sportsvite build custom websites for leagues?

Yes we are able to build special co-branded websites that uses Sportsvite league community and functionality within the look and feel of your site. Here is an example of a website that we built for the TV Advertising League in New York City -- http://tvadvertisingleague.sportsviteleague.com

Still have questions?

Contact Brian at brian [at] sportsvite [dot] com


Geek Stuff

What browsers does Sportsvite support?

Sportsvite supports all modern browsers, including Internet Explorer 5.0 and higher, Netscape 6.0 and higher, and Mozilla Firefox. There might be some minor inconsistencies here and there, but we've tried our best to ensure that the site is functional in all browsers. If your browser is acting up, tell us about it and we'll see what we can do.

How do I change how my profile looks?

Sorry kids, this isn't MySpace. No wacky slideshows, no giant flashing fairies drinking BudLight, and no neon pink text on neon orange backgrounds. We are, however, working on some cool customization tools for your profiles that will let you have a theme that matches your team colors, and other useful stuff. Check the blog periodically for updates.

Role Playing

I am a team captain...

Sportsvite makes your life easier as the captain because getting your team to do anything right is like herding cats. Normally, managing your team would require back and forth email, a phone chain or constant follow up with players. Kind of makes you feel more like a babysitter than the next Vince Lombardi. Here what you should if you're a team captain:

  • Choose Teams tab on the main navigation bar
  • Select Create a Team and the sport you're playing
  • Input all the details about your team
  • Add people to your team by typing in their email addresses (Note: if you've added people already to player's list, you can input them from your player's list)
  • With your team on Sportsvite, you can now set up all of your games in the season.
  • On your Team Profile page, click Manage Schedule or Add a Game
  • Enter in game details
  • If you have more than one game in the season (which most people do), then just add another game after you input the first

Your players will now receive an invite to the game over email. They can respond to the invite with a yes, no or maybe. This way, you have a head-count of all people who are coming before game time without ever having to send out another email.

I am organizing a pickup game...

If you're putting together pick-up games, Sportsvite makes it easier than ever to set up a game:

  • Go to Game tab and click New Game
  • Select the type of sport and the Begin button
  • Enter all of your game details (note: selecting public will make your game show in searches done by community members and selecting private will make it, well, private)
  • Type in all the emails address of the people you'd like to invite to the game

Your players will now receive an invite to the game over email. They can respond to the invite with a yes, no or maybe and also leave comments. This way, you have a head-count of all people who are coming before game time.

We're not a league, just a bunch of people who play all the time...

If you play on a recurring basis with a big group, follow the instructions for "I am a team captain" above. For the type of team, select just a group and you're ready to rock!

General Info.

The Playbook.

Sportsvite Videos

A nice clean-cut online experience

Leagues on Sportsvite.

Geek Stuff.

Role Playing