Run Your First League Night in 8 Steps
Brand-new to Spareable? This is the whole arc on one page. Sign up, set up your league, get bowlers in, generate the schedule, set up payments, and you're ready to bowl. For deeper detail on any step, see the Full Setup Guide.
Sign up for free
Go to spareable.org, click Start Free Trial. No credit card needed to try. You're free through September 1, 2026.
app.spareable.org/signupPick your tier
Tier 1 $7/mo manual tracking · Tier 2 $15/mo + card payments, side pots, sweepers. Switch any time.
During signup → Choose TierCreate your league
Click + New League. The wizard walks you through name, season, team format (3-person, 4-person…), scoring system, handicap, dues amount.
Leagues → + New LeagueAdd teams & bowlers
Admin → Members. The toolbar runs in the order you'll use it: + Team → + Bowler → ⬇ Import (CSV) → 📋 From your roster (pull from your other leagues) → 🎳 Night 1 QR. Empty roster slots auto-fill as Vacants until you fill them. Assign captains by tapping the 👑 icon on any bowler row.
Admin → 👥 MembersGenerate the schedule
Schedule → Generate. Pick USBC Standard (official cards 4–48 teams), Round Robin, Sequential, or Manual. Set start date and total weeks. One click, season filled in.
Schedule → Generate ScheduleSet up payments (Tier 2/3)
Payments → Connect a Stripe account so dues land in your bank. Each league gets its own Stripe Connect account — if you manage multiple leagues, you can point each one at a different bank so the money stays separated. Pick fee responsibility (league absorbs / bowlers pay) and banking mode (manager / center / split). Tier 1 skips this — cash only.
Payments → SetupInvite bowlers
Send the invite link from Admin → Roles, or import emails so bowlers get a one-click signup link. They auto-join your league when they sign up. Free, always.
Admin → 💼 RolesBowl Week 1
Bowlers enter their own scores from the lane (or you do). Captains verify before scores save. Standings update live. Recap auto-posts when the week finalizes.
Manager Scores → Week 1🎯 Pick Your Tier — At a Glance
- Tier 1 ($7/mo) — Manual Tracking. Cash dues, paper-style tracking, scoring + standings + announcements built in. Good for casual leagues.
- Tier 2 ($15/mo) — Payments + Tracking. Bowlers pay dues by card; everything (lineage, custom categories, and prize pool) routes to your Stripe Connect account immediately. Includes side pots and sweepers — winners are calculated automatically; you hand out winnings off-platform and record each payout in Treasury → Payouts for your books. Pick league-absorbs or bowler-pays for the 3.5% + $0.30 fee.
💡 Things to do BEFORE league night
- Confirm every team has a captain (the captain badge on each team in Members).
- Check the schedule looks right — first week's matchups, lane assignments, dates. Edit any week individually if needed.
- Tier 2/3: make sure your Stripe Connect onboarding is complete (the green check on the Payments page) so bowler card payments can flow.
- Tier 2/3: configure your dues breakdown — lineage / prize pool / custom categories — so the right amounts route automatically.
- Tier 2/3: configure your season payouts (Admin → Prizes) — fixed amounts per place, % of pool, or proportional payouts (split a pool by team pins / wins / points). Add any external contributions like 50/50 raffles so end-of-season totals are accurate.
- Send the invite link to bowlers at least a week ahead so they have time to sign up and link their accounts.
- Print the 🎳 Night 1 QR sheet (Admin → Members → Night 1 QR). Bowlers who haven't signed up yet scan it on the lanes, find their name, and self-link in under a minute — no email chasing required.
- USBC sanctioned? Flip on USBC Mode in League Settings for the compliance checklist + dues worksheet exports.