Tryout Evaluation Form

Three coaches score the same player. One gives a 4. Another gives a 2. The third writes "needs work" with no number at all. Without a shared evaluation framework, tryout data becomes noise—and roster decisions become arguments.

The solution starts with shared criteria. Get our universal evaluation form (print or copy to Excel), learn what every effective form needs, and find sport-specific templates for twelve different sports when you need detailed rubrics.

Free Printable Tryout Evaluation Form

This universal evaluation form works for any sport. The five core categories—Technical Skills, Athleticism, Coachability, Sport IQ, and Communication—apply whether you're evaluating point guards or pitchers. Print it directly, copy to Excel, or use as a starting point for your own custom form.

Universal Skill Categories

Skill Category	1	2	3	4	5
Technical Skills	○	○	○	○	○
Athleticism	○	○	○	○	○
Coachability	○	○	○	○	○
Sport IQ	○	○	○	○	○
Communication	○	○	○	○	○
Notes
Total Score	_______ / 25

Rating Scale Definitions

These definitions help all evaluators score consistently. Adapt the specific behaviors to match your sport.

Category	1 (Needs Work)	2 (Below Avg)	3 (Average)	4 (Above Avg)	5 (Excellent)
Technical Skills	Struggles with basic fundamentals	Inconsistent execution of core skills	Demonstrates competent technique	Shows refined technique under pressure	Executes advanced skills consistently
Athleticism	Limited speed, agility, or coordination	Below-average physical tools	Average athletic ability for age group	Above-average speed, strength, or agility	Exceptional physical tools across multiple areas
Coachability	Resists instruction or feedback	Slow to implement corrections	Accepts feedback and makes adjustments	Actively seeks coaching and improves quickly	Self-corrects and helps teammates improve
Sport IQ	Limited understanding of game situations	Recognizes basic plays but reacts slowly	Reads common situations correctly	Anticipates plays and positions well	Elite awareness, makes teammates better
Communication	Silent, doesn't interact with teammates	Communicates only when prompted	Calls out plays and positions consistently	Organizes teammates and leads vocally	Constant communication, energizes the group

Simple 3-Category Form

Running a large tryout with limited time? This simplified version covers the essentials. Use it when you need to evaluate 50+ athletes quickly or when detailed scoring isn't necessary for your program level.

Skill Category	1	2	3	4	5
Technical Skills	○	○	○	○	○
Athleticism	○	○	○	○	○
Attitude	○	○	○	○	○
Notes
Total Score	_______ / 15

What to Include in a Tryout Evaluation Form

Every effective tryout evaluation form needs five components. Miss one, and your data becomes harder to use when making roster decisions.

1. Athlete Identification

Name, number, position, age group. Use numbered pinnies instead of names during evaluation—it speeds up note-taking and reduces bias. Record the pinnie number on your form, then match to names later.

2. Skill Categories (4-6 Areas)

Choose categories that matter for your sport and program level. Too few categories (2-3) don't differentiate athletes well. Too many (8+) slow down evaluation and create scoring fatigue. Four to six categories hits the sweet spot.

For team sports, consider: technical skills, athleticism, game IQ, communication, and attitude. For individual sports: technique, physical ability, mental toughness, and competitive drive.

3. Consistent Rating Scale

A 1-5 scale works for most programs. Define what each number means—not just "average" or "above average," but specific observable behaviors. When all evaluators share the same definitions, your scores become comparable.

4. Notes Field

Numbers don't tell the whole story. "Strong arm, needs work on footwork" explains a "3" rating far better than the number alone. These notes become valuable when comparing athletes with similar total scores.

5. Evaluator Information

Record who scored each athlete, at which station, and during which session. This lets you identify evaluator bias (one coach consistently scores higher than others) and track athletes across multiple tryout sessions.

How to Create a Custom Evaluation Form

The universal form above works as-is for many programs. But if you need something tailored to your sport, level, or evaluation process, here's how to build your own.

Step 1: Define Your Criteria

List the skills that matter most for success in your program. Talk to your coaching staff: what separates athletes who make the team from those who don't? Those differentiators become your evaluation categories.

For a youth rec league, attitude and coachability might matter more than raw skill. For a competitive travel team, sport-specific technique and game IQ take priority.

Step 2: Choose Your Rating Scale

A 1-5 scale is most common. Some programs prefer 1-10 for finer distinctions, but this often creates inconsistency—one evaluator's "7" is another's "8." Stick with 1-5 unless you have a specific reason for more granularity.

Step 3: Write Clear Definitions

This step separates useful forms from frustrating ones. Don't just write "3 = Average." Write "3 = Executes basic techniques consistently but struggles under pressure." Specific, observable behaviors lead to consistent scoring.

Step 4: Test with Your Staff

Before tryouts, have all evaluators score the same 3-4 athletes (from video or a practice session). Compare scores. Where do you disagree? Those disagreements reveal where your definitions need clarification.

Step 5: Iterate Based on Feedback

After tryouts, ask your evaluators what worked and what didn't. Were any categories confusing? Did the rating scale capture meaningful differences? Refine your form for next season.

Quick Evaluation Checklist

For large-group screenings where speed matters more than detailed scoring, a checklist format works faster than numeric ratings. Mark each skill as demonstrated or not, then count totals.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

[ ] Demonstrates proper form/technique
[ ] Executes skills consistently
[ ] Performs under pressure
[ ] Shows sport-specific fundamentals

ATHLETICISM

[ ] Good speed for position/age
[ ] Shows agility and coordination
[ ] Adequate strength/power
[ ] Endurance through full session

COACHABILITY

[ ] Listens to instructions
[ ] Makes adjustments when corrected
[ ] Asks questions when unsure
[ ] Stays focused during drills

GAME AWARENESS

[ ] Understands positioning
[ ] Reads plays/situations
[ ] Makes good decisions quickly
[ ] Knows rules and strategies

COMMUNICATION & ATTITUDE

[ ] Talks to teammates
[ ] Encourages others
[ ] Handles mistakes well
[ ] Shows effort on every rep

Total Checks: _______ / 20

Sport-Specific Evaluation Forms

The universal form covers the fundamentals, but sport-specific criteria help you evaluate technical skills that matter for your program. Select your sport below for tailored forms, rating rubrics, and position-specific evaluation guidance.

Team Sports

Baseball Tryout Evaluation Form

Hitting, fielding, throwing, and pitching criteria with age-specific weighting for youth through high school.

Basketball Tryout Evaluation Form

Shooting, ball handling, defense, and position-specific forms for guards and big men.

Soccer Tryout Evaluation Form

Technical skills, tactical awareness, and position-specific evaluation for field players and goalkeepers.

Volleyball Tryout Evaluation Form

Passing, setting, attacking, and specialized forms for setters and liberos.

Football Tryout Evaluation Form

Position-specific criteria for skill positions, linemen, and special teams.

Softball Tryout Evaluation Form

Batting, fielding, pitching, and catching evaluation with windmill-specific criteria.

Hockey Tryout Evaluation Form

Skating, puck handling, shooting, and goaltender-specific evaluation criteria.

Lacrosse Tryout Evaluation Form

Stick skills, ground balls, shooting, and position-specific forms for attack, midfield, defense, and goalies.

Individual Sports

Tennis Evaluation Form

Groundstrokes, serve, volleys, and match play assessment criteria.

Golf Evaluation Form

Full swing, short game, putting, and course management evaluation.

Performance Sports

Cheerleading Evaluation Form

Stunting, tumbling, jumps, and position-specific criteria for flyers, bases, and back spots.

Dance Evaluation Form

Technique, musicality, performance quality, and style-specific evaluation.

Digital vs. Paper Evaluation Forms

Paper forms have worked for decades—and they still work. But digital evaluation tools solve problems that paper can't: automatic score calculation, multi-evaluator comparison, and historical tracking across seasons.

When Paper Works Best

Single-session tryouts with one or two evaluators. Paper is fast to set up, requires no training, and works even when the wifi doesn't. Print your forms, grab clipboards, and go.

Paper also works well when evaluators move between stations. Passing a clipboard is faster than logging in and out of devices.

When Digital Works Better

Multi-session tryouts where you need to compare athletes across days. Programs tracking the same athletes year over year. Organizations with multiple teams and coaches who need to share evaluation data.

Digital tools eliminate manual data entry, reduce math errors, and let you filter and sort athletes instantly—by score, by position, by evaluator. Striveon's evaluation tools help you run consistent evaluations and compare athletes across sessions.

The Hybrid Approach

Many programs use paper during tryouts (for speed and simplicity) then digitize scores afterward for analysis. This gives you the best of both: fast data collection and powerful analysis tools.

Evaluation Best Practices

Regardless of format, these practices improve your tryout evaluation process:

Practice	Why It Matters
Use Numbered Pinnies	Assign numbers to athletes instead of using names. This speeds up note-taking and enables blind evaluation.
Calibrate Before Tryouts	Meet with all evaluators beforehand to align on what each rating means. A '4' should look the same to everyone.
Score Immediately	Rate each athlete right after their drill or rotation. Waiting until the end leads to recency bias.
Add Brief Notes	Numbers alone don't tell the full story. 'Strong arm, needs footwork' is more useful than just a '3' rating.
Use Multiple Evaluators	Have at least two coaches evaluate each athlete. Compare scores and discuss significant disagreements.
Test Game Situations	Drills show technique, but scrimmages reveal decision-making, communication, and composure under pressure.

Once tryouts are complete, evaluation data becomes the foundation for development planning. Learn how Striveon helps turn tryout scores into actionable development plans.