The Fixtures Inbox is your centralised hub for managing all fixture changes between associations and schools in Clipboard Compete. This guide will help both associations and schools understand how to effectively use this powerful feature to streamline communication and reduce reliance on emails.
Understanding the Fixtures Inbox
The Fixtures Inbox acts as a communication bridge between associations and schools, ensuring all fixture changes are tracked, communicated, and actioned appropriately. Think of it as your single source of truth for all fixture-related updates, and consider that every change must be actioned.
When using and understanding the inbox, it helps to imagine yourself in your Opponent Schools' shoes - you'll want to see that they've acknowledged the change, even if the Fixture was deleted!
Who Sees the Fixtures Inbox?
Only Admin and Manager users at the Schools have access to the Fixtures Inbox. Staff users do not see the inbox directly - they only see fixtures or their updates after their Admin or Manager has accepted the changes.
Key Concept: The "Two-Step" Notification Process
On this - one of the most important things to understand about the Fixtures Inbox is that notifications follow a two-step process:
When a change is made:
Association changes: Appear in the relevant schools' Admin/Manager Fixtures Inbox
School changes: Appear only in the opposing school's Admin/Manager Fixtures Inbox
Step 2: The Admin or Manager must accept the change before being able to send notifications to Staff users, Parents/Guardians, and Students
This ensures Administrators maintain control over what information flows through to their teams.
For Schools: Managing Your Fixtures Inbox
The Five Tabs
Your Fixtures Inbox is organised into five tabs:
New: Fixtures created which need your acceptance
Changed: Existing fixtures with updates to time, date, location, or teams
Cancelled: Fixtures that have been cancelled by either party, or the Association
Deleted: Fixtures that have been removed from the schedule entirely by the Association
Results: Where scores appear after results have been recorded (for more information, see the separate article on results management here)
Essential Workflow for Schools
1. Regular Inbox Checks
[Admins or Managers] - Make checking your Fixtures Inbox part of your daily routine. Changes won't automatically flow through to your Staff users, Parents, and Students until you've reviewed and accepted them.
To help build this habit, we encourage setting up Fixture Inbox Push Notifications on your device. More info here
2. Accepting Changes
When you see changes in your inbox:
Review the details carefully
Check the "Update Notes" column to understand why changes were made
Accept changes to trigger notifications to your Staff, Parents, and Students
Remember: Until you accept, your Staff users won't know about the changes!
3. Making Your Own Changes
When you need to make changes to fixtures:
Edit the fixture from your Fixtures page or Session modal
Always provide a reason in the "Reason for opponent" field
Your changes will appear in your opponent's inbox only (not the association's)
The opposing school's Admin or Manager must accept your changes
4. Handling the Deleted Tab
Don't forget about the Deleted tab! When fixtures are removed:
They'll appear in this tab requiring acknowledgement
Staff users will continue to see deleted fixtures until you action them
Accept the deletion to remove it from everyone's view
5. Managing Results
The Results tab is unique:
Results must first be recorded via your schedule
Only then will any discrepancies appear in this tab for resolution
This helps ensure accurate score reporting across schools
Understanding Fixture Status
It's important to understand that fixture status at the school level (Draft, Confirmed, Unconfirmed) is distinct from the association level (Draft, Live). These serve different purposes in the workflow.
Pro Tips for Schools
Set up Fixture Inbox Push Notifications: Ensure your Admin and Manager users have notifications enabled on their devices to stay on top of inbox changes
Use the Update Notes feature: Always provide clear reasons when making changes - this builds trust and reduces follow-up emails
Batch processing: You can select multiple fixtures and accept them together when appropriate
Check for discrepancies: On your Fixtures page, look for highlighted rows indicating discrepancies that need resolution in your inbox
Communicate with Staff: Since Staff users can't see the inbox, consider internal communication processes to keep them informed of pending changes
For Associations: Streamlining Fixture Management
Making Changes Visible to Schools
When you make any changes to fixtures in Compete, these automatically flow to the relevant schools' inboxes, regardless of whether fixtures are in Draft or Live status. This includes:
Creating new fixtures
Modifying dates, times, or venues
Cancelling fixtures
Deleting fixtures
Swapping home and away teams
Best Practices for Associations
1. Provide Clear Change Reasons
Always use the "Reason for change" field when:
Editing fixture details
Cancelling matches
Deleting fixtures
Examples of helpful reasons:
"Venue unavailable due to maintenance - moved to alternate ground"
"Referee unavailable - rescheduled to accommodate"
"Weather forecast shows storms - moved to earlier time"
2. Understand the School's Perspective
Remember that schools need to:
Have an Admin or Manager accept your changes before their teams are notified
Coordinate with multiple Staff members who won't see changes until accepted
Manage parent and student communications
Give schools adequate notice where possible.
3. Bulk Operations
When making widespread changes:
Use the spreadsheet edit function for efficiency
Provide a comprehensive reason that covers all changes
Consider the impact on multiple schools
4. Draft vs Live Status
Remember that your Draft/Live status is separate from schools' fixture statuses. Changes flow to schools regardless of your Draft/Live setting.
Handling Common Scenarios
Scenario: Weather Cancellations
Cancel affected fixtures in bulk
Provide reason: "Wet weather - grounds unplayable"
Schools will see cancellations in their Admin/Manager inbox
Once accepted by Admin/Manager, their Staff, Parents and Students receive notifications
Scenario: Venue Double-Booking
Edit the affected fixture
Change venue and potentially time
Add reason: "Venue double-booked - moved to Lower Oval at 2pm"
Schools' Admin/Manager users review and accept the change
Staff, Parents and Students are then notified
Important Notes About Intraschool Fixtures
For fixtures between two teams from the same school:
Both teams now have full roll-marking capabilities
Changes must be accepted together - they're linked in the system
No need to create duplicate fixtures as a workaround
Both teams receive appropriate notifications after Admin/Manager acceptance
Troubleshooting Common Issues
"My coaches aren't seeing the changes!"
Solution: Check that an Admin or Manager has accepted the changes in your Fixtures Inbox. Staff-level users only see updates after Admin or Manager acceptance.
"Staff users can't access the Fixtures Inbox"
Solution: This is by design. Only Admin and Manager users can access the Fixtures Inbox. Staff users see fixture information in their schedule after changes are accepted.
"There are fixtures marked as 'out of date'"
Solution: Check your Deleted tab - these fixtures need to be acknowledged to clear them from everyone's view.
"I need to swap home and away teams"
Solution: Currently, this needs to be done at the association level. Email your association administrator with the specific fixtures requiring home/away swaps.
"Changes aren't showing in the opponent's system"
Solution: Ensure you're editing fields that sync between systems (date, time, location, teams). Custom fields and non-linked data won't appear in your opponent's inbox. Also remember that school-to-school changes only go to the opposing school, not to the association.
TL;DR: Setting Up for Success
For Schools
Designate Admin or Manager users responsible for the Fixtures Inbox
Check the inbox at least daily during season
Enable push notifications for timely updates
Train Staff on the notification process - they won't see changes until accepted
Consider implementing a routine for checking all five tabs
For Associations
Establish clear communication protocols
Use meaningful change reasons
Consider school deadlines when making changes
Maintain consistent venue naming conventions
Remember that changes flow to schools whether fixtures are Draft or Live
Quick Reference: What Triggers Inbox Items?
Creates an inbox item:
Date/time changes
Venue/location changes
Team changes
Cancellations
Deletions
New fixture creation
Does NOT create an inbox item:
Staff assignment changes (these are school-specific)
Custom field updates
Notes or comments (unless part of a change)
Results tab specific:
Results must be recorded via schedule first
Discrepancies then appear in the Results tab
And remember
The Fixtures Inbox is designed to replace email chains and phone calls for fixture management. By following these practices and maintaining regular inbox checks by Admin and Manager users, you'll ensure smooth communication between associations and schools, keeping everyone informed and reducing administrative burden.
Key points to remember:
Only Admin and Manager users can see and action the Fixtures Inbox
Staff users rely on Admin/Manager acceptance to see updates
School changes go only to the opposing school's inbox
Association changes go to all relevant schools' inboxes
The Results tab has its own workflow
For additional support, contact [email protected].