Why a checklist
A fixture poster is read for months. A wrong kick-off time on it sends a family to an empty pitch, and a game printed in the wrong month is missed entirely. Most mistakes come from copying a list by hand into a template, so the checks below are the ones that catch copying slips.
The checklist
- Dates and weekdays agree. If the league list says Sat 7 Mar, check that 7 March really is a Saturday in that year. A season from August to May crosses a new year, and the second half is where a wrong year creeps in.
- Day and month are the right way round. 03/04 is 3 April in most of the world and March 4 in the United States. Find one date in the list with a day above 12, such as 25/03, to see which way the list is written.
- Every game has a time or says TBC. A blank time on a poster is read as a mistake. TBC tells families the club will confirm it.
- Home and away are marked in words or letters. Colour alone disappears on a black and white copy and for anyone who does not see colour well. An H or an A on each row survives both.
- Venues are named for away games. For home games one line saying where home is will do.
- No game is listed twice. Pasting from two sources often doubles a game. Two games at the same time on one day is the other sign.
- Text is at least 9 pt. Below that, a poster on a fridge is hard to read from a step away. If 60 games will not fit at that size, use 2 or 3 columns or a larger sheet.
- Colours read. Text on the team colour needs a contrast of at least 4.5 to 1. Very light team colours, such as pale yellow, need black text, and almost white colours barely show on white paper.
- The paper size matches. A4 is 210 by 297 mm, Letter is 8.5 by 11 inches, and A3 is twice the area of A4. A PDF made for one and printed on the other is scaled, which shrinks the text.
- The footer says who to ask. A website or a contact, and the sponsor if the kit has one. Add the date the list was last checked.
A worked example
An under 12s list has 22 league and cup games from September to May and 2 half term weeks. Pasted into Fixturefold, 1 line reads “Sat 31 Oct vs Westbrook Lions (A)” with no time, so the row is marked Needs a fix with a button to mark the time TBC. Another reads “Sun 13 Mar”, and 13 March 2027 is a Saturday, so that row is marked too. With both fixed, the 22 games and 2 breaks fit on A4 in 2 columns with the body text at 15 pt, and every home game carries an H in the team colour.
Common mistakes
- Fixing a typo on the poster but not in the list it came from, so next month's reprint brings the mistake back.
- Printing at “fit to page” when the PDF is already the right size; print at actual size, or 100 percent.
- Shrinking text to squeeze in sponsor logos. The games are what people read.
- Forgetting break weeks. A half term with no game is worth a line so nobody turns up.
When the list changes
Leagues move games. Change the row, make the poster again and say so: a small “Updated” date near the top tells families which copy is current. Keep the old copy until the new one is up, so nobody is left with nothing.
Sources
- CSS Paged Media Module Level 3, page size keywords, W3C. A4 is 210 by 297 mm, A3 is 297 by 420 mm and Letter is 8.5 by 11 inches. Last reviewed 19 October 2026.
- Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.3: Contrast (Minimum), W3C Web Accessibility Initiative. Text needs a contrast ratio of at least 4.5 to 1 against its background, large text 3 to 1. Last reviewed 19 October 2026.
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