Tournament day checklist: a long day, away from home.
Tournaments mean six games instead of one, a venue you don't know, and often heat. The kit runs out faster and help is further away. Here is what to add and what to sort out before you leave.
Tournament checklist
This is the tournament checklist from Benchkit:
- Emergency card for the tournament venue (local number, address)
- Locate the AED and first-aid post at the venue
- Extra cold packs, plasters and tape
- Water and sunscreen
- Cool box with ice
- Charged phone and power bank
- Players have their own prescribed medicine with them
Extra first-aid stock
A tournament kit is a normal kit plus these extras (Benchkit adds them when you choose a tournament kit):
| Item | Extra |
|---|---|
| Plasters, assorted (fabric) | +20 |
| Instant cold packs | +4 |
| Foil emergency blankets | +1 |
| Spare drinking water | +1 |
| Sunscreen SPF 30+ | +1 |
| Charged power bank | +1 |
| Cool box with ice | +1 |
For an away match bag the extras are smaller: 1 × foil emergency blankets, 1 × charged power bank, 1 × sunscreen spf 30+.
A new venue: the emergency plan
- Find out the tournament's first-aid post and whether medical cover is on site.
- Find the nearest defibrillator. Tell every adult in your group where it is.
- Write the venue address and postcode on your emergency card. Check the local emergency number if you travel abroad (112 works across the EU).
- Know where you meet if the group gets split up.
Heat, water and shade
Long days in the sun are a real risk. Plan for shade between games, plenty of water and sunscreen, and a cool box with ice. Recognised first-aid guidance (ILCOR) is clear that someone with suspected heat stroke must be cooled straight away while you call for help. Learn the signs on a first-aid course, and don't push players through extreme heat.
Player packing list
- Full kit and a spare shirt and socks
- Boots or shoes, shin pads or other protective gear
- A big water bottle with their name on it
- Snacks and lunch
- Waterproof and a warm layer, sun hat and sunscreen
- Their own prescribed medicine (inhaler, auto-injector), if they have one
Add a tournament kit in Benchkit
Create a tournament kit with the extra stock already on the list, then use the tournament checklist the day before. Everyone in the group can report what they used from the same QR. Free for teams.
Set up your kit, freeQuestions
What should I take to a sports tournament as a coach?
The team first-aid kit with extra cold packs and plasters, a cool box with ice, water and sunscreen, a charged phone and power bank, and an emergency card for the tournament venue.
How much first-aid stock does a tournament need?
More than a normal match. Benchkit's tournament kit adds 4 instant cold packs, 20 plasters, a foil blanket, spare water, sunscreen, a power bank and a cool box with ice on top of the normal kit.
What should players pack for a tournament?
Full kit with spares, boots and protective gear, a named water bottle, food, waterproofs and sun protection, and their own prescribed medicine if they have any.
Sources
First-aid information, not medical advice. Kit lists are guidance: what you carry should match the training of the people using it. A first-aid course (for example from St John Ambulance or the Red Cross in your country) is the best preparation. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.