GaMECHaNGER

What is GameChanger?

GameChanger provides mobile apps and online tools that collect, manage and distribute statistics and play-by-play updates for youth and high school sports. Our iPhone app replaces the existing "pencil and paper" processes for scorekeeping and stat management. Play-by-play content and stats (the "GameStream") collected by the GameChanger app are accessible anytime, anywhere by fans, parents and local news outlets.

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Do I need to have an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad to use GameChanger?

An iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad is only required for running the GameChanger scorekeeping application. Fans and players can view game updates and stats online and do not need an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad.

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What devices can I use for scoring games on GameChanger?

The GameChanger scorekeeping application is currently only available on the iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad.

We're excited about supporting other devices at some point in the future. The most likely platform will be the Android operating system -- but unfortunately we likely won't have our scorekeeping app available on Android until late this year at the earliest.

Developing on a new mobile platform takes significant time and effort and in the short term, we need to concentrate on perfecting our iPhone / iPod Touch/ iPad scorekeeping app before we build for other devices.

A few items to note:

• iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad are only required for scorekeeping on GameChanger. Viewing live play-by-play updates, statistics and other content can be done on any phone with a browser or on your computer's web browser. We'll soon have SMS Txt alerts too.
• You can use an iPod Touch or iPad for scorekeeping which doesn't require an AT&T contract. There are a few disadvantages compared to the iPhone.
• We've had a number of teams use iPhones that belong to players or other volunteers willing to give up their phone during the game.

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Should I use an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad for scorekeeping?

Scorekeepers can use either an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad for scorekeeping. The iTouch is going to be less expensive since you don't have to sign a 24 month contract with AT&T, but there are a few significant advantages to using an iPhone. Since the phone is always (or at least usually) connected to the AT&T wireless network, scoring with that device will allow you to send live updates to the web as the game is being played. The iPod Touch won't have constant connectivity (unless your field has WiFi access) and therefore won't send live updates. But you can still use GameChanger on a iPod Touch -- just make sure that you connect to the internet and access your teams and schedule before heading to the field (all of that data will be saved on the iPod Touch). Once you are done scoring the game, your play-by-play and stats will sync with the website as soon as you access WiFi again.

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Why does the website end in ".io?"

".io" URLs work just like .com, .net or .edu. In truth, GameChanger.com was taken and we had to find something else. ".io" is the country-specific Internet Domain from the British Indian Ocean Territory. But we like "www.gamechanger.io" because in technical circles "io" is short for "input – output" and we consider our product a simple combination of input (scorekeeping) and output (game updates and stats).

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What is the GameChanger "beta?"

Paraphrased from Wikipedia: "'Beta' is a nickname for software that has been released to users for software testing before its official release. Beta testing allows the software to undergo usability testing with users who provide feedback, so that any malfunctions these users find in the software can be reported to the developers and fixed. Beta software can be unstable and could cause crashes or data loss." If you have been helping us by using the product during the beta, many thanks for your patience and feedback. Keep it coming: beta@gamechanger.io.

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What are the user types within GameChanger?

There are currently three GameChanger user roles.

Administrators

Administrators have full website administration and editing capabilities for their team and set the privacy settings for player stats.

• They can also grant "Admin" permission to up to 2 other team followers.
• In order to score a team game, a scorekeeper must be logged into the mobile scorekeeping application as a team administrator.
• The original creator of a GameChanger team is made an Admin by default.

Fans

Fans have "read-only" capabilities on a team's GameChanger website.

• Fans can view season stats, player game logs and spray charts.
• Fans cannot view next game's lineup, and cannot edit rosters or schedules.

Users

Registered Users have limited "read-only" capabilities on GameChanger teams that they are not Fans of.

• Users can view team rosters, schedules and box scores, and the team's fanbase.
• "Non-Fan" Users cannot view player stats, game logs or spray chart data. Users must become Fans for access to statistics outside of individual box scores.

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How do I get started?

Users can start on GameChanger at any point during the season. Go to the www.GameChanger.io home page and click to either 'Setup Your Team' or use the Search box to see if someone else has already set up your team.

If your team has not yet been created, follow the 3-step "wizard" instructions to create a roster, lineup and schedule. If you are the scorekeeper, you should download the GameChanger scorekeeping app to your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad.

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How do I view the stats and play-by-play online?

Admins and Fans who use GameChanger don't need to waste time totaling statistics. Play-by-play content and stats captured by GameChanger are posted on the team’s GameChanger website as the game is happening in real-time. We call this the "GameStream." Additionally, Admins and Fans can access box scores or historical play-by-play on the web at any time. These reports can be accessed via "Schedule & Results" or the GameStream bar, visible at the top of a page when games are in progress.

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Is the GameChanger Scorekeeping app available on a laptop?

From our experience, a huge majority of amateur fields don't provide the resources required for laptop scorekeeping (table top, wifi, air card, etc.). So while building for a web browser platform is on our list of features, we haven't yet built for a web browser platform. For now, the scorekeeping app is available exclusively on iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad.

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What is the "GameStream"?

GameStream is the real-time flow of data about a game. During a game, GameStream shows live play-by-play and pitch-by-pitch updates, live box score stats for a team, and scorekeeper notes (e.g. Rain delay, Injury delay). Soon the GameStream will include comments from fans, pictures, video, etc.

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Is it possible to print a box score?

You can print from the web but PDF printing is still under development.

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I can't log into the website. It keeps telling me to retry.

Go to http://www.gamechanger.io/do-logout and then try to login.

If that doesn't work, click on the link that reads "Click here to clear the GameChanger session cookie" on this page.

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Can I set up multiple teams with this software?

You can set up and be an admin for an infinite number of teams.

Go to "My Teams" at the top of the page, then click on the "Create a Team" button.

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Is our data stored season-to-season?

We have real-time replication of all of our data, along with daily off-site snapshots into the "Cloud."

This means that if one of our servers is lost, we have a live and fully usable copy that is up-to-the-minute, and in the catastrophic event that all were lost, we'd be able to restore from the remote backups

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Can it track career (multi-year) stats for players?

Each team exists as it's own entity. But we will soon (before next year) be building additional features for users to "link" a player on one team to one on another team so that archived "career" stats can be saved for one player.

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Can a single phone track multiple teams, i.e. Varsity, Sophomore, Freshman?

Yes. Each application can score for an unlimited number of teams -- just not all at the same time (meaning, you can't score two simultaneous games).

One scorekeeper could use the same phone to track multiple teams -- as long as that scorekeeper is one of the three admins for each team. Note also that multiple phones can track multiple teams.

A team admin will put their GameChanger email and password into the app on the phone and all of the team data (rosters, lineups, schedules) will be pulled down to the app and ready to use for scorekeeping.

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Are there fees associated with the server storage you are providing?

We reserve the right to charge fees to Fans who want access to statistics and live-game data but we plan to always give admins free access.

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Will my team data ever expire?

Once a team is stored and games added, they are saved on the server for an indefinite period, or until a team admin approves deletion.

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How do I become an Admin of a team that already exists on GameChanger?

To become a "admin" of a team on GameChanger follow these steps:

1. Go to the team home page on GameChanger. Then click "Follow this team." The site will prompt you to create a GameChanger profile (email and password) if you haven't already.
2. After clicking "Follow this team" you will be listed in the FanBase (under the FanBase tab)
3. Once you are part of the FanBase, a current admin must login, and click on the "FanBase" tab to edit each fan's role.
4. That admin can then change your role from Fan to Admin.

As an admin you will have full editing capabilities of the team's site and, most importantly, you'll be able to keep score for the team on the GameChanger app.

Once in the app, just login with the same email and password you used online and all of the team roster and schedule will be accessible on the app.

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Can I import my schedule or roster into GameChanger?

We don't have a file import option yet but have that feature in our product pipeline. Thanks for taking the time to enter games and players into GameChanger. We promise it will be worth the effort!

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Does GameChanger work for other sports besides baseball and softball?

Only baseball / softball right now but we'll have many other sports soon.

Follow our product updates on Twitter and/or Facebook for the very latest updates.

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Do I need a particular version of iPod on my Touch to run GameChanger?

Yes, you'll need a more recent software update on iPod Touch to run GameChanger.

This link is your best bet: http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/software-update.html. It will cost you $5.

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Do you have any demonstration games that I can view?

We don't have any demo games to watch live, but you can check out historical games to see box scores and play-by-play recaps. Just log in, find a team using the GameChanger search, and click on any "Final" game on their schedule.

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Can I receive live game updates on my mobile phone?

Yes! Visit gamechanger.io on your mobile web browser. You can search for teams and see live game scores, and sign in to view live play-by-play details. SMS alerts are also available by purchasing any team's Premium Alerts package.

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How do I know if I'm an "Admin"?

There are currently two categories of user in GameChanger: "Administrators" and "Fans."

You can view your user category in the Team Info box on the home tab. Admins have full website administration and editing capabilities for a team and may set the privacy settings for player stats. They may also grant "Admin" permission to up to two other users. The original creator of a team site on GameChanger is an Admin by default and each team may have up to three admins.

Fans have "read-only" capabilities on a team's GameChanger website. They can view stats but cannot edit rosters, lineups or schedules. Fans can score games using the GameChanger app but game recaps must be approved by a team Admin before becoming official.

Fans may request Admin permission in the Team Info / My Role section of the Home Tab.

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How much does GameChanger cost?

GameChanger will always be free for up to three (3) team administrators (coaches and scorekeepers).

GameChanger is supported financially by charging fans a fee to view premium content like live play-by-play updates and advanced statistics.

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I have a lot on my plate. How is GameChanger going make my life easier?

GameChanger is designed by amateur coaches (and talented software developers) who believe that a coach's time is a valuable asset. It should not be spent totalling stats in scorebooks or re-entering them into computer software. The GameChanger scorekeeping app and internet site work together to eliminate much of the mindless busy-work that sucks up so much of a coach's time. If a game is scored on the GameChanger app, all stats, box scores, season totals and team leaders are automatically calculated in real-time and are posted online before a coach even gets home from the game.

Coaches: tell us about how we can make your life easier with simple technologies like GameChanger: feedback@gamechanger.io.

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How is GameChanger different from other digital scorekeeping devices?

Digital Scorekeeping on a mobile computing device is not a new concept. There are other scorekeeping applications designed for the iPhone as well as the Palm or Windows Mobile platforms. But GameChanger is different for a number of reasons:

• Many of those packages require the purchase of an expensive software suite. GameChanger is free for team Admins (coaches and scorekeepers). Our business model is structured to generate revenue from these fans and local media partners. Therefore our application will be free (or very low cost) for team Admins (coaches and scorekeepers).
• The user-interface of these other applications are more like a scorebook square on a screen. With GameChanger, we started with the concept of how people use iPhones and designed an user-experience to match.
• No other digital scorekeeping devices also sends real-time game content to fans and local media partners.
• Other applications make it difficult to edit previous plays. GameChanger's "undo" button lets scorekeepers go back and edit.

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How do I export my game box score into MaxPreps?

Once a game is scored, either with the GameChanger app or by manual entry, the finalized box score page will have a button labelled "MaxPreps Export" in the Admin Tools box.

That will start a download of a file to your computer's hard drive that contains all of the MaxPreps stats in the file format required for MaxPreps import.

Then, on the page in MaxPreps where you add post-game stats there should be instructions for "import athlete stats". Select "choose file", then locate the file generated by our export now on your computer hard drive.

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I've never used the scorekeeping app before. Will it take long to learn how to use it?

We've designed the GameChanger scorekeeping app to be simple and intuitive. Anyone with basic baseball knowledge should be able to start using the app immediately in a game -- or maybe after a minute or two of use in "Practice Mode" (accessed on the landing screen of the app). If you want a few tips before getting started, check out the "User's Guide: GameChanger iPhone App for Scorekeeping."

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Can GameChanger recreate a game for me online?

One of the most valuable pieces of the GameChanger product is the "GameStream," where play-by-play updates from your game will be streamed live for your fans. You can always access the historical play-by-play for any game and review each play. Note that once a game is over, the GameStream cannot be edited. However you can edit a box score, which impact the season stat totals.

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Sometimes our scorekeeper misses a game. Now what?

We understand that sometimes scorekeepers will miss a game, or forget their phone. You never know. There are two options in this case: A fan can download the app and score the game on their iPhone. Or, the coaches or scorekeeper can enter box score stats into the GameChanger site after the game. These stats will be included in season totals like the stats collected by the GameChanger app.

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What if my phone doesn't have network service during the game?

Consistent wireless network coverage throughout a game is not required. However scorekeepers must have wireless coverage during login and game setup (for web access to schedule and roster) but this can be done before arriving at the field.

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Can I edit the stats after a game?

Yes. Go to the Schedule & Results tab, then click on the game you would like to edit. Note that you cannot edit season totaled stats. The GameChanger stat editing rules are as follows:

• Box scores are created from the GameStream play-by-play data during a game.
• Once a game is completed, all editing must be done within the box score.
• All box score edits will be included in season stat totals but the totals themselves cannot be edited.

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How do I restrict fans or players from seeing some stats?

Go to the "Team Settings" tab and click on "Player Privacy."

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How do I score an uncaught third strike?

When a batter reaches 2 strikes and if first base is open or there are 2 outs, a dropped 3rd strike option is added at the bottom of the pitch menu. You need to scroll down to find it. Note that the option is only available in situations where it is a possibility and matters.

The dropped 3rd strike also gives you the option of having the runner be safe or out.

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How do I score a drag bunt single?

We do not differentiate bunt singles from ground ball singles because they are statistically the same thing. We prompt for sacrifice bunts in the relevant situations.

If you'd like to note bunt singles, you can go to the GameStream tab, select the play and add a note manually.

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How do I end innings due to a mercy rule?

You can use a game override.

Click "Menu" (top right of scoring screen), then "Override." Then jump to the next inning.

You can go into the GameStream on the mobile device and write a note "Mercy Rule" that all of your fans will see.

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How do I score a play where the baserunner took extra bases?

For the situation of a man on second and a single, you can tap and drag the runner (now on 3rd) to home and mark him safe with a reason of "Advanced on last play." The batter should be credited with an RBI in this case.

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Is there a way to delete the play-by-play content for an uncompleted game?

End the game on the mobile app, then go to your team's online schedule and delete the game.

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Can I load the roster of opposing teams through the Gamechanger website?

We don't have support for pre-loading the roster of opposing teams. It is on our roadmap of future features.

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Will GameChanger keep rosters for when I play the same team later in the season?

Yes! GameChanger will save opposing rosters, allowing you to easily schedule new games against previous opponents.

Creating a game online:

When scheduling a game online you can now select any previous opponent from the "Saved" drop down.

On your iPhone,iPod Touch, or iPad:

When scheduling a game within the application you can now select any previous opponent by hitting the plus sign and selecting a previous opponent from the list.

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Can I edit the opposing teams batting and pitching stats?

Opposing box scores can't be edited yet. We have that feature in our development pipeline.

Admins can only edit the score and your team's pitching / batting stats.

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If I set up two or more teams, how do I schedule and score a game between them?

When you set up a team in GameChanger, you are an admin of that team and it is your team. You can be an admin of an unlimited number of teams on GameChanger.

However, you set up opposing teams by creating a game in one of your team's schedules.

You can't score a game between two of your own teams. If you have two teams that you keep score for who are playing against each other, you will have to pick one of those teams as your team, and then add a game with the other team as an opposing team.

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How do I delete my team?

A team admin can only delete his/her team when there are no Fans following.

Go into your "My Teams" page and click on the appropriate "Delete" button.

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Can I review stats that I record for each of my opponents?

Opposing team statistics are currently available on a game-by-game basis via the box score. Click on opposing team players to view individual statistics.

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Does the mobile scorekeeping app save my login information?

Once you've logged into the GameChanger mobile scorekeeping application, you do not need to log out. The app remembers that you're logged in, until you manually log out.

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Is there password protection or maybe only letting certain items to be seen by certain people?

Any team admin can make individual player stats private (from the Team Settings tab).

This hides all the stats for all players marked as private from anyone who is a fan.

The play-by-play "GameStream" is and will always be viewable by all fans.

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How do I get spray charts from a game previously played for a scouting report?

Spray charts are available when viewing a player's profile on GameChanger.io.

For your team's players, spray chart data will be a summation of all qualified games played.

For opposing team players, the spray chart shows data for only the single game played.

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Does the iPhone/ iPod Touch/ iPad last 3 hours when running your application and updating a live stream to the website?

You can definitely get through at least one game -- and considerably more if you don't do a lot of web surfing or phone calling in between innings.

The app has some "smart" software that choses appropriate times to "hit" the network -- so that it avoids slowing down the UI and using up valuable battery life.

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Can I transmit live play-by-play if my iPod Touch is plugged into my laptop?

The app on an iTouch only delivers LIVE play-by-play if you are within a wifi network. Apple's technology doesn't allow live syncing via the USB wire to a computer.

While an iTouch outside a wifi network won't deliver live play-by-play, you can still use it as a scorekeeping tool and it will beam the whole game and all the stats to the web as soon as you are within a wifi network.

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How do I edit or delete an incorrect player on the roster of an opposing team?

There is not currently a way to edit an opposing players name on the web after a game.

If you want to edit an opposing player's name the only way to do so is to go back into that game on the app (essentially making that game LIVE again). Then edit the players name in the opposing roster. Then end the game again.

We'll eventually have opposing roster editing online, but in the meantime note that opposing players don't exist as "reusable" names in the app or online. Their stats aren't totaled for the season either.

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Is there a way to include W-Ls in the pitchers stats?

Admins can add Wins, Losses, Saves, Blown Saves and Save Opps via each game's box score editor.

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How do I add Wins, Losses, and Saves to my pitchers' statistics?

Add Wins, Losses, Saves, Blown Saves and Save Opps via each game's box score editor.

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Where is all of my game data stored?

Data for games scored on the GameChanger mobile app is stored on your device; after a wireless sync with the GameChanger servers, a copy of your game data is also stored on our servers.

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Can parents of the freshman team use their iphone to track the freshman team and then at some point consolidate (transfer) it into the Varsity head coaches records for future use?

Yes, the application and stat management tools are free for three "admins" on each team. Nothing is actually stored for extended periods of time on the phone itself. The phone sends data (stats, play-by-play, etc.) to our servers and those servers display the content online.

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I have a 2G iPhone and the app is very slow.

Our app works on all iPhones but it is definitely more stable and MUCH faster on a 3G phone. The GameChanger app requires very regular hits to the network (to send live play-by-play). In a 3G phone, these "hits" take a split second or a couple seconds at most. On a 2G phone it will take several seconds and sometimes more. During these time periods, the phone is essentially maxing out it's processor which slows it down and makes it prone to crashing and data syncing issues.

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Can I add more than 9 players to my lineup? How about in the field?

You can add any number of players to your batting lineup. Either in our website or on the app, just keep adding players.

We also support an additional fielder. See next question.

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Can I enter a fourth outfielder, ie RC, LC or SF?

Yes! GameChanger allows for an extra fielder.

To enable the extra fielder:

1. Start or enter a game on your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad
2. Go to the Game Settings via the Menu
3. At the bottom select Rover or L/R Center under ShortFielder/Extra Outfielder. This will create an extra player to appear as SF on the GameChanger Field. Rover will create a player right behind second base, while L/R Center will create another player in the outfield.

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How do I score a mercy rule end-of-inning or end-of-game?

We don't have a setting for mercy rules but you can always jump to a new inning at any time.

While in the scorekeeping screen, click on the "menu" button in the top right. Then click on "Override." From this screen you can jump to any position in the game.

Additionally, you can go into the "GameStream" tab (bottom of the scorekeeping screen) and click on the little square with the line through it (meaning write-in entry). Then you can write a note explaining why the inning ended that all of your fans will see.

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Can I edit individual GameStream plays?

The GameStream play-by-play updates can only be edited during the game using the undo button (arrow looping back).

Once a game is completed, you cannot edit the play-by-play report but managers can edit the player statistics by editing the particular game's box score.

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What is an Official Scoring Team?

We encourage any user to create a GameChanger team and utilize our scorekeeping and stat management tools. As a result of this open platform, there may be several versions of the same team.

GameChanger is beta testing solutions to establish authenticity of teams so fans can easily trust that the teams they follow will provide consistent game data.

Official GameChanger teams will be marked with an official tag in search results and on team home pages.

GameChanger reserves the right to contact a team's head coach to confirm that it is an official team.

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How do I make my team an Official Scoring Team?

1. Make sure to have approval of your team's head coach. GameChanger reserves the right to contact a team's head coach to confirm that it is an official team.
2. Edit your team settings.
3. Click the green "Make Official" button.

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Do I need an iPhone to follow the live game updates?

No. You can follow GameStream updates on an device (phone or computer) that has a web browser.

It's important to note that the GameChanger scorekeeping app is only to be used for scorekeeping -- not following live play-by-play GameStream updates.

Our goal is to give fans the ability to view live game updates and stats via multiple channels. Email alerts and mobile text alerts (basic and premium) will be released in early May. Twitter updates and other platforms are coming soon.

Have an idea for how you'd like to receive game updates? Let us know: help@gamechanger.io.

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How much does GameChanger cost?

GameChanger will always be free for up to three (3) team administrators (coaches and scorekeepers).

GameChanger charges fans for two sets of premium features:

1. $20 for team Inside Access (including live GameStream, advanced stats, player spray charts and other premium content).
2. $10 for team Premium Alerts (including all SMS alerts and any email alerts about individual players).

As a thank you to all of the teams that participated in our Spring 2010 beta initiative, all teams created prior to noon ET on May 6, 2010 were granted complimentary Inside Access for all users.

Plenty of GameChanger team content will remain free of charge, including access to the team home page, schedules, live score and inning updates, post game box scores, basic game alerts, basic season stats and much more.

Click here to compare features

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What if my coach doesn't use GameChanger? Can I do the scorekeeping for my team?

Yes! GameChanger is designed so that even beginner scorekeepers can learn how to use the app and website in minutes. If your coach or official scorekeeper doesn't want to use the product, then set up your team and start scoring games. We expect that the coach will eventually ask you for full access to the site to avoid wasting his/her time totaling stats from the scorebook.

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How do I delete myself or 'un-Follow' a team?

Click on 'My Teams' from the header, then click on the appropriate "Unfollow" button.

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Can I view the live game from the GameChanger iPhone/iPod/iPad application?

The GameChanger iPhone/iPod/iPad app is for reserved for scorekeeping input.

To view the results of the scorekeeping input, all you need is a web browser. Goto www.GameChanger.io, find your team, and follow them.

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How do I find a live game?

Live games are indicated by bold red text and borders on team home pages.

As soon as the scorekeeper scores the first pitch, the game is officially "live" and links to the live play-by-play become available.

User can also set up free basic game alerts received via email or text (Premium Alert purchasers only) when the first pitch is thrown (coming in early May 2010).

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