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Sports officials scheduling software

Scheduling software for sports officials and the people who assign them.

For league and club assignors, whether you call them referees, umpires or officials. Put officials on games, send the assignments by text or email, and see who has accepted and which positions are still open.

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  • Positions you can rename
  • Officials need no account
  • Text, email or both

The workflow

From the roster to a covered game, step by step.

  1. 01

    Build the roster

    Import officials from a CSV, add them one at a time, or send an invite by text or email so each official enters their own contact details. For every official, record whether they want assignments by text, email or both.

    Before anything is sent, the review counts anyone Ref Grid can’t reach on their chosen channel, such as an official set to text with no mobile number, so you can fix it first.

  2. 02

    Ask when they prefer to work

    Send each official a link to their profile. They pick the days of the week, the times of day (morning, afternoon or evening) and the divisions they prefer, and can add a note. There’s no account or password. A link works for 30 days, and you can send a new one whenever you want the answers refreshed.

    Their answers show on the roster with the date they last confirmed them. These are general preferences, not dated availability, and they don’t stop you assigning anyone. For collecting dates, see how to collect referee availability or the availability sheet in our free template.

  3. 03

    Fill the positions

    The board has one row per game and one cell per position. A new game starts with your sport’s usual crew (Center, AR1 and AR2 for soccer, for example), and you can add, rename or remove positions on any game.

    Choosing an official saves a draft and sends nothing. You can fill a weekend in one sitting and change your mind as you go. Ref Grid warns you when an official already has a game at the same time, and leaves the decision to you.

  4. 04

    Review and send

    When the weekend looks right, review the drafts and send them together. Each official gets their assignment by text, email or both. For each message you can see whether it was sent, delivered or failed, as reported by the text and email providers, so you know whom to follow up with.

  5. 05

    Track the replies

    Each assignment has a link the official uses to accept or decline. They don’t need an account, a password or an app. Replies show on the board and the dashboard as they come in.

    If an official answers by phone or in person, you can record the accept or decline yourself.

  6. 06

    Handle changes

    A decline reopens the position and stays on the record, and the replacement is a new assignment. An official who has already accepted can’t cancel from the link. The page tells them to contact you, and you record the change.

    When you move a game’s time or venue, or cancel it, Ref Grid tells every official who was sent it. Cancelling also turns off its response links. For the steps to follow when an official drops out late, see what to do when an official cancels at the last minute.

Inside Ref Grid

The assignments board

Games in date order, each position on them, the official holding it, whether they have accepted, and whether they were reached by text, email or both. Drafts you haven’t sent yet wait here until you review them.

The Ref Grid assignments board: a season's games in date order, each with its center and assistant positions, the official holding each one, whether they have accepted, and whether they were reached by text, email or both.

Beyond assigning

Also in the plan

Pre-game reminders

Set up to three reminders, from an hour to 30 days before the game, by text, email or both. They go to officials who have accepted. Nothing automatically follows up with officials who haven’t replied.

Add to calendar

After accepting, an official can download a calendar file (.ics) for that game. There is no calendar feed to subscribe to.

CSV import

Bring in officials and games from CSV files. You see a preview before anything is saved.

Pay report export

Set a fee for each position, then export what each official is owed for accepted games that have taken place, as CSV or as QuickBooks Online bills. Ref Grid doesn’t pay officials.

More than one administrator

Invite other people to help assign. Each signs in with their own login.

Limits

What Ref Grid doesn’t do

  • It doesn’t assign anyone for you. It warns you about overlapping games. Who gets each game is your decision.
  • Officials don’t get accounts or an app. They respond through links. There’s nowhere for them to browse or request open games.
  • It doesn’t chase unanswered assignments. Reminders go only to officials who have accepted, and nothing automatically follows up on an official who hasn’t replied.
  • Preferences aren’t dated availability. Officials give you days, times of day and divisions, not specific dates. Keep blackout dates wherever you collect them now.
  • It isn’t a league management platform. There’s no registration, standings, scores or field booking.

Before you compare

Useful whether or not you choose Ref Grid.

One plan, with a free trial: see the pricing.

Request a demo

See how Ref Grid would work for your league or club

Tell us about your organization and we’ll get back to you.

Prefer to look around yourself? You can set up your organization without talking to us: get started.

Roughly how many you assign.

What you run today, and what you are hoping to change.

We reply by email. No automated call.

Try it on next weekend’s games.

Import your officials and games, send the assignments, and watch the replies come in on the board.

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