# Score or watch a match with its code

> Anyone with a match's scoring code (GPHC-7K3M) or its QR code can score it on their phone, signed in or not. The first phone scores; the rest watch.

Who this is for: Anyone: no sign-in needed.
Last checked in release 2026.10.27, on 27 October 2026.
Source: https://sportsclubos.net/help/competitions/score-with-a-code/

Each match can have a scoring code: the club's short name, a dash and four letters and numbers, such as **GPHC-7K3M**, with a QR code that holds the same thing. Anyone with the code can open that one match on their phone, signed in or not, so a player can hand the scoring to a friend or a marker who has no login.

Only one phone scores a match. The first phone to start scoring it scores it to the end, or until it lets the match go. Every phone that opens the match while it is being scored watches: it shows the same screen, live, with nothing to press. So the code can be shown anywhere at the court without anyone taking the scoring from the phone that is doing it.

## Before you start

- The match must be ready to play: both players known, the competition in play, and for a ladder, the challenge accepted.
- The convener can see the code of any match. A player can see the code of their own match. Other members cannot see it.
- The code works while the match is ready to play or being scored. It stops when the result is recorded or the score is abandoned. A code nobody started scoring with stops 14 days after it was made.

## Get the code

The first time the convener or one of the players opens a match, the match is given a code. From then on, its QR code and code are shown under **Scoring code** every time the match is opened, with **Show it large**, **Copy link** and **Replace**.

- **Score this match** on the match, or beside it on Me > My matches, offers two choices: **Score now** opens the scorer on your phone, and **Show code** shows the QR code and code large, for someone else's phone.
- In the lists of matches (a competition's **Matches** tab, its draw, the order of play and My matches), a match that has a code shows it as a small mark. Press the mark to show the code large.
- The convener can make codes for every match at once and print them: see [Prepare and print scoring codes](https://sportsclubos.net/help/competitions/print-codes/index.md).

Give the code to whoever will score the match, read it out, or let them scan the QR code from your screen. **Copy link** copies the link the QR code holds, to send in a message.

## On the club's TVs

- A club TV showing a court's scoreboard, or one match's, shows that match's code and QR code in its bottom corner, with **Score or watch: scan, or go to sportsclubos.net/score and enter** the code. The TV makes a code for the match if it has none.
- The wallboards and the knockout draw board show the code beside a match only once it is being scored, with **Watch on your phone**. A match not yet started shows no code there, because anyone who scanned it could then start scoring it.

## Score with the code

1. Scan the QR code with the phone's camera, or go to sportsclubos.net/score and type the code. Capitals, small letters and the dash do not matter.
2. The match opens, headed with the competition, the round, the court and the two players. You do not need to sign in.
3. If nobody has started, it says **Ready to play**. Type your name under **Your name, shown to anyone else who opens this match**, for example **Sam (marker)**.
4. Press **Start the warm-up** or **Skip the warm-up**. The scorer asks **Are you sure? Once you've started scoring, you must score this match.**
   - Press **Start scoring** to score it. From now on this phone holds the match.
   - Press **Close, let someone else start scoring** if you do not want to. Nothing is taken, and the next person to open the match can start.
5. Score the match as in [Score a match point by point on a phone](https://sportsclubos.net/help/competitions/score-live/index.md).
6. When the match is over, press **Record the result**. It counts straight away, as it does for a member signed in. The code then stops working.

With the code you can only score. Correcting a result afterwards is for the players and the convener, signed in.

## Watch a match

If someone is already scoring the match, opening it by its code, or from Competitions, shows **Being scored on another phone:** and the scorer's name, then **You're watching.** The score, the games and the rally history follow the scoring phone every few seconds. The pads do not score, and there is no **Decision**, **Undo** or **More**.

When the result is recorded, the watching phone says **This match is over and its result is recorded, so its code no longer works.**

## Hand the scoring to someone else

The scoring phone can let the match go, for example when the marker has to leave:

1. On the scoring phone, press **More**, then **Stop scoring, let someone else take over**.
2. It asks **Stop scoring on this phone?** Press **Stop scoring, let someone else take over** again, or **Keep scoring**.
3. The score stays exactly as it is. This phone, and every other phone open on the match, says **Nobody is scoring this match just now.**
4. On the next phone, open the match (by its code, or from Competitions) and press **Carry on scoring on this phone**, then **Start scoring**. It carries on from the score as it was, and the first phone watches.

To show the code from the scoring phone, press **More**, then **Let someone else score or watch**. The QR code and the code are shown large. Another phone that opens it watches until this phone stops scoring. Press **Close** to go back to the pads.

## Replace the code

If the code has gone further than it should, press **Replace** under **Scoring code** or in the large code (or **Replace the code** under **More** on the scoring phone, signed in), then press it again. The old code stops at once. A phone that had the old code open is told **This match's code was replaced.** The phone that is scoring keeps scoring.

## If the scoring phone stops

Only the scoring phone can let the match go. If its battery dies or it leaves the court without pressing **Stop scoring**, the match waits for it: open the scorer on that phone again and carry on.

The convener, signed in, can take the match over. Open it from the match with **Carry on scoring**, then **Score now**. It says you are watching, with **Take over scoring**. Press it, then **Press again: score on this phone**. Your phone now scores, and the other phone watches. If it still had presses to send, it lists them under **Not sent from this phone**; they are not added, so check the score and press them again if they were right.

## If something goes wrong

- **"That code does not open a match."** Check the code. It may have been replaced, the match may be over, or the code may have lapsed. Ask whoever gave it to you for the code now shown on the match.
- **"Too many wrong codes from this phone"** or **"from this network"**. Ten wrong codes in 15 minutes from one phone or one network stop it opening codes for 15 minutes, so nobody can guess their way into a match. A phone that already had its match open keeps going.
- **"This match is being scored on another phone. You can watch it here."** Another phone started first. This phone now watches.