TD - How to Use the Referee App

Created by Jenna Timmer, Modified on Thu, Aug 28 at 11:40 AM by Jenna Timmer

How to Use the Referee App: A Tournament Director’s Help Guide

TABLE OF CONTENTS

How to Use the Referee App: A Tournament Director’s Help Guide

In this help document you will learn step-by-step through the Referee App based on the training I created in the original video and present practical instructions you can share with your officiating team. As the tournament director, you control access and settings; as the author of the walkthrough, I’ll guide you through download, setup, training mode, pre-match procedures, live scoring, and finalizing matches so your referees can track scoring easily — and viewers can follow along live on your tournament site.

Search for the Pickleball Referee App in App Store

Why use the Referee App?

The app streamlines in-person officiating and integrates live scoring with your tournament’s site. Referees keep score with confidence, admins and viewers get accurate live updates, and the built-in training mode helps new referees practice different scoring formats. In short: less score confusion, better spectator experience, and faster match finalization.

Quick overview (what you’ll manage as TD)

Distribute two codes to referees: the tourney code and the referee code.
Enable training and let refs practice multiple scoring formats (USAP or PPA styles).
Use the app to create accurate pre-match setup, handle coin toss and server selection, and record live scoring (including side outs and points in progress).
Finalize matches and ensure the results feed into your tournament site.

Step 1: Head to the App Store on your smart device and search for "pickleball referee app." Follow the store instructions to download and install the app.

Installing and opening the Referee App on a device

Step 2: Open the app and log in. Important: you will use the same login information used for pickleball.com — there is no separate referee login. That means your tournament staff and referees should have valid accounts tied to your organization or event.

TD-only setup: Tourney code and Referee code

As tournament director you must provide referees with two codes:

Tourney code — Found in your venue setup. This connects the ref app to your specific tournament instance.
Ref code — A password-like code you set in the “Edit Tourney” menu to restrict entry into your tournament.

Where to find the tourney code in your venue setup

Share these codes securely with your officiating team. Revoke or change the ref code if you suspect unauthorized access.

Training mode: Built-in practice for referees

One of the best features is training built right into the app. Tell your referees to click the three-line menu and choose Training Mode. Training supports different event types and scoring styles so refs can practice the exact formats they'll see at your tournament.

Select training mode from the app menu

When entering training, referees choose:

Event type: tournament or team league.
Style: USAP or PPA.
Scoring format: singles, doubles, side-out rules, rally score options, etc.

Choose event type and style (USAP or PPA)

Example: for this guide, I demonstrate a PPA-style regular tournament, doubles format with regular side outs, one game to 15, and win-by-two enabled. Training lets referees simulate everything from warm-up to match finalization without affecting real tournaments.

Select scoring format and match options inside training mode

Pre-match setup: How referees prepare the court

Once a match simulation or a live match is selected, the device typically flips to horizontal orientation for a clearer court layout. Here’s the pre-match sequence referees will follow:

Indicate whether the court is a video challenge court (important for replay procedures).
Tap the player names as they arrive on court to confirm presence.
Press Start to begin the warm-up countdown.
Move to the Starting Servers section to tap the names of the individuals who have serving bands.
Record the coin toss winner and their choice (serve, receive, defer, or pick side).
Record the opposing team’s side choice.
Save progress and review the summary screen which mirrors the exact court layout referees see in person.

Device rotated to horizontal for pre-match setup

Make sure referees double-check the starting servers and the coin toss choices before moving to live scoring. The app’s summary is a final verification step: "The court layout should match exactly what the ref would see in front of them."

Summary screen showing court layout and starting players

Live scoring: The referee’s main screen

Tap the summary to “start live scoring” and you’ll arrive at the main scoring interface. This screen is designed to mimic the on-court view with players positioned correctly and starting servers clearly indicated. At the top you’ll always see the starting score and which team serves first.

Live scoring screen layout with players and serving side indicated

Key controls and conventions referees must memorize:

PIP — "Point In Progress." The app requires you to click PIP before announcing the score to lock the point state. As I say in the walkthrough: "PIP stands for point in progress. Click that before saying the score."
Green kitchen — Tapping the serving team’s green kitchen area increases the serving team’s score when they win a point.
SO — Short for Side Out. Tap SO when the receiving team wins the rally and service changes sides.

The PIP button labeled 'Point in Progress' on the scoring screen

Example flow for a point:

Click PIP before announcing the score to indicate play is underway.
If the serving team wins the rally, tap their green kitchen to increment the score.
Click PIP again to resume play after the point is recorded.
If the receiving team wins the rally, click SO to record a side out and change serve appropriately.

Repeat until the match reaches the mid-match switch-sides prompt (if applicable) and then continue until match completion.

Tapping the green kitchen to increment the serving team's score

Mid-match and side change prompts

The app will prompt referees to change ends at the appropriate midpoint of the match based on the scoring format. Always follow the prompt and confirm the side change in the app before continuing scoring. This ensures both the physical court and the app remain synchronized.

Prompt to change sides mid-match

Finalizing the match

When the match concludes, the app guides the referee through finalization steps. Confirm the final score, record winner information if prompted, and accept any final actions such as confirming completed match data. Once finalized, the results are ready to publish to your tournament site.

Finalizing match and submitting results

Practical tips and best practices

Distribute the tourney and ref codes before referees arrive at the venue and verify they can log in and access the tournament.
Encourage all referees to spend time in Training Mode. Practice different match formats (one game to 15, win-by-two, etc.) so they are familiar with button locations and flow.
Standardize the “announce-and-click” routine (PIP, announce score, then click) among your officiating team to avoid confusion.
Enable and clearly mark video challenge courts in the app so referees know when replay procedures apply.
If a referee’s device rotates unexpectedly, remind them to keep the tablet in horizontal mode during live scoring for optimal layout and less accidental taps.
Test the app’s live feed with one match and watch it on your tournament site before relying on it across multiple courts.

Troubleshooting common issues

Problem: Referee can’t log in.

Make sure the referee is using their pickleball.com credentials—there is no separate referee account.
Check network connectivity. The app requires an internet connection to publish live scores.

Problem: Ref cannot access tournament in app.

Confirm the tourney code and ref code are correct and active.
Verify the TD has not changed the ref code or restricted entry.

Problem: Scores on tournament site don’t update.

Confirm the match was finalized in the app. Only finalized matches push results to the site.
Check server connectivity and any backend service notifications from your tournament platform.

Quick reference checklist for referees (printable)

Log in with pickleball.com credentials.
Enter tourney code and ref code provided by TD.
Use Training Mode to practice format in advance.
Before match: confirm video challenge status, tap players present, start warm-up.
Confirm starting servers and record coin toss choices.
Start live scoring: click PIP, announce score, and use green kitchen or SO to record point outcomes.
Respond to mid-match side-change prompts.
Finalize match and ensure results are displayed on the tournament site.

FAQs

Do referees need a separate account for the Referee App?

No. The app uses the same credentials as pickleball.com. There is no separate referee login.

Where do I find the tourney and ref codes?

The tourney code is in your venue setup. The ref code is created in the Edit Tourney menu and acts as a password to enter your tournament.

Can referees practice on their own?

Yes. Training Mode allows them to simulate a variety of match types and scoring rules (USAP or PPA style) so they’re prepared before officiating live matches.

Conclusion

The Referee App is designed to make your officiating team more efficient, accurate, and consistent. As TD, your role is to set up the tournament correctly (tourney code, ref code), encourage training, and verify that referees know the PIP/SO flow and finalization steps. With some practice and a short checklist, referees will be ready to manage live scoring confidently — and your spectators will appreciate accurate, real-time updates during every match.

For further demos and additional scoring format simulations, point your referees back to the app’s Training section where they can explore more scenarios and practice until they’re comfortable. You can also check out our in depth walkthrough tutorial below.