PlayTime Scheduler User Guide

Using the Calendar
The Scheduler displays a calendar with colored circles (or rows, see section on List View below) representing play sessions that have been created by other users. Inside each circle is the desired skill level(s), start time, and current player count. The sessions are also color-coded by the location's general area (see Map/Key). Session circles with a bold border are sessions you have signed up to attend. Sessions that are grayed out with CANCLD at the bottom are canceled sessions. Session circles with a yellow glow are special events. If you see a clock icon instead of the player count, that means the session has not yet opened for registration.

The calendar displays 7 days at a time. You can choose to show a weekly calendar (Sun-Sat) or always start with today's date. Click on the right arrow at the top to go to the next week, or click on the left arrow to go to the previous week. You can also jump directly to any calendar week by clicking on the "Jump To" button (appears as a calendar icon on mobile devices). Sessions in the past are grayed out and cannot be accessed, unless you are a Power User.

Viewing Sessions
Clicking on an existing colored circle/row will bring up details on that session and the current list of players who have signed up to attend. Clicking on the location name will bring up more details on that location, including venue type (indoor or outdoor), number of courts, address, phone, website, and a link to a Google Map. Click the calendar icon to add it to your iCal or other third party calendar (Power Users only). Click the sun/cloud icon to view the weather forecast for the session. Click upward arrow icon to share the session -- a unique URL will be generated which you can copy and paste into an email, social media post, text message, etc.

Creating a Public Play Session
To create a new public session, click the "Add Session" button, or (on desktop computers only) move your cursor inside the calendar over any future date and click the (+) button. When creating a new session, you can specify the date, start time, end time, location, desired player skill level(s), minimum and maximum number of players, and add any notes/comments. As you use the system, it will learn your preferences and default to them automatically when you begin to add a session.

Premium Users have many more options when creating sessions, including specifying a play format (doubles, singles, drills) or gender (women, men, or mixed), and blocking guest signups. Power Users also have the ability to add a wait list, highlight a session as a special event, create block lists, set a guest limit, schedule the registration window and notifications, or have a session repeat for up to 8 weeks, among many other otpions. Click here for more detailed information on the different features available to Premium and Power Users.

Creating an Invite-Only Play Session
You also have the option of creating an invite-only session. Check the "Invite-Only" box and then click the "Edit Invite List..." button to bring up a box where you can search for players by name, email, skill/gender (Premium feature), or load a previously used list. Only those players will receive an email notification and be able to see details about the session on the calendar. Names of attendees will be hidden from anyone who was not included on the list. If you decide to invite more players at a later time, view the session and click "Edit List." (Only the originator of the session will be able to see this button.) Newly invited players will be notified of the session. Removing a player from the list will only prevent them from attending if that player has not already signed up. We've recently made some big improvements to the invitation list system. Click here for an updated video tutorial on using the Invite-Only feature.

Managing Player Lists
Player lists are used for invite-only sessions and for block lists. Click the "My Player Lists" on the main calendar screen to bring up a dialog box of your saved lists. Click on an existing list to edit, or click New List to create a new one. You will be taken to the "Edit Player List" screen. Use the various options under Add Players to search for players within 200 miles either by name, email, or skill/gender. Click on a search result to add that name to your list. Be sure to give your list a name and save it. You can also make a copy of your list, or, if you're a Power User, share it with another user so that you can both collaborate and use the same list. Once you are finished with your list, you can use it to create invite-only sessions, or, use it as a block list. If you edit a list that is currently in use by one or more active sessions, you will have a choice to apply the changes to the existing sessions, or save it under a different name, leaving the existing list in place. Click here for a video tutorial on using player lists.

Editing a Play Session
You can edit or cancel sessions that you create. Click on the session to view, then click "Edit/Cancel Session..." to make changes or remove the session.

Power Users have the ability to manage signups and notes on their own sessions (i.e. removing players or players' notes).

Adding Your Name to a Play Session

You can RSVP for a session by clicking "Add My Name." After adding your name, you may also have the option to add guests. For example, if you have some friends visiting from out of town, or want to add your spouse without them needing to log in separately. Click "Add Guest" for each guest you are bringing. Premium Users have the option to input their guest's name or other info. Some sessions do not allow guests, or restrict the number of guests, at the discretion of the session creator. Guests cannot be added to waitlists.

You may see that some users have icons/emojis after their names. These are called Flair and are just for fun. Premium Users can choose one icon, and Power Users can choose up to two. To select your flair, click the My Account button under where it says "Welcome (Name)". If you would prefer not to have any flair, choose the icon that looks like a gray circle with a line through it (meaning "none").

After you add your name to a session, if something comes up where you cannot play, be sure to remove your name from the session as a courtesy to the other players. Players can remove their name from a session by clicking on the session and then clicking the (x) to the right of their name. Removing your name will also automatically remove any guests underneath your name.

Once the minimum number of players (default is 4) join a session, the other players who previously signed up will receive an email stating the session is "On". If player(s) later remove their names from a session and the number drops below the minimum, another email will be sent to the remaining players that the session is now "Off". (If you don't want to receive these types of emails you can turn this off in your Notification Preferences under "My Account.")

My Sessions
To view a list of upcoming sessions you have signed up for, click the "My Sessions" button on the main calendar page. Click on the session to view. Click the calendar icon to add it to your iCal or other third party calendar.

Adding Notes
Players can add notes to a session by clicking on the "Add Note" button. For example, you can add a note letting the other players know you will be 15 minutes late or that you can only play for 1 hour. You can set your Notification Preferences to notify you whenever someone adds a note to a session you're attending. Click the pencil icon next to your own notes to edit them, or the X to delete them.

Emailing Players
In addition to writing notes (which are displayed on the website), players can directly email all others on a session using the "Send Email" button. You can choose from a few different groups such as attendees, waitlisters, invitees, or invitees not yet attending. You can also email an individual by clicking the email icon next to their name on the signup list. You will not see an email icon next to your own name, since you wouldn't have any reason to email yourself. You will instead see an X, which allows you to remove you name from the signup list. You are allowed to email individual players attending the same session as you. Power Users have the ability email any player signed up for any session. If you don't wish to allow others to contact you in this manner, you can turn this off via your Notification Preferences under "My Account".

Setting Email Preferences
When you first log in, you will want to set up your email preferences by clicking on "Account" and then clicking the "Notifications" tab. The various checkboxes allow you to set up notifications when new sessions are added in your preferred days/times, and within a certain distance of your zip code. If you want to be alerted to ALL sessions other players create, then you should check ALL the check boxes and set the distance to 100 miles. This will keep you well informed on all newly created sessions. To make sure you receive these notification emails, please add notify@playtimescheduler.com to your Safe Senders/Contacts list in your email program so they do not land in your junk or spam folder. Still having trouble receiving emails? Click here to use our email reset tool.

Setting Calendar Preferences
You can choose whether to show a weekly calendar (Sun-Sat) or always start with today's date at the top. You also have the choice whether or not to display canceled sessions. Premium Users have some additional options, incuding whether to hide invite-only sessions, or sessions that don't match your gender or skill level.

Premium Users have the option of using List View, where sessions are listed as horizontal rows, instead of the default Bubble View. Some users prefer List View because it displays more information about each session (such as the location name and session title) without having to click to open it.

Setting Location Preferences
This tab is active for Premium Users only. Here you can turn individual locations on/off, which affects both the calendar and notifications. Your visible locations can also each be assigned a custom color. So if you only play at a handful of locations in the same Area, you can assign each one a different color instead of them all being the same color by default. Note that if you have "Alway shows Special Events regardless of location" checked on the Calendar tab, this will override your choice to turn specific locations "off."

Filtering the Calendar
Premium Users will see a Filter button inside the orange header of the calendar, to the right of the mini calendar icon. Click this to see some options for filtering the sessions displayed on the calendar by location type (indoor/outdoor, lights/no lights, dedicated/multi-use) or by session type (format, gender).

Changing Regions
You can change regions at any time by clicking on My Account > Change Region. You can also click the globe icon next to the current region name. Recently viewed regions will be added to a dropdown menu that appears when you click the current region name. You can hop between regions as much as you like. Note that you will only receive notifications for your currently assigned region.

Additional Help
Contact us here for additional questions or help.