Overview

Chat in CrickTeams provides real-time messaging for club members and tournament participants. It supports club-level channels (General and BOD) as well as a channel for each tournament. Chat is controlled by a two-level toggle: a global admin switch and a per-club switch.

Channel type	Who can access	Created when
General	All active club members (managers + players)	Automatically when the club is created
BOD	Club managers only	Automatically when the club is created
Tournament	Club managers + players rostered in the tournament	Automatically when a tournament is created

Plan Availability

Chat is controlled by two independent switches — a global admin switch and a per-club switch. Both must be ON for chat to be visible and functional for a club.

Global (Admin)	Club (Manager)	Result for club members
ON	ON	Chat fully available — all channels visible and functional
ON	OFF	Chat hidden for this club only — other clubs unaffected
OFF	Hidden	Chat hidden for ALL clubs — the Chat toggle does not appear in Settings → Features
OFF	ON (override)	Chat visible for this club only — requires an explicit admin override for that club

Navigation

When Chat is enabled, it appears in the navigation for both managers and players.

Web app sidebar

Chat sits in the left-hand sidebar between Dashboard and the club sections (Leagues, Grounds, Tournaments, Matches, Practices, Players), above Finances and Settings. Clicking Chat opens the Chat page with all available channels listed on the left.

Mobile app bottom navigation

On mobile, Chat is the fourth icon in the bottom tab bar — after Dashboard, Matches and before Practices and Profile.

Channel Types

General channel

The General channel is the main club-wide chat room. Every active club member — managers and players — is a member of it. It is created automatically when the club is created and cannot be deleted.

General is announcement-only for players. Only club managers can post in it.

In the General channel	Manager	Player
Read messages	Yes	Yes
Send messages	Yes	No
React to a message	Yes	No
Reply in a thread	Yes	No
Quote a message	Yes	No
Flag a message	Yes	No
Vote in a poll	Yes	Yes
Mute the channel	Yes	Yes

• New members added to the club are automatically added to General
• Members removed from the club lose access to General
• Inactive or removed members cannot read or send messages

BOD channel

The BOD (Board of Directors) channel is a private channel for club managers only. Players cannot see or access the BOD channel under any circumstances.

• Only club managers can read and send messages in BOD
• BOD is created automatically when the club is created
• Players do not see the BOD channel in their channel list
• Players cannot reach the BOD channel even with a direct link

Tournament channel

Each tournament has its own dedicated chat channel, created automatically when the tournament is created. Club managers are added to every tournament channel by default. Players are added when they are rostered in the tournament.

Unlike General, players can post in tournament channels — send messages, react, reply in threads and flag.

• Club managers are automatically added to all tournament channels
• Players are added to the tournament channel when they are added to the tournament roster
• Players are removed from the tournament channel when they are removed from the roster
• The tournament channel stays available while the tournament is in progress; once the tournament is marked Completed or Cancelled it is no longer listed for anyone — see Flow 5
• Players not on the tournament roster cannot see or access the tournament channel

Messaging

Sending a message

1. Open Chat from the left sidebar (web) or the bottom tab bar (mobile)
2. Select the channel to message in — General (managers only), BOD (managers only) or a tournament channel
3. Type your message in the input field at the bottom
4. Press Enter or click Send
5. The message appears immediately for all channel members in real time

Editing a message

Sent messages can be edited after sending. An Edited label appears below the message to show it was changed.

1. Hover over the message (web) or long-press it (mobile)
2. Select Edit from the message options menu
3. Modify the message text
4. Press Enter or click Save
5. The message updates with an Edited label visible to all members

Deleting a message

Managers can delete any message in any channel, including messages sent by other members. Players can only delete their own messages.

1. Hover over the message (web) or long-press it (mobile)
2. Select Delete from the message options menu
3. Confirm the deletion
4. The message is removed from the channel for all members

Role	Can delete own messages	Can delete others’ messages
Player	Yes	No
Manager	Yes	Yes — any message in any channel

Message actions menu

Hovering over a message (web) or long-pressing it (mobile) opens the message actions menu.

On the web the menu offers: emoji reactions, Mark as unread, Thread reply, Pin, Flag, Delete, Copy text, and Block user (or Unblock user).

On mobile the long-press menu offers: reactions, Thread Reply, Copy Message, Flag Message, Pin to Conversation, Delete Message, and Block user / Unblock user.

Action	Who can use it	What it does
Reactions	Managers everywhere; players in tournament channels	React to a message with an emoji — the reaction appears below the message for everyone
Mark as unread	All members	Marks the message as unread so you can come back to it later
Thread reply	Managers everywhere; players in tournament channels only	Opens a thread to reply to that specific message
Pin	Managers only, in BOD and tournament channels only	Marks the message as pinned in that channel
Flag	Managers everywhere; players in tournament channels	Reports the message to the chat provider’s moderation service
Delete	The sender, on their own messages; managers, on any message	Removes the message from the channel for everyone
Copy text	All members	Copies the message text to the clipboard
Block / Unblock user	All members, on other people’s messages	Hides that person’s future messages from you only — see Blocking a Member

About Pin

Pinning is available to managers only, and only in BOD and tournament channels — there is no pinning in the General channel for anyone.

On the web, a pinned message shows an inline Pinned by You or Pinned by <Name> indicator on the message itself. There is no separate pinned-messages panel and no way to jump to pinned messages on web. Mobile shows its own pin indicator on the message.

About Flag

Flagging a message sends a report to the chat provider’s moderation service.

Thread replies

Thread replies let members respond to a specific message without cluttering the main channel. A “N replies” badge appears below the original message when a thread exists.

Thread reply access rules

Channel	Manager can thread reply	Player can thread reply
General	Yes	No — General is announcement-only for players
BOD	Yes	No — players cannot access BOD
Tournament	Yes	Yes — players can thread reply in tournament channels

Steps to create a thread reply:

1. Hover over the message you want to reply to (web) or long-press it (mobile)
2. Click or tap Thread reply from the message actions menu
3. A thread panel opens on the right side (web) or a new screen opens (mobile)
4. Type your reply in the thread input and press Enter or Send
5. A “1 reply” (or “N replies”) badge appears below the original message in the main channel

Searching messages

On mobile, the Search messages bar at the top of the Chat page searches across the channels you are a member of.

• Results show the message text, the sender and the channel it is in
• Search only returns results from channels you belong to
• BOD channel messages never appear in a player’s search results

Real-time Delivery and Notifications

Real-time delivery

Messages are delivered in real time. There is no need to refresh the page to see new messages.

• Messages appear instantly for all online channel members
• The online member count is shown in the channel header
• An unread message count badge appears on the channel in the list
• Opening a channel marks all its messages as read

Push notifications (mobile)

When a new message is sent in a channel, a push notification goes to the mobile devices of all channel members except the sender.

What you see	Content
Notification title	Sender in Channel — for example, “Dave Rogers in Summer Trophy”
Title for a thread reply	Sender replied in Channel — for example, “Dave Rogers replied in Summer Trophy”
Notification body	The message text, shortened to the first 100 characters

Tapping the notification opens the CrickTeams app directly at the relevant channel.

Multi-Club Chat

When you belong to multiple clubs, each club has its own independent set of channels (General, BOD, and any tournament channels). Switching clubs in the top navigation changes the chat context entirely.

Rule	Detail
Data isolation	Messages in Club A are not visible in Club B
Channel list	Only shows channels for the currently selected club
Club switching	Click the club name/chevron in the top left to switch clubs
Manager access	A manager in multiple clubs sees BOD and all tournament channels for the active club only
Tournament channels	Tournament channels belong to the club that owns the tournament
Unread counts	Unread badges reflect the currently selected club only

Subscription Downgrade — Chat Behaviour

When a club’s subscription is downgraded (for example from Pro to Free), chat access changes immediately. The behaviour differs between older and newer tournament channels, based on the tournament limit of the new plan.

What happens to tournament channels on downgrade

Your plan determines how many active tournaments the club can have. On downgrade, the newest tournaments that exceed the new plan’s limit have their channels locked. Older tournaments that fall within the limit remain open.

Tournament after downgrade	Chat access	Can send new messages
Older tournaments (within the plan limit)	Open — chat fully functional	Yes — managers and players
Newer tournaments (over the plan limit)	Locked — read the history, but the input is disabled	No — “You can’t send messages in this channel” is shown

General and BOD channels on downgrade

The General and BOD channels are not affected by a subscription downgrade. They remain accessible to managers and members regardless of plan changes.

• General channel — remains open for all club members
• BOD channel — remains open for managers
• Tournament channels over the new plan limit — you can’t send new messages in them

Tournament Chat — All Flows

Flow 1 — Tournament created

1. A manager creates a new tournament
2. The tournament channel is created automatically
3. Club managers are automatically added as members of the channel
4. The channel appears in the manager’s Chat channel list immediately
5. No players are in the channel yet — they join when they are added to the roster

Flow 2 — Player added to the tournament roster

1. A manager adds a player to the tournament roster
2. The player is automatically added to the tournament channel
3. The tournament channel appears in the player’s Chat channel list
4. The player can now send and receive messages in the tournament channel
5. The player can see all previous messages in the channel — the full history

Flow 3 — Player removed from the tournament roster

1. A manager removes a player from the tournament roster
2. The player is automatically removed from the tournament channel
3. The channel disappears from the player’s Chat channel list
4. The player can no longer read or send messages in the tournament channel
5. The player’s previous messages remain visible to the remaining channel members

Flow 4 — Player re-added to the tournament roster

1. A manager re-adds the player to the tournament roster
2. The player is re-added to the tournament channel
3. The channel reappears in the player’s Chat channel list
4. The player regains full access, including the complete message history

Flow 5 — Tournament completed or cancelled

A tournament channel is hidden once the tournament’s end date has passed — the same moment it moves to the Completed tab under Tournaments. From then on the channel disappears from the channel list for everyone — the club manager and the rostered players alike. Only General and BOD remain. A cancelled tournament’s channel likewise disappears once its end date passes.

Player View

Players have a more restricted chat experience than managers. They only see channels they are members of, they cannot access BOD, and they cannot post in General.

Feature	Player	Manager
General channel — read	Yes	Yes
General channel — send messages	No — announcement-only	Yes
General channel — vote in polls	Yes	Yes
BOD channel — read & send	No	Yes
Tournament channel — read & send	Yes (if rostered)	Yes (all tournaments)
Edit own messages	Yes	Yes
Delete own messages	Yes	Yes
Delete other members’ messages	No	Yes
Create a poll	Only in tournament channels they are rostered in — never in General or BOD	Yes — in any channel
Pin a message (BOD and tournament channels)	No	Yes
Search messages (mobile only)	Yes — own channels only	Yes — own channels only
See the member count	Yes	Yes
Block a member	Yes	Yes
Send files or images	No	No — text only
1-to-1 direct messages	No	No

Channel Settings

Each channel has a Channel Settings panel, opened from the settings icon in the top right of the channel header. It shows the channel avatar and name, the Mute Channel option, the members list, and your blocked users.

Accessing Channel Settings

1. Open Chat and select a channel
2. Click the settings icon in the top right corner of the channel header
3. The Channel Settings panel opens

Club managers are shown with a Moderator badge in the members list, on both web and mobile.

What can be edited, by channel

Only club managers can edit a channel’s name or avatar — non-managers can change neither. What is editable depends on the channel:

Channel	Name	Avatar
General	Editable by a manager	Not editable — it is the club logo. Change it in Settings → General
BOD	Editable by a manager	Editable by a manager — upload an image
Tournament	Not editable — change the tournament’s name in the tournament settings	Editable by a manager — upload an image

General channel — Settings

The General channel settings show the club logo as the avatar, the channel name, the Mute Channel option and a list of all club members. A manager can rename the channel here, but the avatar can only be changed by updating the club photo in Settings → General.

BOD channel — Settings

The BOD channel settings show the avatar (which a manager can upload), the channel name (which a manager can edit) and the members list. Only club managers appear as members.

Tournament channel — Settings

The tournament channel settings show the tournament avatar (which a manager can upload), the tournament name (read-only in Chat), the Mute Channel option and the members.

Muting a channel

Any member can mute a channel for their own account. Muting affects only you — other members are unaffected.

1. Open the channel you want to mute
2. Click the settings icon in the top right
3. Click Mute Channel in the Channel Settings panel
4. The channel is muted for your account only

Updating the club photo (General channel avatar)

The General channel avatar is the club’s profile photo. To change it:

1. Go to Settings → General
2. Click Change Picture next to the club avatar
3. Upload a new photo
4. Click Update to save
5. The General channel avatar updates automatically to the new club photo

Blocking a Member

If someone’s messages are bothering you, you can block them. Blocking is personal — it only changes what you see. It does not affect other members, and the person you block is never told.

Anyone can block anyone: managers can block players, players can block managers, and players can block each other. The one exception is that you cannot block yourself.

How to block someone

There are two ways.

From one of their messages:

1. Open the message’s actions menu — the ⋯ menu on web, or long-press the message on mobile
2. Choose Block user
3. Confirm

Block user only appears on other people’s messages, never on your own.

From Channel Settings:

1. Open Chat and select a channel
2. Click the settings icon in the top right to open Channel Settings
3. Find the member in the members list and click Block next to their name

Either way, a confirmation appears first:

Block <Name>? You won’t see their new messages, replies, or notifications in any chat. This won’t affect other members, and you can unblock them anytime under Blocked users.

What blocking does

Once you block someone:

• Their new messages are hidden from you in every channel you share
• You stop getting push notifications from them
• They disappear from @mention autocomplete when you type
• Their messages stop showing as the channel’s last-message preview in your channel list

Unblocking someone

There are two ways to unblock, mirroring the two ways to block.

From Channel Settings:

1. Open Channel Settings
2. Go to Blocked users
3. Click Unblock next to the person’s name

From one of their older messages:

1. Open the actions menu on a message they sent before you blocked them
2. Choose Unblock user

Polls

Polls collect structured feedback or votes from members. They appear as interactive cards in the channel, and members vote directly from the chat.

Creating a poll

Poll creation follows your channel permissions — the same on web and mobile. Club managers can create polls in any channel. Players can create polls only in the tournament channels they are rostered in; the poll icon simply doesn’t appear for them in General or BOD, where they cannot post.

1. Open the channel where you want to create the poll
2. Click the poll icon in the message input bar at the bottom left
3. The Create poll modal opens
4. Enter the poll Question
5. Add poll Options — type each option and press Enter, or click Add an option to add more
6. Configure the poll settings (see the table below)
7. Click Create to publish the poll to the channel

Poll setting	What it does	Default	Available on
Multiple answers	Lets members select more than one option	OFF — single choice	Web and mobile
Anonymous poll	Hides which member voted for which option	OFF	Web and mobile
Allow option suggestions	Lets members add their own options after the poll is published	OFF	Web and mobile

Voting on a poll

Everyone in the channel can vote — managers and players alike. This includes players in the General channel: even though they cannot post messages there, they can still vote in polls.

• Select one or more options, depending on whether Multiple answers is enabled
• Your vote is recorded immediately and the count updates in real time
• View results shows the current vote counts for each option
• You can change your vote until the poll is ended
• You cannot vote once a manager has ended the poll

Ending a poll

Only club managers can end a poll, on both web and mobile. Once ended, no further votes can be cast and the final results are locked.

1. Open the channel containing the poll
2. Click End vote on the poll card
3. The poll closes and the final results are locked
4. Members can still view the final results but cannot change their vote

Poll action	Manager	Player
Create poll	Yes	Mobile only, in tournament channels
Vote	Yes	Yes — including in General
View results	Yes	Yes
End vote (web and mobile)	Yes	No
Delete poll	Yes	No
Suggest options (if enabled on the poll)	Yes	Yes

Validations

Sending messages

• Empty messages cannot be sent — the Send button is disabled with no text
• Messages containing only spaces cannot be sent
• File and image attachments are not supported — text only, on web and mobile
• 1-to-1 direct messages are not supported
• Players cannot send messages in the General channel — it is announcement-only
• Players cannot send messages in the BOD channel — they cannot access it at all
• Players not on a tournament roster cannot send or view that tournament channel’s messages
• Special characters, emojis and numbers are all supported in message text
• Messages are delivered in real time

Channel access

• BOD access is enforced on the server — a player cannot reach it by any route
• Tournament channel access follows the roster — removing a player from the roster removes their channel access immediately
• Managers are added to all tournament channels automatically when a tournament is created
• New club members are added to the General channel automatically

Global and club toggle

• If the global admin switch is OFF, club managers cannot enable Chat regardless of their club setting
• If the club toggle is OFF, Chat is hidden for all members of that club
• If the global switch is OFF but an override is granted to a specific club, that club can control its own toggle
• Turning Chat OFF does not delete message history — it is preserved and comes back when Chat is turned on again

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can’t I see Chat in my sidebar?

Chat is rolling out in beta, so the most common reason is that it has not been switched on for your club yet — use the Raise a ticket button on this page to request the Chat beta for your club. Beyond that, Chat is controlled by two switches: your club manager may have turned Chat off under Settings → Features, or the global CrickTeams switch may be off (in which case the Chat toggle does not appear in Settings → Features at all). It is also worth checking Settings → Subscription to see what your club’s plan includes.

Why can’t I send messages in the General channel?

The General channel is announcement-only — only club managers can post there. As a player you can read every message, vote in polls and mute the channel, but the message input is not available to you. To chat with your team, use a tournament channel you are rostered in.

Why can’t I see the BOD channel?

The BOD channel is for club managers only. Players do not have access under any circumstances — it is restricted on the server, not just hidden in the app.

Why can’t I see the tournament channel?

Tournament channels are only available to players on the tournament roster. If you cannot see one, ask your club manager to confirm you have been added to the roster.

Can players create thread replies in General chat?

No. General is announcement-only for players, so thread replies there are for club managers only. Players can use thread replies in tournament channels they are rostered in.

Can players create polls?

No. Only club managers can create polls or end them. Players can vote on polls and see the results — including polls in the General channel, even though they cannot post there.

Where do I find pinned messages?

Pinning is for managers only, and only in BOD and tournament channels — you cannot pin anything in General. On the web, a pinned message shows a Pinned by You or Pinned by <Name> label on the message itself; there is no separate pinned-messages list and no jump-to-pinned. Mobile shows its own indicator on the pinned message.

I flagged a message — what happens next?

Flagging reports the message to the chat provider’s moderation service. It does not notify your club managers, and there is no flagged-messages screen inside CrickTeams for anyone to review. If you want your club to act on a message, tell a manager directly. If you simply do not want to see that person’s messages, block them instead.

Why does my tournament channel say “You can’t send messages in this channel”?

Your club’s subscription was downgraded and this tournament channel is now over the new plan’s tournament limit. Older tournaments that fall within the limit stay open. Upgrade your plan to restore messaging, or reduce the number of active tournaments.

Are messages in locked tournament channels deleted?

No. The message history in a locked channel is preserved and stays readable. Locking stops new messages from being sent in that channel — it does not remove anything.

I blocked someone but can still see their old messages — why?

That is expected. Blocking is not retroactive. It hides messages from the moment you block onward — anything the person sent before that stays in the conversation. Blocking is working correctly; you simply won’t see anything new from them.

Does blocking someone tell them?

No. Blocking is completely private. The person you block is not notified, sees no change, and other members are not affected either — blocking only changes what you see.

Does blocking stop their notifications?

Yes. Once you block someone you stop receiving push notifications for their messages. Their messages also stop appearing as the channel’s last-message preview in your channel list, and they no longer come up in @mention autocomplete.

Do I leave the channel when I block a member?

No. You stay in General, BOD and your tournament channels exactly as before. Blocking only hides that one person’s new messages from you — the channel and everyone else in it carry on as normal.

How do I unblock someone?

Open Channel Settings → Blocked users and click Unblock next to their name. You can also open the actions menu on one of their older messages — the ones sent before you blocked them — and choose Unblock user. On mobile, Channel Settings has a Blocked users row that opens the full list.

Can I block a club manager?

Yes. Anyone can block anyone — managers and players alike. The only person you cannot block is yourself. Blocking a manager hides their new messages from you, but it does not change their role or their ability to post.

What is the difference between an anonymous poll and a regular poll?

In a regular poll, vote counts are shown alongside member avatars, so everyone can see who voted for which option. In an anonymous poll only the counts are shown and individual choices are hidden. Anonymous voting is chosen when the poll is created — the setting is available on both web and mobile.

Can a player suggest additional poll options?

Only if Allow option suggestions was turned on when the poll was created. If it is on, members can add their own options after the poll is published.

Can I search my messages?

On mobile, yes — use the Search messages bar at the top of the Chat page. There is no message search in the web app, so use the mobile app to find an old message. Search only covers channels you are a member of, so BOD messages never appear in a player’s results.

Can I send photos or files in Chat?

No. Chat supports text messages only, on both web and mobile. File and image sharing are not available.

Can I have a private 1-to-1 conversation with another member?

No. Direct (1-to-1) messaging is not supported. All conversations happen in the shared club channels — General, BOD (managers only) or tournament channels.

Can a manager delete another player’s message?

Yes. Club managers can delete any message in any channel, including messages sent by other members. Players can only delete their own. Editing is different — only the original sender can edit their own text.

What happens to chat messages when a player is removed from the club?

They lose access to all club channels immediately. Their previous messages are not deleted — they stay visible to the remaining channel members.

What happens to the tournament channel when a tournament ends?

The channel is no longer shown once the tournament is completed or cancelled, and no new messages are sent in it. The history is preserved.

I’m in two clubs — can I see both clubs’ chat at the same time?

No. Chat is scoped to the club you currently have selected. To see another club’s chat, switch clubs using the club selector in the top left navigation — the channel list, messages and unread counts all update to the new club.

Why am I not receiving push notifications for new chat messages?

Check three things: the CrickTeams mobile app is installed, notifications are enabled for it at the device level (iOS Settings or Android Settings), and you have not muted the channel. Also check My Account → Notification. If they still do not arrive, log out of the mobile app and back in.

I muted a channel but it still shows an unread count — is that a bug?

No. Muting stops push notifications for that channel; it does not clear the unread badge. The channel keeps counting unread messages so you can still see there is something new. Opening the channel marks everything read as usual.

Related articles

• Tournaments — Create and manage club tournaments
• Features — Enable or disable Chat for your club
• My Account — Manage your notification preferences
• Subscription — View and upgrade your club plan
• General — Change the club photo used as the General channel avatar