Drop-in basketball (or any open gym night) breaks when three things are disconnected: who said they are coming, who paid, and who actually walked in the door.
Put sign-ups where players already look
Post one link on your league home — not a new Google Form every week. Players register once, pick their nights, and see confirmation on the same site as standings and schedule.
See a working fan + join flow on the demo league: demo drop-in sign-ups.
Prepaid blocks beat cash at the door
Multi-week prepaid drop-ins reduce lineups and give you predictable revenue. Even if you still take cash on night one, track prepaid players in the same roster view so volunteers are not guessing.
Waitlist when the gym caps out
When a session fills, a waitlist with automatic promotion beats group-chat drama. Players see status on the page instead of DMing the commissioner.
One public schedule
Fans should not need a screenshot to know start time and court. Publish sessions on your league Schedule tab so regulars and newcomers see the same source of truth.
Start a free league and turn on drop-ins from the dashboard — then share your public link at the gym door.