As mentioned in another thread, Minnesota's USSF youth affiliate is using online player passes this year. While this has its benefits (no paper, no begging for stamped envelopes from the coach, not having to do on-field paperwork for sent-off or dismissed personnel), it has its drawbacks too (Does every referee have a smartphone with a data plan? Who pays for the data consumed? How much data does it take to check in two dozen or more players & coaches? What privacy guarantees exist?). While several contingency procedures have been published, I can't help but wonder what's been missed. The hosting web site (Affinity-Sports.com) indicates that soccer associations in Florida, South Carolina, Ohio South, Washington, West Virginia, and Utah use their systems. Would anyone from those areas care to share their experiences, good and/or bad, with this system? I think it might help us out here on the tundra prepare for what we're about to face. Thanks!
My experience with online passes, is the coach or manager hand you their phone with it directed to the correct page, then you just Swype the screen for each player pass, after you are done checking in the players, you hand the phone back to the owner.
Something like that would be interesting to see how it is or is not used during regional and national events.
What happens when you are out in an area that doesn't have good coverage? Worse yet, what happens if the web-site goes down? I know on-line sounds good, but not fool-proof and could easily cause problems.
First backup is paper roster that the teams are supposed to carry with them. Second backup is just write down the coach names and player numbers (not names) of the players and check them in when you get home. Either way our instructions are play the game, report everything and let mysa sort it out later. I used this system a few times last fall without issue. Everywhere I had a game had cell service, and I used my own phone with unlimited data. The concerns with service coverage and data limits are legit though, not everyone has unlimited data plans and is in the metro area. My biggest gripe with this system is slow check in because of too much waiting for page reloads. You get to a player's pass then check a box. When you do that the page reloads - to the same pass with the box checked. You then move to the next pass - which is another reload. They really need to update the application so that all check in data is gathered for a team then sent to the server with one post. Hopefully that will be forthcoming.
What's to prevent the coach from swiping in someone before or after you? Our system requires that the referee log in before checking in the players. Doing that on someone else's phone is a security issue and we've been instructed to not do it, and use a manual backup procedure if the referee has no smartphone, tablet, or similar device with them.
With the gotsoccer app there is offline storage I believe. Also 99 percent of all complexes are going to have cell coverage.
Not familiar with that system, my experiences come from gotsoccer and trans have their own logins. While having is possible from using someone else's device, is it all that likely a team is going to risk breaking federal law and suspension from the league?
Had a MN team down here in KC two weeks ago, and the coach handed me a single sheet with names and pictures.I was the happiest ref in the complex when he told me he did not want the sheet back. One less headache to deal with post-game. The one thing I wish I had noted was whether both coaches were listed on the sheet, because one guy ended up really bugging me. As far as checking the players in, I guess the coach knew he would be pressing his luck to hand the refs his iPhone, and telling them the player passes are online. Minnesota is so advanced!
My only experience with online palyer passess is through DA. The coaches print out the passes with pictures and numbers on them and hand it over to the referees. Much easier than fiddling with individual passess.
That was my question as well. I hate doing limited subs without cards. Trying to mark the paper rosters on the fly is annoying.
I love the DA method down here. A roster with player pictures on them that we keep. For subs, the players have a piece of paper with the player off number, player on number, sub number, moment number. All I have to do is mark the time.
If only we could get all teams to be that organized. It's hard enough getting MRL coaches here to agree on who is home or away and submitting paperwork.
So in your system it's the referee's responsibility to have an electronic device with cellular data coverage? This is absolutely insane. In my state they started it. I don't do any youth games so I don't really know how it's worked other than word of mouth. Most teams don't use it. Ideally, the electronic is just back up for paper rosters and passes in case coach/team mom leaves them at home. It is the team's responsibility to have a device that can access the system and we instruct referees to never even touch or hold their device to limit their liability. The referee does not have to log in to anything.
First, for Development Academy there is only one correct sub procedure and that is with the pre printed forms each player is to give AR1 (or 4O) with the player coming off and player going on, the "moment" and sub # (only 3 moments allowed, and limited by age group to how many players) For Georgia youth if the online passes are used a paper roster is still required (2 copies from each team are actually "required" but if we have at least one official printed copy we will play). We are instructed to NOT hold a coach or managers device but let them do so and check the boxes etc. while we look on and approve. I haven't had to deal with them yet so not sure how the not touching their device thing goes. Probably overkill but maybe better safe than sorry in case a device ends up "broken" somehow after we have touched it.
Yeah, that coach I ejected the other night complained about everything – and I mean everything, starting before we even blew to start play. I'm glad he didn't have the opportunity to add "and you broke my device!" to his litany of woe.
I am also located in Minnesota. I have never had a problem in using the new system in fall games last year. I do not own a device that has cellular data, so I would just ask the coaches for their paper roster (they are required to still have a paper roster) and then check them in online after I returned home. Still easier than having laminated passes and envelopes to mail in. All in all, I am a fan of this system.
Ok. Anyone else in a state with digital cards and leagues that have limited subs. What's your procedure. I'm not criticizing, I'm looking for advice on a process should this every become a thing.
I have AR1 write down who comes on and off as do I. In one league they sub and one re-entry is allowed. When that happens we circle the player coming back on and if they leave again a single line through the number with the circle indicates they are done for the day. Definitely more challenging to keep up with without passes.