Focus on the game, not the timer
Officiating demands split-second decisions. Every second you spend switching screens is a second lost in awareness.
Built by umpires for every level of field hockey - from youth to competitive leagues.
Control the match.
Match control for umpires without distraction, on Apple Watch or iPhone.
HockeyUmpire is a field hockey umpire app for Apple Watch and iPhone. It helps umpires manage match time, score, cards and penalty corners in real matches.
What HockeyUmpire does
Focus on the game, not the timer.
Stay present where it matters most
HockeyUmpire keeps your match time, goals, cards, and segments structured so you can stay focused on play.
Built for real matches
Engineered for field hockey umpires. Tested by an international team of umpires. This is match control built from real scenarios and honed by people who live it.
Full freedom: iPhone or Apple Watch
Control the match from iPhone or Apple Watch with a simple, reliable flow. You choose the device that fits the moment.
Pro that means something
Free manages your match. Pro captures the full story with deeper detail, tracking, and sharing.
Built by umpires
Developed by an active umpire, with practical control that stays simple under pressure and fully configurable when you need more.
Read why HockeyUmpire was built on Medium.
Focused officiating tools
Explore penalty corner timing, match timing, Apple Watch control and card timing in more detail.
Penalty corner timer
Run penalty corner timing from Apple Watch or iPhone without losing sight of the match.
Hockey match timer
Manage match time, pauses and score in one reliable flow for real field hockey games.
Apple Watch hockey app
Control live field hockey matches from your wrist and keep iPhone ready for setup and reporting.
Hockey card timer
Track card timing, reminders and reporting without separate timers or paper notes.
Looking for a practical app comparison? See how HockeyUmpire compares.
iPhone match control
Start from home, configure quickly, control the live match state, and review and share details after the game.
Home
Jump straight into setup, match control, history, and rules.
Apple Watch match control
Watch shows you what you need to know at the moment you need to know it. Before handoff, HockeyUmpire checks Watch battery and can recommend a lighter send mode if needed. Rain Mode helps reduce accidental touches in wet conditions.
Trusted by umpires
Real feedback from umpires using HockeyUmpire in live matches.
FAQ
Getting started
What is HockeyUmpire?
HockeyUmpire is a match control app for field hockey umpires. You can run a full match flow on iPhone or Apple Watch, or run a standalone Quick Shoot-out on iPhone.
Do I need both an iPhone and an Apple Watch?
You always need an iPhone for setup and history. Apple Watch is optional, but recommended for hands-free control during play.
Is HockeyUmpire free?
Core match control is free. Some advanced features are available as optional Pro features.
What should I do before my first match?
Enable notifications, verify battery on iPhone and Watch, and optionally enable Apple Health logging in Settings. If Health logging is enabled, be ready for first-time permission prompts on Apple Watch. When you send a match to Watch, open HockeyUmpire on Apple Watch so battery status can be verified first.
What is Quick Shoot-out?
Quick Shoot-out is a standalone flow on iPhone. Open Home > Quick Shoot-out, set team names and colors, optionally adjust shoot-out settings, then start directly.
How to set up a match (iPhone)
How do I set up a match?
Open Match setup, choose Outdoor or Indoor, choose 2H or 4Q, set teams and colors, review segment, card and shoot-out settings, then start on iPhone or send to Watch. For Watch starts, review the Watch readiness advice first and optionally enable Rain Mode before sending.
Can I customize match structure and card durations?
Yes. You can edit segment types and durations, choose clock mode, and configure green and yellow card durations, including the default yellow duration.
Can I save a standard setup?
Yes. You can save a standard setup and quickly start it on iPhone or send it to Watch. You can also update or delete it later.
Why is match setup done on iPhone?
Entering team names, colors, and match structure is faster on a larger screen.
Starting and controlling a match (Watch)
How do I start a match on Apple Watch?
Set up the match on iPhone, send it to Watch, open HockeyUmpire on Watch, and start from the match screen. During handoff, HockeyUmpire checks Watch battery first and can recommend a lighter send mode for that match if needed.
How does Rain Mode on Apple Watch work?
Enable Rain Mode in iPhone Match setup before sending. On Apple Watch, the cloud icon lets you lock the screen to avoid accidental touches in rain or with sleeves. Turn the Digital Crown to temporarily unlock controls; after inactivity, the screen locks again. To disable Rain Mode, turn the Crown and long-press the cloud icon.
Can I control on both iPhone and Watch at the same time?
No. A match runs on one device (iPhone or Watch) at a time for reliability.
What can I control during a match?
Start, pause and resume timing, move between segments, change score, run the penalty corner timer, issue cards, and complete end-of-match save flow.
Goals, cards, and corrections
Can I correct score mistakes?
Yes. On iPhone, long-press +1 goal to open correction actions. On Watch, use the dedicated minus-goal controls.
Can I register goal type and player number?
Yes, when the corresponding Pro features are enabled: goal type (Field, PC, PS) and optional player number.
How do cards work?
You can issue green, yellow, and red cards per team. Yellow duration follows your setup options. Optional recipient labels and card reasons are available when enabled.
Can I edit a card reason later?
Yes. In Match History details, card reasons can be updated when card-reason editing is enabled.
Shoot-outs and coin toss
Can I use shoot-outs when a match ends in a draw?
Yes. You can use two paths: (1) regular match flow: enable shoot-outs in Match setup and start them from Final edit at 0:00 when level; (2) standalone flow: Home > Quick Shoot-out on iPhone.
Can I configure shoot-out rules?
Yes. You can use FIH profile or custom rules for sessions, starter logic, sudden-death behavior, and attempt duration.
Are Quick Shoot-out results saved to History?
Yes. When you complete a Quick Shoot-out and tap Done, it is saved in History with shoot-out details, even without running regulation time in the app.
Is coin toss supported?
Yes. Enable coin toss in Settings to run the toss flow on iPhone or Watch.
Timer, alerts, and haptics
Does the timer continue in background or when phone is locked?
Yes. Match timing is designed to continue and recover reliably across app state changes.
How does the penalty corner timer work?
You can start the penalty corner timer when the corner begins. The app tracks the allowed time window and provides haptic or alert feedback based on your settings. You can also assign the penalty corner to Home or Guest for better history summaries and stats.
Can I track which team received each penalty corner?
Yes. You can assign a penalty corner to Home or Guest when it starts if Pro is enabled. That improves match summaries and Personal Umpire Stats, including penalty corner efficiency. You can also adjust it later in Match History details.
Which iPhone alerts are available?
Period alerts (2 min, 1 min, end), optional end sound, and a 10-second warning before card expiry.
Can I get a warning before a card expires?
Yes. You can enable the 10-second card expiry warning in Settings > iPhone Alerts.
Why do I receive a battery warning?
HockeyUmpire warns when battery drops below a safe threshold to reduce the risk of a device shutting down during a match. When you send a match to Watch, the app checks Watch battery first and can recommend a lighter send mode for that match to help the Watch last through the match.
Can I tune Apple Watch haptics?
Yes. You can set haptic thresholds for penalty corners, card endings, and period-end events.
Apple Health
Does HockeyUmpire support Apple Health?
Yes, optionally. You can log matches as workouts. Outdoor GPS route logging is available when the related Pro feature is enabled.
Is Health integration required?
No. It is optional and can be turned on or off in Settings at any time.
First time on Apple Watch: why do I see Apple Health permission pop-ups?
This is expected when Health logging is enabled. On first use, watchOS asks for workout and health permissions. Complete these prompts before starting match timing.
Match history and sharing
Where do I find completed matches?
Open History on iPhone. Matches are stored locally and shown with date, score, and shoot-out result when available. Completed Quick Shoot-out sessions also appear there. Direct links to official match registration systems are available from match history where supported.
What can I share?
You can share match text summaries and a rendered match graphic with score, timeline, cards, and shoot-out data. This also works for completed Quick Shoot-out sessions.
What is Personal Umpire Stats?
A Pro screen with filtered stats (goals, cards, penalty corners, timing patterns, penalty corner efficiency, and highlights) plus a shareable stats graphic.
Can I delete matches?
Yes. In History, use Edit mode or swipe to delete.
Pro features
Which features are included in Pro?
Goal player numbers, card recipient numbers and labels, goal-type tracking, workout GPS route (outdoor), card reasons, penalty corner team assignment, and Personal Umpire Stats including penalty corner efficiency.
How do I buy or restore Pro?
Go to Settings, purchase Pro (one-time), or tap Restore purchases if you already bought it.
Reliability during the match
What happens if my iPhone is locked during a match?
Match timing continues. If you use the lock screen widget, key progress can still remain visible while the phone is locked.
How does Rain Mode on Apple Watch work?
Enable Rain Mode in iPhone Match setup before sending. On Apple Watch, the cloud icon lets you lock the screen to avoid accidental touches in rain or with sleeves. Turn the Digital Crown to temporarily unlock controls; after inactivity, the screen locks again. To disable Rain Mode, turn the Crown and long-press the cloud icon.
What does Watch readiness check before a match?
Before handoff, HockeyUmpire checks Watch battery. If Apple Health logging or GPS route tracking would add too much battery load, the app can recommend a lighter send mode for that match.
Troubleshooting
The app restarted. Did I lose my match?
Usually not. HockeyUmpire attempts to restore the active match state automatically.
My Watch did not receive setup immediately. What should I do?
Open HockeyUmpire on Apple Watch and resend from iPhone Match setup. The app includes a retry flow and status feedback.
I see an old match resume prompt. Why?
If an active match stayed open for a longer period, the app asks whether to resume, close, or return to the main menu to prevent accidental continuation.
Can I share feedback or request a feature?
Yes. Share ideas, improvements and feature requests on our public feedback page. Open the feedback page
Privacy
Match data stays on your device. Read the full privacy policy and data handling details.
Ready for your next match?
Download HockeyUmpire and run your game with confidence.
