Run a football game from the dashboard

A football broadcast changes on nearly every snap: the down, the distance, the clock and, now and then, the score. The ScoreCastr football dashboard puts all of that in one place, so one person can keep the scorebug right from kickoff to the final whistle. This guide walks through every card on the football Scoring tab and what each button sends to your overlay.

Set up the match

Create the match as usual: pick Football, name both teams and give each a four-character scorebug name. See Create your first match. Then open it with Control Dashboard. The dashboard has three tabs, Scoring, Overlays and Game Actions, and everything below is on Scoring.

Before kickoff, set the quarter length in the TIME box. The dropdown has Professional (15 min), High School (12 min) and Youth (10 min). A new match starts on 15 minutes, so most school crews need to change it. Changing the level also resets the clock to that length.

Scoring controls

The SCORING CONTROLS card holds the game state:

• QUARTER: Prev and Next step through Q1, Q2, HALF, Q3, Q4 and overtime. Each step stops the clock and sets it for the new period (overtime is 10:00). Stepping into Q3 gives both teams their 3 timeouts back. Set FINAL marks the game final (it turns red and reads FINAL).
• DOWN & DISTANCE: 1st Down sets 1st and 10 and counts a first down for the team with the ball. Prev Down and Next Down step the down. The Set Yards dropdown picks the distance, from 1 to 20 yards or GOAL.
• Show Kickoff replaces the down and distance with KICKOFF. Show Yard adds the yard line, Hide Clock hides the game clock and Hide Down & Distance hides the down box.
• TIME: Start and Stop, Reset, and +1 Min, +1 Sec, -1 Sec, -1 Min to match the stadium clock. The clock stops itself at 0:00.
• POSSESSION: Change Possession switches the ball to the other team and resets to 1st and 10.

Under that, each team has +1, +2, +3, +6, -1 and -3, plus Use Timeout and Add Timeout. Each team starts with 3 timeouts. Use Timeout shows a timeout flag on the scorebug.

Score with the Shortcuts card

The SHORTCUTS card scores for the team that has the ball, so set possession first:

Use these for real scores. The plain +6 and +3 buttons in the team boxes change the score without the animation, which is what you want when you're fixing a mistake.

Under VISIBILITY, Hide Sponsor Logo turns the scorebug's sponsor spot off and on.

Call a penalty

The PENALTIES card (Starter plan) works in three taps:

1. Pick the team that committed it.
2. Pick Offense or Defense.
3. Pick the penalty. Each one shows its yardage, and some add 1st Down or Loss of Down.

ScoreCastr adds the penalty to the team's count and yards, updates the down and distance, and shows the penalty name on the scorebug. A defensive holding call, for example, sets 1st and 10. Back and Reset step out if you picked the wrong one. Current Penalty Stats shows each team's totals.

Quarterback line and team stats

These cards come with the Starter plan.

QUARTERBACK CONTROLS has a box for each team's QB. The team with the ball is marked ACTIVE.

1. Choose the player under Select QB (from the team's roster), or type a QB Name and Jersey #.
2. Log each throw with Complete Pass (then type the Completion Yards and click Add) or Incomplete Pass.
3. Use Interception, Fumble, Rush TD and Pass TD as they happen.
4. Click QB Stat Pop to put the passing line (completions, attempts, yards) on the scorebug.

TEAM STATISTICS has plus and minus buttons for First Downs, Rush Yds, Pass Yds, Turnovers, Interceptions, Fumbles Lost, Sacks, Penalties, Pen. Yards, 3rd Down and Red Zone. The eye icon on a row shows that stat for both teams on the scorebug. One stat shows at a time.

Fix a mistake

The MANUAL ADJUSTMENTS card sets values directly: Ball Position, Yards to Go, Time (Seconds), Quarter (1st to 4th, or Overtime), Down and Possession. Reset Away Timeouts and Reset Home Timeouts put each team back to 3.

Use Ball Position for the yard line (1 to 99). The scorebug shows it counted from the nearer goal line, so 70 shows as the 30. Turn it on with Show Yard.

Football graphics

On the Starter plan, football has more than the scorebug. In Overlays, then Customization, you'll find Away Starters, Home Starters, Away Defense and Home Defense lineups, and Halftime Stats, alongside the title card, scoreboard, lower thirds and player graphics. Show and hide them from the Overlay Visibility panel in the sidebar.

The sidebar also has Download Box Score, a PDF of the game.

Apex and Primetime extras

On an Apex or Primetime match (Starter plan), two things change:

• Safety also plays a safety flag on the scorebug. On Classic it only adds the points.
• A Show Title button appears under VISIBILITY. It turns the scorebug's title bar on and off.

See Switch templates to change a match's template.

Stream Deck codes

Football codes run from 2200 to 2250. A few you'll use every game:

Codes need Listening Mode, which comes with the Starter plan. There's a ready-made football profile for the Stream Deck MK.2 and XL. See Set up a Stream Deck.

Fix common problems

Touchdown went to the wrong team. The Shortcuts card scores for the team with possession. Take the 6 off with -3 twice in that team's box, add it to the right team with +6, then check possession before the next score.

Buttons show "Match has ended". The match was finished with End Match on the Game Actions tab, and it can't be edited after that.

Checklist

• Quarter length set in the TIME box
• Possession set before kickoff
• Scores entered from the Shortcuts card
• Down and distance updated after each play
• Next used to move into Q3, so timeouts reset
• Set FINAL at the end of the game