Comparison

SFRef Soccer Referee Watch vs Referee Watch PRO

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

SFRef Soccer Referee Watch

This app helps referees manage soccer and futsal matches directly from their smartwatch or iPhone. It tracks game time, scores, substitutions, fouls, and player statistics. Rosters can be imported via Airdrop or OCR, and game reports can be generated instantly.

Highlights
  • Independent watch operation
  • GPS location tracking
  • Preconfigured match setup
  • Substitution tracking
  • Roster import (Airdrop, OCR)
  • Instant game reports
  • Workout statistics
Features
Read full description

Run the app independently on the watch - don't need the phone at all, even for configuration. You can also setup a match on the phone and transfer it to your watch, if you prefer. Run the app independently on the iPhone if you don't have a watch. Use GPS to track referee locations on the field. Preconfigure matches for the next week/month/season and load it up whenever you need it. Your matches can be saved on the phone and/or the watch. Doing tournaments? Save current match results on the watch and move on to the next match. Your results can be accessed at a later time when you want to file a report. Track substitutions by enabling them in your match setup. Tracking is not enabled when you do a quick game setup on phone or watch. Getting rosters late? Ask coach to install app and Airdrop (or send it as an email attachment). You can also scan and use OCR to fill in rosters. No more manual entry. Setup your match and Airdrop it to your Assistant Refs, so the match is configured on their app also. Send a game report from your device after the game with the press of a button. Reports include goal/card details as well as player game time. Look at your workout stats (distance, calories burned heart rate). More statistics will come soon! See how to set it up on the watch: https://youtu.be/nv2hU8S2OWI Tip: Remember to: - Put your watch in Airplane mode during the game. It ensures you are not interrupted by other events. Your watch will also not constantly search for the phone across the field and lose charge. Free app can track games with up to 10 minute halves. Purchase in app to track longer duration. Users who purchased the app from 1.0 to 6.5 will have no restrictions. Now the details: The app has three timers - game clock, stoppage clock and elapsed time. Elapsed time starts at zero and runs uninterrupted during the game. Game clock and stoppage clock are tied together - either game clock is running during the game or stoppage clock is running. They are controlled by a tap on screen. From Game clock screen, swipe left to go to the game record screen. Here all elements are editable with a tap. You can change home and away team names. You can record scores or record yellow and red cards. The app automatically records the time at which the event took place. In case, you added a goal event or card event in error, you can delete the incorrect entry. On the watch, do a force touch and go to event logs. Tap and delete whichever event you entered incorrectly. Displays will update automatically. On the phone, go to events, then hit Edit and then delete. From the game record scene, swipe left to go to Futsal DFK accumulated fouls tracker scene. Swipe up on the numbers to increment. If you made a mistake, swipe down to decrement. Displays turn yellow after 5 fouls and on the watch, a haptic is sent. After the sixth accumulated foul, the display turns red and watch also plays a haptic. On the game clock screen, force touch takes you to a menu where you can set game duration, enable GPS (for referee location tracking), reset clocks, discard the entire game or load game settings from watch filesystem or the paired iPhone. If you select reset clocks, you can select which period to start to set elapsed time appropriately. You can also generate a game report to the paired iPhone running the app and send it out from iPhone app to Notes, iMessage, email or other eligible apps. From Futsal DFK screen, swipe left to look at referee workout statistics. If you run the app on the phone, it also maps the referee location during the course of the match. To view your map after the game, go to menu on the game clock scene -> Load/Save -> View Map. The map will show on the paired iPhone. Privacy Policy: On the Apple Watch, the app uses HealthKit to get distance walked and energy burned while a game is in session. On the iPhone, the app collects referee location while a game is in session.

About

Referee Watch PRO

This app transforms your Apple Watch into a sophisticated tool for referees, offering precise match timing and in-depth performance analysis. It supports multiple sports with customizable presets and securely stores your health data via Apple Health.

Highlights
  • Advanced match timing
  • Multiple sports support
  • Performance analytics
  • Customizable match presets
  • Secure data storage
  • Apple Health integration
Features
Read full description

Referee Watch PRO turns your Apple Watch into a powerful tool for precise match management. Designed specifically for referees, this app provides advanced timing controls and detailed performance analysis, helping you stay in control of every game and improve your officiating skills. Whether you officiate soccer, rugby, hockey, handball, American football, or other sports, Referee Watch PRO adapts effortlessly to the unique timing rules of each sport. With customizable match presets, you can easily adjust settings for everything from youth games to professional leagues. Referee Watch PRO's key features include advanced match timing, multiple sports support, performance analytics, and secure data storage. Manage every aspect of match timing directly from your Apple Watch with easy-to-use start, stop, and pause controls, designed specifically for referees. After the match, access detailed performance insights, including heatmaps, to analyze your positioning and improve your officiating. All health data stays securely on your device via Apple Health, ensuring your privacy is fully protected. Seamless integration with your Apple Watch and iPhone allows you to manage match timing in real time and review detailed post-match insights. Referee Watch PRO offers a 7-day free trial for all premium features, followed by a subscription. Start today and discover how this app can elevate your refereeing. https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

SFRef Soccer Referee Watch4 screens
Referee Watch PRO4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: SFRef Soccer Referee Watch at free with in-app purchases against Referee Watch PRO's subscription. SFRef Soccer Referee Watch also leads on ratings volume (153 vs 38) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. SFRef Soccer Referee Watch sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Referee Watch PRO sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for SFRef Soccer Referee Watch against 4.4 for Referee Watch PRO. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 153 and 38 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 59% of SFRef Soccer Referee Watch's written reviews are positive against 55% of Referee Watch PRO's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SFRef Soccer Referee Watch ships an update every 3 weeks, Referee Watch PRO every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on September 21, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
SFRef Soccer Referee Watch versus Referee Watch PRO: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSFRef Soccer Referee WatchReferee Watch PRO
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (153 ratings)4.4 (38 ratings)
Positive reviews59.3% of reviews — better54.5% of reviews
Number of ratings153 — better38
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS14.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPeramanayagam MarimuthuKevin Hartmann

Customer experience

SFRef Soccer Referee Watch

All ratings153 ratings
Positive85.0%
Neutral7.2%
Negative7.8%
Written reviews59 reviews
Positive59.3%
Neutral13.6%
Negative27.1%

Referee Watch PRO

All ratings38 ratings
Positive84.2%
Neutral7.9%
Negative7.9%
Written reviews77 reviews
Positive54.5%
Neutral11.7%
Negative33.8%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

SFRef Soccer Referee Watch

One-time2
  • Limited Access$3.99
  • Full Access$6.99
2 purchases

Referee Watch PRO

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Annual7 Days trial$29.991 Year

Questions

Is SFRef Soccer Referee Watch free?
SFRef Soccer Referee Watch is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Referee Watch PRO free?
Referee Watch PRO is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SFRef Soccer Referee Watch or Referee Watch PRO?
SFRef Soccer Referee Watch and Referee Watch PRO are both rated 4.4 out of 5 on the App Store, from 153 and 38 ratings respectively.
Do SFRef Soccer Referee Watch or Referee Watch PRO have ads?
Neither SFRef Soccer Referee Watch nor Referee Watch PRO shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SFRef Soccer Referee Watch or Referee Watch PRO?
SFRef Soccer Referee Watch ships an update every 3 weeks, and Referee Watch PRO every 2 weeks. Most recently, SFRef Soccer Referee Watch was updated on September 21, 2026 and Referee Watch PRO on September 21, 2026.

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