Creating a Team
Adding a team is the second step in setting up SportsPress, after creating a competition and a season. This article walks through the team creation form and the meta boxes you fill in along the way.
Opening the Add New Screen
Go to Teams > Add New in the WordPress dashboard. The screen that opens contains the post title field at the top and several meta boxes below.
Team Name
The title field is labelled Name. This is the primary identifier for the team and becomes the default display name throughout the plugin — in league tables, event pages, player lists, and widgets.
Content Editor
The standard WordPress editor sits below the title. Use it to add a description or any content that should appear on the team's public page. The editor supports shortcodes, formatting, and embedded media.
Details Meta Box
The Details meta box contains the core identifying fields:
Leagues — multi-select dropdown. Assign the team to one or more league (competition) taxonomy terms. The team will appear in league tables and calendars scoped to those leagues.
Seasons — multi-select dropdown. Assign the team to one or more season taxonomy terms.
Home — multi-select dropdown labeled Home. Assign one or more venue taxonomy terms. SportsPress uses this to detect home-venue statistics when calculating table data.
Site URL — text field. Enter the team's external website address. Displays as a link on the team page when enabled in settings. A Redirect checkbox next to the field, when checked, redirects visitors from the team's SportsPress page directly to the external URL instead of showing the team page.
Short Name — text field. A condensed version of the team name used in contexts where space is limited.
Abbreviation — text field. A brief code or initialism for the team (for example, "MCI" or "LFC").
Featured Image (Logo)
The Featured Image meta box (labeled Logo in some theme configurations) sets the team logo. Click Set featured image, then upload or select an image from the media library.
Recommended specifications:
PNG-24 format with a transparent background
Minimum 300 pixels wide
Once set, the logo appears:
On the team's public page
In the Teams list screen as a small thumbnail
On event pages where the team participates
In league tables when logo display is enabled in settings
Staff Meta Box
The Staff meta box lists all staff members whose Team field is set to this team. Each row shows the staff member's name, job (role taxonomy), league, and season. Check the box next to a staff member's name to include them on the team's public profile page. Unchecked staff members belong to the team in the system but are not displayed on the team page.
The meta box is empty when creating a new team and populates after staff members are assigned to the team from their own edit screens.
Player Lists Meta Box
The Player Lists meta box lists all player lists associated with this team (either assigned to the team directly or to no team). Each row shows the list name, player count, league, season, and layout format. Check the box next to a list to display it on the team's public profile.
League Tables Meta Box
The League Tables meta box shows league tables that include this team. Tables appear here if they are set to Manual selection and include the team, or if they are set to Auto and match the team's league and season. Each row shows the table name, team count, league, and season. Check the box next to a table to display it on the team's profile page.
Columns Meta Box
The Columns meta box shows auto-calculated statistics for the team, broken down by league and season. The values are read-only computed totals — one row per season plus a Total row. Individual cells can be overridden by typing a value directly into the field; a placeholder shows the calculated value.
Publishing
Click Publish to make the team live. Once published, the team:
Becomes selectable when creating events, player lists, staff, and league tables
Appears on the public-facing Teams archive page
Is available for assignment in the league table Auto mode based on its league and season terms