🚀 Getting Started

Lean on this kit. Lean on each other. Ask questions. Share wins. And above all, have fun as you grow the game you love.

• Become a Director (ACL Info Page)

• Add this Google Calendar Link to receive notifications for upcoming director-related dates

• Director Memberships (launch info + sign up in the Director Portal)

• Event Sanctioning Basics – Learn how to create and run sanctioned tournaments

Quick Tip: Bookmark your Director Portal login page

🪪 Get the Most Out of Your Membership

• Directors Guide (Full Handbook)
  Understand the current season's policies for directors
• Players Guide (Full Handbook)
  Understand the current season's policies for players
• Director Resource Center (DRC)
  A full list of resources and helpful tools for directors
• Software Training Videos
  Tutorials on creating brackets, running events, and managing players
• Weekly Director Sessions
  Live Q&A and training calls
• Director YouTube Channel
  Full ACL Director Youtube channel
• Director Engagement Program (DEP)
  Learn how to get rewarded for running great events
• Player Engagement Program (PEP)
  Learn how to empower your players to attend events 
• Open Standings Challenge
  Learn how to guide your players through the Open Standings Challenge.

🌍 Engaging with the ACL

Stay connected and share ideas through ACL’s platforms:

• ACL Club Engagement Facebook Page
• ACL Facebook / ACL Instagram
• ACL YouTube
• ACL Canada Facebook / Instagram
• ACL Europe Facebook / Instagram
• ACL Australia Facebook / Instagram
• ACL Directors Facebook Group

🏆 How to Build Your Club Pages

Your Club Page is your hub for engaging players: 

• admin.iplaycornhole.com
  • Hamburger menu in top left > Club Management 
  • Add your Club name, FB Page URL, and website URL
    
  • Find your Club page at https://iplaycornhole.com/directors 

Your Club FB/Instagram Page and/or Website is your hub for engaging players. Use it to:

• Post event flyers, registration links, and results
• Highlight players and share photos
• Drive FOMO by showing what players missed if they didn’t attend
• Recognize sponsors and community partners
  

💡 FOMO works at all levels — celebrate wins big and small to keep players coming back! 

🤝 Director Engagement Program (DEP)

• The DEP rewards Directors for consistency and excellence in running events.

  • DEP Program Info page
  • Download DEP table
  • Ideas for Directors:
  • Hit event goals each month to climb the rankings
  • Collaborate with nearby Directors to grow participation
  • Share creative event ideas in the Director FB Group
  • Create a Thermometer, or something to show how close you are to achieving your goals

🎯 Player Engagement Program (PEP)

The PEP rewards players for participation — every game counts!

• PEP Program Info page
• Download PEP table

• Ideas for Clubs:

• Spotlight players hitting milestones
• Run social posts about leaderboards
• Recognize frequent players at events
• Spotlight the top player in your club standings

🎯 ACL Directors Social Media Toolkit

Whether you’re a brand-new Director learning the ropes or a seasoned leader ready to level up your game, this kit is built to help you start strong and stay consistent all season long.

This is your “getting started” kit — filled with resources, templates, and best practices to help you:

• Create professional, engaging Facebook posts and events
• Share registration links clearly (HMS, app, or website)
• Build excitement with polished Canva banners for Local, Regional, and State events
• Keep your players engaged with consistent updates and creative posts
• Showcase sponsors, highlight winners, and grow your community online
• Access your State Logos & Brand Guide: HERE
• Set a schedule: Social Media Tracker - Template
• Make a copy and use it for your club
• Preset for October 2025 - July 2026
• Sample Tab to help guide you in this process
  

💡 Think of this kit as your social media playbook — something you can reference anytime to keep your posts clean, exciting, and on-brand with the ACL.

Whether your goal is to pack your local nights, run smooth regionals, or hype up your State Championship, these tools will help you get there.

✨ Remember: You’re not just posting, you’re building community, momentum, and connection.

📝 Social Media - Posting Flow for Facebook

Use this flow of posts for each tournament to build momentum and engagement:

1. Announcement Post (2–3 weeks before event)
• Hype up the event name, date, and location
• Share your Canva event banner
• Include a clear call-to-action (register now, limited spots, etc.)
  
  
2. Reminder Post #1 (1 week before event)
• Highlight registration deadline
• Re-share the event link
• Mention prizes, points, or special features (food trucks, raffles, etc.)
  
  
3. Final Push Post (2–3 days before event)
• Post urgency: “Don’t miss out, last chance to register!”
• Include a fun graphic or short video
  
  
4. Day-of Event Post
• Post a “Doors are open!” message with directions or parking info
• Add a quick photo or short live video from setup
  
  
5. Results & Highlights Post (after event)
• Share winners, podium pics, and thank sponsors
• Tag players, sponsors, and your venue

📅 Best Practices for Creating Facebook Events

• Event Name: Keep it simple but clear
• Example: ACL Local Night – Tucson Burn Cornhole – Sept 10
• Cover Photo: Use a branded banner (see below)
• Description:
• Include: date, time, location (with Google Maps link), buy-in cost, prizes, and registration instructions
• Example: “Register through the ACL App or HMS link below”
  
  
• Registration Links:
• Always include your HMS link or direct registration URL at the top of the description
• Tags: Add ACL, Cornhole, and your city as event tags
• Co-hosts: Add your venue page or sponsor pages to increase reach

🖼️ Event Banners

Create clean, eye-catching banners in Canva Pro (recommended for full access to templates, fonts, and graphics).

• Local Nights Banner
• Simple, fun, community-driven design
• Add: club logo, date, “Local Night” title, sponsor logo
  
  
• Regional Events Banner
• Bigger, bolder design with competition vibe
• Add: “ACL Regional,” date, city, and state + points info
  
  
• State Championships Banner
• Make it hype and professional
• Include: State name, “ACL State Championships,” year, major sponsor logos, date & location

💡 Tip: Keep branding consistent across all banners for recognition.

🤝 Engagement Tools

• ACL Club Engagement Page – Share posts from the Club Engagement page to have consistent posts on your clubs public page for relevancy & engagement.
• Tag: @ACL, @ACLCanada, @ACLEurope, @ACLAustralia where appropriate
• Use hashtags + location tags to get more visibility
  
  

Extra Programs

• PEP (Player Engagement Program):
  Encourage players to show up more often by reminding them they earn points at every event.
• DEP (Director Engagement Program):
  Run consistent, high-quality events to earn rewards as a Director.

Location Tagging 

• Always make sure to tag the location of your event in your posts. It can either be the specific venue or just the city/state that your event is being held in.
• To tag a location on a Facebook/Instagram post click the location icon, then type in the location of your event. 

💡 Sponsors

Each sponsor contract will have different requirements for what to post on social media, so make sure you include everything agreed to in the contract. 

• Graphics/Logos: Sponsors will often require you to post specific images or include their logo in graphics you create. Make sure to ask for logos in a png file so they’re easier to add into your own graphics. 
• Hashtags: Most sponsors will ask you to use specific hashtags in addition to your own – don’t forget to include them! 
• Captions: Even if the sponsor doesn’t give specific instructions on what to include in the caption, always be sure to shout them out and thank them for being a sponsor. 
• Location: If the sponsor is a venue, they’ll often ask for their location to be tagged in the post.
• Post Frequency: Some sponsors will ask to be included in multiple posts throughout the duration of the event, make sure to complete each one on time.
• Chat GPT: This online AI tool can be used to help check grammar, use prompts to add in a tone, or to help with adding in excitement. It is recommended to use prompts along with copying and pasting your original idea or post, in order to maintain your voice.

General Post Ideas 

• Applicable for all (Local/Regional/State)
• Event Announcements: Announce your full schedule of events for the next few months, or just announce specific events being hosted. Emphasize limitability with event registrations to incite faster registrations and excitability. 
• If your event has an early registration bonus – make sure to include that in the caption.
• Event Countdowns: Periodic updates emphasizing the days until your event to make players more excited. 
• Include important event updates or notices in the graphics or captions. 
• If registration spots are still open, highlight the amount of spots left and encourage players to register right away. 
• If your event is a STATE/REGIONAL OPEN consider doing multiple countdown posts depending on how far in advance your event is announced. 

• Ongoing Event Updates: Posts to make while your event is in progress to engage further with the players attending and those not attending. 
• Day Recaps 
• Videos/Highlight Reels 
• Post Event Results: Recap of your event including all winners/top finishers 
• Consider including the statistics of the event winners in the graphics or captions. 

• Memberships & Perks: Encouraging people to become ACL members in order to unlock various perks and view all of their statistics.
• FAQ: Answer commonly asked questions from players at your events, or commonly asked questions from other directors if you’re a STATE/REGIONAL director. 

Hashtags

• Use the ACL State Hashtag that applies to your event 
• EX: #ACLSouthCarolina) 
• Use Hashtags to indicate the type of event that you are hosting 
• EX: #ACLLocal / #ACLState / #ACLRegional
• Use general Hashtags to increase visibility for your event/posts 
• EX: #ACL #AmericanCornholeLeague #Cornhole #State #City 

Captions 

• Event Announcements: 
• EX: SAVE THE DATE! 🗓️ [Event Name] is happening on [Event Dates] at [Event Location]. Expect thrilling cornhole competition and [Something unique about your event]! Registration and further event details coming soon 🔥
• If you already have registration open when you announce the event – you can directly add the registration link into the post: 🔗REGISTER NOW SO YOU DON’T MISS OUT: [Registration Link]

• Registration Announcements: 

• EX Registration Opening: REGISTRATION IS LIVE! 🚨 Don't miss your chance to compete in the [Tournament Name] on [Date]! Spaces are limited, so register now to secure your spot. 🔗LINK: [Registration Link]
• EX Registration Reminder: ONLY [NUMBER] SPOTS LEFT FOR [EVENT]! ⭐️Now is the time to sign up so you don’t miss out! 🔗LINK: [Registration Link]

• Ongoing Event Updates:
• EX: Day 1 IS DONE! 🔥The energy at [Event Name] is incredible! We've seen some amazing throws and fierce competition already. Stay tuned for more updates throughout the weekend!
• Event Recaps: 
• EX: CHAMPIONS CROWNED! 🏆 Congratulations to all our winners and a massive shoutout to every single player who competed at [Event Name]! 

1️⃣ Club / Local Nights (< 60 players)

• Boards Needed: 1 set ≈ 6–10 players
• Registration: Use ACL software (HMS) — make sure event link is posted on FB & club page
• Format: Singles, Doubles, or Blind Draw depending on turnout
• Sponsors: Local businesses can sponsor boards, jerseys, or food/drink partners for weekly support
• Promotion:
• Create a Facebook Event (with banner)
• Post reminders 1 week before and day-of
• Tag venue & sponsors

Across All Levels

• Event Banners: Create clear, branded flyers/banners in Canva Pro for each event type
• Communication Flow:
• Announce event (with banner + HMS link)
• Reminder posts (1 week & 2–3 days before)
• Day-of post (doors open, parking, etc.)
• Results post (winners, photos, sponsor shoutouts)
  
  
• PEP & DEP: Remind players of points programs and directors of engagement rewards

💡 Pro Tip: Boards are your biggest asset — build partnerships with sponsors to help fund, brand, or provide additional sets as you scale up.

Event Engagement Management/Ideas

Resources:

• canva.com - Pro plan is a great investment, flyers, FB banners, podium photos and so much more
• bitly.com - To create short links
• Google Forms - Great to use for feedback, jersey orders, and community outreach

Your Focus: Spark excitement, create local loyalty, convert new players to members.

Membership Activation

• Display Membership Level Signage at every event table.
• Hand out or hang up Membership Perk Pamphlets.
• Promote “Digital Rookie Cards” – gather photos from players on-site or in pre-event emails.
  

Event Moments

• Use an Activation Station with:
• Player photo cutouts (“Your Pro Card”)
• Whiteboard with daily questions: “What surprised you most about cornhole?”
• Sticky note poster: “My favorite moment from today was…”
  
• Run free Long Toss Challenges with sponsor item giveaways or bragging rights.
• Take photos at prize pickups or with merch for gear spotlight posts.
  
  

Social & Outreach

• Post clips of:
  
• First-timers learning to throw
• Juniors or seniors smiling and laughing
• Post-event fun & mingling
• Promote “Make friends 27 feet away” messaging to attract newcomers.
  
  

Engagement Checklist

Membership Activation
☐ Display membership level signage at check-in
☐ Hand out pamphlets highlighting perks
☐ Help players submit photos/info for Rookie Cards
☐ Promote referral links for discounts
☐ Run digital or printed survey for Rookie Card personalization

On-Site FOMO & Engagement
☐ Foam board “Player Card” photo op
☐ Sticky note wall or cork board map
☐ Daily question whiteboard
☐ Long Toss Challenge (free entry, social content)
☐ Prize pick-up photo station

Social Content
☐ Post smiling players / first-time throwers
☐ Capture fun, casual moments—not just wins
☐ Post gear photos with sponsor hashtags

2️⃣ Regional Events (60–150 Players)

• Boards Needed: 8–12 sets of boards
• Divisions: At minimum offer Tier 1, Tier 3, and Tier 4(Singles + Doubles/Blind Draw)
• Registration: Ensure players register in advance through HMS — post link prominently
• Payouts/Prizes: Communicate clearly in event description
• Volunteers/Staff: Assign help for scorekeeping, livestreaming, engagement 
• Sponsors:
• Seek sponsors for additional boards
• Add logos to livestream, banners, and podium pictures
• Partner with food trucks or vendors for added value

Across All Levels

• Event Banners: Create clear, branded flyers/banners in Canva Pro for each event type
• Communication Flow:
• Announce event (with banner + Registration link)
• Reminder posts (1 week & 2–3 days before)
• Day-of post (doors open, parking, etc.)
• Results post (winners, photos, sponsor shoutouts)
• Email to all players the night before with any reminders and a welcome to the weekend
  
• PEP & DEP: Remind players of points programs and directors of engagement rewards

💡 Pro Tip: Boards are your biggest asset — build partnerships with sponsors to help fund, brand, or provide additional sets as you scale up.

Event Engagement Management/Ideas
Resources:

• canva.com - Pro plan is a great investment, flyers, FB banners, podium photos and so much more
• bitly.com - To create short links
• Google Forms - Great to use for feedback, jersey orders, and community outreach 

Your Focus: Build recurring player loyalty, diversify content, showcase community stories.

Engagement Strategy

• Run Themed Nights: Rivalry Night, Club Pride Night, Throwback Jersey Night.
• Organize mic’d-up moments or pre-round interviews: “How did you prep today?”
• Coordinate Player Social Media Takeovers (especially younger players or local favorites).
• Introducing “Who Did It Better?” walk-up/4-bagger comparison reels.
• Highlight family or multi-generation attendees (mom + junior + grandparent).
  

Community Building

• Run Rookie Card Template Contest: Get 10 submissions for custom styling.
• Start a “Player Spotlight of the Week”: Rotate between juniors, women, seniors, etc.
• Showcase Players in ACL Gear: “Post your ACL fit & tag us to be featured!”
  

Recognition Systems

• Set up a DEP/PEP badge board—a printed meter showing how many prizes someone is from the next level.
• Offer prize photo station with sponsor logos and “Congrats” sign for DEP/PEP achievers.
  
  

Engagement Checklist

Content Diversification
☐ Plan “Theme Nights” (e.g. Rivalry, Throwback, Club Pride)
☐ Mic’d up sessions or quick interviews
☐ Player social media takeovers (target juniors, women, etc.)
☐ “Who Did It Better?” walk-up or throwdown clip battles

Community Recognition
☐ Launch weekly Player Spotlight (non-pros included)
☐ Rookie Card contest for visual creativity
☐ Encourage ACL gear selfies and tag-in challenges
☐ Set up printed DEP/PEP badge meters at table

Social Campaign Support
☐ Share content with #ACLGearCam / #ACLFamily / #RookieCardChallenge
☐ Upload player photos with fun facts or personal milestones

3️⃣ State Championships (150+ Players)

• Boards Needed: 20–25 sets of boards (scale depending on registrations)
• Divisions: Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3, Tier 4,Tier 5  (Singles + Doubles + Blind Draw), Womens, Juniors, Seniors 
• Seeding: Use ACL State Points to seed brackets
• Schedule: Plan for 2–3 days of competition
• Staffing: Have a dedicated team for check-in, brackets, and livestream coverage
• Sponsors:
• Big opportunity for title sponsors (event named after them)
• Trophy sponsors, livestream sponsors, apparel sponsors
• Sponsors can offset cost of additional boards or venue fees

Across All Levels

• Event Banners: Create clear, branded flyers/banners in Canva Pro for each event type
• Communication Flow:
• Announce event (with banner + Registration link)
• Reminder posts (1 week & 2–3 days before)
• Day-of post (doors open, parking, etc.)
• Results post (winners, photos, sponsor shoutouts)
• Email to all players the night before with any reminders and a welcome to the weekend
  
  
• PEP & DEP: Remind players of points programs and directors of engagement rewards

💡 Pro Tip: Boards are your biggest asset, build partnerships with sponsors to help fund, brand, or provide additional sets as you scale up.

Event Engagement Management/Ideas

Resources:

• canva.com - Pro plan is a great investment, flyers, FB banners, podium photos and so much more
• bitly.com - To create short links
• Google Forms - Great to use for feedback, jersey orders, and community outreach 

Your Focus: Scale loyalty, build identity, unify regions, drive sponsorship value.

 State Pride & Rivalries

• Launch a State Club Campaign: Highlight 3–5 top clubs monthly with graphics.
• Create “Alumni Pros” series for past top players & their origin stories.
• Promote State vs State Hype: Rivalry graphics, countdowns, brag boards.
• Post a "Where Are They Now?" for prior top ACL players to build legacy and emotional connection.
  

High-Level Content Series

• “Behind the Boards” video series for top performers, club owners, or fan-favorite juniors.
• Introduce State Player Rankings + Highlights for social storytelling.
• Share State-Based Milestones: "AZ’s first woman to earn PEP Level 3!" type posts.
  

Sponsorship Integration

• Pitch a State Energy Drink Sponsor or Retail Partner to fund:
• Custom State Rookie Cards
• Foam board check-in signs
• ACL gear cam (replacing snack cam)
  
  
• Include sponsors in:
• Long Toss challenge naming
• Prize Pack photos
• Whiteboard “Question of the Day” posts with logo placement
  

DEP & PEP Management

• Track total DEP/PEP prize redemptions per region.
• Coordinate restocks and prize table display for maximum visual impact.
• Print achievement badges and distribute through club leaders or mailers.

Engagement Checklist

State Identity & Loyalty
☐ Launch State Club Highlight series (monthly rotation)
☐ Feature Alumni Pro Spotlights on social
☐ Build Rivalry Graphics (State vs State)
☐ Launch "Where Are They Now?" campaign

Elevated Content Strategy
☐ Create Behind the Boards videos
☐ Publish monthly Player Highlight graphics with stats
☐ Share "Top Junior/Senior/Women’s Moment of the Month"

Sponsorship & Partner Activation
☐ Co-brand Long Toss Challenge with a sponsor
☐ Include logos on question walls or gear photo boards
☐ Source local/state partners for Rookie Card print runs

DEP/PEP Fulfillment & Tracking
☐ Print & mail badges or include in club packets
☐ Update redemption logs
☐ Display prizes with signage at events

Engagement Ideas in action