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Whether you're considering a change from one referee assigning software to another, or you're taking the platform plunge for the first time, there are a number of factors you should consider when selecting an assigning platform. In this article, we're going to walk through the 4 factors an assignor should consider as 'must haves,' and 4 bonus factors that may, or may not, be important to you.
Given the number of assigning platforms out there, it can be confusing to know where to start. Their websites make them all look like they offer everything you could possibly want. But the truth is each solution has strengths and weaknesses, so it's important to get into the detail to find which is best for you.
This article is authored by FairCall, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of youth sports assignors and officials through data and insights. Since this article covers assigning software, it's important to note FairCall is supported by Notch, one of the assigning platforms mentioned in this article.
It goes without saying that scheduling officials to work games is at the core of an assigning platform. The software should handle complex scheduling scenarios, including direct assign (when the assignor manually assigns a specific official to a specific role) and self-assign (when an official requests a role that fits his/her schedule and experience). The software should allow officials to input their availability and automatically detect potential scheduling conflicts. Different assigning platforms have different workflows related to sports official scheduling, and assignors 'live' in this area the most, so it is important to analyze this functionality carefully to make sure it suits your needs.
Effective assigning also involves time-sensitive communication (email, SMS and push notifications). Announcements and automated messaging, especially for game reminders, date/time/location changes, cancellations, etc., can significantly reduce the workload for everyone involved.
A straight-forward, intuitive design reduces the learning curve for both assignors and officials and limits the chance of human error. Quality user interfaces are also a sign that the underlying code base is organized and less error prone, and the system architecture is more robust and secure.
Dedicated mobile apps are a must have for today's officials, however, mobile apps from many assigning platforms were built well after their initial desktop solutions were created. This can lead to buggy and less functional mobile apps. Check out reviews from the App Store and Google Play to get an idea of how the app will work for you. It's important to note that most assignors still prefer to use a desktop for large-scale assigning activity (more screen area) but appreciate the ability to see game details and make quick changes on the go with an app.
Some assignors invoice competitions for their own fees plus the officials' fees, and then process payment to each individual referee. Some assignors only invoice competitions for their own fees and provide reporting so the competitions can pay each official individually. And a new model is emerging where the software platform itself is pre-funded and pays the officials directly, making the platform responsible for 1099 reporting for officials. Assignors who leverage this method experience a significant reduction in workload and officials are paid instantly after games. The choice of payment processing is important because it can represent a significant portion of an assignor's time commitment.
It's important to have a clear understanding of all costs involved in your use of an assigning platform, including any set-up fees, monthly subscriptions, processing fees, user fees, per-game fees, and payment transaction fees. Each assigning platform has a different fee model, partly driven by their underlying technology costs and revenue sources, so be sure to get pricing in writing. For example, larger assignors should be careful with per-game or per-use fees as they can add up at scale. Being able to "try before you buy" through a free trial or no-cost account set-up is important since each assignor's use case can be different.
If you are a soccer assignor, you will want your assigning platform to have a real-time integration with the US Soccer Learning Center to determine if officials' USSF certifications are current. This is particularly important for competitive matches in soccer, which often require USSF certification. Even some recreational soccer clubs require USSF certification or are moving in that direction, so this functionality is key for soccer assignors.
If you are a club or league looking for an all-in-one solution covering league management and official management, some options exist. However, league management software and referee/umpire assigning software is quite different... different users, reporting, communication, payments and more. In fact, the only thing league and official software have in common is the underlying game schedule. Solutions that attempt to do it all often struggle to be best-in-class at everything. However, for some organizations, it may be worth those weaknesses to have a single, cohesive platform.
Some assigning platforms are more home-grown than others, making them 'cheap and cheerful' but potentially risky when it comes to security, stability and data protection. Some industry players have experienced outages, sometimes lasting weeks, which severely impacted their customers. And some industry players have seen data breaches that exposed officials' data. Most of these issues are the result of antiquated system architecture, so be sure to ask the assigning platforms about their architecture and any outages or breaches experienced in the last few years.
Some assigning platforms have integrations with league management systems, background check services or performance evaluation tools. If specific integrations are important to you, be sure to ask about it. For larger assigning opportunities, some providers may add an integration to their technology roadmap, or charge a fee for a custom integration.
As you can imagine, there is no one-size-fits-all answer, but each software solution has strengths and weaknesses. To find the best assigning software for you, take a look at our competitor report card and competitor summaries below. And don't take our word for it. Find the 2-3 solutions that seem to fit your needs and schedule time with them. It's worth the effort... who knows, you might just save money and spend more time with your family next season!
(As of Q1, 2025 - In alphabetical order)
To help get you started, we reviewed assigning platforms based on the 'must have' factors in this article. Our 3-level rating system is simple: Good, OK, and Poor. Summaries of each competitor can be found below. Let us know at hello@faircall.org if you feel we've missed the mark, or if your experience matches!
Platform Type: Assigning Platform, Governing Body Oversight
Summary: Arbiter is an industry workhorse having served all stakeholders around youth sports for decades. Over the years, Arbiter has developed an extraordinary level of configuration options for assignors and officials. However, system bugs, complex interfaces, and high costs are common customer complaints. Additionally, the introduction of the Arbiter mobile app continues to be a sore spot with Arbiter customers, as it struggles to meet functionality expectations. Arbiter maintains deep personal and economic relationships with athletic associations nationwide, helping to secure future business.
Platform Type: Assigning Platform
Summary: Assignr opened its doors in 2009, focusing solely on umpire and referee scheduling functionality. Assignr then added the ability to pay officials via ACH transactions and introduced a mobile app in 2021. Assignr received a boost when it absorbed customers from GameOfficials, a legacy soccer assigning competitor that went offline in early 2024. Assignr has earned a good reputation for customer service though customers complain UI and workflows could be simpler and more functional. For example, Assignr does not allow more than one game with the same Game Number, officials can be accidentally double booked and some key features that are available on the website are not available in the mobile app.
Platform Type: Assigning Platform, Team Management, Governing Body Oversight
Summary: Demosphere began in the early 90's but its effort to connect all stakeholders in the youth sports ecosystem via technology began in the early 2000s. Demosphere's wide range of league management features make it attractive to state athletic associations and other governing bodies who rely on non-assigning features like compliance and risk management. Assignors who use Demosphere often prefer other assigning software, but are required to use Demosphere by these governing bodies.
Platform Type: Assigning Platform, Governing Body Oversight
Summary: Similar to Arbiter and Demosphere, Dragonfly attempts to offer a full suite of sports management services to athletic directors, coaches, officials, state-level organizations, and high school associations. Those who use Dragonfly's assigning functionality frequently complain about its clunky interface, glitches, difficulty navigating features, and poor customer support. Similar to Demosphere, assignors who use Dragonfly for assigning are often required to do so by the overarching athletic organization.
Platform Type: Assigning Platform, Referee Training, Team Management, Governing Body Oversight
Summary: Formerly GotSoccer, GotSport is a sports management solution offering a range of features to sports organizations including league management, website building, and sports official assigning. In 2023, GotSport experienced a severe system outage lasting more than two weeks in which clients were unable to access data or use the GotSport platform. This outage significantly impacted leagues and clubs across the country and exposed poor software development processes and infrastructure. Gotsport committed to improvements, but continues to address reputational issues.
Platform Type: Assigning Platform
Summary: HorizonWebRef is a highly configurable and feature rich assigning platform. However, the user interface is outdated and has become overly complex over the years, causing HorizonWebRef to require a significant learning curve for new users. Once assignors and officials are set up and become accustomed to key workflows, HorizonWebRef is a valuable assigning platform.
Platform Type: Assigning Platform
Summary: Notch was created in 2021 as a modern, intuitive assigning platform with a Venmo-like payment model. Notch's unique auto top-up functionality for competitions, and instant payouts for officials, make it the fastest and most efficient payment solution for officials. Assignors appreciate Notch's smart workflows and clean UI, along with industry-leading pricing. The combination of intuitive self-request and fast payment cause many assignors to see an increase in demand for their games and retention of officials.
Platform Type: Assigning Platform
Summary: RefereeSchedule.com is a web-based referee scheduling and assigning platform that has been serving sports organizations since 2004. Over time, the product has become highly configurable and feature rich, however, the UI is antiquated and complex with no mobile app available.
Platform Type: Assigning Platform, Referee Training, Governing Body Oversight
Summary: Founded in 2023, RefInsight is a content management solution built to automate assigning and also to offer referee training and development. The solution is relatively new with rudimentary UI, but it is functional, particularly for organizations seeking to train high-level referees where speed of payment is not important. RefInsight is the preferred assigning platform of the Wisconsin State Referee Committee.
Platform Type: Assigning Platform
Summary: Refr was founded in 2023 by two college students with a long term goal of creating a marketplace for sports officials. Backed by seed capital, Refr is currently focused on building out its assigning platform and has begun to assign games directly, potentially competing with its customers. Refr also builds out websites for customers, and provides gap funding for competitions that want to pay officials weekly, but don't have funds available in time.
Platform Type: Assigning Platform, Referee Training, Team Management, Governing Body Oversight
Summary: Stack Officials is part of Stack Sports, an organization that acquired a number of technology solutions in the sports management industry and attempted to integrate them into a comprehensive ecosystem for all stakeholders. After acquiring and shutting down GameOfficials, few GameOfficials customers moved to Stack Officials sighting material functionality gaps.
Platform Type: Assigning Platform
Summary: USOfficials was created in 2008 as a web-based, cost-effective assiging solution, primarily focused on soccer assignors. Today, the product continues to serve soccer event operators primarily in the New England area. In June of 2023, USOfficials was acquired by 3STEP Sports, a large and far-reaching youth sports organization. USOfficials is another functional assigning platform, but with little investment made to improve UI in recent years or to introduce a mobile app.
Platform Type: Assigning Platform, Referee Training, Governing Body Oversight
Summary: ZebraWeb was founded over two decades ago and offers a suite of tools that facilitate the assigning, communication, evaluation, management, and payment of officials. ZebraWeb offers a number of integrations and is highly configurable. However, as with many legacy platforms, constant innovation on old technology can lead to complex, error-prone and clunky software, with a high learning curve for new users. Extending the ZebraWeb solution into a reliable mobile app has proven challenging.
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