Sprint Retrospective - A Scrum Event [Scrum Guide Video]
Please note: This is still the most current version of the Scrum Guide in 2025.
Video: Scrum Events - Sprint Retrospective
This is from the official 2020 Scrum Guide by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland.
Please share the links above with your friends, teams, leaders, and other stakeholders within your organization. You’ll get bonus points for sharing them on your social networks and internal slack channels.
Scrum Events - Sprint Retrospective as defined in the official 2020 Scrum Guide
Sprint Retrospective
The purpose of the Sprint Retrospective is to plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness.
The Scrum Team inspects how the last Sprint went with regards to individuals, interactions, processes, tools, and their Definition of Done. Inspected elements often vary with the domain of work. Assumptions that led them astray are identified and their origins explored. The Scrum Team discusses what went well during the Sprint, what problems it encountered, and how those problems were (or were not) solved.
The Scrum Team identifies the most helpful changes to improve its effectiveness. The most impactful improvements are addressed as soon as possible. They may even be added to the Sprint Backlog for the next Sprint.
The Sprint Retrospective concludes the Sprint. It is timeboxed to a maximum of three hours for a one-month Sprint. For shorter Sprints, the event is usually shorter.
References and Additional Learning Resources
View the “Scrum Events - Sprint Retrospective” section in the Interactive Scrum Guide.
Listen to the “Scrum Events: Sprint Retrospective” from the Scrum Guide Audio Book.
Listen to the official 2020 version of the Scrum Guide Audio Book.
View the official online digital version of the 2020 Scrum at InteractiveScrumGuide.com.
Watch the official 2020 Scrum Guide YouTube Playlist at sg20_playlist.mvizdos.com.
Learn more about Implementing Scrum with Michael Vizdos at ImplementingScrum.com.
Subscribe to your free weekly Saturday morning, emails with the original Scrum Chicken and Pig Cartoons about Implementing Scrum by visiting subscribe.mvizdos.com.
Finally, you can learn more about Michael Vizdos, creator of ImplementingScrum.com, the Scrum Guide Audiobook and the Interactive Scrum Guide at michaelvizdos.com.
Get even more FREE resources to learn about Implementing Scrum at learn.mvizdos.com.
About the Author: Michael Vizdos
Hi. I really do appreciate you reading this article. My name is Michael Vizdos and I’ve worked with thousands of people on teams all around the world for the past 30+ years of my professional career.
Can you do me a quick favor?
Please "right click and share" this post -- Sprint Retrospective - A Scrum Event [Scrum Guide Video] by Michael Vizdos -- with your internal team (think slack channels) or out on your favorite social media platform.