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Ref your first game with ReadyRef.

Everything you need for your first game as a ReadyRef referee, in one minute: open the game, run the clock, call the downs, score it, fix a mistake, and submit the result.

Video poster: Ref your first game. A cartoon referee cheering beside a phone showing the ReadyRef Ref tab.

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Your first game, step by step

  1. 0:03Open the Ref tab: Ref Scheduled Game
  2. 0:09Just practicing? Scrimmage and a Ref PIN
  3. 0:15Your scoreboard, piece by piece
  4. 0:20Start and stop the clock
  5. 0:25Swipe for downs and turnovers
  6. 0:30Touchdown: +6, then +1
  7. 0:36Timeouts, the flag, and Undo
  8. 0:41Fans follow with your game code
  9. 0:48Submit a league game
Read the transcript

Here’s everything you need to ref your first game.

Open the Ref tab. For a league game, tap Ref Scheduled Game and pick yours. Just practicing? Tap Scrimmage and set a four-digit Ref PIN.

This is your scoreboard: the clock, the score, the down, and who has the ball. Tap the big button to start the clock. Tap again to stop it. Swipe up for a first down, right for the next down, and left for a turnover.

Touchdown? Tap plus six. Then plus one for the extra point. Timeouts and the flag are right above. Made a mistake? Tap Undo.

Fans follow along live with your six-character game code. You can find it in Tools. League game over? Open Tools and tap Submit. The results and the recap post themselves. Try it free at readyref.app.

Good to know

  • Scrimmages are a scoreboard only. Results and recaps are recorded for games you open from your league schedule with Ref Scheduled Game.
  • Prefer buttons to swiping? Open Tools, then Game Settings, and switch off Swipe controls. You can also change what each swipe does there.
  • Fans don’t need the app. They open readyref.app in any browser and type your six-character game code. No account needed.
  • Reffing with a partner? Tools has an Add Ref button for bringing another referee onto the same game.
  • Undo takes back the last call, so a wrong swipe or tap is one tap to fix.

Next: ref without looking

The next how-to goes deeper on the swipe pad: haptics on the Android app, your volume buttons, and calling a whole game with your eyes on the field.

Watch: Ref without looking Subscribe on YouTube

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