Retrospective in a sprintwhere it fits and what comes next
Place the Sprint Retrospective correctly between the Sprint Review and the next Sprint Planning, with clear guidance on timing and attendance.
In Scrum, the Sprint Retrospective is part of the Sprint and is its final event. It follows the Sprint Review and concludes before the next Sprint starts with Sprint Planning, keeping both events inside the current Sprint boundary. The Review examines the product and future direction with stakeholders. The Retrospective turns the Scrum Team's attention to how it worked.
The Scrum event order
Sprint Planning → work and Daily Scrums → Sprint Review → Sprint Retrospective → next Sprint Planning
Sprint Planning starts the Sprint, which contains the other Scrum events. The Sprint Review comes second-to-last. The Retrospective closes the Sprint, and a new Sprint begins immediately after the previous one ends.
Is the Retrospective inside the Sprint?
The meeting remains inside the Sprint even when it happens late on the final day. Scheduling it after the Sprint boundary weakens the inspect-and-adapt cycle and puts planning ahead of the team's reflection.
Review, Retrospective, and next Planning
| Event | Purpose | Participants | Typical output |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01Sprint Review | Inspect the Sprint outcome, discuss what changed, and adapt future product direction with key stakeholders. | Scrum Team and key stakeholders | Updated understanding and Product Backlog adaptation |
| 02Sprint Retrospective | Inspect how the Scrum Team worked and plan improvements. | Scrum Team | Changes that improve quality and effectiveness |
| 03Next Sprint Planning | Initiate the next Sprint and create its plan. | Scrum Team | Sprint Goal, selected work, and delivery plan |
How to place it on the calendar
- Run the Sprint Review earlier on the final day when possible.
- Leave a short break between the product feedback and the Retrospective.
- Finish the Retrospective before the next Sprint Planning begins.
- Use different calendar days when the defined Sprint boundary still preserves the event order.
Scrum timeboxes
A Sprint lasts one month or less. For a one-month Sprint, the Sprint Review has a maximum timebox of four hours and the Sprint Retrospective has three. Shorter Sprints usually use shorter events. For a two-week Sprint, 30 to 60 minutes is a practical suggestion within the official Scrum timebox.
What crosses into the next Sprint?
The Scrum Team identifies the changes most likely to improve effectiveness. It addresses the strongest improvements as soon as possible and may add them to the next Sprint Backlog. Other changes can live outside the backlog.
Common timing mistakes
- Scheduling the Retrospective after the defined Sprint boundary.
- Combining the Review and Retrospective, despite their different subjects and participant groups.
- Starting the next Sprint Planning before reflecting on the current Sprint.
- Saving an urgent problem for the formal Retrospective.
- Extending the Retrospective invite to every Review stakeholder by default.
For a complete agenda and meeting flow, use the Sprint Retrospective guide. Teams outside Scrum can choose a cadence around flow, milestones, or releases with the agile retrospective guide.