Head Referees use match anomaly logs to record major and minor violations during an event, and to track which teams have repeated violations during the event. Rule T1b in the VEX Robotics game manuals requires that Head Referees maintain these records, but does not require a specific format. One option is available as a printable report from the Tournament Manager software, and provides a row for each team listed in the event's TM file.
At an event with multiple Head Referees within a division, all of those Head Referees should share notes and violation records to ensure that accumulated violations appropriately "roll up" from minor to major as required by the specific program's game manual.
Note: These instructions were created based on build version 5519f14 in February 2025, and may not reflect new or revised features added in later builds.
Features in Referee FYI
- Searchable list of events from RobotEvents.com
- Match schedule with selectable team numbers
- Team list sorted by team number
- Secure sharing between referees at an event
- Downloadable summary of entries from an event
- Embedded rule selector
Why Digital Instead of Paper?
Referee FYI is designed to replace the standard paper match anomaly log in a version that multiple users can easily and securely share. Each instance of Referee FYI is 'standalone' by default. For example, if User 1 records a violation for event RE-V5RC-24-8507, that record only exists in that instance and won't be recorded or visible for other users that haven't been specifically added to the shared instance.
- Easier collaboration between multiple Head Referees
- Less to maintain than a paper log
- Easier to keep track of violations; improved consistency
- Embeds rule definitions
Installing Referee FYI
Visit the URL https://referee.fyi/ on your device. For a better experience, you can click the "Install" button on the app's main page to add a Referee FYI shortcut to your device's home screen, but it's not required.
If you're using Referee FYI on a mobile device, the developer highly recommends installing to the device's home screen for improved data retention.
Selecting an Event
Use the dropdown arrow at the top right of the screen to begin selecting an event.
In the resulting interface, you can pick an event from the list or enter a RobotEvents SKU or event name to locate your specific event. The list of events is updated automatically from RobotEvents.com. Note that Referee FYI does not work for scrimmages or other events that are not published on RobotEvents.com.
Adding Your Name
Once you've selected an event, it will open in Referee FYI for your use. Start by selecting "Manage" from the options at the bottom of the screen.
Enter your name in the "Name" field and select "Continue".
Navigating the Event in Referee FYI
The event interface in Referee FYI includes several sections, each with different options. We'll briefly explore each of those below.
Matches
New Entry
Selecting "New Entry" allows you to add an entry for a selected match and team number, and provides the following additional options:
- Categorize the entry as a minor or major violation, disablement, or general note (useful for options like noting good sportsmanship, etc.)
- Associate one or more rules with the entry; frequently-selected rules will show up in green above the pick list
- Add notes as needed for later reference
Match Number
Selecting a match number provides information about that match, along with indicators for any violations already recorded for the teams in that match. It also provides the following options:
- View the scheduled time for the match
- Record "New" violation for a specific team without having to select them from a list
- Select a team number to see details about their existing entries, if any
- Record outcomes for Autonomous Bonus and AWP for later reference if needed (doesn't record them in Tournament Manger, just adds them to your Referee FYI instance)
Teams
The Teams tab shows you a numerically-sorted list of teams at the event, and displays a count of the recorded minor and major violations for each team.
New Entry
Selecting "New Entry" allows you to add an entry for a selected match and team number, and provides the following additional options:
- Categorize the entry as a minor or major violation, disablement, or general note (useful for options like noting good sportsmanship, etc.)
- Associate one or more rules with the entry; frequently-selected rules will show up in green above the pick list
- Add notes as needed for later reference
Team Number
Selecting a team number provides basic information about the team and allows you to view details of their recorded entries and a list of their scheduled matches.
Manage
The Manage tab allows you to create and share instances, and view, delete, and export entries from the event.
Sharing an Instance
Sharing allows multiple Head Referees to collaboratively record and view entries.
- One person should choose "Begin Sharing" to create the instance that will be used by all of the Head Referees in the event or division.
- This will provide the Invite option.
- Each additional user should select "Join Existing", which will generate a temporary 4-digit alphanumeric code. If the code expires, they can close out the window and choose "Join Existing" again to get a new code.
- The primary user will then enter that code into the "Invite" interface on their own device and select "Invite [username]". To give that additional user Admin rights (adding and deleting other users in the instance), they can also select "Invite as Admin".
- Additional users must select "Accept and Join" on their own devices to join the instance.
- A list of invited/accepted users will be visible to all instance Admins in the Manage tab.
Note that Sharing only works if all devices have internet connections. For intermittent connections you will have to resync devices periodically when internet access is available.
Event Summary
Event Summary provides a detailed list of entries from the event, along with several optional features:
- Re-synchronize with server
- Download entries (json)
- Filter/sort by rule, outcome, or division
Delete Event Data
Delete Event Data permanently deletes all entries recorded in the standalone or shared instance. This action cannot be undone!
Integrations
Integrations allow instance Admins to give others up-to-date real-only access to entries in the instance, and this feature should NOT be used at most events. Anyone who is given one of these URLs will be able to see everything that is recorded by any user in the shared instance, and the potential for abuse diminishes the security of the data in your instance.
Rule Selector
The "book" icon in the top right corner of the event screens links to a rule selection interface for the game manual that matches the event type.
Rule text is pulled from the RobotEvents.com data set used in the official Q&A system and may not always reflect the most recent version of the game manual. If there are differences between the rule selector and the most recent game manual, the official game manual is the correct version.