How to Use a Live Field Hockey Scoreboard

Getting started takes three taps:

1. Open the Free Scoreboard page on JudgeMate.
2. Select Field Hockey from the sport list.
3. Tap "Create Scoreboard".

The system instantly generates two links:

• Admin link — your private control panel (contains a secret token).
• Spectator link, the public view for fans and officials.

No account, no email, no app download required. The board is ready immediately.

Save your admin link — if you close the browser without bookmarking it, you will not be able to regain control.

Before the match starts, you see the Setup Screen where you configure:

Team names:

• Tap the name fields to type custom names (up to 20 characters).
• Default names: HOME and GUEST.

Team colors:

• Choose from 12 color presets (red, orange, amber, lime, green, teal, cyan, blue, purple, pink, gray, white).
• Colors appear on the spectator display and help distinguish teams visually.

Starting the match:

• Tap "Start Match" when both teams are ready.
• Spectators see a waiting screen ("Game Starting Soon") until you press Start.
• Once started, the board goes LIVE and the countdown clock is ready to run.

Field hockey in JudgeMate uses a countdown clock — the time counts down from 15:00 to 0:00 each quarter, then resets for the next quarter.

Basic controls:

• START (blue button) — begins the countdown.
• PAUSE (yellow button), pauses the clock.

In field hockey, the clock stops during dead-ball situations (goals, cards, injuries, penalty corners). This means you will pause and resume the clock frequently throughout the match — exactly how field hockey handles time.

When paused, additional controls appear:

• +1:00 / −1:00 — adjust by 1 minute.
• +0:10 / −0:10, adjust by 10 seconds.

No stoppage time: Because the clock stops during dead-ball situations, there is no added time at the end of quarters. When the clock reaches 0:00, the quarter is over.

Quarter transitions: Tap "Next Period" to advance: Q1 → Q2 → Q3 → Q4.

The period label on the spectator display updates automatically ("Q1", "Q2", "Q3", "Q4"). The clock resets to 15:00 at the start of each new quarter. You can also undo a period transition if you tapped it by mistake.

The score area is split into two tap zones:

• Left half = Home team
• Right half = Guest team

Each side has:

• A large "+" button — tap to add a goal.
• A smaller "−" button, tap to undo a goal (score never goes below 0).

Every tap updates the spectator screen instantly in real-time. There is no confirmation dialog — the score changes immediately.

Goal event log: When you add a goal, you can optionally enter a player number or name. The goal is recorded with the current match time and appears in the event log on the spectator display. This creates a complete scoring timeline — who scored, when, and for which team.

Tip: If you accidentally add a goal, tap the minus button right away. The spectator display corrects itself within a fraction of a second.

JudgeMate's field hockey scoreboard includes the complete three-card system — a feature that sets it apart from most scoreboard apps, which only offer yellow and red.

Adding a card:

1. Tap the Green, Yellow, or Red card button for the relevant team.
2. A pop-up appears — optionally enter a player number or name.
3. Confirm, the card is recorded with the current match time.

Cards appear on both the admin panel and the spectator display.

Card suspension times:

• Green card = 2-minute suspension
• Yellow card = 5-minute minimum suspension
• Red card = permanent exclusion

Why the green card matters: Field hockey's green card is unique among team sports. It is the most frequently issued card in a typical match and has a direct tactical impact — the team plays with one fewer player for 2 minutes. Most generic scoreboard apps do not support the green card, leaving a gap in the match record. JudgeMate includes it because field hockey without the green card is incomplete.

Undo: Each team has an "Undo last card" button that removes the most recently added card. Useful for correcting mistakes.

What spectators see: The spectator view displays a summary of cards per team (e.g., 1 green, 2 yellow for Home). All cards are listed with times and player names in the event log.

Tap the "Share" button in the admin panel to open the share modal:

Sharing options:

• QR Code — spectators scan it with their phone camera to open the live scoreboard.
• Copy Link, copies the spectator URL to your clipboard for sharing via any messenger (WhatsApp, SMS, email, etc.).
• Native Share, uses your phone's share sheet (where available in your browser).

The spectator link works on any device with a web browser — phones, tablets, laptops, Smart TVs, projectors. No app download or login required.

Font size remote control: As the admin, you can control the text size on all spectator screens:

• A− / A+ buttons or a slider.
• Range: 50% to 300% of default size.
• Ideal for adjusting readability on clubhouse TVs, outdoor screens, or tournament projectors.

Spectators can also adjust their own local font size (70%-160%), but the admin's setting takes priority.

Use case for field hockey: Share the QR code in the team WhatsApp group so parents can follow the match live from the sideline or from home. Display the spectator link on a TV near the dugout so substitutes and coaches can see the clock and card situation at a glance.

When the match is over:

1. Tap "End Game" in the top bar.
2. A confirmation dialog appears: "End game? This will freeze the score for all spectators."
3. Tap "Yes, End Game" to confirm.

After ending:

• The score is permanently frozen — no one can change it.
• Spectators see the final score with an "ENDED" badge.
• The clock stops automatically.

Post-game summary: The admin panel displays match statistics:

• Total match duration
• Goals scored by each team
• Green cards per team
• Yellow cards per team
• Red cards per team
• Full event log with times

Post-game actions:

• "New Game — Same Teams", creates a fresh board with the same team names and colors. One tap, instant rematch.
• "New Game, Change Sport", returns to the sport selection screen.
• "Share Final Results", re-opens the share modal so you can send the final score.

Board lifespan: Completed scoreboards remain accessible for up to one week. After that, the board expires and spectators see a "Session Expired" message.

JudgeMate is especially valuable for field hockey tournaments where multiple matches run simultaneously on different pitches.

Tournament setup:

• Create a separate scoreboard for each match — each gets its own admin link and spectator link.
• Assign a different person to control each pitch from their phone.
• Share all spectator links with a central display (TV, projector, or laptop) so organizers can monitor all matches.

Benefits for tournament organizers:

• No hardware needed — each pitch only needs one person with a phone.
• Parents and fans can follow any match from their own devices.
• Accurate card records, the green/yellow/red card log yields a complete disciplinary record for the tournament.
• Goal event logs, player names and scoring times are recorded for tournament statistics.

Typical tournament workflow:

1. Before the tournament: create scoreboards for all scheduled matches.
2. Share admin links with designated scorers on each pitch.
3. Share spectator links on the tournament's communication channel.
4. After each match: end the game and create a new board for the next match on that pitch ("New Game — Same Teams" or "New Game, Change Sport").

This workflow scales from a 4-team club tournament to a 32-team regional championship — the system handles any volume because each board is independent.