How to conduct a cricket auction

1. Decide the format

Before anything else, fix four numbers. Everything else follows from them:

• Number of teams. 4 to 10 is typical. More teams means a longer auction.
• Squad size. Players per team, including any icon or retained players. Set a maximum so no team hoards players, and a minimum so every team can field an XI plus substitutes.
• Currency. Real money (₹ Lakhs feels like the IPL), or points if no money changes hands. Points work just as well and avoid confusion.
• Player pool. Ideally 10–20% more players than total squad slots, so the last picks still involve a choice.

2. Set the team purse and base prices

The purse is the same for every team. A simple way to size it: squad size × the average price you expect, plus 20–30% headroom so top players trigger real bidding wars.

Base prices are the opening bid for each player. Group players into categories and give each category one base price, rather than pricing every player individually:

With a 1,000-point purse and 12-player squads, these numbers leave room for two or three stars per team plus a balanced squad. Adjust to your pool.

3. Choose bid increments

Increments are the minimum raise over the current bid. Small steps at low prices keep things moving; bigger steps at high prices stop bidding wars dragging on. Announce them before the auction so nobody argues on the day.

In Cricket Auction Live you enter these tiers once; the control panel always offers the next valid bid and refuses anything lower.

4. Write down the rules

Share a one-page rules sheet with team owners at least a few days before. A template you can copy:

1. Each team has a purse of ___ points. A team can never bid more than its remaining purse.
2. Squads have a minimum of ___ and a maximum of ___ players, including icon players.
3. A team may have at most ___ overseas / guest / outside-company players.
4. Each team has ___ icon player(s), assigned before the auction at ___ points each.
5. Bidding opens at the player's base price. Raises follow the published increments.
6. The auctioneer's call of "sold" is final. A bid cannot be withdrawn once made.
7. Unsold players return in round 2 at ___% of their base price.
8. Players still unsold after round 2 may be picked at base price by teams short of their minimum squad.
9. Disputes are settled by the tournament committee on the day.

5. Register players

Collect each player's name, role (batter, bowler, all-rounder, wicket-keeper), batting and bowling style, jersey number and a clear, portrait-style photo. A Google Form exported to a spreadsheet is the easiest way. Then import the sheet as CSV; photos can be added afterwards.

Decide the auction order: most leagues go category by category (marquee first, for the excitement), or highest base price first.

6. Roles on auction day

• Auctioneer: presents each player, calls bids and says "sold". Energy matters more than speed.
• Operator: runs the control panel on a laptop, entering each bid as it is called. With keyboard shortcuts, one person can keep up with a fast auction.
• Team owners: one or two per team, seated where the auctioneer can see raised paddles or hands. Give each team a numbered paddle that matches its shortcut key (1–9).
• Stream / screen: a projector or TV showing the overlay, and optionally OBS streaming to YouTube. How to set up the stream.

7. Run the auction

1. Welcome everyone, read the key rules, and show each team's purse on screen.
2. Bring up the first player (N). The auctioneer introduces them while their card appears on the overlay.
3. Team owners bid; the operator presses the team's number for each bid. Use + / − if someone jumps above the minimum raise.
4. When bidding stops, the auctioneer counts down and calls sold (S), or unsold (U) if nobody bids at base price.
5. Mistake? Undo the last bid (Z). Need a break? Pause (P).
6. Every 20–30 players, show the live summary so team owners can see squads and purses.
7. After the last player, start the unsold round (the queue refills automatically), then finish the auction.

8. After the auction

Share the results page with team owners and players, and export the final squads to Excel for fixtures and kit orders. Keep the bid log; it settles any later disputes about who bought whom, and for how much.

Auction-day checklist

• Rules sheet shared with every team owner
• All players imported, with photos and base prices checked
• Teams added with logos and colours; icon players assigned
• Practice auction of 3–4 players done with the operator
• Laptop charged, projector or TV tested, internet tested
• Stream tested as unlisted on YouTube (if streaming)
• Numbered paddles or cards for team owners

Frequently asked questions

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