Scout's Pals Scorer — Complete User Guide

Progressive Web App (PWA) Installation #

• iPad / iOS (Safari):
  1. Open Safari and navigate to your deployed app URL (e.g. https://app.scoutspals.ca).
  2. Tap the Share button (the box with an upward-pointing arrow).
  3. Scroll down and tap Add to Home Screen.
  4. Launch the app from the newly created icon on your home screen for full-screen mode.
• Android Tablets (Chrome):
  1. Open Chrome and navigate to the app URL.
  2. Tap the three dots (⋮) in the top-right corner.
  3. Tap Install app or Add to Home screen.
• Windows / Mac / Chromebook (Chrome or Edge):
  1. Click the Install icon in the browser address bar (a screen icon with a down arrow).
  2. Confirm installation to run as a standalone desktop application.

Logging In & Offline Authentication #

1. Enter your Scout's Pals account credentials (Email and Password) on the Login screen.
2. Once signed in, your session token, club profile, and permissions are securely cached in local storage.
3. Offline Operation: You can operate scoring consoles all weekend without active internet. As long as you logged in once while connected, the app continues functioning offline without logging you out.

Automatic Nightly Updates #

The scoring tool features a background Service Worker updater configured to check for new releases automatically at 3:00 AM local time. Whenever your device is connected to Wi-Fi overnight, it silently fetches the latest improvements so you wake up to an updated field tool.

Setting Event Metadata #

1. From the Main Menu, tap 📋 Event under the Other panel.
2. Fill in the required trial metadata:
   • Event Name: Exact trial name (e.g., Spring Fling 2026). Must match the name used when pushing run orders from the admin tool.
   • User Email: The registered administrator or club account email.
   • Event Date: The date of the trial (e.g., 2026-10-18).
   • Location: Club grounds, city, or venue name.
3. Tap anywhere outside an input field to automatically save changes to browser storage.

Setting Up Your UpDog API Key #

1. From the top-right corner of the Main Screen, tap Settings (⚙️).
2. Scroll down to the UpDog API Key field.
3. Paste your developer API key obtained from your official UpDog profile at teams.updogchallenge.com/me/developer.
4. Why this matters: With your API key active, the app automatically contacts the official UpDog database whenever a team with a Unique Team Number (UTN) is imported to fetch their historical Personal Best (PB). New PBs achieved during the trial are celebrated automatically!

Tie-Break & Division Preferences #

Configure how the app audits standings and organizes exported sheets:

• Tie-Check Places (tieCheckPlaces): Choose whether ties are monitored across Top 1, Top 3, Top 5, Top 10, or All Places. If two completed teams share the same score within this threshold, a prominent tie alert banner appears so officials can conduct a tie-breaker.
• Division Sort: Select how teams are grouped on final score sheets:
  • No Divisions: Standard overall ranking by score.
  • Club Only: Grouped by Club division (e.g., Open, Novice).
  • Height Only: Grouped by dog jump height (Mini, Midi, Maxi, Mega).
  • Club & Height: Hierarchically sorted by Club division first, then Height.

Audio & Spotify DJ Controls #

• Audio Cues: Configure voice or tone countdowns for timer intervals (60s, 30s, 10s, 5-4-3-2-1, Time!).
• Audio Keep-Alive: Prevents tablets from sleeping mid-round by playing an inaudible background tone.
• Spotify Integration: Connect a Spotify Premium account to play music during rounds; the app automatically lowers track volume (ducks) during timer announcements.

Step-by-Step Sync Workflow

Step 1: Enable Database Sync

1. Navigate to Main Menu ➔ 📋 Event.
2. Ensure Event Name and User Email are populated.
3. Locate the Database Run Order Sync card.
4. Tap Sync Run Orders with Database to turn it ON (badge updates to green SYNC ON).

Step 2: Choose Your Sync Mode (Settings ⚙️)

Under Settings ➔ Run Order Sync Mode, choose your preferred behavior:

• AUTO_SAFE (Recommended): Automatically checks the cloud database in the background whenever a round finishes. If new dogs were added or the order was adjusted in the database, it merges them seamlessly into the active queue without interrupting the current team.
• PROMPT: When a server change is detected, a modal lists exact additions or removals and asks the scorekeeper to accept or dismiss the update.
• OFF: Disables background polling; manual sync buttons remain active.

Step 3: Triggering the Sync

You can import run orders using either of two methods:

• Method A: Bulk Sync All Games (Morning Setup): In the Event Info Screen, tap the green Sync All Run Orders button. The app contacts the Cloudflare Worker database for all 41 game modes at once and reports how many games were synced.
• Method B: Single-Game Sync (Inside Console): Inside any active game console (e.g. Throw N Go L1), tap the purple SYNC ORDER button in the Team Management panel to refresh only that game's queue.

File Import (Excel / CSV) #

If you prefer not to use the cloud database, import files generated directly from the UpDog Score Sheet Generator:

1. Open any game console (e.g., 4-Way Play).
2. Tap IMPORT in the Team Management panel.
3. Select Pick File and choose an official .xlsx, .csv, .numbers, or .ods file.
4. The app parses Handler, Dog, UTN, Division, and Height Division directly into the active queue.

Importing from Another Game #

1. In the target game console, tap IMPORT in Team Management.
2. Select From Another Game.
3. Choose the source game from the modal list. The participant roster is instantly cloned into the current game's queue.

Automatic Personal Best (PB) Fetching #

Regardless of whether teams are loaded via database sync, file import, or cloned from another game:

• With your UpDog API Key active, the app queries the UpDog API for every competitor with a valid UTN.
• A brief loading spinner ("Fetching Personal Bests...") appears.
• When an active team takes the line, their historical high score displays on the screen. If they surpass that score during the run, an animated NEW PB! badge and celebratory banner trigger automatically!

Running a Round: Step-by-Step #

1. Confirm the Active Team: Verify that the dog and handler at the line match the Active Team banner.
2. Start the Clock: Tap ▶ PLAY on the timer card. Countdown audio cues begin automatically.
3. Record Throws & Catches:
   • Tap the matching Zone button (Zone 1, 2, 3, 4) upon a successful catch.
   • Tap Airborne if the dog caught the disc cleanly in the air (applicable in Level 2 games).
   • Tap Sweet Spot if the catch occurred within the designated bonus circle.
   • Toggle Roller for rolling throws.
   • Tap MISS or OB for incomplete throws.
4. Field Adjustments:
   • UNDO: Tap UNDO at any moment to remove the last recorded throw action.
   • FLIP: Tap FLIP to invert the field grid layout for left-handed throwers or alternate field perspectives.
5. Finish the Round:
   • When time expires or the run concludes, tap ⏭ FINISH ROUND.
   • Confirm the submission prompt. The score is saved to local storage, logged in the completed queue, uploaded to the live cloud database, and backed up locally.
   • The next queued team loads automatically into the active console.

Managing the Queue in the Field #

• Skipping a Team: If a dog is not ready at the line, tap ⏭ SKIP. The team is moved down the queue without losing their registered entry.
• Promoting a Team Out of Order: Select any team in the queue list, tap their name, and choose Make Active to pull them to the line immediately.
• Reordering: Drag and drop teams in the queue panel to adjust running orders on the fly.

1. In-Console Completed Queue & Play-by-Play Logs #

• Completed Tab: Shows every dog that has completed their run, their placement, and final score.
• LOG Button: Tap the purple LOG button in Team Management to inspect a timestamped audit trail of every throw (e.g., 14:22:05 - Zone 3 catch (3 pts), 14:22:18 - Miss).

2. Event Info Screen: Standings & Tie-Check Alerts #

Navigate to Main Menu ➔ 📋 Event. Tap any game button across the top to inspect its live leaderboard:

Automated Tie Highlighting: If two or more completed teams share identical scores within your configured tieCheckPlaces threshold (e.g. Top 3), an amber tie badge (⚠️ TIE) flags the tied positions so trial officials can run a tie-breaker before the awards ceremony.

3. Crossover Crown Combined Results #

UpDog's Crossover Crown recognizes canine disc versatility by combining scores across multiple qualifying games (Frizgility, FunKey, 4-Way Play, Throw N Go, and Spaced Out).

1. Go to Main Menu ➔ 📋 Event.
2. Tap the 🏆 Crossover Crown Results button.
3. The system scans all completed games, aggregates eligible handler/dog scores, and calculates overall ranked crown standings automatically.

4. Public Live Results Portal (results.scoutspals.ca) #

Competitors, family, and spectators can follow along in real time from their smartphones at results.scoutspals.ca:

• Search by Event Name and filter by game mode.
• Live leaderboards that update instantly as each dog crosses the line.
• Individual throw cards, zone breakdowns, and Personal Best badges.

5. Official UpDog Excel Export (.xlsx) #

1. In the game console, tap EXPORT in Team Management.
2. The app generates an official pre-formatted UpDog Excel workbook (.xlsx) ready for official sanctioning submission.
3. Exports respect division sorting preferences, apply macro formulas, format height divisions, and include tie-breaker metrics automatically.

Offline Queue & Flush Indicator #

• If internet drops during an event, scoring continues uninterrupted. Completed runs are placed in an Offline Submission Queue.
• The Main Screen displays an orange notification banner when submissions are pending:
  ⚠️ 4 pending uploads [ UPLOAD NOW ]
• As soon as connectivity returns, tap UPLOAD NOW (or let the app flush automatically in the background) to upload all pending scores.

Local Database Backup & Restore #

At the end of each trial day, or before switching tablets:

1. Tap Settings (⚙️) on the Main Screen.
2. Locate the Database Backup section.
3. Tap Export DB to download a single .json backup containing all game queues, completed scores, and event configurations.
4. On a replacement device, tap Import DB to restore the entire trial state in seconds.