Referee mode
Scorekeeper App for Tournaments
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
The hardest moment in any social sports tournament is the contested score. Two players, two memories, no neutral party. The match stops, voices rise, the day stalls. Referee mode is the fix.
Referee mode is one tap. Open the match list, tap "Referee this match", and you're the official scorekeeper. The players see "Refereed by [name]" and lose the ability to edit their own scores. When the match ends, the referee submits and both captains get a sign-off prompt.
How Volley referee mode works
The auto-approve timer means matches don't hang forever waiting for a captain sign-off. Configure it (e.g. 15 minutes) and unapproved results auto-promote unless contested.
No other social sports app offers a real referee mode. Most apps assume players will self-score and there's no formal way to bring in a neutral third party. Volley is built for organisers running real tournaments where contested scores are a real problem.
Free in Volley
Volley is free on iOS and Android, and referee mode is included on every tier. Set up a tournament, assign referees, run a clean event.
Frequently asked questions
How does referee mode work in Volley?
A club steward claims an active match as referee, which locks players out of scoring on their devices. The referee scores the match (from phone or Apple Watch), submits the result, and both team captains can sign off or contest. Audit log captures everything.
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.