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ScoreBird
Support/User Manual

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started

What hardware do I need to use ScoreBird?

You need a NeST device (Network Scoreboard Transmitter), which is a small hardware unit that connects to your existing scoreboard's control panel via RS-232 or USB. The NeST reads the live data your scoreboard controller already produces and sends it to the ScoreBird cloud.

Beyond the NeST, you need:

  • A compatible physical scoreboard (see below for the full list)
  • An internet connection at your venue (Ethernet is strongly recommended)
  • A ScoreBird account, created when your order is processed

No additional computers or specialized hardware are required. The NeST is all the on-site equipment you need.

Does ScoreBird Work With My Scoreboard?

ScoreBird currently supports scoreboards from the following manufacturers:

  • All American
  • Daktronics
  • Electro-Mech
  • Fair-Play
  • Nevco
  • OES
  • Spectrum
  • Sportable

If your scoreboard is not on this list, contact support@scorebird.com with the make and model. The ScoreBird team evaluates compatibility regularly and may be able to add support for your scoreboard in a future update.

Note: Compatibility depends on the scoreboard's control panel having a data output port (RS-232 or USB). Older scoreboards that communicate only via voltage signals or proprietary wireless protocols may not be compatible. Your sales representative can confirm before you order.

How Many NeST Devices Do I Need?

One NeST device per scoreboard controller. The NeST reads data from a single controller at a time, so:

  • One gym with one scoreboard = one NeST
  • A facility with a main gym and an auxiliary gym, each with its own controller = two NeST devices
  • A baseball field and a softball field running simultaneously = two NeST devices

If your facility has multiple venues operating at the same time, you need a NeST at each one.

ScoreBird subscriptions are priced per device. See scorebird.com/pricing or contact sales@scorebird.com for current pricing on multi-device accounts.

Can One NeST Device Work With Multiple Sports?

Yes. A single NeST device can support multiple sports — but only one sport at a time, since it reads from one scoreboard controller at a time. If your gym uses the same scoreboard for basketball in the winter and volleyball in the spring, you configure the NeST's SB Config to match the sport in season (or the sport currently active on the controller).

Changing the sport configuration takes only a minute through the device settings in the web app. See Devices for instructions.

Can I Use ScoreBird Without a NeST Device?

The NeST device is required to automatically capture live data from a physical scoreboard. Without it, scores cannot be read from the hardware and sent to the ScoreBird cloud.

However, the ScoreBird Portal and mobile app can be used to manually enter or correct scores for any game that has a schedule, even without live hardware data. This is useful for travel games at venues that do not have a NeST installed, or for coaches who want to log game stats after the fact.

For live, automatic score distribution to overlays and virtual scoreboards, the NeST is required.

Tip: The ScoreBuddy Pro mobile app is a separate ScoreBird product designed for portable, hardware-free scoring at any location. See ScoreBuddy Pro for details.

Game Day

Do I Need to Do Anything on the Scoreboard During a Game?

No special action is required on the scoreboard side. As long as:

  1. The NeST is connected to the scoreboard controller's data output port
  2. The NeST is online
  3. An active schedule is running in ScoreBird

…scores will flow automatically from the scoreboard to the ScoreBird cloud the moment the scoreboard operator updates the score on the controller.

Your scoreboard operators do not need to change how they run the scoreboard. ScoreBird reads the same data the scoreboard already produces — it does not interfere with scoreboard operation.

What Happens if the NeST Goes Offline Mid-Game?

If the NeST loses its connection to the internet during a game, score updates will stop flowing to the ScoreBird cloud for as long as the device is offline. The overlay and virtual scoreboard will continue to display the last score received before the disconnect.

When connectivity is restored, the NeST reconnects automatically and resumes sending live data. There is no manual step required to resume scoring after a reconnect.

If you notice the device has gone offline during a game:

  1. Check Game Day in the web app for the device status.
  2. Click Reboot to attempt a forced reconnect.
  3. Verify the physical network connection at the venue.

Note: Scores that occurred while the NeST was offline will not be retroactively filled in — they were simply not transmitted. Live scoring resumes from the current scoreboard state once the device reconnects.

Can Multiple People Use ScoreBird at the Same Time?

Yes. ScoreBird is designed for team use. Multiple people in your organization can be logged in to the web app or mobile app simultaneously, viewing live game data, managing schedules, and monitoring devices.

For Game Day operations, multiple users can view the same device cards and schedules in real time — all updates are pushed via WebSocket and appear simultaneously across all open sessions.

Only one user should be making scoring adjustments (e.g., manually correcting a score) at a time to avoid conflicting updates.

Is There a Limit to How Many Games I Can Run Simultaneously?

There is no hard limit on simultaneous games, but each game requires its own NeST device. If you have five NeST devices, you can run five simultaneous live games, each distributing to its own overlays and virtual scoreboards.

Within a single ScoreBird account, all devices, schedules, and outputs are visible in a unified view. Large programs — such as a conference or district managing dozens of facilities — can have many devices active at the same time.

Contact sales@scorebird.com for enterprise or multi-campus pricing.

How Do I Manually Correct a Score?

If a scoring error occurs during a game (for example, a scoreboard operator enters the wrong score), you can correct it directly in ScoreBird without changing anything on the physical scoreboard.

  1. Open the active game session from Game Day.
  2. Click the score field that needs correction.
  3. Enter the correct value and save.

The corrected score is pushed immediately to all connected overlays and virtual scoreboards. The physical scoreboard is not affected — only the ScoreBird-distributed data is updated.

Tip: If the scoreboard is also corrected by the operator, the NeST will read the updated value from the controller and overwrite your manual correction automatically. For a permanent override, use the manual correction feature and keep the physical scoreboard in sync.

Overlays and Virtual Scoreboards

What Broadcast Software Works With ScoreBird Overlays?

ScoreBird overlays are delivered as browser source URLs, which means they work with any broadcast software that supports browser sources. Fully supported applications include:

Any other software that supports external browser sources or can load a URL as a graphic layer should work. Refer to your software's documentation for adding a browser source.

Can I Customize the Overlay Colors and Team Names?

Yes. The Overlay Builder in the ScoreBird Portal lets you customize:

  • Team names (home and away)
  • Team colors (used for accent colors in the overlay)
  • Score graphic style and layout

Team names can also come automatically from your schedule — when a schedule is active, the overlay pulls team names from the game data.

For deeper customization (fonts, layout, branding), contact support@scorebird.com to discuss custom overlay options.

Tip: Changes made in the Overlay Builder take effect immediately on any browser source that already has the overlay loaded — you do not need to re-add the source in OBS or vMix after making adjustments.

How Do I Embed the Scoreboard on My School Website?

  1. In the ScoreBird Portal, go to the Virtual Scoreboards section and locate the scoreboard for your facility.
  2. Click Get embed code to copy the iFrame snippet.
  3. Paste the snippet into your school website's page editor in HTML mode.

The embed is a standard <iframe> tag and works with most school website platforms (Finalsite, Blackboard, Edlio, custom WordPress sites). Some platforms require you to be in "HTML" or "Source" editing mode rather than a visual editor, and some may require IT permission to allow external embeds.

For responsive sizing on mobile devices, see Troubleshooting: iFrame embed isn't sizing correctly.

Can Fans See the Virtual Scoreboard on Their Phones?

Yes. The virtual scoreboard embed is a responsive web page that works on any modern browser, including mobile browsers on iOS and Android. When a fan visits your school website on their phone and the embed is on the page, they see the live scoreboard just as a desktop visitor would.

There is no separate app for fans to install. As long as they can reach your website, they can see the live scores.

Does the Overlay Work for All Sports?

ScoreBird overlays are available for all sports supported by the compatible scoreboard manufacturers. The overlay template automatically matches the sport configured for the NeST device and the active schedule. Supported sports include (but are not limited to):

  • Baseball and Softball
  • Basketball (Men's, Women's, Boys, Girls)
  • Football
  • Hockey
  • Soccer
  • Volleyball
  • Wrestling

If you have a sport that is not displaying correctly in the overlay, verify that the SB Config on your NeST device is set to the correct sport and model. See Troubleshooting: Wrong sport showing in overlay.

Devices and Connectivity

What Internet Connection Does the NeST Require?

The NeST requires a broadband internet connection with outbound access to the ScoreBird cloud over HTTPS and WebSocket (port 443). A standard school or venue internet connection is sufficient.

Minimum recommended speeds:

  • Upload: 1 Mbps per NeST device
  • Download: 1 Mbps per NeST device

The NeST generates very little bandwidth — it sends compact score data packets, not video. Even a modest connection handles multiple NeST devices without issue.

Outbound WebSocket connections (port 443) must not be blocked by a firewall. If your venue has strict firewall rules, work with your IT department to confirm outbound WebSocket is allowed.

Can the NeST Use a Mobile Hotspot?

Yes. The NeST supports WiFi connections, which means it can connect to a mobile hotspot from a phone or portable hotspot device. This is useful for travel games or temporary installations at venues without wired infrastructure.

For best results:

  • Position the hotspot device close to the NeST — within the same room if possible.
  • Avoid sharing the hotspot with bandwidth-heavy devices (video streaming, etc.) during a live game.
  • A 4G LTE or 5G hotspot provides adequate bandwidth for the NeST's light data usage.

Note that the NeST also has a built-in Cellular (LTE) modem as a fallback option — you do not always need to provide a separate hotspot. However, the built-in cellular connection is considered a last resort; a hotspot with a strong signal is preferable to relying on the NeST's internal cellular in a crowded venue.

What Happens to Scores if the Internet Drops?

If the internet connection at your venue drops while a game is in progress:

  • The NeST will attempt to reconnect automatically and continuously.
  • Score updates will not be transmitted to the ScoreBird cloud during the outage.
  • Overlays and virtual scoreboards will display the last score received before the disconnect.
  • When connectivity is restored, the NeST reconnects and live scoring resumes from the current scoreboard state.

Scores that occurred during the outage are not retroactively transmitted — only the current state is sent when the connection resumes. For most sports, this means the live score will be correct as soon as connectivity returns, but any intermediate score changes will not have been individually captured.

Can I Move a NeST Between Facilities?

Yes. A NeST device is portable and can be moved from one facility to another. After moving it physically:

  1. Connect the NeST to the network at the new location.
  2. Open the device settings in the web app and update the Facility assignment to the new venue.
  3. Update the SB Config if the new facility has a different scoreboard make or model.
  4. If using WiFi at the new location, configure the new network credentials via the app.

Moving a NeST does not reset the device or affect your account data. The device serial number and subscription remain the same — only the configuration changes.

How Do I Add a New NeST Device to My Account?

New NeST devices are added to your account by the ScoreBird team when your order is processed. Once the device is shipped, it will appear in your Devices list in the web app, typically marked with a Complete activation badge.

To complete the setup:

  1. Connect the NeST to your network and power it on.
  2. Open the device detail in the web app and assign it to a Facility.
  3. Set the SB Config to match your scoreboard make and model.
  4. Connect the scoreboard cable between the NeST and the controller's data output port.

The Complete activation badge clears once all setup steps are complete and the device has checked in with the ScoreBird cloud. For full instructions, see Devices.

If you need to order additional NeST devices, visit scorebird.com/purchase or contact sales@scorebird.com.

Account and Billing

How Do I Add Someone to My Organization?

  1. In the web app, go to Settings → Users.
  2. Click Invite User.
  3. Enter the person's email address and select their role.
  4. Click Send Invitation.

The invitee will receive an email with a link to create their account and join your organization. If they do not receive the email, ask them to check their spam folder, or see Troubleshooting: Invited user never received invitation email.

Can One Account Manage Multiple Schools?

Yes. ScoreBird supports multi-organization accounts. A single user can be a member of multiple organizations (for example, a district athletic director managing several high schools) and can switch between them using the organization selector in the top navigation bar.

Each organization has its own devices, schedules, teams, facilities, and users. Data is not shared between organizations unless a user is explicitly a member of both.

For enterprise or district-level setups, contact sales@scorebird.com to discuss account structure options.

How Do I Update My Payment Method?

Payment methods and billing details are managed through the ScoreBird Portal.

  1. In the web app, go to Settings → Billing.
  2. Click Manage billing to open the Stripe customer portal.
  3. In the portal, update your card, billing address, or other payment details.

Changes take effect immediately. If your subscription renewal is coming up and you need to update before it charges, make the change at least 24 hours before the renewal date.

If you need assistance with billing, contact billing@scorebird.com.

What Is the ScoreBuddy Pro App?

ScoreBuddy Pro is a separate ScoreBird product — a mobile scoring app designed for coaches and stat keepers who need to track scores and stats at venues without a NeST device installed.

Unlike the NeST, which automatically reads data from a physical scoreboard, ScoreBuddy Pro requires manual data entry. It is optimized for:

  • Travel games at facilities that do not have ScoreBird hardware
  • Sports that rely heavily on pitch counts, player stats, or other detailed tracking
  • Coaches who want a mobile-first scoring experience

ScoreBuddy Pro uses the same ScoreBird account credentials and the data it captures can flow to the same overlays and virtual scoreboards as a NeST device. See the ScoreBuddy Pro product page for details and pricing.

Mobile App

Is There a Mobile App?

Yes. The ScoreBird mobile app is available for both iOS and Android. It provides a field-optimized view of Game Day, device status, and active schedules — the same data as the web app, designed for use on a phone while on-site at a venue.

Download links:

  • iOS: Available on the App Store — search for "ScoreBird"
  • Android: Available on Google Play — search for "ScoreBird"

Sign in with the same email and password you use for the web app at customer.scorebird.com.

Does the Mobile App Work on Android?

Yes. The ScoreBird mobile app is a React Native application and supports both iOS and Android. It is available on Google Play for devices running Android 8.0 (Oreo) or later.

If you encounter any issues specific to Android, contact support@scorebird.com with your device model and Android version.

Can I Use Both the Web App and Mobile App?

Yes, and they are designed to be used together. The web app is best for configuration tasks — building overlays, managing schedules, inviting users, and reviewing history — that benefit from a larger screen and keyboard.

The mobile app is optimized for on-site use: checking that devices are online before a game, monitoring live scoring while standing at the scorer's table, and making quick corrections from the gym floor.

Both apps use the same account and reflect the same live data. You can switch between them at any time, and changes made in one are immediately visible in the other.

Still Have Questions?

If your question is not answered here, ScoreBird support is available:

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