Planning Bubble Soccer Events

Before you book a venue or order equipment, get clear on what you want your event to achieve. Is it a private birthday party for 12 kids? A corporate team-building afternoon for 40 colleagues? A public community festival with bubble soccer as one of several attractions? A charity fundraiser where you need to sell tickets and maximise revenue? Each scenario influences your decisions on venue, equipment quantity, staffing, scheduling and promotion. Write down your goal, target audience, rough budget and ideal date range — this brief will guide every subsequent decision and prevent scope creep.

Bubble soccer is remarkably venue-flexible. Outdoor options include park fields, school playing grounds, beach volleyball courts (on firm sand) and private gardens. Indoor options include sports halls, community centres and warehouse spaces. Key requirements: a flat surface free of sharp objects, minimum dimensions of 20 × 15 metres per pitch, and adequate overhead clearance (3 metres minimum indoors). For outdoor events, have a wet-weather backup plan — either an alternative indoor space or a rain date. Check venue availability, booking costs, access for equipment delivery (you will need to transport bags of deflated bubbles and an electric pump), and proximity to parking and public transport for attendees.

Calculate the number of bubbles based on your expected participant count and format. A five-a-side match needs ten bubbles plus two spares. If you are running a tournament with back-to-back games, twelve bubbles per pitch is ideal to allow for rotation and inflation checks between matches. You will also need portable goals (two per pitch), a ball, cones for pitch marking, an electric air pump and a basic first-aid kit. If hiring equipment from a rental company, confirm delivery time and confirm that the supplier provides a pump and repair kit. If you are using your own Bubble Allstars equipment, run through the pre-event maintenance checklist in our Safety Tips & Maintenance guide at least 48 hours before the event.

Build your schedule around short, high-energy matches. Six-minute halves with two-minute breaks work well for adults; four-minute halves are better for children. For a two-hour event with 20 participants, a four-team round-robin tournament (six matches) plus a final and a fun-game slot fills the time perfectly. Include a 15-minute briefing and warm-up at the start and allow 15 minutes at the end for cool-down and socialising. Always build in buffer time — matches rarely start exactly on schedule. If you are running a public event, stagger registration in time slots to manage crowd flow. For format inspiration, see the variations section in our Bubble Soccer Rules guide.

Even a small event benefits from clear role assignment. At a minimum you need: one referee per pitch (to enforce rules and ensure safety), one event coordinator (to manage the schedule, handle registrations and troubleshoot), and one equipment manager (to inflate, inspect and rotate bubbles between matches). For larger events, add a first-aider, a photographer or videographer and a registration desk volunteer. If you are hiring from a rental company, check whether they provide a trained facilitator — many Bubble Allstars rental partners include this service. Volunteers from local sports clubs or student groups can be excellent, low-cost staffing options for community events.

For public and fundraiser events, effective promotion is the difference between a packed pitch and an empty one. Start promoting at least four weeks in advance. Create a simple event page (Facebook Events, Eventbrite or your own website) with clear details: date, time, location, price, what to wear and what is provided. Use action-oriented language and a strong hero image — Bubble Allstars can supply high-resolution promotional photos free of charge to equipment customers. Share across social media channels, local community boards and school newsletters. Offer early-bird pricing to drive initial sign-ups, and encourage attendees to share post-event photos and videos to build buzz for future events.

Arrive at the venue at least 60 minutes before the first participants. Inspect and prepare the playing surface (remove debris, mark boundaries). Inflate all bubbles and check each one for correct pressure and harness function. Set up goals, position cones, lay out any signage and test the PA system if you are using one. Confirm all staff know their roles. When participants arrive, run a five-minute safety briefing covering the rules, how to fall safely (tuck and roll), and the signal to stop play. Take a group photo before the first match — everyone looks great in bubbles. During the event, monitor bubble pressure between matches and swap out any that feel soft.

After the final whistle, deflate and inspect all bubbles. Note any repairs needed and log them so they are addressed before the next event. Clean each bubble with a damp cloth and mild soap, then dry thoroughly before packing away. Send a thank-you message to all participants within 24 hours, including a link to event photos and a feedback survey. If you sold tickets, reconcile income and expenses while the numbers are fresh. Use feedback to improve your next event. If this is the start of a regular series, create a mailing list to notify past attendees of future dates. And if you need more bubbles or replacement parts for the next event, Bubble Allstars offers fast turnaround on repeat orders.