RefTracker vs SocRef
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
RefTracker
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Run the match from your wrist and see exactly where you ran afterward. RefTracker puts the game clock, goals and cards on your Apple Watch and keeps the full record on your iPhone. Start the clock, log goals by jersey number, and record yellow and red cards with standard reason codes in a few taps. No notebook, no pencil, no scribbled wristband. SEE WHERE YOU RAN • Your Apple Watch records a GPS track for the whole match • A field heatmap shows where you spent the game • Speed zones break your match into walking, jogging, running and sprinting, with the time and distance in each • Look at the first half, the second half or the full match • Adjust the field outline to fit the pitch you worked ON YOUR WRIST • Half-length game clock with pause and resume, and it keeps ticking in Always On • A haptic buzz when time is up, even with your wrist down • Log goals by team and jersey number • Yellow and red cards with caution and send-off reason codes • A live workout while you officiate: heart rate, distance and speed • Works on its own. Leave your phone in the bag and sync afterward KNOW THE TEAMS BEFORE KICKOFF Open the pre-game briefing and see whether you have had these teams before, which jersey numbers you have cautioned and for what, how heated past meetings got, and what a game at that field usually takes out of you in distance, heart rate and steps. PLAN EVERY UPCOMING GAME Connect your Assignr account and your assignments appear automatically: teams, venue, kickoff time, age group and your position (referee, AR or assessor). When Assignr changes a game that has not started, RefTracker updates it. Your timer progress, goals and cards stay exactly as you logged them. REVIEW EVERY CARD AND GOAL • Every match you have worked, with score, cards, reasons and the minute each happened • A final timeline the moment you end the game, ready for your match report • Search and filter your game history TRACK YOUR FITNESS ALL SEASON • Distance, steps and heart rate for every game • Season totals and averages, with distance by age group and by position Whether you referee youth rec, high school, college or adult amateur, RefTracker gives you a cleaner match report and a clear picture of your fitness, game after game. Download RefTracker and referee your next match with your eyes on the field.
SocRef
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**The digital match companion built for soccer referees. Track every goal, card, and substitution in real time—on your iPhone or Apple Watch.** ## MATCH MANAGEMENT Create games in seconds. Set team names, jersey colors, half durations (15–45 min), halftime break, extra time, and penalty shootout options. Import assignments directly from Assignr by pasting from the clipboard—SocRef reads the format automatically and fills in the details, including age-appropriate half durations (7v7, 9v9, 11v11). Browse your upcoming and past games in one list, sorted by closest kickoff. Tap any game to jump back into a live match or review the final record. --- ## LIVE MATCH TRACKING Start the timer and let SocRef handle the rest. The match clock runs through 1st Half → Halftime → 2nd Half → Extra Time → Penalties. Add stoppage time on the fly. Pause, resume, and manually advance periods whenever you need to. Log events as they happen: - Goals — with optional player name - Yellow cards — with reason and player - Red cards — with reason and player - Substitutions — player on, player off Every event is timestamped to the minute and saved instantly. Your data survives app backgrounding and device restarts. **1-Minute Alert** — SocRef sends a haptic notification 1 minute before each period ends, whether the Watch screen is on or off. Never lose track of time during a match. --- ## APPLE WATCH COMPANION Control the match from your wrist. The Watch app stays in sync with your iPhone in real time—score, period, timer, card counts. Record goals, cards, and substitutions without taking your phone out. Perfect for when you're on the pitch and your hands are full. **Two-way sync** — Changes made on the Watch (score, cards, team names, match config) are automatically pushed back to the iPhone. The watch is always the source of truth for an active match. Edit a game on the watch, and the iPhone game list updates the moment they reconnect. --- ## EVENT LOG & EXPORT Review the full event timeline after the whistle. Export the complete match record as JSON—ready for your records, your organization, or your own analysis. --- ## SUPPORTER FEATURES — GPS & MOTION TRACKING Support development and unlock advanced referee fitness tools: - **Motion Tracking** — Steps, distance, cadence, and heart rate via Apple Watch. Runs as a live workout in Apple Health (soccer activity type). - **GPS Tracking** — Records your movement across the pitch at configurable intervals (every 10, 30, or 60 seconds). - **Movement Heatmap** — Calibrate the field corners with GPS, and SocRef generates a color-coded heatmap showing where you spent the most time. Identify positioning patterns and improve your coverage. - **Per-Period Breakdown** — Distance, steps, and heart rate stats for each match period, exportable in full. Supporter purchases are voluntary. Any tier—Tip, Coffee, Latte, or Lunch—unlocks all of the above. HealthKit and Core Motion usage is disclosed in the GPS & Motion Tracking section footer on the Game Setup screen. --- BUILT FOR THE PITCH - Dark theme throughout—readable in any light - Works fully offline - Automatic two-way sync between iPhone and Watch - Large, high-contrast controls for fast input mid-match - Haptic alerts at key moments (1-minute warning, period transitions) --- *SocRef is made by referees, for referees.*
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: RefTracker at none against SocRef's 4. SocRef's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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
Both are free to download. SocRef sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. RefTracker asks for nothing beyond the download.
RefTracker ships an update every 2 weeks, SocRef every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | RefTracker | SocRef |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | normank | Xiangdong Zhang |
In-app purchases
RefTracker
No in-app purchases
SocRef
- Tip$0.99
- Buy a Coffe$2.99
- Buy a Latte$4.99
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- Buy a Lunch$12.99









