Frequently asked questions
How clubs, sports, sessions and organisers work in PlayArc.
Pricing and ads
Is the app free to use?+
Founding Member Access: free for the first 500 users. Lock in free lifetime access to attendance, payment, rank tracking, running stats, and Zumba logs before public subscription pricing begins.
Will there be ads in the app?+
No. We believe in a clean, distraction-free experience. The app is 100% ad-free for all users, now and in the future.
Clubs
How do I create a club?+
Sign in, then choose Create a club. Give it a name, pick the sports your group plays and a colour, and optionally add a home venue and a club photo. You become the club's organiser.
How do people join my club?+
Every club has a 6-digit join code. In Club settings you can Text invite, Share invite or Copy invite; the message has a link and the code. People sign in and enter the code. You can also show the QR code on the web.
Can I be in more than one club?+
Yes. Switch clubs from the club name at the top of the app. The Calendar shows sessions from all your clubs together, labelled by club.
How do I change the club name, photo or other details?+
Organisers do this in Club settings: the name, comments shown on every session, WhatsApp link, venues, and the club logo. For the logo, upload a photo or pick an icon.
Someone shared our code too widely. What do I do?+
In Club settings, choose New code. The old code stops working straight away; people already in the club aren't affected. On the web you can also set the code to expire on a date, for one-off events.
Sports
Which sports can we play?+
Badminton, pickleball and running are built in. Organisers can add any other sport, such as tennis, table tennis, cycling or a bushwalk.
How do I add a sport?+
In Club settings → Sports, choose + Add your own sport, type its name and choose how it's played:
- Matches & scores, like badminton: pairings, scores, a win-rate leaderboard. You also set the points needed to win a game.
- Distance & time, like running: everyone logs a distance and time, with a pace leaderboard.
- Attendance only, like a bushwalk: who's coming and payments, with nothing to score.
Can I be a different level in different sports?+
Yes. Each match sport has its own rating (see Skill ratings). On the Me screen you can also set a general level per sport; it's your starting point if you skip the starting-level questions.
Skill ratings
How does my rating work?+
The full explanation, with an example, is on How Ranking Works. In short: in match sports such as badminton and pickleball, everyone has a rating in each club. It starts at a tier and then moves after every scored match, based on who you played and whether you won. Don't worry about picking the perfect tier on day one: your matches correct it automatically.
Where does my starting rating come from?+
When you join or create a club, you choose a starting tier. Not sure? Answer three quick questions and we suggest one:
- Beginner (100 pts): new to the sport, learning basic rules, serves and shot consistency.
- Intermediate (200 pts): plays regularly, understands court positioning and strategy, keeps consistent rallies.
- Advanced (300 pts): highly competitive, strong shot accuracy, tournament or league experience.
How are points won and lost?+
In doubles your side's rating is the average of you and your partner. Sides within 20 points of each other count as even.
- Win against a higher-rated side: +20. An even side: +10. A lower-rated side: +5.
- Lose to a higher-rated side: −5. An even side: −10. A lower-rated side: −20.
Example?+
Team A is Priya (200) and Sam (200), average 200. Team B is Ana (200) and Lee (100), average 150. Team B wins, beating a side 50 points higher: Ana goes to 220 and Lee to 120. Priya and Sam lost to a lower side, so they drop to 180 each.
I'm in two clubs. Do I have one rating?+
No, one per club. Your badminton rating in one club only changes with matches in that club, so it reflects how you play against those players.
What if a score was entered wrongly?+
Fix or delete the match and every rating is recalculated as if it had always been right. Organisers can also set a member's rating from their profile, for example for someone clearly placed in the wrong tier. That applies from then on.
What does Provisional mean?+
Fewer than 5 rated matches. Provisional players are listed under the leaderboard until they've played enough for their rating to settle.
Sessions
How do I create a session?+
Organisers choose New session on Home. Pick the sport, date and time, venue, courts, capacity and cost. Everyone in the club is notified and can answer Going, Maybe or Can't.
Can a session repeat?+
Yes. Under Repeat, choose daily, weekly or monthly, and how often (for example every 2 days, or every week on Tuesday and Thursday). Then choose when it ends: never, after a number of sessions, or on a date. Sessions are added up to 8 weeks ahead, and more appear as time goes on.
How does the cost work?+
Choose Split total to share one amount, such as court hire, between everyone going. Choose Per person for a fixed price each. New sessions start with the cost settings of your last session of that sport.
What happens when a session is full?+
Anyone else who says Going joins a waitlist. When a spot opens up, the first person waiting moves in automatically and gets a notification.
Can I edit, cancel or delete a session?+
Organisers can. On web, use the pencil on the session; on mobile, use Manage session…. For a repeating session you can change just that one, or that one and all later ones.
Should I cancel or delete a session?+
Cancel if people have already joined. It comes off the calendar but keeps everyone's RSVPs, payments and results, and you can reinstate it. Delete removes it with everything in it and can't be undone, so the app warns you if anyone is coming or has paid, and offers to cancel instead. Either way, everyone who said they were coming gets a notification.
Organisers and members
What can organisers do that members can't?+
Organisers create and edit sessions, generate pairings, confirm payments, post announcements, manage club settings and members, and delete the club. Members RSVP, enter their own scores and results, and mark their own payments.
Can a club have more than one organiser?+
Yes. In Members, an organiser can make anyone else an organiser, or remove that role. A club always keeps at least one organiser.
How do I remove someone from the club?+
Organisers go to Members and choose Remove. Their past results stay in the club's history. They can't rejoin with the code unless an organiser lets them back in from the Removed list on the same screen.
Leaving and deleting a club
How do I leave a club?+
Go to Club settings → Danger zone → Leave club. Your past results stay in the club's stats so your teammates' records stay correct. You can rejoin later with the code.
I'm the organiser. Can I leave?+
Yes, once there's another organiser. If you're the only one and others are still in the club, make someone else an organiser first. The app points you to Members.
What if I'm the last person in the club?+
Leaving then deletes the club with everything in it, because nobody could use it any more. The app warns you first.
How do I delete a club?+
Any organiser can, from Club settings → Danger zone → Delete club. You type the club's name to confirm. Everything is deleted for everyone, including sessions, results, payment records, announcements, venues and the club photo. Every member gets a "Club deleted" notification. It can't be undone. Members can't delete a club; they can only leave.
Payments
Does PlayArc take payments?+
No. It only keeps track of who has paid. Money moves the way your group already handles it: cash, PayID or bank transfer.
How do I mark that I've paid?+
Open the session's Payments tab and tap I've paid. Your organiser is notified and confirms it. Your outstanding balance across sessions is on the Me screen.
Your account, photos and privacy
How do I add a profile photo?+
On the Me screen, tap your picture and choose a photo. It's cropped square, and hidden details such as where it was taken are removed. You can remove it at any time.
Who can see my information?+
Only members of the clubs you join. Clubs aren't public or searchable. We never sell your information or share it with advertisers. See the Privacy Policy.
How do I delete my account?+
On the Me screen, choose Delete account. Your profile and sign-in are deleted. In shared clubs your past results stay, shown as "Former player" with no name. Clubs where you were the only person are deleted.
Still stuck? Email info@arc12box.com.