Home/Guides/Matches and the dashboard

Run the dashboard from a phone or tablet

The control dashboard works in the browser on any phone or tablet. Here's how the layout changes on a small screen and how to keep a phone scorekeeper running all game.

Updated 4 min readFree

The person keeping score is often in the bleachers or at the scorer's table, far from the OBS computer. They don't need a laptop. The ScoreCastr control dashboard runs in the browser on a phone or tablet, with nothing to install, and every tap reaches the overlay the same as it would from a laptop. This guide covers what looks different on a small screen and how to get through a full game without trouble.

Short versionSign in at scorecastr.co in your phone or tablet's browser, open the match with Control Dashboard, and score from the Scoring tab. On a small screen, the sidebar (Overlay Visibility, Share Match and more) moves below the main controls.

Open the dashboard on your phone

  1. Open your phone or tablet's browser and go to scorecastr.co.
  2. Sign in to the same ScoreCastr account that owns the match.
  3. On your match list, tap Control Dashboard on the match.

The laptop running OBS doesn't need the dashboard open. The overlay link in OBS picks up changes from whichever device is scoring.

How the layout changes on a small screen

The dashboard is the same set of controls on every screen. It rearranges itself to fit:

On a laptop On a phone or upright tablet
Sidebar on the right: Back to Match List, Overlay Visibility, Match Statistics, Share Match, Download Box Score The same sidebar items, stacked below the tabs. Scroll down past the controls to reach them.
Customization sub-tab: a list of graphics down the left side A row of buttons for the graphics at the top, with the settings underneath
Scorebug preview at a larger size The same preview, scaled down to fit the width

The top of the page looks the same everywhere: the status dot, then the scorebug preview, then the Scoring, Overlays and Game Actions tabs.

Turning a phone sideways gives you more width. A tablet held sideways is often wide enough for the laptop layout, with the sidebar back on the right.

Find the controls you'll need most

  • Scoring: the Scoring tab opens first and has everything for your sport: score, clock, periods and stats.
  • Show and hide graphics: the Overlay Visibility panel (Starter plan) is in the sidebar, so on a phone it's below the tabs. Scroll down to it, then back up to score. See Show and hide graphics.
  • Customize a graphic: open Overlays, then Customization, and tap the graphic in the row of buttons at the top.
TipIf one person keeps score and another runs the graphics, give them a device each, both signed in and both on the same match's dashboard. The scorekeeper stays on the Scoring tab, and the graphics person stays scrolled down at Overlay Visibility.

Watch the status dot

The status dot at the top left tells you whether your taps are reaching the broadcast:

  • Live: changes are reaching the broadcast.
  • Slow: changes are delayed. They're saved on this device and will send automatically.
  • Offline: changes aren't getting through. They're saved on this device and will send when the connection is back.

Phones switch between Wi-Fi and cellular, and gyms and stadiums often have weak signal. Glance at the dot after big moments like a goal or the end of a period. If it stays on Offline, check the phone's connection. See The status dot.

Keep the phone ready for a full game

  • Stop the screen locking. The dashboard doesn't keep your screen on by itself. Before the game, turn off auto-lock or set the longest screen timeout in your phone's display settings. Set it back afterwards.
  • Keep it charged. A screen that stays on for two hours uses a lot of battery. Bring a charger or a battery pack.
  • Keep the dashboard tab open. Don't close the tab between periods. If you do, sign in again if asked and reopen the match from your list.
  • Turn on Do Not Disturb. A call or notification banner can cover the button you were about to tap.
  • Test before the game. Change the score once and check the overlay in OBS or on the Preview card under Overlays, then Live Preview. Then put it back.

Streaming from a phone too

The web dashboard makes the graphics; it doesn't stream video. If you want to film and stream the game on phones as well, with no laptop at all, look at the ScoreCastr iPhone app, in public beta on TestFlight and free during the beta. See Join the iPhone app beta.

For help choosing between a phone and a laptop setup, see the Eighty Five Studios guide linked on this page.

Checklist

  • Signed in on the phone or tablet with the account that owns the match
  • Match open with Control Dashboard
  • Status dot showing Live
  • Overlay Visibility found below the tabs, if you're running graphics
  • Auto-lock off and a charger nearby
  • Do Not Disturb on
  • One test change checked on the overlay

Related guides

Free · 4 min read

A tour of the match dashboard

Every match has its own Control Dashboard. Here's what each part does, from the status dot and scorebug preview to the three tabs and the sidebar.

Read the guide →Free · 3 min read

The status dot: Live, Slow and Offline

The dot at the top of the dashboard tells you whether your changes are reaching the broadcast. Here's what each color means, what happens to your changes, and what to do.

Read the guide →Free · 3 min read

Join the iPhone app beta

Score on one iPhone and stream the game from another, with your scorebug on the picture. Here's how to join the free beta through TestFlight and get ready for your first stream.

Read the guide →Free · 4 min read

Run several matches at once

Every match has its own control dashboard and its own overlay links, so you can run games on different fields or courts side by side. Here's how to keep them apart and how plan limits work.

Read the guide →