E-Scoring Apps: ISCORE vs. GAMECHANGER?

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Sep 3, 2009
261
18
I'd like to get some feedback on the scoring apps Iscore and Gamechanger from those of you who have used one or both. I've read lots and lots of reviews and comments elsewhere and here and find it confusing because what person says is good about one or the other another person comes along who says just the opposite.

Main things I'm looking for are stability (can't afford to have crashes mid game but if you do have a crash or a screen lockup is it easy to recover and get right back to where you were) and an intuitive interface (ease of use, ability to make edits or corrections on the fly and ability to score the occasional odd game that pops up). Also need it to be uncomplicated as far as making lineup changes, handling DP/Flex, etc.).

Any and all opinions are greatly appreciated! Thanks!
 

Ken Krause

Administrator
Admin
May 7, 2008
3,911
113
Mundelein, IL
Tom, I use iScore and it's good for most of what you say. Definitely stable -- I've never had a problem on my iPad -- and it has provisions for the DP/Flex. You can set it up specifically for softball scoring, which helps.

I only see two drawbacks. One is that if you want to change, say, an error to hit in the third inning and the game is over, you have to undo everything entered up until that point to make the change. When you're done, you have to re-enter all the information, which means you'll probably miss out on some two-strike foul balls and such. That part is kind of a pain, and can be time-consuming.

The other is when you have something unusual happen. It's pretty intuitive for normal plays - you don't have to know anything about keeping a paper scorebook to operate it. But if you have something weird happen, such as an error on a fly ball to right that leads to a bad throw to second that results in the left fielder tracking down the ball and throwing out a runner at home, it gets a little tougher to do in real time. I imagine with more experience it gets easier. But unlike with a paper scorebook you can't just skip that play and then fill it in between pitches to the next batter. You have to resolve it before you can move on.

Sure is nice to have all the stats put together for you at the end, though.
 
Sep 3, 2009
261
18
Thanks Ken. That's exactly the type of info I am looking for.

For the scenario that you gave about making a change, is it the same if you were making the change two plays later or an inning later as opposed to after the game? In other words, would you still need to reenter all that followed the changed play?

Also, is your e-scorebook, or whatever you may call it, backed up online as you enter assuming you have a wifi of 3G connection to the Internet? I've heard of people having problems with iPads shutting down in extreme temps so am wondering if you could grab your iPhone with the app and pick right up where you left off in a pinch assuming a hardware issue. I really want to go digital but want to avoid a panic situation where I might lose a game midway through.

Also, how is Iscore for making substitutions on the fly?

Thanks again!

Tom
 
Sep 21, 2011
61
0
I have used iScore but have not tried Gamechanger. I know others that use Gamechanger though. It seems that both do a good job.

Ken, iScore allows you to make most edits (e.g. change error to hit, or make a player substitution) after the game is over without undo-ing and rescoring. Under "Game Record", select "Pitch by Pitch", select the play, and select "Edit" to make the desired change. The stats are supposed to update automatically. There are some things you cannot change (such as reversing an out to safe) because this would screw up the following plays. In that case, you would have to undo and rescore the rest of the game.

Tom, substitutions are easy. Just tap on the player on the screen and select the sub from the roster that pops up.

One interesting difference between the two programs is pricing. iScore has a one-time cost of $10 but allows people to follow the gamecast online for free. Gamechanger is free to download, but they charge a subscription fee for everyone who wants to follow the gamecast online.
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
We have used Game Changer for 2+ years and have not had any problems with it using an iPad or iPhone to keep score. We have not tried it on an Android phone or tablet. We choose Game Changer two years ago because the AC who was going to keep the book was familiar with it and was able to generate some pretty good reports with it. Is is perfect, no, but it is pretty good and getting better. This year they added the flex/DP, which will make it more ASA friendly.
 
Jun 2, 2012
42
8
Have used both, I like iscore better. The problem I had with game changer is that other teams can get your stats/games by google your team on the Internet. Iscore is private to you. But if you use one of these apps make sure that it is your only job durning the game, if you have to give instructions to players it is very easy to miss something. Due to softball being played at a faster pace between pitches.
 
Mar 3, 2010
208
0
Suburb of Chicago, IL
I have used Game Changer for several years and I like it a lot. I have never used the other application. I have an iPad with a 4G connection and parents that can't make a game can watch or follow along remotely from their ipad or computer.

GC stores everything online for you so it is backed up there. If you have a live connection everything is transmitted live. If for some reason you don't have a live internet connection while scoring, the application will cache the play-by-play info you enter and sync it with their servers when you get a connection.

There are a couple different types of edits you can do. If you scored a play and want to make a change to a player involved in the play (for example you accidentally scored the bunt 2-3 when it should have been 2-4, you can easily edit the play and pick the correct player. You can do this live or after the game is over.

In the event you totally blow a play and score a two base error as a double, this gets a little more complicated. Usually I catch that right away and simply press the undo button and re-score it properly. However if for some reason you determine there was an issue later, you can go in and edit the "stats" if necessary and take a way the double from the player and add in a ROE, etc.

My suggestion is to go download Game Changer and try it out. It is 100% free for you to download to your iPad. You can score a practice game and play around with it. One way I got familiar with the application was to score games I watched on TV. That way you will figure out how to score the odd random things that pop up. (dropped 3rd strike, hit batter, defensive interference, etc.)

Again.. GC is FREE for you to score your own teams. You will have full access to all of your games and stats. If you wish to open up your scoring to other members of your team (other parents / coaches / etc), THEY have to sign up for a premium subscription (something like $30 a year) in order to gain access. Again YOU and up to 1 other admin have full FREE access to your team.

GC also allows you to lock down or open up stats on a team basis. You can control who has access to the full stats, etc. A parent that has a premium subscription can ask the team admin to have access to their player's stats (or the full team's stats if you want). You have complete control.

btw.. if you have a cellular iPad or iPhone and stream the games live, be prepared for parents sitting out in the outfield to call you and start discussing "why you scored DD's bunt home run an error."

GC has a lot of how to videos for scoring almost any scenario.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.
 
Jun 2, 2012
42
8
When you go to the play that it happened on. Hit edit,then "hit double" and "single" pop up. I think the hit double is a mistake. I am going to notify iscore about that. I think it should show error. Back to the question, then continue and chose single and continue to next.then hit edit again on that play and error will now by available to chose.
 

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