Referee mode
Third-Party Scoring App
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
Self-scored matches work fine until they don't. The moment they don't — usually a contested 30-30 or set point — you need a third party. That's what referee mode is for.
In Volley, a club steward can claim any active match as the referee. Once claimed, both players are locked out of scoring on their own devices — only the referee can score the match. The score updates live on every screen. At the end, the referee submits the result and both team captains can sign off (or contest in writing).
How Volley referee mode works
Hand-back is one tap: if you're no longer needed for a match, hand it back to the players to score themselves. The lockout lifts immediately.
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
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.