How to run a local cricket player auction

Write the auction rules before entering data

A smooth local tournament auction begins with decisions that apply equally to every team. Confirm the starting purse, bid increment, minimum and maximum squad size, player base price, number of teams and what happens to unsold players. Decide whether teams must reserve places for particular roles and whether replacement players can be added after the auction.

Share these rules with captains before the event. The auction operator should not invent a ruling while a player is on the floor. Assign one person to call bids, one to operate the software and one to resolve eligibility questions. In a small event, two people can cover these jobs, but the operator should still repeat every accepted bid aloud.

Auction-Book treats purses as notional tournament budgets. They are not payment accounts. Its maximum-bid check keeps enough reserve for remaining mandatory squad slots, but organizers still need enough eligible players in the pool for every team to reach its minimum size.

Prepare teams and the player pool

Use clear team names that fit on a projector screen. Make player names distinguishable and add a role such as batter, bowler, wicketkeeper or all-rounder when it helps captains make decisions. Confirm duplicate names, spelling and base prices before bidding begins. If two players share a name, add a club, area or short identifier rather than relying on memory.

For a large pool, prepare a CSV file and run a small import test. Check the total number of players after import and compare a few names, roles and prices with the source list. Keep the original registration sheet as the authority for eligibility; the auction software is the operational record of bids and sales.

Run a rehearsal with two sample teams and several sample players. Test the smallest allowed bid, a purse-limited bid, a sold player, an unsold player and undo. Delete the rehearsal and create the real auction only after the operator understands those actions.

Prepare the computer, projector and backup plan

Use a charged laptop connected to power and disable sleep during the event. Open the organizer screen and then open the projector display from the same browser. Move the display window to the second screen and keep the organizer controls private. The local display reads changes saved by that browser; opening its URL on an unrelated phone or computer does not share the auction.

Check the internet connection because the current beta must load from the website. Download a backup after setup and at scheduled breaks. Browser storage can survive a reload, but it is not a replacement for an exported backup. Keep the JSON file in a known folder and, for an important event, copy it to a USB drive or another controlled device.

Use a consistent process for every player

Announce the player name, role and base price. Open the player on the auction floor, then record only bids clearly accepted by the caller. The operator should select the team and confirm the amount before submitting it. Repeat the leading team and price after each change so captains can correct a misunderstanding immediately.

Mark a player sold only after the final call and only when a leading team is recorded. Use unsold when no valid bid is received. Use cancel when a lot was opened by mistake; document any tournament-specific reason outside the system if it affects later decisions. If the wrong team or amount was recorded, pause and use undo rather than trying to compensate with another incorrect action.

Take short reconciliation breaks. Compare sold counts and remaining purses with the room's expectations. This catches a mistaken team selection while the event is still easy to reconstruct.

Reconcile and publish the result

When the round ends, decide whether unsold players return under the published rules. After the final lot, review every squad for minimum and maximum size, duplicate players and remaining purse. Export the result CSV and download a final backup. Give captains a clear deadline for reporting spelling errors; changes to sale decisions should follow the tournament committee's process.

Retain the registration list, final result export and backup together. The action history helps explain recent corrections, but the tournament organizer remains responsible for official decisions. Do not treat the browser record as proof of a financial transaction.

Operator checklist

• Rules were circulated before bidding.
• Teams and players were checked against source lists.
• The projector uses the same browser context.
• Accepted bids are repeated before submission.
• Backups are downloaded after setup, during breaks and at completion.
• Final squads and purse totals are reconciled before publication.