How to Use a Live Water Polo Scoreboard

1. Go to the Free Scoreboard page on JudgeMate (no login required).
2. Select Water Polo from the available sports.
3. Tap "Create Scoreboard".

The system instantly generates two links:

• Admin link — contains a secret token. This is your control panel. Save this link, if you lose it, you cannot regain control.
• Spectator link, no token. This is the public-facing display for fans, parents, coaches, and anyone watching at the pool.

You are immediately redirected to the admin panel, where the game starts in Setup mode.

Tip for tournament organizers: Create a separate scoreboard for each pool or match. Each board has its own admin and spectator links, so different operators can manage different matches simultaneously while a central display aggregates spectator links.

Before the match begins, you will see the Setup Screen with the following options:

Team Names:

• Type up to 20 characters per team
• Default names: HOME / GUEST
• Tip: Use short names (e.g., "Sharks" not "Aquatic Swimming Club Sharks U16") for readability on spectator screens and pool-deck displays

Team Colors:

• Choose from 12 presets: red, orange, amber, lime, green, teal, cyan, blue, purple, pink, gray, white
• In water polo, the home team traditionally wears white caps and the away team wears dark/blue caps — choose colors accordingly for visual consistency
• Colors appear on both the admin panel and the spectator display

While you're in Setup, spectators who open the link see a waiting screen:

"Game Starting Soon — Waiting for the host to start..."

When you are ready, tap "Start Game". The board switches to LIVE status, the clock appears at 8:00, and spectators see the scoreboard in real time.

The score section is split into two zones — Home (left) and Guest (right).

Each side has:

• A large "+" button to add a goal (+1)
• A smaller "−" button to remove a goal (score never goes below 0)

Every tap updates the spectator screen instantly — there is no delay. If you make a mistake, tap the minus button to correct it.

Every goal in water polo is worth 1 point, so a single +1 button per team is all you need. There are no bonus goals or multi-point plays.

The total score is displayed prominently in the center of both the admin panel and the spectator view, with large, high-contrast numbers designed to be readable from the pool deck and the stands.

Event log: Each goal is timestamped and added to the match event log. After the match, the event log shows the complete scoring timeline — useful for coaches reviewing which quarters produced the most goals and how momentum shifted.

Water polo uses a countdown clock — each quarter starts at 8:00 and counts down to 0:00.

Basic Controls

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

The clock runs only when you press START. In real water polo, the clock stops on every whistle — you should pause the scoreboard clock whenever play stops (goals, fouls, out-of-bounds, timeouts) and restart it when the referee's whistle signals play to resume.

Adjusting the Clock

Tap "Adjust clock" under the clock. A sheet opens with six steps: −1:00, −0:10, −0:01, +0:01, +0:10, +1:00. The steps add up, and a preview shows the corrected time before you apply it. Use it to correct the clock if it drifts from the official game time, or to set it to a specific moment.

Water polo progresses through the following phases:

Advancing Quarters

Tap "End period", then tap again to confirm, to progress: Quarter 1 → 2 → 3 → 4 → Overtime 1 → Shootout.

Each transition:

• Resets the clock to the appropriate starting time (8:00 for regular quarters, 3:00 for overtime)
• Updates the quarter label on the spectator display
• The clock does not start automatically — you must press START when ready

Overtime (OT)

World Aquatics rules have no overtime: a tie after the 4th quarter goes straight to a penalty shootout after a 3-minute break. The OT phase is an optional period for leagues whose own rules play extra time. If you play World Aquatics rules, set Match format → "Extra time if drawn" to No. Then "End period" after the 4th quarter opens the shootout straight away. You can also tap "End period" again during the overtime to move on to the shootout.

When you advance from 4th to OT:

• The clock resets to 3:00 (a single 3-minute overtime period)
• The display shows "Overtime 1" as the current period
• Exclusion timers work as in regular quarters (the board has no shot clock for water polo)
• There is only one OT period: the next "End period" (with its confirming tap) goes to the shootout

Penalty Shootout (PS)

When you advance from OT to PS:

• The clock disappears entirely — penalty shootouts have no time limit
• START/PAUSE and all clock adjustment buttons are hidden
• Only the score buttons (+/−) remain active
• The display shows "Shootout" as the current phase
• Use the +/− buttons to track goals scored during the shootout

Exclusion tracking is one of the most valuable features of JudgeMate's water polo scoreboard. In a sport where 6-on-5 power plays decide matches, accurate exclusion timing is essential.

Adding an Exclusion

1. Choose the team — Home or Guest
2. Optionally enter a player name or cap number (e.g., "#7" or "Kovacs")
3. The exclusion timer starts immediately at 20 seconds

The exclusion timer is synchronized with the game clock — it runs when the game clock is running and pauses when the game clock is paused. This matches real water polo rules, where the exclusion clock is linked to playing time. The board counts 20 seconds, while World Aquatics rules (as of 2026) end an exclusion after 18 seconds of actual play, so tap Remove when the secretary signals re-entry.

Active Exclusions Display

All active exclusions are shown as a list with:

• Team color indicator — so you can see at a glance which team is short-handed
• Player cap number/name (or just the team name if no player was specified)
• Remaining time, counting down from 20 seconds in real time
• "Remove" button, to end an exclusion early

Spectator View

Active exclusions are displayed on the spectator screen with live countdown timers. This is one of the most impactful features for the viewing experience — spectators can see exactly how many seconds remain before the excluded player returns. In top-league water polo, this information is displayed on the electronic scoreboard; JudgeMate brings this to every pool.

Early Removal

Exclusions end early when:

• A goal is scored (by either team) — tap Remove to clear the exclusion
• The excluded player's team regains possession, tap Remove
• The excluded player's team is awarded a free throw, goal throw or penalty throw, tap Remove

You manage these rules manually — the scoreboard tracks the timer, and you decide when to remove it based on what happens in the pool.

Multiple Simultaneous Exclusions

The system tracks any number of active exclusions simultaneously. If both teams have excluded players, all timers run independently and are all visible on the spectator display. This is particularly important in water polo, where double exclusions (one from each team) are not uncommon.

Sharing with Spectators

Tap the "Share" button in the top bar to open the share panel:

• QR Code — spectators scan it with their phone camera to open the scoreboard instantly
• Link, copy and send via WhatsApp, Messenger, SMS, email, or any app
• Native share, use your phone's built-in share sheet (iOS/Android)

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

Pool-Deck Display

For the best spectator experience at the pool:

1. Open the spectator link on a laptop or tablet
2. Connect to a TV, projector, or pool-deck monitor via HDMI or wireless casting
3. Use the admin font size control to scale up the text

The spectator view uses high-contrast colors, large fonts, and a clean layout designed for readability from the stands, the pool deck, and even from the water.

Font Size Remote Control

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

• A− / A+ buttons — decrease or increase font size
• Range: 50% to 300% of default size

This is especially useful for pool-deck displays and projectors, where you need scores and exclusion timers visible from a distance.

Spectators can also adjust their own local font size (range: 70%–160%) by tapping their screen, but the admin's setting takes priority for the base scale.

Ending the Match

The board never ends the match by itself. When the final whistle blows:

1. Tap "End match" at the bottom of the panel.
2. Tap it again within 4 seconds to confirm. The button needs this second tap, so a stray touch does not end the match.

Once ended:

• The score is frozen for spectators, and no more goals can be added.
• Spectators see the final score under a "Final Score" label.
• The clock stops.

After the Match

The panel shows a "Match ended" card with the final score, the shootout score if there was one, and the winner. Further down, "Match summary" lists every event of the match in order.

• "Share" sends the final score to fans, team chats, or social media.
• "Save to my matches" keeps the match in your account. If you are not logged in, you see "Log in to keep this match" and "Not now" instead.
• When you are logged in, "My matches", "My leagues" and "Add to a league" appear as well.

There is no rematch button. For the next match, create a new board.

Board Expiration

Completed scoreboards you have not saved remain accessible for up to one week. After that, the board expires and spectators see a "Session Expired" message. Save or screenshot the final result if you need a permanent record.