The scorebug is the one graphic viewers see the whole game. It updates the moment you score, run the clock or change the period on the dashboard. Every plan has it, for all twelve sports. This guide covers what it shows, the settings behind it and the ways to change what's on it.
What it shows
The scorebug is built for each sport. It always shows both teams (or players) and the score, plus what that sport needs:
| Sport | Also on the scorebug |
|---|---|
| Football | Quarter, clock, down and distance, timeouts, flags |
| Basketball | Quarter, clock, shot clock, timeouts |
| Volleyball | Sets, serve |
| Soccer | Half, clock, stoppage time, cards |
| Ice hockey | Period, clock, power play and penalties |
| Field hockey | Quarter, clock, card suspensions, corners |
| Baseball, softball | Inning, bases, count, outs |
| MMA | Round, round clock |
| Tennis, pickleball | Games and sets (tennis), points, serve |
Each sport's guide explains its controls, for example Run a basketball game. Swimming's version is the Event Bug; see Swimming graphics.
Where it comes from
When you create a match, the scorebug names, logos and colors you set become the scorebug. It starts on air, so it's in your OBS browser source as soon as you add the overlay link. See Create your first match and Add your overlay to OBS.
On the Free plan, that's how it stays: the Customization tab, where you'd change it later, comes with Starter. Check every name and logo on the Preview step before you click Create Match.
The Score Bug settings
On the Starter plan, open Overlays, then Customization, then Score Bug. The fields depend on the sport:
| Field | What it does | Sports |
|---|---|---|
| Title | The scorebug's title text, like "District Semifinal" | All |
| Subtitle | A second line | MMA, tennis, pickleball |
| Away Team, Home Team | The short scorebug names | Football, basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball |
| Away Name, Home Name | The same, for soccer | Soccer |
| Player 1 Name, Player 2 Name | The same, for these sports | Ice hockey, field hockey, MMA, tennis, pickleball |
| Away Team Logo, Home Team Logo | The logo beside each team | All team sports |
| Logo with Show Logo | An event logo | Basketball, ice hockey, field hockey, MMA, tennis, pickleball |
| Sponsor Logo | The sponsor spot | All except baseball and softball |
| Network Logo | The same spot, for baseball and softball | Baseball, softball |
Doubles tennis and pickleball also have Player 3 Name and Player 4 Name for the partners.
Keep the names short, like the four-character names from match setup, so they fit the bar. Text saves on its own a moment after you stop typing. Logos must be image files under 5 MB; click Remove Logo to take one off.
On Classic, the Logo shows on the scorebug in tennis and pickleball when Show Logo is on. In the other sports it appears on the title card instead. See Title cards.
Hide parts of the scorebug
Some parts can be switched off from the Scoring tab without taking the scorebug down:
- Hide Clock (HIDE CLOCK in soccer) takes the clock off in basketball, football, soccer, ice hockey and field hockey. The clock keeps running. See Run the clock.
- The sponsor spot has a button in football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and MMA, like Hide Sponsor Logo or SHOW SPONSOR LOGO.
- Some sports have Show Title or HIDE TITLE for the title bar.
Where these sit and what they're called differs by sport, so see your sport's guide, for example Run a football game.
Show and hide the whole scorebug
On Starter, the Overlay Visibility panel in the sidebar has Hide Score Bug and Show Score Bug. Go to Break hides it and shows the scoreboard in one click. With Listening Mode on, code 1001 toggles it from a Stream Deck or keypad. See Show and hide graphics.
On Free, the scorebug stays on all the time.
Channel Assignment
At the top of the Score Bug section, Channel Assignment picks where it appears: Channel 1, Channel 2 or Both Channels. It starts on Channel 1. Put it on the channel your main OBS scene uses. See Two output channels.
On Classic, Apex and Primetime
All three templates use the same Score Bug settings: the scorebug names, logos and title you set here show on every template. Each has its own design and spot on screen, and colors work differently:
- Classic: colors are in the Score Bug's Color Customization panel. See Customize Classic graphics.
- Apex and Primetime: one set of colors in Graphics Template, plus sport extras like basketball team fouls or ice hockey shots on goal. See Switch templates and Template extras.
The scorebug at the top of the Control Dashboard is a live copy of the one on air, on whichever template the match uses.
Fix common problems
The scorebug name didn't change. You may have edited the Title Card or Scoreboard name. The scorebug uses the names in Score Bug.
The clock is missing. Someone clicked Hide Clock. Click Show Clock (SHOW CLOCK in soccer).
Removing the sponsor logo removed the event logo too. In the sports that have both, Remove Logo under Sponsor Logo clears both. Upload the Logo again.
The scorebug isn't in OBS. Check its Channel Assignment matches the channel link in your browser source, and that it isn't hidden in Overlay Visibility.
Checklist
- Scorebug names short enough to fit
- Team logos uploaded, under 5 MB each
- Title and sponsor logo set, if you use them
- Title Card and Scoreboard names checked after any scorebug name change
- Channel Assignment matches your OBS scene