Hoop Ref

Features

Fast and easy to use

Intuitive for basketball referees
No setup on phone or watch required
Just tap the teams’ colors and start officiating

Tracks alternating possession

Haptics (wrist taps) confirm each change

Tracks time-outs

Times 30- and 60-second time-outs
Provides haptic feedback for first and second horn
Notes inbound possession following time-out
Counts time-outs used

Fitness & assists

Workout tracking (calories, distance, steps, heart rate)
Reminders to turn on Do Not Disturb or a Focus
Haptic feedback for accurate 3-, 5-, and 10-second counts

Pro Feature

Apple Health integration

Automatically saves workouts to Apple Health after each game

Frequently Asked Questions

What level of basketball is Hoop Ref designed for?

Hoop Ref is designed for youth-level basketball, where the scorer’s table often does not reliably track alternating possession or time-outs. At higher levels, a watch may not be applicable. For example, the National Federation of High School Sports Basketball Officials Manual says in section 1.4(I), “Officials shall not wear jewelry, fitness bands or other items that are not necessary for performing their duties.”

Does Hoop Ref make any sounds?

The app plays haptics (wrist taps) for possession changes, time-out horns, and counting timing aids. Apple Watch requires that these also include sounds unless the watch is in silent mode. Most gyms are loud enough that the watch sounds are not audible.

How can I extend battery life?

If officiating many games, you can turn off workout tracking to preserve battery life. However, without workout tracking, Apple Watch by default returns to the clock face when inactive for 2 minutes. To adjust, go to Settings > General > Return to Clock > Hoop Ref.

What activity type is used for workouts?

Hoop Ref workouts use the basketball activity type. While designed for playing basketball, that activity type is also a good fit for basketball officiating. We considered high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which better accounts for lulls in motion; however, it doesn’t use stride length calibration or steps as model inputs. The basketball activity type is also more intuitive when viewed in the Fitness or Health apps.

Can Hoop Ref track workouts even without permission to read health data or save workouts?

Yes. Tracking a workout session prevents Apple Watch from returning to the clock during a game. Without permissions, however, the workout won’t contain any health data or be saved to Apple Health.

What happens if I forget to end a game?

The workout automatically pauses after 30 minutes of inactivity.

What is your privacy policy?

This app does not collect, store, or share any personal data. Subscriptions, payments, and refunds are processed by Apple through the App Store. We do not receive or retain your payment information or any identifying data. For details on Apple’s data handling, see Apple’s Privacy Policy.

How do I contact support?

Experiencing a problem or have a suggestion? Let us know at support@hoopref.com.