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Four Apps, One Platform

Sideline Command is a complete flag football management platform. Think of it as four apps that all talk to each other:

• Coach App — Your command center. Design plays on a visual canvas, build playbooks, manage your roster, set lineups, and run game day from your iPad or phone. This is the main product and where most coaches spend their time.
• Referee App — A phone-optimized scoreboard control panel. Referees manage the game clock, score, downs, and possession. Everything they do broadcasts live to coaches and parents.
• Parent Portal — How families stay connected. Parents see live scores, upcoming schedules, team messages, and their child's stats. They can RSVP for games and even watch live video from the sideline.
• League Platform — The admin dashboard for league organizers. Manage teams, schedules, standings, referee assignments, fields, communications, and registration all in one place.

Built for Every Coach

Whether you're a first-time volunteer parent who just got handed a clipboard, or an elite-level coach running a competitive travel program — Sideline Command meets you where you are. The interface is simple enough that a brand-new coach can set up their team in minutes and run game day without fumbling through menus. But the depth is there for advanced coaches who want AI play analysis, game scripting, detailed player attribution, and a full broadcast pipeline. Big buttons and simple flows on the surface. Enterprise-grade tools underneath.

How It Works

Sideline Command is a web app (PWA). There's nothing to download from an app store. Just visit the website on your iPad, phone, or computer, sign in, and you're ready to go. You can save it to your home screen and it works just like a native app — including offline support for your playbook.

Signing Up

Getting started takes about 30 seconds. Here's what to do:

1. Go to sidelinecommand.com/auth (or tap "Sign Up" from the landing page).
2. Switch to the Create Account tab.
3. Enter your first name, last name, email address, and choose a password.
4. Check your inbox for a verification email and click the link to confirm.
5. Log in with your email and password. That's it — you're in.

How Roles Work

You don't pick your role during signup. Your role is determined by how you access the platform:

• Coaches — Sign up and you're automatically routed to the coach onboarding wizard.
• Parents — Your child's coach sends you an invite link. Click it, create your account, and you land in the Parent Portal.
• Referees — A league admin creates your referee profile and gives you a 6-digit PIN to log in.
• League Admins — Invited by an existing admin or set up during league creation.

Multiple Roles

You can have more than one role on the same account. Coaching your kid's team AND a parent on another team? No problem. The system handles it.

The Team Setup Wizard

The first time you log in as a coach, a step-by-step wizard walks you through everything. It takes about 2 minutes, and when you're done, your team is ready to go with a full playbook.

1. Team Name — Type in your team name (e.g., "Falcons", "Lightning Bolts"). This is what shows up everywhere in the app.
2. Team Colors — Pick a primary and secondary color using the color picker. These colors show up on your play diagrams, wristbands, and team branding throughout the app.
3. Team Logo — Upload your team logo if you have one. This is optional — you can always add it later in Settings.
4. Game Format — Select 5v5, 6v6, or 7v7. This is important because it determines how many players appear on your play diagrams and which default positions are available (QB, C, X, Y, Z, H, etc.).
5. Starter Playbook — Choose a pre-built default playbook matched to your game format, or start with a blank playbook. The default playbook gives you a solid set of plays to start with — you can customize them later.

What Happens Next

Once the wizard finishes, you land in the Coach App with your playbook loaded and ready. From here you can add players to your roster, customize plays, or jump straight into game prep.

Where to Find It

Go to Settings → Roster tab in the Coach App. This is your central player list.

Adding a Player

1. Tap the + Add Player button.
2. Enter the player's first name and last name (always separate fields).
3. Enter their jersey number.
4. Add a parent email if you want to invite their family to the Parent Portal. The parent will get an email invite to join your team.
5. Optionally add player skills like speed, catching ability, arm strength, and flag-pulling. These help the AI lineup suggestions and are visible to you in the roster view.
6. Tap Save.

What Happens After You Add a Player

Once saved, the player shows up in your roster list and becomes available in the Lineup Builder. You can drag them onto position slots, assign them to quarters, and include them in game day lineups. If you added a parent email, that parent receives an invite to join the Parent Portal where they can see schedules, scores, and team messages.

Editing and Removing Players

Tap any player in the roster to edit their details. You can update their name, number, skills, or parent info at any time. To remove a player, use the delete option on their profile — they'll be soft-removed (archived) rather than permanently deleted, so you can restore them if needed.

You Already Have One

If you chose a default playbook during team setup, you already have a full set of plays matched to your game format (5v5, 6v6, or 7v7). Open the playbook dropdown at the top of the Coach App and you'll see it there, loaded with plays you can start using right away.

Creating a New Play

Ready to add your own plays? Here's how:

1. Tap the + button in your playbook view.
2. Select Use Play Designer to open the visual play designer.
3. Draw routes on the canvas — tap a player circle to select them, then tap points on the field to plot the route path.
4. Name your play (e.g., "Trips Right Slant", "Bunch Screen Left").
5. Assign a formation (Spread, Trips, Bunch, etc.) and situation tags (Pass, Run, Red Zone, Quick Game, etc.).
6. Tap Save to save the play to your playbook.

Other Ways to Add Plays

• Import from image — Have a play drawn on a whiteboard or in another app? Take a photo and import it as a play image.
• AI Play Generator — Describe what you want ("a quick slant from trips right") and the AI creates it for you.

Creating Additional Playbooks

You can organize plays across multiple playbooks. Common setups include separate books for "Offense", "Defense", "Red Zone", "Goal Line", and "Trick Plays". Tap + New Playbook from the playbook dropdown to create one.

What It Is

The Play Designer is a full-featured canvas drawing tool for creating football plays. Think of it as a digital whiteboard shaped like a football field, with player circles you can position and routes you can draw by tapping points on the field.

How to Open It

There are a few ways to get there:

• Tap the + button in any playbook and select Use Play Designer
• Tap Edit on any existing play to modify it
• Go directly to Play Designer from the navigation menu

Drawing Routes

Route drawing is tap-to-place — you tap points on the field and the route draws between them:

Each route type has a different color so you can tell them apart at a glance:

• Passing routes — white lines (slants, outs, posts, corners, go routes)
• Running routes — green lines (handoffs, QB runs, sweeps)
• Play action — blue lines (fake handoff paths)
• Screen routes — for bubble screens and receiver screens

You can switch between straight lines and curved lines using the route style toggle. Straight is best for sharp cuts (slants, outs), curved is best for rounded routes (wheel, post-corner).

Moving Players

Long-press (hold for half a second) any player circle to open the action menu. From there you can change their position type, swap with another player, clear their routes, or enter move mode. To reposition a player on the field, select them and then drag to a new spot. Note: the center (C) cannot be moved.

Ball Path

The ball path shows where the football travels during the play. Drag the football icon from its snap position to show the ball's journey — center to QB, QB to receiver (pass), or QB to RB (handoff). The ball path appears as a dashed red line with a football icon at the endpoint. Tap the football endpoint to set a throw delay (a pause before the pass is thrown, useful for play-action timing).

Position Labels

Each player circle shows a position label. Offense positions include QB, C, X, Y, Z, H, and RB. Defense positions include CB1, CB2, LB1, LB2, S1, and S2. You can customize these labels using Position Aliases in Settings.

Field Styles

Switch the look of your field canvas depending on your preference:

• Turf — classic green field background
• Gridiron — dark background with neon green accents (looks great on screen)
• Print — white background optimized for printing

Undo, Redo, and Auto-Save

Every edit is tracked. Tap undo to step back, redo to step forward. When you're done, tap Save to save your work.

How Playbooks Work

Your playbook is the collection of plays your team runs. You can have as many playbooks as you want — most coaches create separate ones for different situations like "Main Offense", "Red Zone Package", "Short Yardage", and "Defense".

Where to Find It

The playbook selector dropdown sits at the top of the main Coach App screen. Tap it to switch between playbooks. Each playbook shows a play count so you know how deep your collection is.

What You Can Do

• Create new playbooks — Tap + New Playbook and give it a name
• Rename or delete playbooks — Use the three-dot menu on any playbook
• Switch between playbooks — Tap the dropdown selector at the top
• Filter plays by formation — Use the formation tabs (Deuce, Spread, Trips, Bunch, etc.) to narrow down what you see
• Filter plays by situation — Tags like Pass, Run, Red Zone, Goal Line, Quick Game, Deep Shot help you find the right play fast
• Star/favorite plays — Tap the star icon on any play for quick access. Use the "Favorites Only" filter during game day
• Search plays by name — Type in the search bar to instantly find a specific play

What Are Formations?

A formation is where your players line up before the snap. Every play belongs to a formation. When you're on the sideline and need a play fast, filtering by formation is the quickest way to narrow things down.

Default Formations

Your team comes with standard formations built in: Deuce, Spread Right, Spread Left, Trips Right, Trips Left, Bunch, Split Back, Pistol, and Wing. You can also create custom formations by arranging players on the canvas and saving the layout.

Using Formation Filters

In the playbook view, formation filter tabs appear at the top. Tap one to show only plays from that formation. You can favorite up to 4 formations using the three-dot menu — your favorites appear as quick-access tabs so you're not scrolling through a long list.

Situation Filters

Beyond formations, you can tag plays with situations to find the right play in pressure moments:

• Pass — standard passing plays
• Run — running plays, sweeps, QB runs
• Red Zone — inside the 20, need a score
• Goal Line — right at the end zone
• Screen — bubble screens, receiver screens
• Quick Game — short, fast-developing plays
• Deep Shot — take the top off the defense
• Trick Play — reverses, flea flickers, gadget plays

Combining Filters

You can stack filters together. For example, "Trips Right + Red Zone" shows only trips-right plays tagged for the red zone. This is incredibly useful on game day when you need a specific play for a specific situation right now.

What It Is

Game Day Mode is where everything comes together. You start a live game, and the app tracks your score, game clock, downs, and play calls in real time. Your game state broadcasts to parents watching on the Parent Portal, so families at home can follow along.

Starting a Game

1. Tap the Start Game button from the main Coach App.
2. Choose your mode: Manual (you control everything) or Referee (the ref app controls score and clock while you focus on play calling).
3. Select from today's scheduled games, or set up a new matchup with an opponent name.
4. Enter opponent details — choose from NFL/college team presets or type a custom team name.
5. Configure game settings: quarter length, play clock, field length, number of downs, periods (halves or quarters), and timeouts per half.
6. Review the matchup and tap Start Game. A unique game code is generated automatically.

During the Game

• Call plays by tapping them from your playbook — large play cards with big tap targets, no fumbling
• Log play results after each snap: yards gained, touchdown, incompletion, interception, etc.
• Clock runs automatically — tap to start and stop as needed
• Down and distance updates after each play based on the result you log
• Score updates automatically on touchdowns and PATs
• Game state broadcasts to parents watching on the Parent Portal in real time

Scheduled Games vs Quick Games

If you have games on your schedule, they appear in the Game Day wizard — just tap one and go. For scrimmages or pickup games, you can create a quick game on the fly without needing to schedule it first.

What It Is

Game Scripting lets you pre-plan your play sequences before kickoff. Instead of flipping through your entire playbook during the game, you build organized scripts with sections for different situations. Build your script on Tuesday, review it on Thursday, execute it on Friday.

Where to Find It

From the Coach App, switch to "Script" source mode at the top of the play view and tap the script builder button. You can also open it from the mode switcher menu.

Building a Script

1. Name your script (e.g., "Week 3 vs Tigers").
2. Add sections for different game situations. Each section gets a unique color so you can tell them apart at a glance. Name them whatever you want — common examples include "Opening Drive", "Red Zone", "Goal Line", and "2-Point". Your first section is auto-created as "Opening Drive".
3. Tap the + Add Play card in each section to open a play picker. Search, filter by formation or situation, and tap plays to add them.
4. Reorder plays within sections by dragging them up and down.

Using Scripts During a Game

During Game Day, switch to "Script" source mode at the top of the play view. Your scripted plays appear in order. Tap through them as you go — the app auto-advances to the next play. You can jump to any section at any time (e.g., switch to Red Zone when you cross the 20). You're never locked to sequential order — skip around as the game dictates.

What It Is

The Lineup Builder is where you assign players to positions for each quarter. On mobile, tap a player then tap a position slot to assign them. On desktop, you can also drag player cards onto position slots. Set different lineups per quarter and manage offense and defense separately. It's designed to make game day substitutions dead simple.

Where to Find It

Tap the Set Your Lineup button from the Coach App, or use the roster sidebar.

How It Works

• Player cards appear in a roster strip at the top — tap a player then tap a position slot (mobile), or drag them onto position slots (desktop)
• Quarter tabs (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4) — set different lineups for each quarter so you can rotate players
• Offense/Defense toggle — separate assignments for each unit
• Bench — unassigned players show at the bottom so you always know who's sitting out
• "Copy Q1 to All" button — quickly duplicate your Q1 lineup across all quarters, then make adjustments
• Photo mode — toggle to see player photos instead of position labels. This is great for printing or displaying on the sideline so parent volunteers helping with substitutions can match faces to positions

Saving Lineup Configurations

Tap Save Your Lineup to save a named configuration (e.g., "Full Roster" vs "Missing 2 Players" vs "Heavy Run Package"). You can load any saved configuration later and adjust for that week's game.

What It Is

The Game Roster Planner lets you plan lineups for a specific upcoming game. Unlike the general Lineup Builder (which is your default lineup template), this is per-game — so you can plan different lineups for different opponents.

Where to Find It

Go to Settings → Schedule tab, find an upcoming game, and tap the Plan button on the game card.

How It Works

• The game date, opponent, and location are shown at the top so you know which game you're planning for
• Quarter tabs (Q1-Q4) let you set different lineups per quarter
• Dropdown selectors for each position — pick which player goes where
• Bench/unassigned players are shown so you can make sure everyone gets playing time
• Your plan saves to the game record separately from your general lineup

What It Is

The Depth Chart gives you a bird's-eye view of your entire roster with position assignments across all four quarters. It's your at-a-glance reference for who's playing where and when.

Where to Find It

Tap the Team Roster & Depth Chart button in the main Coach App.

What You'll See

• Every player listed with their name and jersey number
• Q1-Q4 columns showing each player's assignment per quarter: OFF (offense), DEF (defense), BOTH, or "-" (not assigned)
• + Add Player button to add new roster members directly from this view
• Save Roster button to persist any changes

What It Is

Wristband Export lets you print play cards that fit inside the wristband holders your players wear during games. Each card shows play diagrams so players can glance at their wrist and know where to line up and where to run.

Where to Find It

Navigate to /coach/wristband or click the Wristbands link in the Coach App navigation.

Setting Up Your Wristbands

1. Select which playbook to export from.
2. Choose your layout: 4, 6, 8, or 12 plays per wristband insert depending on how much detail you want.
3. Optionally filter by formation or situation to export only certain plays.
4. Customize colors per card if you want visual grouping (e.g., green card for run plays, blue for pass).
5. Choose player display: show position labels (QB, X, Y) or jersey numbers on the diagrams.
6. Preview your wristband cards before printing.
7. Export as PDF or print directly.

Saving Configurations

Once you've selected your plays and customized the layout, save the configuration with a name. Next week, just reload it and the same play selections and layout settings are ready to go. You can also edit and resave configurations as your playbook evolves.

What It Is

Position Aliases let you change the position labels that display throughout the app. If your league calls the H-back a "RB", or you want "X" to show as "WR1" — aliases make the app match your terminology. Change it once, and it updates everywhere.

Where to Find It

Go to Settings → Team tab, then scroll to the Position Labels section.

What You Can Customize

• Offense positions: QB, C, X, Y, Z, H, RB — rename any of them
• Defense positions: CB1, CB2, LB1, LB2, S1, S2 — rename any of them

Where Aliases Show Up

Once you save, your custom labels appear everywhere in the app:

• Play Designer (player circles on the canvas)
• Playbook view (play card labels)
• Lineup Builder (position slots)
• Wristband exports (printed cards)
• Depth Chart

What It Is

Mirror Mode flips a play from one side of the field to the other. Instead of creating "Trips Right Slant" AND "Trips Left Slant" separately, just create one and mirror it. This effectively doubles your playbook without doubling your design work.

Where to Find It

Go to Settings → Team tab and look for the Mirror Mode toggle.

Two Flip Modes

Mirror Mode has two different ways to flip plays, and the right choice depends on how your team uses positions:

• Geometric — A standard mirror flip. Everything reflects symmetrically. Player on the left goes to the right, routes mirror exactly. Simple and predictable.
• Football — A smart flip that understands football positioning. The X receiver stays on the weak side, the Z stays on the strong side, regardless of which direction the play faces. Use this if your X and Z always play the same role no matter which side the formation goes to.

Where Mirror Works

The mirrored version shows up in:

• The Call This Play modal during game day
• Wristband exports
• Play preview when browsing your playbook

What It Is

The Favorites system lets you star the plays you actually want to call on game day. When you're on the sideline with 10 seconds to pick a play, you don't want to scroll through 50 options. Star your top 15-20 plays, then filter to "Favorites Only" and you'll only see what matters.

How to Use It

• Tap the star icon on any play card to favorite it. The star turns filled green when it's favorited.
• Use the "Favorites Only" filter to show only your starred plays. This is the key game day move.
• Combine with formation filters for laser-targeted results. For example: Favorites + Trips formation shows only your favorite trips plays.
• The favorites count appears in the filter bar so you always know how many you have starred.

When to Favorite

Do this during the week, not on game day. Go through your playbook, star the plays your team runs well in practice, and leave the experimental stuff unstarred. On game day, flip on Favorites Only and you have a clean, focused play sheet.

The Game Day Wizard

Tap "Start Game" from the main Coach App to open the Game Day wizard. It walks you through five quick steps:

1. Choose Your Mode — Pick Manual (you control everything) or Referee (a referee's app handles score and clock while you focus on play calling). If you choose Referee, you enter a game code and connect — the remaining steps are skipped.
2. Select Matchup — Today's scheduled games are auto-populated. Pick one, or set up a new game from scratch.
3. Opponent Details — Choose your opponent from NFL/college team presets, or type in a custom team name for a pickup game.
4. Configure Settings — Set quarter length, play clock duration, field length, downs per set, periods (halves or quarters), and timeouts per half. These default to whatever you saved in Settings, but you can adjust them here.
5. Review & Start — Confirm the matchup details and tap "Start Game". A unique game code is generated automatically so spectators and parents can follow along.

What Happens When You Start

The game status changes to "In Progress." The live scoreboard activates, your playbook switches to Game Day Mode, and any connected parents see the game appear in their portal. You're ready to coach.

Two Ways to Run a Game

When you start a game, you pick one of two modes. Either one works great — it just depends on whether a referee is using the Referee App.

Manual Mode

You control everything: score, clock, downs, and possession. You're the scorekeeper AND the play caller. This is the right choice when there's no referee using the app, or when you just want full control.

• Tap to update the score after touchdowns and conversions
• Start and stop the game clock yourself
• Advance downs and manage field position
• Everything you do broadcasts live to parents

Referee Mode

A referee runs their own app on a separate device. They control the official game state — score, clock, downs, and possession. Their updates stream to your screen in real-time. You focus entirely on calling plays and logging results.

• The referee handles all scoring and clock management
• You see their updates live on your device
• Your job is calling plays and coaching your team
• Best when a referee is actively using the Referee App

Your Playbook is Your Main View

During a game, the play grid is front and center. Tap any play card to open it. The full play diagram opens in the "Call This Play" modal where you can view the play, then log what happened on the field.

Three Source Modes

Switch between three ways to find your next play:

• Playbook — Your full play library with formation and situation filters. Great for reacting to what the defense gives you.
• Wristband — Only shows your pre-selected wristband plays. Quick and focused.
• Script — Follow your pre-planned play sequence in order. The next play is auto-highlighted.

Finding the Right Play Fast

Use the formation and situation filter chips at the top to narrow things down. Need a Red Zone play from Trips Right? Two taps and you're there. Toggle the Favorites filter to show only your starred plays for quick access under pressure.

What Happens After You Call a Play

After calling a play, a result panel appears so you can log what happened on the field. This takes just a couple of taps.

Result Options

• Yards Gained — Drag the ball marker up or down on the field diagram to record how far the ball moved. If you drag it into the end zone, it registers as a touchdown.
• Incompletion — Quick button for an incomplete pass (dropped or bad throw)
• Sack — Quick button for a QB sack (tagged behind the line)
• Interception — Quick button for a turnover to the other team
• Fumble — Quick button for a lost ball, possession changes

Player Attribution

Select the ball carrier or receiver from your roster so the play is credited to the right player. This data feeds into individual player stats, AI game analysis, and highlight generation.

Every logged play records the quarter, down, clock time, and player involved — building a complete play-by-play history of the game.

Game Clock

The game clock shows the time remaining in the current quarter. Tap the start/stop button to control it. It auto-stops when it hits 0:00 and resets when you advance to the next quarter.

Play Clock

The play clock is an optional countdown (typically 25-30 seconds) between plays. Tap to start it, and it auto-resets after each play is logged. Great for keeping the game moving.

Downs

Downs cycle automatically — 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th — as you log each play. The field position updates based on yardage gained. If you need to override, you can manually adjust the down and distance.

Quarter Management

Use the quarter tabs to advance periods. When you move to halftime, possession auto-swaps and timeouts reset. Everything stays in sync so you can focus on coaching, not bookkeeping.

How Scoring Works

Points are logged through dedicated scoring buttons. In Manual Mode, you score directly. In Referee Mode, the referee handles scoring and you see updates in real-time.

Point Values

• Touchdown — 6 points
• PAT (Point After Touchdown) — 1 point
• 2-Point Conversion — 2 points

Player Attribution

Every scoring event includes player attribution — who scored, who threw the pass, and whether it was a run or pass play. This feeds into individual player stats and the game summary.

Live Broadcast

The score is broadcast live to parents on the Parent Portal and anyone watching the public scoreboard. Updates appear instantly — no refresh needed.

Overview

When you start a game, your game state automatically broadcasts to all connected parents via real-time channels. There's nothing extra to configure — it just works.

What Parents See

Parents on the Parent Portal see live updates for:

• Current score for both teams
• Game clock and quarter
• Down and possession
• Scoring play notifications

Game Code

Every game gets a unique game code (like "ABC123"). Parents who haven't set up the portal can use this code on the public scoreboard page. If someone is filming from the sideline, parents can also watch live video.

Overview

Switch to "Script" source mode to pull up your pre-planned play sequences. Plays appear in the order you planned them, with the next play auto-highlighted so you always know what's coming.

How It Works

• Tap through plays in order — the script advances automatically
• Jump to different sections (Red Zone, Goal Line, Opening Drive, etc.) based on the game situation
• Skip a play or go off-script any time — you're the coach
• Come back to the script whenever you're ready

Why Script Your Plays

Scripts keep you organized under pressure. Instead of frantically scrolling through your full playbook during a timeout, you have a plan ready to go. Many coaches script their first 10-15 plays and their red zone package ahead of time.

Getting Your Invite

Your coach will send you an invite email with a link to join the team portal. This is the only way to get connected — you cannot search for teams yourself.

How to Join

1. Open the invite email from your coach and click Join Team Hub.
2. Create an account by entering your name, email address, and a password.
3. Verify your email by clicking the confirmation link (check your spam folder if you use Yahoo or AOL).
4. Claim your child on the roster — you will see a list of players and select which one is yours.
5. You're in! The portal is now set up for your family.

What You Get Access To

Once you join, the portal shows your child's team schedule, messages from the coach, live game scores, and player stats. Everything updates in real time.

Your Dashboard at a Glance

The Home screen is the first thing you see when you open the Parent Portal. It is designed to show you the most important information about your child's team right away.

What's on the Home Screen

• Player Spotlight Card — Your child's photo, jersey number, and team name displayed front and center.
• Next Event — The upcoming game or practice with date, time, and location.
• Live Game Card — When a game is in progress, a live card appears showing real-time scores, the game clock, and quick-action buttons to watch video, view the scoreboard, or keep score yourself.

Viewing the Schedule

The Schedule tab shows all upcoming games and practices for your child's team. Each event card displays the date, time, location, and opponent (for games).

RSVP for Events

Help your coach plan by letting them know if your child will be there. Tap an event and choose Going, Maybe, or Not Going. The coach sees a summary of all RSVPs so they can plan lineups accordingly.

Maps and Directions

A map at the top of the Schedule tab shows all event locations with pins. Tap Get Directions on any event to open your phone's maps app with turn-by-turn directions to the field.

Add to Your Calendar

Tap Add to Calendar on any event to save it directly to your phone's calendar. Never miss a game or practice again.

Two Channels

The Messages tab has two separate channels:

• Team Chat — A group conversation with all parents and coaches on the team. Great for general questions, game-day coordination, and celebrations.
• Direct Messages — Private 1:1 conversations with the coach for anything that doesn't need to be shared with the whole team.

Using @Mentions

Type @ in any message to mention a specific person. A dropdown appears showing coaches and players you can tag. The mentioned person gets a push notification so they don't miss your message.

Reactions and Notifications

Emoji reactions are supported on any message — tap and hold a message to react. New messages trigger push notifications if you have them enabled. Unread message counts show as badges on the Messages tab so you always know when something new has come in.

Player Profile

The My Child tab shows your child's complete player profile: their photo, name, jersey number, position, and team. This is the central hub for everything about your player.

Season Stats

Below the profile card, you will find your child's season stats including games played, touchdowns, yards, receptions, and more. Stats are updated automatically after each game.

Updating Their Photo

Tap your child's photo to upload or change their profile picture. A built-in cropper helps you get the perfect square image. The photo appears on their Player Spotlight card on the Home screen and on Share Cards.

What Are Share Cards?

Share Cards are beautiful social media graphics that showcase your child's stats. They are automatically branded with your child's photo, team logo, and team colors.

How to Create a Share Card

1. Go to the My Child tab and tap Share Stats.
2. Choose between Season Stats (full season summary) or a Single Game (stats from one specific game).
3. The app generates a branded card with your child's photo, stats, team logo, and team colors.
4. Download the card as a PNG image or share it directly to Instagram, Facebook, or any other social media app.

Accessing the Scoreboard

When a game is live, tap Watch Full Scoreboard on the Home screen to open the detailed live scoreboard.

What You See

The scoreboard shows everything happening in the game in real time:

• Scores for both teams, updating the instant a touchdown or extra point is recorded
• Game clock counting down each quarter
• Play clock between snaps
• Quarter, down, and possession indicators
• Timeouts remaining for both teams

How It Works

The scoreboard updates sub-second from the referee's app. You are seeing the same data the referee is entering on the field. The display uses a stadium-atmosphere dark theme with both teams' logos and colors.

When Video Is Available

If someone is filming the game — whether it is a coach, a parent, or an assigned camera operator — a live video feed appears on the Home screen during the game. Tap to start watching.

Watching the Stream

The video plays directly in the Parent Portal. Tap to unmute for audio. A viewer count shows how many other parents are currently watching. Fullscreen mode is available for a bigger view.

No One Filming?

If nobody is filming the game yet, a Film This Game button appears so you can volunteer to record from the sideline. Just tap the button to start broadcasting video to other parents.

Game Day Chat

During live games, a chat section appears below the video stream or scoreboard. This is where the excitement happens — parents can send real-time comments, celebrate touchdowns, and cheer on the team together.

How to Use It

• Type a message and hit send — it appears instantly for all parents watching the game.
• Use @mentions to tag coaches or other parents by typing @ followed by their name.
• Comments are visible to everyone on the team who is watching the live game.

When to Use This

When no referee is running the official scoreboard through the Referee App, any parent can step up and keep score. Tap Keep Score on the live game card on the Home screen.

What You Get

You get a full referee-style scoreboard with all the controls you need:

• Scoring buttons — TD, PAT, and 2PT with hold-to-confirm to prevent accidental taps
• Game clock and play clock with start/stop controls
• Down tracking — cycle through 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th down
• Possession toggle — switch which team has the ball
• Timeouts — track remaining timeouts for each team
• Quarter management — advance through quarters

Player Attribution

After a touchdown, a player picker lets you record who scored. This feeds into your child's stats.

What Happens If a Ref Starts Their App?

If a referee starts their official app mid-game, your parent scorekeeper automatically detects it and enters read-only mode. A "Ref is scoring" banner appears so you know the official is now in control. All your previous scores are preserved.

What You Get Notified About

Push notifications keep you in the loop even when the app is closed:

• Game reminders — 30 minutes before kickoff
• New messages — when coaches send team messages
• Live game starts — when the referee starts a game
• Touchdowns — instant alerts when your team scores
• Highlights ready — when game film highlights have been processed

How to Enable

1. Open the Parent Portal and go to Settings.
2. Toggle on the notification types you want to receive.
3. When your browser asks to allow notifications, tap Allow.

Why Install?

Installing the Parent Portal as an app on your phone gives you the best experience. It looks and works like a native app with push notifications and offline access. There is no app store download needed — it installs directly from your browser in seconds.

iPhone (Safari)

1. Open the Parent Portal in Safari (this does not work in Chrome on iPhone).
2. Tap the Share button (the square with an arrow pointing up).
3. Scroll down and tap Add to Home Screen.
4. Tap Add in the top right corner.

Android (Chrome)

1. Open the Parent Portal in Chrome.
2. Tap the three-dot menu in the top right corner.
3. Tap Add to home screen or Install app.
4. Tap Install to confirm.

What Is the Referee App?

The Referee App is a dedicated officiating interface for managing flag football games. It runs on your phone and gives you full control of the scoreboard, clocks, downs, and scoring. Access it at /referee/app.

Three Ways to Start

• Quick Game — Start a game immediately with no login required. Great for pickup games or when you just need a scoreboard fast.
• Demo Game — A pre-loaded Ravens vs Bengals matchup so you can practice using the controls before game day.
• League PIN — Enter the 6-digit PIN assigned to you by your league admin. This connects you to your assigned games with team names, colors, and logos already loaded.

Your Assigned Games

After logging in with your PIN, you will see your assigned games for the day. Each game card shows the two teams, scheduled time, and field location. Tap a game card to load that matchup with the correct team names, colors, and logos.

Quick Game

Tap Quick Game to create an instant game with any teams. This is useful for scrimmages or games not on the league schedule.

Game Creation Wizard

When creating a new game, the wizard walks you through four steps:

1. Matchup — Select from your assigned games, or choose a team from the NFL/college team grid.
2. Opponent — Pick the opposing team from presets or enter a custom team name.
3. Settings — Set quarter length, play clock, number of downs, and timeouts.
4. Ready — Review everything and tap to start. The scoreboard loads immediately.

The Scoreboard Layout

The main scoreboard shows two team rows, each styled with that team's primary color. Here is what each row contains:

• Team name and logo on the left side
• Football icon that glows on the team with possession (the other team's row is dimmed)
• Timeout dots showing remaining timeouts
• Score box with a carbon-fiber texture background

Possession Indicator

The team with the ball is highlighted with a reflective shine sweep animation. The non-possession team is visually dimmed so you can always tell at a glance who has the ball. Tap the team name area to toggle possession.

Manual Score Adjustment

Tap the score box to open a +/− modal for manual score corrections if needed.

Game Clock

The game clock appears in the top left and displays MM:SS format. It counts down each quarter (or half, depending on your settings).

• Tap the START/STOP button to control the game clock
• The clock turns green when running
• It automatically stops when it reaches 0:00

Play Clock

The play clock appears in the top right and is more compact. It counts down the time between the end of one play and the snap of the next (default 30 seconds).

• Tap the play clock to start the countdown
• Long-press (hold for half a second) to reset it
• At 10 seconds, it enters a warning state with a red background and spinning border
• At 5 seconds, it starts blinking as a danger warning
• It auto-resets 5 seconds after hitting zero

Cycling Downs

Tap the down row to cycle through downs: 1st → 2nd → 3rd → 4th → back to 1st. The display shows "1ST DOWN", "2ND DOWN", etc. with visual progress bars showing how many downs remain.

4th Down Warning

When you reach 4th down, the entire down row turns red as a visual danger indicator. This makes it impossible to miss that the offense is on their last down.

Down Count Settings

Your league may use 3 downs or 4 downs per set. This is configurable in game settings and the down tracker adjusts automatically.

Possession

Tap the team identity area on the scoreboard to toggle possession. After a turnover, tap the other team to switch the ball. The down count resets to 1st automatically when possession changes.

Why Hold-to-Confirm?

On a busy sideline, accidental taps happen. The Referee App uses a hold-to-confirm pattern so you never accidentally add points to the wrong team.

How to Score

1. Press and hold a scoring button (TD, PAT, or 2PT) for about 600 milliseconds (just over half a second).
2. A progress bar sweeps across the bottom of the button as you hold.
3. When the bar fills completely, the button flashes green and the score updates.
4. After a touchdown, the down resets to 1st and the play clock resets. You then record the extra point attempt (PAT or 2PT). Swap possession manually by tapping the other team's identity area after the conversion attempt.

Manual Adjustment

If you need to correct a score, tap the score box to open a +/− modal. All scoring events are logged to the game stats record.

Calling a Timeout

Tap the timeout dots displayed under a team's score to call a timeout. A confirmation modal appears — tap Call Timeout to confirm. The game clock automatically stops when a timeout is called.

Timeout Tracking

Each used timeout dot becomes dimmed (inactive). You can see at a glance how many timeouts each team has left. The number of timeouts per half is configurable in game settings (0 to 3).

Halftime Reset

Timeouts automatically reset at halftime so both teams start the second half with a fresh set.

Accessing Settings

Tap the gear icon in the header during a game to open the settings panel. Changes apply immediately and broadcast to all connected coaches and parents.

What You Can Adjust

• Quarter length — 1 to 20 minutes per quarter
• Play clock — 15 to 60 seconds between snaps
• Downs — 3 or 4 downs per set
• Timeouts — 0 to 3 per half for each team
• Periods — 2 halves or 4 quarters

Swapping Teams

You can also swap the home and away team positions and view the current matchup details from the settings panel.

Automatic Broadcasting

Everything you do in the Referee App broadcasts in real time to all connected devices. There is nothing extra you need to set up — it just works.

Who Sees Your Data

• Coaches see live scores and clock status in their Coach App
• Parents see the live scoreboard on their Parent Portal
• Spectators can view the scoreboard page with the game code

What Gets Broadcast

Every piece of game state is sent to viewers: scores, game clock, play clock, quarter, down, possession, timeouts, and team names/colors/logos. A heartbeat signal broadcasts every 30 seconds to keep all connections alive.

Game Code

Your game uses a unique game code channel. Anyone with the code can watch the live scoreboard. Share this code with parents who want to follow along.

Ending the Game

When the game is over, tap the red X button in the top-right corner of the header.

What Happens Next

1. A confirmation modal appears showing the final score with both team logos.
2. Tap End Game to confirm.
3. The game is saved to the database with status "completed," final scores, and an ended-at timestamp.
4. All timers stop and the screen wake lock is released (your phone can go to sleep again).
5. The final game state broadcasts to all connected coaches and parents.
6. If video was recorded during the game, post-game clip generation is triggered automatically.

Overview

The League Dashboard is your command center. When you log in as a league admin, this is the first thing you see. It gives you a bird's-eye view of everything happening in your league right now.

What You'll See

• Key Metrics — Total teams, total players, games scheduled, and active season at a glance
• Quick Actions — Buttons for the most common tasks (add a game, send a message, view schedule)
• Recent Activity — A feed showing what's happening across the league: new registrations, game results, schedule changes

How to Access

Log in as a league admin or admin. You land on the dashboard automatically. You can always return to it by clicking Dashboard in the sidebar.

Everything you need is accessible from the sidebar navigation on the left. Think of the dashboard as home base — start here, then drill into the specific page you need.

Overview

Create and manage all the teams in your league from one place. Add teams with a name, division, game format (5v5/6v6/7v7), colors, and a logo.

How to Access

From the League Platform sidebar, click Teams.

What You Can Do

• Add a Team — Create new teams with name, division, game format, primary/secondary colors, and logo
• Assign Coaches — Link a coach account to a team so they can manage it in the Coach App
• View Team Cards — Each team card shows roster size, win-loss record, and assigned coach
• Search & Filter — Filter teams by division, sort by name, player count, or division

Overview

Your league-wide player directory. View all registered players across every team in the league from a single page.

How to Access

From the League Platform sidebar, click Players.

What You Can Do

• Search — Find any player by name, or filter by team or position
• Add Players — Add players manually or import a full roster via CSV upload
• View Details — Each player entry shows name, jersey number, team assignment, and status
• Export — Download player lists for league records, insurance forms, or external tools

Overview

Invite and manage all the coaches in your league. Generate invite codes, assign coaches to teams, and track who's running each squad.

How to Access

From the League Platform sidebar, click Coaches.

What You Can Do

• Invite Coaches — Generate invite codes that coaches use to join the league and claim their team
• Track Invitations — See which invites are pending and which have been accepted
• View Profiles — See each coach's assigned teams and win-loss records
• Manage Roles — Support head coach and assistant coach designations per team

Overview

Create and manage the full season schedule. Add individual games or import an entire season at once.

How to Access

From the League Platform sidebar, click Schedule.

What You Can Do

• Add Games — Set home/away teams, date, time, field location, and referee assignment for each game
• Calendar View — See all games laid out on a calendar so you can spot gaps or conflicts
• Conflict Detection — The system warns you if you double-book a field or referee
• Bulk Import — Upload a CSV to create an entire season's worth of games at once
• Export — Download the schedule as CSV or iCal for sharing
• Cancel or Postpone — Update game status and parents are notified automatically

Overview

Real-time win-loss-tie standings calculated automatically from completed games. No manual entry needed — finish a game and the standings update on their own.

How to Access

From the League Platform sidebar, click Standings.

What You'll See

• Sortable Columns — Team, wins, losses, ties, win percentage, points for, points against, and point differential
• Division Grouping — Standings are grouped by division so age groups aren't mixed together
• Top 3 Badges — Gold, silver, and bronze badges highlight the top teams in each division
• Export — Download standings to CSV for league newsletters or social media

Overview

Add referees to your league, set up their login PINs, and assign them to games on the schedule.

How to Access

From the League Platform sidebar, click Referees.

What You Can Do

• Add Referees — Enter contact info, certification level, and availability
• Generate PINs — Each referee gets a 6-digit PIN to log into the Referee App on game day
• Assign to Games — Link referees to specific games on the schedule
• Track Activity — See how many games each referee has officiated this season

Overview

Register the playing fields and facilities where your league holds games. These locations become selectable options when you schedule games.

How to Access

From the League Platform sidebar, click Fields.

What You Can Do

• Add Fields — Enter field name, full address, and GPS coordinates
• Note Amenities — Track what each facility offers: parking, restrooms, lights, bleachers, etc.
• Map View — See all your field locations on a map for easy reference
• Availability — Set field availability windows and blackout dates so scheduling respects real-world constraints

Overview

Send professional emails to coaches, parents, referees, or the entire league. The Communications Hub handles email composition, delivery, and tracking all in one place.

How to Access

From the League Platform sidebar, click Communications.

What You Can Do

• Send Emails — Compose and send to specific audience segments: all coaches, a specific team's parents, all referees, or everyone
• Use Templates — 10 pre-built branded templates for common emails (game notifications, schedule updates, registration reminders, weather cancellations, and more)
• AI Draft Assistant — Describe what you want to say and the AI writes the email for you, using your league's context and tone
• Track Delivery — See delivery status and open rates for every email you send
• Manage Templates — Create, edit, and preview your own custom templates alongside the built-in ones

Overview

Manage player registration for your league. Open and close registration windows, collect player info, and track submissions all from one page.

How to Access

From the League Platform sidebar, click Registration.

What You Can Do

• Toggle Registration — Open or close registration with one click. Set deadline dates.
• Public Registration Form — Families fill out player info, parent/guardian details, emergency contacts, and waiver acceptance
• Track Submissions — See all registrations with status: pending, approved, or declined
• Share the Link — Get a public registration URL to share with families on social media, flyers, or your league website

Overview

Build a public marketing website for your league without writing a single line of code. Configure it, brand it, and publish it.

How to Access

From the League Platform sidebar, click Website.

What You Can Do

• Hero Section — Set up a banner with your league name, logo, and a call-to-action
• About Page — Tell families what your league is about
• Public Schedule & Standings — Display the live schedule and standings so families can check without logging in
• Contact Form — Let interested families reach out directly
• Branding — Match your league colors and logo for a professional look
• Publish — When you're happy with it, publish and get a public URL to share with families and sponsors

Overview

View league analytics powered by Google Analytics 4. Understand how families are engaging with your league and track growth over time.

How to Access

From the League Platform sidebar, click Reports.

What You'll See

• Page Views & Sessions — How many people are visiting your league pages
• Bounce Rate & Duration — How engaged visitors are with your content
• Realtime Users — See who's actively on your platform right now
• Date Range Picker — View data for any custom time period
• Charts & Trends — Visual trend analysis for league growth
• Export — Download reports as CSV for board meetings or sponsor presentations

Overview

Configure league-wide settings that apply across all teams and games. This is where you define the rules and structure of your league.

How to Access

From the League Platform sidebar, click Settings.

What You Can Configure

• League Info — League name, logo, and contact information
• Season Management — Create seasons, set start and end dates
• Divisions — Set up age groups, gender divisions, and max teams per division
• Game Rules Defaults — Default quarter length, number of downs, scoring rules, and play clock that apply when creating new games
• Team Settings — Maximum and minimum roster sizes for the league
• Admin Management — Add or remove admin users with role-based permissions

Overview

Go to Settings → Team tab to customize everything about your team's identity. Changes you make here apply everywhere in the app — play diagrams, the scoreboard, wristbands, and the parent portal all update to match.

How to Access

From the Coach App, tap Settings (gear icon) and select the Team tab.

What You Can Change

• Team Name — Edit your team name at any time
• Team Logo — Upload and crop a logo image. It shows up on the scoreboard, parent portal, and wristbands.
• Team Colors — Pick primary and secondary colors using the color picker. These colors flow throughout the entire app.
• Game Format — Choose 5v5, 6v6, or 7v7. This controls how many player slots appear on play diagrams and lineups.
• Portal Mode — Choose between "Parent" or "Athlete" branding for how the portal presents to families.

Overview

Go to Settings → Game tab to configure the rules that govern how your games are played and tracked. These settings apply when you start a new game, and can also be adjusted mid-game from the game settings menu.

How to Access

From the Coach App, tap Settings (gear icon) and select the Game tab.

What You Can Configure

• Quarter Length — Set the number of minutes per quarter (default: 10 minutes)
• Number of Periods — Choose between 2 halves or 4 quarters
• Play Clock Duration — How long the offense has between plays (default: 25 seconds)
• Downs Per Set — 3 or 4 downs to earn a first down (default: 3 downs, varies by league)
• Timeouts Per Half — Set 1 to 5 timeouts per half per team (default: 3)

Overview

Go to Settings → Team tab and scroll to Rush Rules. This is where you configure how the defense can rush the quarterback — a rule that varies widely between flag football leagues.

How to Access

From the Coach App, tap Settings (gear icon), select the Team tab, and scroll to Rush Rules.

Rush Options

• Distance-Based — Rushers must line up a certain distance behind the line (7 yards, 10 yards, etc.)
• Count-Based — A "Mississippi" count before the rush is allowed (5-second count, 7-second count, etc.)
• No Rush Restriction — For leagues that allow free rushing

Why This Matters

This setting feeds into AI play generation and game analysis. When the system suggests plays or analyzes your game, it factors in your league's rush rules so the recommendations make sense for how your games actually play out.

Overview

Go to Settings → Comms tab to set up sideline communication tools for game day and team coordination.

How to Access

From the Coach App, tap Settings (gear icon) and select the Comms tab.

What You Can Configure

• Quick Message Presets — Set up one-tap messages for game day communication (e.g., "SCREEN LEFT", "TIMEOUT", "QB SNEAK"). Tap once during a game to send instantly.
• Assistant Coaches — Add assistant coaches by email. They receive an invite to join your team's communication channel.
• Push-to-Talk — Configure settings for Bluetooth intercom communication if your coaching staff uses headsets.

Overview

Go to Settings → Schedule tab to manage your team's upcoming games and practices. Everything you add here shows up in the Parent Portal so families know what's coming.

How to Access

From the Coach App, tap Settings (gear icon) and select the Schedule tab.

What You Can Do

• Add Games — Enter opponent, date, time, location, and arrival time. Each game card has actions: Plan (set your lineup), Edit, or Delete.
• Add Practices — Schedule practices with date, time, location, and duration
• Game Day Quick Start — Games you create here appear in the Game Day wizard for quick start on game day
• View All Events — See your full season at a glance with upcoming games and practices

Overview

Go to Settings → Account to manage your profile and app preferences.

How to Access

From the Coach App, tap Settings (gear icon) and select Account.

What You'll Find

• Profile Info — View and edit your name, email, and role
• Switch Teams — If you coach multiple teams, switch between them here. Your playbooks, roster, and settings change to match the selected team.
• Data Export — Export your team data for backup or migration
• Sign Out — Log out of the current session

Overview

If the app won't load or shows a blank screen, work through these steps in order. Most issues are fixed by step 1 or 2.

Steps to Fix

1. Force close and reopen — Close the app completely (swipe it away), then open it again. This clears any stuck state.
2. Clear your browser cache — On iPhone: Settings → Safari → Clear History and Website Data. On Android: Chrome → Settings → Privacy → Clear Browsing Data.
3. Check your internet connection — The app needs internet for the first load. After that, it works offline.
4. Try a different browser — If Safari isn't working, try Chrome. If Chrome isn't working, try Safari.
5. Reinstall the PWA — If you added the app to your home screen, delete it and re-add it following the install steps (Share → Add to Home Screen on iPhone).

Overview

If plays you create or edit don't seem to stick, here's how to troubleshoot. Play data saves to the cloud when you tap Save, so most save issues are connectivity-related.

Steps to Fix

1. Check your internet connection — Plays save to the cloud. If you're offline, they save locally and sync when you're back online.
2. Look for the "Syncing..." toast — If you see this message, the app is trying to push changes. Wait for it to finish.
3. Force close and reopen — Close the app completely and reopen it. This forces a fresh data fetch from the server.
4. Check the right playbook — Make sure you're looking at the correct playbook. Plays are saved to whichever playbook was active when you created them.
5. If the problem persists — Try creating the play again. Your previous work may have been saved but assigned to a different playbook.

Overview

If parents can't see the live scoreboard or the score isn't updating, work through these steps.

Steps to Fix

1. Make sure the game has started — The live scoreboard card only appears in the Parent Portal when a game is "In Progress." Have you tapped "Start Game" in the Coach App?
2. Check the game code — Verify the game has a valid game code (shown in the game settings). Parents need this if they're using the public scoreboard.
3. Make sure parents have the portal open — The live card appears automatically when a game is in progress. Parents may need to pull down to refresh.
4. If using Referee Mode — Make sure the referee has started broadcasting from their app. The coach app doesn't broadcast score in Referee Mode.
5. Force refresh — Have parents close and reopen the portal, or pull down to refresh. This reconnects the real-time data stream.

Overview

If a parent says they didn't get the invite email, don't worry — there are several ways to get them connected.

Steps to Fix

1. Check spam/junk folder — Invite emails sometimes land in spam, especially with Yahoo, AOL, and Hotmail accounts.
2. Verify the email address — Go to Settings → Roster, tap the player, and double-check the parent email address. A typo is the most common cause.
3. Resend the invite — Tap the "Resend Invite" button on the player's roster entry to send a fresh email.
4. Use the direct join link — The parent can go directly to the parent portal join page and use the invite token. Text them the link instead of relying on email.
5. Still not working? — Contact support and we can manually verify their account.

Overview

If the game clock stops working or behaves unexpectedly during a game, here's how to get it back on track quickly.

Common Issues & Fixes

1. Clock stopped after leaving the app — If you switched to another app and came back, the clock should resume automatically. If it doesn't, tap START to restart it.
2. Clock state after closing — The clock saves your game state. Closing and reopening the app should restore exactly where you left off.
3. Who controls the clock? — In Manual Mode, you control it. In Referee Mode, only the referee can start/stop the clock. Make sure you're in the right mode.
4. Play clock stuck — If the play clock freezes, long-press to reset it back to the full count.
5. Screen going to sleep — Enable "Keep Screen On" or "Auto-Lock: Never" in your device settings so the clock display stays visible during the entire game.

Overview

Sideline Command works offline after your first visit. The app caches your playbook and key data so you're never completely stuck if the Wi-Fi drops at the field.

What Works Offline

• Viewing your playbook and play diagrams
• Setting lineups and building game plans
• Creating and editing plays
• Viewing past game data
• Game prep and wristband review

What Requires Internet

• Live broadcasting to parents (score, clock updates)
• Sending team messages
• Syncing changes to the cloud
• Starting a new game with cloud save

Automatic Sync

When you go back online, all offline changes sync automatically. You'll see a "Syncing..." toast message when this happens. No action needed on your part.