Trivia Host Checklist: Before, During and After the Game

This checklist takes the small decisions out of game night, so you're never hunting for a backup cable or a tiebreaker while teams wait. It's built for a weekly bar or restaurant game; private events, outdoor games and crowds over 100 need extra planning on top of it. Want it on paper? Use the Printable Trivia Host Checklist.

Plan to be set up before the advertised start. Sporcle's partner-venue hosts typically arrive 30–45 minutes early with equipment and supplies, and its private-event hosts arrive 45 minutes before in-person events.¹²

The day before

Game packet

• ☐ Confirm the correct game/date/version.
• ☐ Read every question aloud once.
• ☐ Review all answers and accepted-answer notes.
• ☐ Check pronunciation for unfamiliar names and places.
• ☐ Verify current or time-sensitive facts.
• ☐ Confirm every special round has clear instructions.
• ☐ Confirm maximum available points.
• ☐ Prepare at least two or three tiebreakers.
• ☐ Save an offline copy of the game.

Venue and schedule

• ☐ Confirm venue, address, day and start time.
• ☐ Confirm expected public finish time.
• ☐ Confirm prizes and who provides them.
• ☐ Ask about private parties, major sports broadcasts or other conflicts.
• ☐ Confirm venue announcements or specials.
• ☐ Confirm the venue contact for game night.

Equipment and supplies

• ☐ Microphone.
• ☐ Speaker/PA if required.
• ☐ Power and charging cables.
• ☐ Audio adapters needed for this setup.
• ☐ Backup batteries.
• ☐ Answer pads/sheets or digital system access.
• ☐ Pens or pencils.
• ☐ Score sheet/scoring device.
• ☐ Clipboard or scoring binder.
• ☐ Backup scoring method.
• ☐ Team/table numbers if used.

Run any laptop updates at home, not at the venue.

Before leaving for the venue

• ☐ Phone charged.
• ☐ Laptop/tablet charged.
• ☐ Speaker charged if battery-powered.
• ☐ Game packet accessible offline.
• ☐ Scoring file opens correctly.
• ☐ Media/audio files tested locally.
• ☐ Weather checked if travel or outdoor seating could be affected.
• ☐ Venue phone/contact information available.
• ☐ Supplies packed in one predictable kit.

Pack the kit the same way every week so a missing mic, cable or binder is obvious.

30–45 minutes before start

Check in with the venue

• ☐ Find the manager or event contact.
• ☐ Confirm tonight's start and finish.
• ☐ Confirm prizes are physically available.
• ☐ Confirm specials/announcements.
• ☐ Ask about seating changes or reserved areas.
• ☐ Confirm whether any team-size or age rule is venue-specific.

Set the host station

• ☐ Keep the station out of server and guest traffic.
• ☐ Keep drinks away from the scoring area.
• ☐ Connect power safely.
• ☐ Place answer supplies where teams/runners can reach them.
• ☐ Open the scoring file or host app.
• ☐ Arrange backups so they are reachable without unpacking the entire kit.

Test sound

• ☐ Test normal speaking volume into the microphone.
• ☐ Listen from the back and sides of the trivia area.
• ☐ Check that speakers are positioned for audience coverage.
• ☐ Keep the mic away from the speakers.
• ☐ Fix placement before turning it up.

Shure's feedback guidance: hold the mic closer to your mouth and keep it away from the speakers.³

10 minutes before start

• ☐ Start team registration or confirm digital room access.
• ☐ Distribute answer materials.
• ☐ Confirm team names/numbers are legible.
• ☐ Add teams to the score sheet.
• ☐ Give the venue any requested microphone announcement.
• ☐ Check that late-arriving players know where to join.
• ☐ Confirm the first question and first category are ready.

Finish registration before the advertised start.

Five minutes before start

• ☐ Give a five-minute warning.
• ☐ Ask teams to finish registration.
• ☐ Confirm the room can hear you.
• ☐ Confirm scorer/runner is ready if used.
• ☐ Put your phone on Do Not Disturb.
• ☐ Stop troubleshooting optional music or graphics.
• ☐ Start on time if the venue and essential system are ready.

Opening script checklist

The opening should answer:

• ☐ How many people may be on a team?
• ☐ How are answers submitted?
• ☐ How does scoring/wagering work?
• ☐ What is the phone/outside-help rule?
• ☐ When is an answer final?
• ☐ When can a team challenge a ruling?
• ☐ What are the prizes/eligibility rules?
• ☐ What special mechanic appears tonight?

Keep it concise. Use the Trivia Host Script for examples.

Every question

• ☐ Announce category if the format uses categories.
• ☐ Read clearly at a consistent microphone distance.
• ☐ Repeat according to the published policy.
• ☐ Allow the normal discussion window.
• ☐ Give a clear time warning.
• ☐ Collect/lock answers consistently.
• ☐ Confirm the next question before speaking.

Keep the answer window the same, even when a question seems easy.

Every scoring break

• ☐ Confirm all active teams have a score.
• ☐ Look for blanks or obvious entry errors.
• ☐ Resolve any queued dispute using the published process.
• ☐ Save or back up current standings if practical.
• ☐ Announce standings only when totals are stable.
• ☐ Give the venue its one planned announcement.
• ☐ Check the clock before beginning the next block.

Pour House Trivia's published dispute process has players raise answer concerns at the end of a round. A set review window keeps the game moving.⁴

When something goes wrong

A team disputes an answer

• ☐ Retrieve the exact submitted answer.
• ☐ Read the exact delivered question.
• ☐ Check accepted-answer notes.
• ☐ Use reliable evidence if research is needed.
• ☐ Make one clear in-game ruling.
• ☐ Apply the ruling to every affected team.
• ☐ Record the question for later review if needed.

See How to Handle Disputed Trivia Answers.

A team appears to be cheating

• ☐ Watch for specific behavior; a high score alone proves nothing.
• ☐ Give a general reminder when the behavior is uncertain.
• ☐ Use the published warning/penalty process.
• ☐ Keep any direct warning private when possible.
• ☐ Involve venue management if behavior becomes confrontational or unsafe.

See How to Prevent Cheating at Trivia Night.

Sound fails

• ☐ Check microphone mute/power first.
• ☐ Check the simplest connection in the chain.
• ☐ Move to the tested backup if the fix is not immediate.
• ☐ Don't make the room watch a long repair.

The game is running late

• ☐ Reduce optional commentary.
• ☐ Shorten a planned break.
• ☐ Remove only content predesignated as optional.
• ☐ Protect answer time and final scoring.
• ☐ Keep the venue informed.

Before the final question or round

• ☐ Confirm all prior scores are entered.
• ☐ Resolve known scoring corrections.
• ☐ Explain the final mechanic before teams commit.
• ☐ Confirm wager limits or scoring values.
• ☐ Prepare the tiebreaker.
• ☐ Tell the venue/scorer that final verification is approaching.

With a wagering final, make sure every team has written a wager before you reveal the answer.

Final scoring

• ☐ Collect/lock final answers.
• ☐ Enter final scores.
• ☐ Recheck the top positions.
• ☐ Verify multipliers, wagers and manual adjustments.
• ☐ Confirm whether there is a tie.
• ☐ Run a prepared tiebreaker if needed.
• ☐ Do not announce an unofficial winner.

Closing

• ☐ Announce winners clearly.
• ☐ Distribute prizes correctly.
• ☐ Take the winners' photo.
• ☐ Thank the venue and staff.
• ☐ Announce the next trivia date/time.
• ☐ Mention any venue promotion they asked for.
• ☐ End inside the promised window.

After the microphone is off

• ☐ Save final results.
• ☐ Photograph or keep the score sheet.
• ☐ Record disputed or flawed questions.
• ☐ Record equipment failures or missing supplies.
• ☐ Note unusually late/early timing.
• ☐ Pack every cable, microphone and adapter.
• ☐ Check the host area for personal belongings.
• ☐ Brief the venue manager on any material issue.
• ☐ Save the winners' photo where the venue/team can use it.

Monthly host audit

The weekly checklist catches one-off mistakes. Once a month, look for patterns:

Fix the pattern, not just the latest incident.

Frequently asked questions

What should a trivia host always bring?

The game, a scoring method, answer pads and pens, a mic and speaker if the venue doesn't supply them, chargers and backups.

How early should the host arrive?

Thirty to 45 minutes at a familiar venue, the same range Sporcle uses for partner-venue setup.¹

What is the easiest thing for a host to forget?

Small closing tasks: the next-date announcement, final score backup and winners' photo. Put them on the checklist instead of relying on memory.

Next: 12 Common First-Time Trivia Host Mistakes, the Professional Trivia Night Run of Show, or How to Host a Trivia Night.

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