Understanding How Private Leagues Work
Every private league is built around a specific template (leaderboard). When exciting sporting tournaments or seasonal competitions like Premier League or Serie A are running, users join leagues that are each connected to a pre-configured leaderboard template that's based on a certain competition, team, or specific matches.
But what happens when the season ends and a new one begins? What if your league has grown to thousands of members? Should you create a brand new league and ask everyone to rejoin, or can you simply update the existing league with the new season's template?
This guide explains exactly how template updates work and when to use them instead of creating new leagues, helping you maintain your community while minimizing administrative work.
Frequently Asked Questions
π Q: Can I update the template in an existing private league?
Yes, you can update the template within an existing private league instead of creating a new league from scratch. This feature is designed to make league management much more efficient, especially for recurring competitions like new seasons of Serie A, Bundesliga, or any other ongoing tournaments.
π Q: How does updating a template help with league maintenance?
Template updates are a game-changer, especially for large private leagues. Picture this: instead of recreating a league anew and convincing 5,000 members to rejoin for each new season, you simply update the existing template. All your members automatically remain in the league without anyone needing to create a new league or send out fresh invitations - only the rankings reset when the template updates, while your established community stays completely intact.
π Q: What types of templates can be updated in private leagues?
You can update leagues with various template (leaderboad) types:
- Competition-based templates (Serie A, Bundesliga, Premier League, etc.)
- Team-based templates (specific team focuses)
- Custom match templates (manually selected matches from multiple leagues)
- Game-specific templates (Match Quiz, Top X)
Each private league supports one template at a time, but that template can be updated as needed.
π If you want to read more about our Leaderboard Templates and enjoy our comprehensive guides and video tutorials, refer to our dedicated articles.
π Q: What happens to existing data when I update a template?
Here's what you need to know: Every private league is deeply integrated with its template. When you switch to a new leaderboard template, all the associated data transforms accordingly. This means:
- Previous league rankings and standings disappear
- User points and scores reset to match the new template
- Historical performance data gets replaced
Think of it as your league getting a complete fresh start with the new competition's structure and scoring system, while all your members remain exactly the same.
π Q: When should I create separate private leagues instead of updating templates?
You should create separate leagues with distinct templates when you need to:
Preserve historical standings - Want to keep showing your "December Serie A Champions" while running January's competition? You'll need separate leagues because template updates wipe the previous rankings clean (though all members stay in the league). If displaying past winners and rankings and maintaining historical records matters to your community, separate leagues are the way to go.
- Run multiple competition formats simultaneously - Planning to host both a "Weekly Football Predictions" league and a "Monthly Championship" at the same time? Each league can only handle one template format, so you'll need separate leagues for different competition types running in parallel.
However, if you're simply continuing with the same format but moving to new matches or a fresh season (like "Premier League 2023-24" to "Premier League 2024-25") and you're comfortable with rankings resetting while keeping all your members, updating your existing league's template is the smarter choice.
π Q: What's the best practice for managing private leagues?
The approach depends on your platform's needs:
For ongoing competitions: Update the template in your existing private league when you want to continue with the same competition format but move to a new period - like going from "Premier League 2023-24" to "Premier League 2024-25" or from "March Serie A Competition" to "April Serie A Competition." This works perfectly when you only need current standings and don't require historical preservation. All your members stay automatically, and you avoid the hassle of recreating leagues or re-inviting thousands of users - especially valuable for large private leagues.
For historical record keeping: Create new private leagues for each period when you want to preserve past results while running new competitions. For example, having separate leagues for "Premier League 2023-24" and "Premier League 2024-25" so you can still showcase last season's winners and complete rankings while the current season runs. This approach lets you maintain complete historical records of past competitions while giving each new period its own dedicated space with fresh member sign-ups.
βοΈ Important Planning Note: Before updating a template in a large private league, consider whether you need to preserve the current rankings and data. Once updated, the previous competition data and standings will be replaced by the new template's structure.
π Template Update Best Practice: When updating templates for new seasons, communicate the change to league members in advance. This helps them understand that rankings will reset and ensures a smooth transition to the new competition period.
Further Reading
- Do you still have any questions? Check out our vast FAQ articles for multiple features: Top X, Match Quiz, Leaderboards, Classic Quiz, Either/Or, Polls, User Interests, Football Fantasy, Discussions & Staff Configuration