Draft Methodology

Draft Night was built from over a decade of experience running Little League drafts. This guide explains the philosophy behind the system, why certain decisions were made, and how to run the most successful draft for your league.

The Philosophy

A good draft system should:

Be fair - Every coach should have equal opportunity to build a competitive team
Be transparent - Everyone can see what's happening in real-time
Be efficient - Minimize dead time and keep the draft moving
Be flexible - Handle the inevitable mistakes and special situations

Draft Night is designed around these principles, automating the tedious parts while keeping humans in control of the important decisions.

Why Snake Draft Order?

Draft Night uses snake draft order (also called "serpentine"), where the pick direction reverses each round:

Round 1: Team 1 → Team 2 → Team 3 → ... → Team 8

Round 2: Team 8 → Team 7 → Team 6 → ... → Team 1

Round 3: Team 1 → Team 2 → Team 3 → ... → Team 8

...and so on

Why this matters: In a straight draft (same order every round), the team picking last is always at a disadvantage. Snake order balances this - if you pick last in Round 1, you pick first in Round 2.

Over a 12-round draft, snake order ensures that no team is consistently picking from a depleted player pool. The math works out to be remarkably fair.

Determining Draft Position

How you assign draft positions matters. Common approaches:

Random Draw (Recommended)

Use Draft Night's "Randomize Order" button to assign positions fairly. Do this with coaches present so everyone sees it's random.

Inverse of Last Season

Teams that finished lower last year pick earlier. Helps balance competition over time.

Based on Coach Kids

Some leagues give later picks to coaches with stronger pre-assigned players. This requires careful judgment but can improve parity.

Tip: Whatever method you choose, document it and apply it consistently. Transparency builds trust.

Player Ratings & Rankings

Draft Night supports both ratings (numeric scores, often from tryouts) and rankings (ordered list position). Here's how to use them effectively:

Ratings (e.g., 7.5 out of 10)

Best when you have objective tryout scores. Multiple players can have the same rating. Good for comparing players at similar skill levels.

Rankings (e.g., #1, #2, #3)

Forces a strict order. Useful when the league or player agent has created a consensus ranking. Every player has a unique position.

Our recommendation: Use ratings from tryouts as the primary data, but don't obsess over small differences. A 7.3 and a 7.5 are essentially the same player - other factors like age, coachability, and team needs matter too.

Handling Coach Kids

Pre-assigned players (typically coaches' children) are one of the trickiest parts of youth sports drafts. Draft Night handles this with the pre-assignment system:

Mark players as pre-assigned to specific teams before the draft
Optionally specify which round they "count as" being drafted
When the draft starts, they're automatically placed on their teams
The draft skips those slots, keeping everything fair

Best Practices for Coach Kids

Assign rounds based on ability - A highly-rated coach kid should count as an early-round pick. A lower-rated one should count as a later round.
Be consistent - Apply the same criteria to all coach kids, not just some.
Consider siblings - Many leagues allow sibling requests. Handle these like coach kids when appropriate.
Document everything - Before the draft, publish which players are pre-assigned and to which rounds. No surprises.

Running Draft Day

A well-run draft day makes all the difference. Here's our recommended approach:

Before the Draft

Import and verify all player data at least a day before
Set up all teams and confirm coach names
Pre-assign all coach kids with their designated rounds
Share the coach access link with all coaches
Test that the link works and coaches can see the draft

During the Draft

Use the timer - 60 seconds per pick keeps things moving. Reset it when there's a legitimate discussion, but don't let picks drag on.
Project the board - If drafting in person, put the draft board on a big screen. Use the "Expand" player list view.
Announce picks clearly - Even with real-time updates, verbally announce each pick: "Dodgers select John Smith."
Handle mistakes immediately - If someone picks the wrong player, use Undo right away. Don't wait.
Take breaks - For long drafts (12+ rounds), take a 5-minute break every 4-5 rounds. Coaches need to regroup and reassess.

After the Draft

Review the final board with all coaches present
Handle any last-minute trades if your league allows them
Move undrafted players to the next division's draft if applicable
Save/screenshot the final results for your records

Multi-Division Strategy

Most leagues have multiple divisions (Majors, AAA, AA, etc.). Here's the recommended approach:

Draft oldest division first - Start with Majors, then AAA, then AA. This is the natural player flow.
Import division-specific players - Each draft starts with players eligible for that division.
Move undrafted players down - After Majors, import undrafted players into AAA using "Import from Another Draft."
Adjust ratings if needed - A player who wasn't drafted in Majors might be a top prospect in AAA. Consider adjusting ratings to reflect this.
Track the source - Draft Night automatically notes where imported players came from, so coaches know their history.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Not testing before draft day

Always do a dry run. Make sure your data imported correctly, coaches can access the link, and you know how all the features work.

Inconsistent coach kid handling

If one coach kid counts as Round 2 and another equivalent player counts as Round 5, coaches will notice and trust erodes.

No time limits

Without a timer, drafts drag on for hours. Coaches lose focus, kids get antsy, and mistakes increase. Use the 60-second timer.

Last-minute player additions

Adding players during the draft causes confusion. Set a firm deadline for roster finalization before draft day.

Not having a backup plan

Internet goes down? Have the player list printed. Key person can't make it? Have a designated backup who knows the system.

Signs of a Successful Draft

You'll know you ran a good draft when:

No coach feels they were treated unfairly
The draft finishes in a reasonable time (aim for 2-3 hours max)
Few or no corrections were needed after the fact
Coaches comment on how smooth the process was
Teams end up reasonably balanced (no obvious super-teams)

The goal isn't perfection - it's a fair process that everyone trusts. Draft Night gives you the tools; your preparation and execution make it successful.