quick Q about group shots

hey guys, In about an hr I'm going to go take some group shots of the teams that my kids play on the local ymca.

I would like to ask a quick question, how should I align the kids and what stop do you guys use to get everyone in focus. f8-f11 was my guess but I don't really know.

I'm taking my tammy 17-50 for this purpose, my 85 is already in the cam for some action shots, those are pretty much easy for me since I always shoot sports.

stills are my weakest point that's why I need some pointers from you guys.

thanks in advance.

How many in the group? 10 or more? Align them as you've seen in all sports group shots. Front row is low in the frame, perhaps sitting or kneeling; row(s) behind them are (gradually)higher and staggered(one head is not directly above the one in front.) f/8 to f/11 with the 17-50 should provide plenty of dof for sharpness

I would line them up in as few rows as possible to keep everyone as close to the focal plane as you can get while maintaining your ability to fit everyone in the frame from side to side. Maybe the tallest standing, averge kneeling, and the rest sitting in the front. Maybe you can kind of interlace them to pack them as close together from front to back.

The wider the focal length you use the closer you can get which increases the depth of field but at a certain point you'll introduce distortion around the edges so you have to weigh those factors.

I'd start at f/8, review and go from there. focus people closest to the center of the group. If you have three rows focus on the middle row, not the front or back. If you focus on the front guy and your DOF is shallow enough the guys in back might starte getting soft, and vice versa.

Hope that helps.

thanks guys, i'm off to get this done.