A&H

RefSix Reliability?

Dino Ref

Well-Known Member
Hi all,

I got a smartwatch for Christmas and am aware of the app refsix which seems to be used by quite a lot of people nowadays.

Just wondering what's is reliabilty is like and any tips and tricks you can offer?

My main worry is it stops working or I get into a mess with the interface.

My plan would be to first use it in only junior games and then transfer the record onto my notepad at half time.
 
The Referee Store
Very easy to use Ive had no issues With it. Have to admit I was worried about using in the rain. But no issue. I still use notebook for cards but going to phase that out over next few months
On the issue with getting in a mess I actually used it while watching a gave one tv a few times just to get the hang of it
 
It will drain your battery quickly - I have an older smartwatch that will now last me a day of normal use and no more. If I turn refsix on at the start of the match with 95% battery, I'll be below 20% by half time and have to abandon it in favour of a notepad. So nowadays I don't tend to use refsix any more and instead just switch on my standard fitness tracker app as a timer - this will generally drain it to around 30% battery across a whole match.

But, when I first tried it out, my watch battery hadn't degraded as much and I used to really like it. You can type teamsheets into your phone in advance, so it will just offer you a list of names to scroll through when recording a caution - you can set it up so that instead, you type in a shirt number for cautions, which I found more awkward but you may prefer depending on the exact watch you have, so try both options. Everything is timestamped, which is great for your post-match admin (I'm terrible at taking down times of events in particular). And if you're in the middle with NAR's, you can use the app on your phone to log subs etc post-match. The phone app also has a finance tab for each match, so you can record and track your earnings across a season, which was a nice surprise that first season!

In terms of getting used to it, my suggestion would either be to practice with it while you're on a line (notwithstanding the debate we've had recently about AR's taking a match record or not), or for an even lower-pressure practice run, whenever you have a match on the TV run refsix for that match as if you're the PL ref in the middle. There are a few different settings for goals too (if you want to record goalscorer, or type of goal), so make sure you have that set up how you want in advance.

Final tip - always make sure you have a pen and blank notebook in your pocket regardless. Not particularly in case your watch fails, but more than you might find yourself needing to take notes if something particularly unusual happens, so on very rare occasions you'll still need to write by hand anyway.
 
Thanks for the answers.

Reckon I'll have a go with a TV match and line before trying it in the middle.

My first game in the middle isn't till next Saturday so plenty of time to get used to it.
 
I have a Garmin Fenix 5. When the app works on my watch, it works great. The timers are easy to read, and even using buttons the user interface works well. I also like how I can change what the timers show depending on the match I'm working. Since I work high school and college matches in the US, I often work with a countdown clock. I can set one of the timers to be a "stopped" count up timer so I can record the actual minute of the match with the stopped clock. Example - If I'm working a high school match and #14 in white is cautioned with 3:30 on the clock in the first half, I record the caution as occurring in the 42nd minute even if I have two minutes of "stoppage" time and I would record this as the 44th minute in a game with traditional timing. (In case you're wondering, most referees are not fans of the scoreboard/countdown timing system - primarily because the scoreboard operators often have no idea what they are doing.)

My issue is that the app crashes on my watch. I've had matches where I've either made it to the end of a half or have recorded a caution, and the app crashes and I get the Garmin "green triangle of death" on my watch before the watch restarts. I've always recorded match information in written form even using RefSix, so it hasn't burned me. But I can't enthusiastcally give RefSix a thumbs up until I don't have that problem.
 
I'm a big fan of any technology that helps people out and makes tasks easier. However, I work in IT so I know more than most that technology fails, and when it does in business you need to have a business continuity or disaster recovery plan. In refereeing those BCPs or DRPs are how do you recover if your watch dies or the app crashes? If all your cautions are on there how do you know who you have cautioned? If you have NARs they are your backups, but if you don't how do you get out of it?
 
As a user of Refsix for nearly 3 years, cards get recorded either directly on to my yellow card or notebook for reds, then the app gets updated. I’m more likely to remember the score of a game and so can write the score down if the technology fails
 
As a user of Refsix for nearly 3 years, cards get recorded either directly on to my yellow card or notebook for reds, then the app gets updated. I’m more likely to remember the score of a game and so can write the score down if the technology fails

And that's my point, you have the backup to bail you out if technology fails. But I have seen referees just use the watch and not write a single thing down. It is an almighty risk in my view.
 
Quite like the app, but soon realised all I want it to do is elapsed time, stoppage time, and sin bin times. Everything else can be a faff in the middle.

Try it on the line, or if just watching a game, find out what you want it to do.
 
I find it handy when uploading teamsheets before a game so When ask players their names, i can just click a button rather than try and scribble it all down, however I still always put the play number in my notepad in case the technology fails me
 
I use RefSix only for the timers and goals when I’m in the middle as I can’t be arsed with the faff of recording bookings on it.

If I’m on the line then I’ll use it to record bookings, subs and goals etc.

Occasionally I’ll enter the cards once I’ve written them down first, depends on how I feel on the day and how quickly the game is flowing. Primarily I stick to pen and paper for my cautions.
 
I had a few minor issues today with rain causing my Garmin Vivoactive 4S to keep stopping play/start the stoppage time counter.

Didn't make a significant difference as I had my second watch going.
 
Have used it for 2 years and never had an issue with it.

i use it to record everything possible
 
I've been using it for a season or so. Reckon I agree with most on here. Cautions and red cards via traditional methods probably best. Goals and timings via watch fine.
 
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