How to Create a New Sprint in Jira: A 7-Step Guide (2026)

How to create a new sprint in Jira without costly mistakes? Follow 7 steps to plan work and start smoothly. Read now to learn.

To create a new sprint in Jira, open your Scrum backlog, select Create sprint, add the planned work, and start the sprint when your team is ready. The process takes only a few minutes when your board is configured correctly.

Still, a small setup mistake can cause major confusion. You might start the wrong sprint, leave issues unassigned, or give your team no clear sprint goal. That makes progress harder to track and creates avoidable work during planning.

But here's the truth: creating a sprint is easy; creating a useful sprint requires a little preparation. This guide walks you through seven practical steps, explains what to check before starting, and shows how to handle common Jira sprint problems in 2026.

How to Create a New Sprint in Jira

Use Jira’s Scrum backlog to create and prepare a sprint. You can add issues, set dates, define a goal, and start the sprint from the same planning area.

Open the Scrum Backlog

Sign in to Jira and open the Scrum project that contains your team’s work. In the project navigation, select Backlog.

Jira separates Scrum and Kanban workflows. The sprint controls described here apply to Scrum boards. If you do not see a Backlog option, check whether you are viewing a Kanban board or whether your permissions allow sprint management.

For example, a software team might open its “Mobile App” project, choose the Scrum board, and then select Backlog before planning the next development cycle.
Select Create Sprint

In the backlog, look above the issue list for Create sprint. Jira usually places this control near the existing sprint area.

Select it to add a new sprint beneath the current sprint or above the backlog. The new sprint normally receives a temporary name such as “Sprint 4” or “Future sprint.”

Here’s why this matters: creating the sprint does not start it. You can prepare the scope, review priorities, and adjust the plan before any work officially begins.
Rename the Sprint

Give the sprint a clear name that helps your team recognize its purpose. Select the sprint name and replace the default label with something meaningful.

Good names are short and consistent. Examples include:
- Checkout reliability
- March customer onboarding
- Release 3.2 preparation
- Search performance improvements
Avoid names that only include a number if your team manages several boards or reviews older sprint reports. A descriptive name makes planning conversations easier.
Set the Sprint Dates

Open the sprint details and enter a start date and end date. The dates should match your team’s agreed sprint length, such as one week or two weeks.

For a two-week sprint beginning on Monday, you might set the start date to April 6 and the end date to April 17. Confirm your team’s working calendar before saving the dates.

Dates help Jira calculate sprint duration and support reporting. They also give the team a shared deadline. If your sprint has no clear end date, unfinished work can remain open without a useful planning boundary.
Write a Sprint Goal

Add a short sprint goal that explains the outcome your team wants to achieve. The goal should describe value, not simply list every issue in the sprint.

For example, “Allow new customers to complete registration without support assistance” is stronger than “Finish tickets APP-101 through APP-109.”

Let me explain: issue lists describe activity, while a sprint goal gives the team direction. When priorities change, the goal helps you decide which work still belongs in the sprint.
Move Issues Into the Sprint

Drag selected backlog issues into the new sprint, or use each issue’s actions menu to assign it to the sprint. Review the work before moving it.

Check that every issue has enough detail for the team to begin. A practical review includes:
- A clear description of the expected outcome
- Acceptance criteria that explain completion
- An appropriate priority
- An estimate, such as story points or time
- Required dependencies or linked work
Suppose your team usually completes 30 story points in a two-week cycle. Planning 55 points creates a capacity risk before the sprint begins. Compare the proposed workload with recent delivery patterns and available people.
Start the Sprint

When the sprint scope, goal, and dates are ready, select Start sprint. Jira may ask you to confirm the start and end dates before activating it.

Starting the sprint moves the planned issues into active sprint tracking. The team can then work from the active board, update statuses, and monitor progress through reports.

Before confirming, check three details:
- The correct sprint is selected
- The dates match your planning agreement
- The initial issue scope reflects realistic capacity
The best part? You can still adjust work after starting. However, frequent scope changes make sprint reporting less reliable, so treat additions and removals as deliberate decisions.

What to Check Before Planning a Sprint

A sprint works best when the backlog is ready before the planning meeting. Review the highest-priority issues first and remove work that lacks a clear outcome.

For example, an issue titled “Improve API” may be too vague for immediate planning. A stronger issue could say, “Reduce product-search API response time below 400 milliseconds for common queries.”

You should also confirm that the team understands its capacity. Holidays, training, support rotations, and planned leave can reduce the time available for sprint work.

Planning check	What to confirm
Backlog priority	The most valuable work appears near the top.
Issue readiness	Each selected issue has enough detail to begin.
Team capacity	Planned work reflects availability and recent throughput.
Dependencies	External approvals, technical prerequisites, and linked work are visible.
Sprint goal	The planned issues support one clear outcome.

How to Add and Remove Work From a Sprint

Jira lets you change sprint scope, but every change affects planning visibility. Add work when it is genuinely necessary, such as an urgent production defect or a missing task required to complete the sprint goal.

To add an issue, locate it in the backlog and move it into the active sprint. You can usually drag it into the sprint section or assign the sprint through the issue’s details.

To remove an issue, move it back to the backlog or assign it to a later sprint. Discuss the change with the team first, especially when the issue has already started.

Consider a sprint planned for a payment upgrade. If a critical security defect blocks testing, adding that defect may be reasonable. Adding an unrelated design request simply because someone has spare capacity can weaken the sprint’s focus.

What Happens After You Start a Sprint?

Once the sprint begins, Jira displays its work on the active board. Team members can move issues through workflow statuses such as To Do, In Progress, and Done.

Jira also uses the sprint period and issue history to support reports. Burndown charts can show remaining work, while velocity reports help you compare completed work across previous sprints.

You might be wondering: can you start another sprint while one is active? Jira allows parallel sprints when the board and project settings support them. Most teams should avoid this unless they have a clear reason, such as multiple independent delivery groups sharing one board.

During the sprint, review progress regularly rather than waiting for the final day. If most issues remain in To Do near the deadline, the problem may be unclear priorities, blocked work, or an overloaded plan.

Common Jira Sprint Problems and Fixes

The Create Sprint Button Is Missing

Confirm that you are using a Scrum board and viewing the backlog. If the button still does not appear, ask a Jira administrator to check your board configuration and sprint permissions.

The Sprint Starts With the Wrong Dates

Before confirming the sprint, edit its details and enter the agreed dates. If it has already started, review the available sprint actions and correct the dates where your Jira configuration permits it.

Issues Do Not Appear in the Sprint

Check the board filter, project association, issue status, and sprint field. An issue can exist in the same project but remain outside the board’s filter, which prevents it from appearing in the expected backlog.

The Sprint Is Overloaded

Compare the planned estimate with recent team capacity. Move lower-priority issues to a later sprint and keep the current goal achievable.

The Sprint Goal Is Unclear

Rewrite the goal around a customer, business, or technical outcome. “Complete five tasks” gives little direction, while “Make account recovery reliable for mobile customers” provides a useful decision filter.

Jira Sprint Management Solution: ONES.com

ONES.com product screenshot

Value Proposition

ONES.com combines project management and knowledge management in one platform, with ONES Project providing Jira-compatible project workflows. It can help teams plan sprints, coordinate work, and keep delivery knowledge connected without relying on a large collection of plugins.

ONES Project is available as a Jira alternative for teams that want flexible deployment, built-in reporting, and custom workflow controls. ONES Project and ONES Wiki are sold separately.

Core Capabilities

Scattered sprint planning → Backlog and sprint management → Organize prioritized work, plan sprint scope, and track active delivery in a consistent workspace.
Rigid workflows → Custom workflows and fields → Match issue stages and information requirements to your team’s actual approval and delivery process.
Limited visibility → Built-in reporting → Review progress, workload, and delivery trends without assembling separate reporting tools.
Manual recurring actions → Automation → Reduce repetitive updates, notifications, and routing tasks that slow down sprint administration.
Unclear sprint progress → Sprint tracking → Connect planned work with active progress so the team can identify risk before the sprint deadline.
Plugin-heavy Jira setups → Native project capabilities → Reduce dependence on additional extensions for common planning, workflow, and reporting needs.
Restricted hosting requirements → On-premise, private cloud, and air-gapped deployment → Choose a deployment model that fits security, compliance, or network restrictions.
Different environments → Full feature parity → Use the cloud or self-hosted version while retaining the same core feature coverage.
Growing teams → Free plan for up to 30 seats → Let a smaller team evaluate the platform before planning a broader rollout.

Application Scenarios

Scenario one: A product team replacing a crowded Jira setup. The team manages multiple workflows and relies on several extensions for reporting and automation. With ONES Project, it can configure custom fields, manage sprints, and use built-in reporting in one project environment.

Scenario two: A regulated engineering group. The team needs project management inside a controlled network. An on-premise, private cloud, or air-gapped deployment can support that operating model while preserving core project capabilities.

Scenario three: A distributed product organization. Product managers need sprint planning, while the wider team needs connected knowledge management. ONES.com can pair ONES Project with ONES Wiki so delivery work and team knowledge remain easier to find.

Common Challenges When Creating Jira Sprints

Planning Too Much Work

Problem: Teams fill the sprint with every high-priority issue and leave no room for interruptions.

Solution: Use recent velocity as a guide, account for availability, and reserve reasonable capacity for support or urgent defects.

Starting a Sprint Before Issues Are Ready

Problem: Developers begin work while acceptance criteria, designs, or dependencies remain unclear.

Solution: Add a readiness check before planning. Move uncertain issues to a refinement queue until the team can estimate and discuss them.

Changing Scope Without Discussion

Problem: Stakeholders add work during the sprint, making the original goal harder to achieve.

Solution: Treat scope changes as trade-offs. If new work enters, identify what should leave or explain why the capacity risk is acceptable.

Using Sprint Names Inconsistently

Problem: Names such as “Sprint 12,” “Sprint 12 final,” and “New Sprint” make historical reporting difficult to interpret.

Solution: Agree on one naming pattern, such as a number plus an outcome or release theme.

Ignoring Blocked Issues

Problem: A blocked issue remains in progress while the team assumes work is moving forward.

Solution: Mark blocked work clearly, assign an owner for removing the blocker, and review it during daily coordination.

FAQs About Creating Jira Sprints

Can I create a sprint without starting it?

Yes. You can create a future sprint, rename it, set dates, add issues, and review its scope before selecting Start sprint. This separation helps your team prepare without changing the status of current work.

Why can’t I create a sprint in Jira?

The most common reasons are that you are viewing a Kanban board, using a board with an unsuitable filter, or lacking sprint permissions. Open a Scrum backlog first, then ask a Jira administrator to review the board configuration if the control remains unavailable.

Can I change the sprint goal after starting?

In many Jira configurations, you can edit sprint details after the sprint begins. However, a major goal change should be discussed with the team because it can affect scope, reporting, and the interpretation of completed work.

How many issues should a sprint contain?

There is no universal issue count. Five large issues may require more effort than twenty small ones. Estimate work, compare it with recent team capacity, and leave room for dependencies and expected interruptions.

Can I move an issue from one sprint to another?

Yes. You can usually move an issue between the backlog, a future sprint, and an active sprint. Before moving it, consider whether the change affects the sprint goal, reporting, or another team’s dependency.

Should I create a new sprint before the current one ends?

Usually, yes. Preparing the next sprint before the current cycle ends gives the team time to refine priorities and confirm capacity. Start it only when the previous sprint has been completed or closed according to your team’s process.

Conclusion

Creating a sprint in Jira is straightforward: open a Scrum backlog, create the sprint, name it, set dates, define a goal, move in ready issues, and start it after reviewing capacity.

But here's the truth: the button is the easy part. A useful sprint needs a focused outcome, prepared work, realistic capacity, and clear decisions about scope changes.

Use the seven-step process whenever you plan a new cycle. If your team needs broader workflow control, built-in reporting, flexible deployment, or a Jira alternative with fewer add-ons, evaluate whether ONES.com fits your operating model.