Sprint Backlog

The Sprint Backlog is the set of Product Backlog items selected for the sprint plus the plan for delivering them, representing the team's commitment for the sprint. This artifact is owned by the Development Team who manages it throughout the sprint. During Sprint Planning, the team selects highest priority Product Backlog items they believe they can complete, creates Sprint Goal describing overall objective, and breaks down items into tasks forming the plan. The Sprint Backlog includes user stories or features committed to, tasks needed to complete them, estimated hours or points, ownership and progress tracking, and sprint goal providing focus. Throughout the sprint, team members update the Sprint Backlog daily, adding newly discovered tasks, updating completion status, and adjusting remaining work estimates. The backlog emerges during sprint as team learns more about requirements and work involved. Key characteristics include team ownership with team managing their own backlog, visibility making progress transparent, adaptability allowing task additions as needed, focus on sprint goal guiding decisions, and completion orientation tracking remaining work. Benefits include team autonomy in managing work, transparency on sprint progress, self-organization around tasks, accountability for commitments, and clear focus on sprint deliverables. The Sprint Backlog differs from Product Backlog: Product Backlog contains all potential future work owned by Product Owner, while Sprint Backlog contains only committed sprint work owned by Development Team. Common anti-patterns include Product Owner changing Sprint Backlog mid-sprint, team not updating progress regularly, ignoring incomplete items, or treating Sprint Backlog as unchangeable preventing adaptation. Best practices include visualizing on board, updating daily, maintaining task granularity at one day or less, tracking completion not just progress, and adjusting as understanding improves. Product managers should respect Sprint Backlog as team's domain, avoid mid-sprint scope changes, and trust team to manage their commitments. Strong Sprint Backlog management enables team self-organization while maintaining transparency on progress toward sprint goals.