Quick Reference

Fast answers during tryouts and practice: how the rating works and what the weights mean, what to teach in order, how player privacy is protected, common questions, and a ready-to-send statement for your school.

The 6 things you rate

Effort (weight 3x)

Hustle, Tries hard things, Recovers quickly. Effort is the only non-negotiable.

Look for: Sprints, doesn't jog; Volunteers for demos; Picks self up after falling/mistake; Energy consistent throughout tryout; Doesn't give up on plays

Coachable (weight 1.5x)

Listens, Follows instructions, Adjusts. Listening is a life skill.

Look for: Eyes on coach when instructions given; Stops activity when whistle blows; Attempts to implement feedback; Asks clarifying questions appropriately; Adjusts after correction

Ball Skills (weight 1x)

Dribble control, Passing, Catching. Trainable skill - less weight than character.

Look for: Can dribble with either hand; Eyes up while dribbling; Accurate passes to target; Catches cleanly with hands (not body); Protects ball from pressure

Footwork (weight 1x)

Jump stops, Pivots, Defensive slides. Trainable skill - foundation for everything.

Look for: Balanced jump stops; Uses pivot foot correctly; Low defensive stance; Slides without crossing feet; Changes direction with control

Finishing (weight 1x)

Layups, Touch around the rim. Trainable skill - develops with reps.

Look for: Correct footwork on layups; Uses backboard; Soft touch around rim; Can finish with either hand; Finishes through light contact

Teammate (weight 1.5x)

Communicates, Encourages, Handles frustration. Respect is the baseline.

Look for: Calls out names / communicates on court; Encourages teammates after mistakes; Celebrates others' success; Stays composed when frustrated; Works well in partner/group drills

The rating scale

Frequently asked questions

I'm brand new to coaching. Where do I start?

Open Start Here on the home screen. It is a 5-step path built for brand-new coaches: the right mindset, your first practice, running fair tryouts, the season plan, and talking with parents. You do not need a basketball background.

What is Provably Fair Basketball?

A free toolkit for youth basketball coaches and schools. It provides a structured tryout evaluation system, a customizable season plan, practice drills, and parent communication templates. Our goal is to reduce overwhelm for new coaches and bring transparency to tryouts.

Who is this for?

New coaches who feel overwhelmed, experienced coaches who want structure, schools that want fair and defensible tryouts, and parents who want to understand how decisions are made. If you're involved in youth basketball (grades 6-12), this is for you.

How does the tryout evaluation work?

Coaches observe players across 6 areas (Effort, Coachable, Ball Skills, Footwork, Finishing, and Teammate) and rate each with simple labels (Needs Work, OK, or Good), with effort and character weighted most. The app scores and ranks for you. No names are stored, only jersey numbers, and you keep the name-to-number list on paper.

Is any student data stored online?

No. All data stays on your device in browser storage. Nothing is sent to any server. Nothing is stored in the cloud. You can clear it anytime. We built it this way on purpose.

Why don't you store player names?

Privacy. By using numbers only, the digital system never contains personally identifiable information. The paper attendance sheet (which you print and keep secure) is the only place names and numbers are linked. This protects students.

What's in the Season Plan?

A structured week-by-week curriculum covering skill phases (fundamentals → team concepts → game readiness). Each week has themes, practice plans, and age-appropriate drills. Set your own start date, number of weeks, and a movable mid-season break, so it fits any calendar.

What's in the Practice Toolkit?

A library of drills organized by skill, difficulty, and equipment needed, plus quick session templates for common situations (short practice, game day warmup, etc.). You can also build and save your own practice plans (My Plans): start from the proven template, drop in drills or notes, then print them or use them on open weeks of your season plan. Everything is printable.

Is this really free?

Yes. No accounts, no subscriptions, no ads, no data collection. It's a community resource built to help youth basketball be more fair and less stressful for everyone involved.

I'm a principal/AD. How do I explain this to parents?

We have a ready-to-use School Statement template you can copy and customize. It explains what the tool is, what it isn't, and how student privacy is protected. Find it in Quick Reference, under "Statement for your school".

Can coaches still play favorites?

We can't prevent bad faith. What we can do is make the process transparent and structured so it's harder to lie to yourself about fairness. If a coach wants to rig it, that's on them - but they'll have to do it consciously, not accidentally.

Does this work on my phone?

Yes. The app is designed mobile-first. Use it on your phone during tryouts, on a tablet at practice, or on desktop for planning. Works in any modern browser.

Does it work offline, like in a gym with no Wi-Fi?

Yes. After your first visit the app loads and runs without internet, so you can rate players courtside with no signal. Your ratings save on your device either way. You can also install it from your browser (Add to Home Screen) so it opens like a regular app.

This is the text overview. The interactive app loads in any modern browser, works offline, and keeps all data on your device.