10 Questions to Ask a Tournament Director Before You Commit Your Team
The framework in our tournament buyer's guide covers what to evaluate. This post is the script: 10 specific questions to ask the tournament director on the phone before you pay, with what a good answer sounds like vs what a bad answer sounds like.
Ask all 10. Take notes. If you get fewer than 8 clear, confident answers, walk away. The tournament that's serious about running well will have these answers ready. The tournament that's hoping you won't ask will not.
The 10 questions
1. How many courts and how many teams are you running this year?
What you're testing: Whether the schedule math works.
Good answer: Specific numbers. "Two courts, 16 teams across two divisions, 24 total games over the weekend." A director who knows their schedule cold.
Bad answer: Vague language like "We're still finalizing" two months out, or numbers that don't add up (one court + 24 teams = impossible).
2. What's the minimum number of games my team is guaranteed?
What you're testing: Whether the marketing claims match reality.
Good answer: A specific number with no asterisks. "3 games minimum, 4 likely depending on bracket."
Bad answer: "Up to 5 games" or "5-7 guaranteed" with conditional language. "Up to" means "no."
3. Who is officiating, and what's their certification?
What you're testing: Whether referee quality has been thought through.
Good answer: "IAABO-certified officials hired through the [local board name], same crew across the weekend." Or NFHS-certified for high school events.
Bad answer: "We have local refs we've used for years" with no certification mentioned, or "varies game to game."
4. Are all games live streamed? On what platform?
What you're testing: Whether the tournament respects modern recruiting.
Good answer: "Every game streamed free on YouTube, archived afterward, no paywall." Bonus points for scorebug graphics and audio commentary.
Bad answer: No streaming. Paywalled streaming behind FloHoops or BallerTV. "Streams may be available depending on volunteer availability."
5. What's your refund and cancellation policy?
What you're testing: Whether they have a written policy you can rely on.
Good answer: A clear, tiered policy. Something like: "Full refund 90+ days out, 50% refund 30-89 days out, non-refundable within 30 days except for medical or weather emergencies. If we cancel, all refunds in full."
Bad answer: "We don't typically refund" or "It depends on the situation." No written policy.
6. What happens if my team gets stuck in our state tournament and runs late?
What you're testing: Whether they've thought about late team replacements.
Good answer: "We have a waitlist of alternate programs we can substitute in with 72 hours' notice. If you let us know by [specific date], we work with you on credit toward next year."
Bad answer: "We'd really need you to honor your commitment" with no replacement plan. Means the field falls apart if 2 teams drop.
7. Who specifically is officiating awards / All-Tournament Team selection?
What you're testing: Whether recognition is real or marketing.
Good answer: "Game MVPs awarded by the lead referee + scorekeeper after each game. All-Tournament Team selected by the tournament committee Sunday morning — we use [specific criteria]."
Bad answer: Vague references to "tournament staff" choosing awards with no specific process. Or no recognition program at all.
8. Can you give me references from coaches who participated last year?
What you're testing: Whether you can verify their reputation.
Good answer: "Sure — here are 3-4 coaches from last year, with their contact info. Feel free to reach out." Real names, real programs, real phone numbers.
Bad answer: "We have great reviews on our website" with no actual references. Or evasion. Or sending you to a Google review page with 3 reviews.
9. What's the hotel block situation?
What you're testing: Whether they thought through team logistics.
Good answer: A specific hotel partner with a verifiable block rate and direct booking link. Bonus: shuttle to/from the venue, sponsored snacks/water at the hotel.
Bad answer: "Hotels are nearby" with no specific partnership. Or a "preferred" hotel with no group rate, meaning you're paying retail.
10. Tell me about you. What's your basketball background?
What you're testing: Whether the director understands basketball or just runs events.
Good answer: Specifics about coaching history, programs they've been part of, the gap they saw that drove them to start this tournament. A real story about basketball.
Bad answer: "I've been organizing tournaments for X years" with no actual coaching background. Pivoting to talk about their event-management company rather than basketball. Or unwillingness to talk about themselves at all.
How to use the 10 questions in practice
Don't email these questions. Ask them on the phone, in this order, and listen to how the director responds. The questions matter, but the quality of conversation tells you more than the literal answers.
Things to listen for:
- Does the director sound prepared, or are they making up answers in real-time?
- Are they comfortable with hard questions, or defensive?
- Do they ask you questions back about your program? (Real directors do — they want to know if you're a fit.)
- Are they trying to close you immediately, or are they comfortable with you taking time to decide?
A good tournament director won't push for the deposit on the first call. They'll answer your questions, ask theirs, and let you think about it. Aggressive sales pressure on a $500 tournament entry is a red flag.
How we'd answer all 10 (publicly)
For the National Prep Tournament, since we expect every program to ask:
- Courts and teams: Single court, 12 teams across two divisions (HS and Post-Grad), 18-20 total games over the weekend.
- Minimum games: 3 games minimum per team, 4 with a finals run.
- Officials: IAABO-certified, local board, same crew across all 3 days.
- Streaming: Every game free on YouTube, archived afterward.
- Refund policy: Full refund 90+ days out, 50% 30-89 days, non-refundable within 30 days except documented emergencies. Tournament-side cancellation = full refund.
- Late replacement: We maintain a waitlist of alternate programs and can substitute in with 72 hours' notice. Programs whose state runs late get credit toward next year.
- Awards: Game MVPs awarded after each game. All-Tournament Team selected by committee Sunday morning, based on performance + impact across all games played.
- References: Email me directly and I'll connect you with past participating coaches.
- Hotels: La Quinta by Wyndham partnership, $135/night block rate, direct booking link in the welcome packet after registration.
- Background: 25+ years coaching at D1, D2, NAIA, JUCO. Director of Florida Coastal Prep for 7 years. Amazon best-selling author of 5 basketball coaching books. State champion 2011. U.S. Army Reserve veteran. Kenny Anderson, NBA veteran, on staff.
If you want to verify any of that, my direct number is 850.961.2323. I'd rather you call.
Want to put us through the checklist?
Apply for early bird pricing through October 31, 2026 ($400 per team), or just give us a call — we'll answer every one of your 10 questions before you commit.
Apply for Early Bird PricingThe framework, one more time
The 10 questions filter for two things: operational competence and honesty. Tournaments that have those two things tend to deliver good weekends. Tournaments that don't, don't — no matter how good the marketing looks.
Print this list. Use it on every tournament you're considering. The 30 minutes you spend on these calls will save you from a $5,000 wasted weekend more than once.
— Coach Lee
About Coach Lee DeForest
Coach Lee is in his seventh year as Director and Director of Operations at Florida Coastal Prep Sports Academy. With 25+ years of coaching at the D1, D2, NAIA, and JUCO levels, he has developed players who have gone on to programs including Missouri (Sean East, currently in the NBA G-League), DePaul, Houston Baptist, and SIU Edwardsville. He won a state championship in 2011 and is an Amazon best-selling author of 5 basketball coaching books, including the Princeton Offense Mastery Blueprint. Lee is a U.S. Army Reserve veteran. Kenny Anderson, NBA veteran and 1994 NBA All-Star, serves on the FCP coaching staff.