Referee mode
Fair Scoring with Referee Mode
Most social sports apps assume players will self-score and there's no formal way to bring in a neutral. Volley's referee mode lets a steward claim any match, lock players from scoring, score it cleanly, and trigger a captain sign-off at the end. Built for tournament organisers who run real events.
The contested score problem
Most contested scores in club tournaments come down to the same thing: nobody was keeping the official tally. Both sides remember it slightly differently. Without a neutral steward, every disputed point becomes a debate. Referee mode is what every social tournament has been missing.
The flow: steward claims a match → players are locked from scoring → steward scores via the standard scoring screen (or Apple Watch, even better) → match ends → both captains see the result and tap to approve. Disputes go through a formal channel instead of a shouting match.
How Volley referee mode works
Every refereed match is logged with the referee's name, the timestamp, and the captain approvals (or the lack of them). Audit trail for any dispute that comes after the fact.
For tournament organisers, referee mode is the feature that makes the day runnable without arguments. Stewards claim matches as needed, lock the score, sign off cleanly. The chaos goes away.
Free in Volley
Referee mode ships free in Volley. Download on iOS or Android and use it on your next tournament day.
Frequently asked questions
Can I hand back a match to the players after refereeing it?
Yes. One tap to hand it back; the player lockout lifts immediately and they can resume self-scoring. Useful when a referee gets pulled to a more important match.
Can a referee score multiple matches at once?
Yes. A single referee can claim and manage multiple matches in parallel from a unified dashboard. Tournament day with multiple courts running stays manageable.
Does referee mode work with Apple Watch scoring?
Yes. A referee can score from their Apple Watch — same scoring engine, same lockout for the players, same haptic confirmation per point. Perfect for tournament day when you're moving between courts.
What happens if a captain doesn't sign off on the result?
The auto-approve timer kicks in (configurable per tournament, e.g. 15 minutes). Unapproved results auto-promote unless explicitly contested. Disputes go to the tournament organiser for review.