Running a match

The match clock

The Time panel shows the elapsed match time in large figures, and the current phase with the time remaining in it. The clock is driven by your computer's system clock rather than counting ticks, so it doesn't drift over a half even if the laptop is busy.

• Pause and Resume stop and restart the running clock, for a long injury break or a stoppage the referee stops the watch for.
• Phases & clock, next to Added time, opens a pop-up with buttons to move the clock forwards or back by seconds or minutes. Use it to line up with the referee's watch. Pause and Resume live there too.
• Stop ends the current phase. Use it at half-time and full time.

Match phases

Each phase has its own button: First Half, Second Half, and Extra Time First Half and Extra Time Second Half if extra time is switched on for the match. With the generic timer you get one button per period instead. Pressing a phase button starts the clock from that phase's start time, so Second Half in a 45-minute game starts at 45:00.

The Next match phase shortcut (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+Space), the Stream Deck and the phone remote all step to the next phase, so you can start the second half without reaching for the mouse.

Auto switch screens on start and stop, in the Phases & clock pop-up, changes the on-air graphic for you: starting a phase puts the score bug on air, and pressing Stop brings back the match title. Turn it off if you'd rather choose every screen yourself.

To keep the display busy during the break, the Rotate screens key can cycle the display through the match title, line-ups and other screens, and can start by itself when you stop the clock at half-time. See rotating screens.

Stoppage time

When the fourth official (or the referee's raised fingers) shows the added time, press Set Additional Time and choose from 1 to 17 minutes. The score bug shows it next to the clock, for example +3. Clear removes it. Goals scored in stoppage time are logged in the broadcast style, such as 45+2'.

Goals and scorers

Press a team's Goal key in the Goals tab when a goal goes in. The score bug updates at once, and PlayOverlay logs the goal with its minute if the clock is running: 23' or 45+2'. To correct a score without logging a goal, tap the score in the clock block and raise or lower either team.

The Goals tab lists every goal as it happens, latest first. For a team without a line-up, type each scorer's name next to their goal when there is a quiet moment. The end screen then lists each team's scorers with their minutes, like "Smith 23', 67'". Goals without a name still appear, as bare minutes. The bin icon removes a goal from the log, and the score with it.

If you have entered the team's line-up, the goal key asks who scored, with the players as large tiles, before the banner goes out. See picking the scorer.

The goal banner

Every goal puts a banner on air with the team and the minute. For a team without a line-up it goes out straight away, with no typing. For a team with a line-up it waits for you to pick the scorer, then includes their name and shirt number, for example 9 Ali Smith.

If you'd rather not show banners automatically, turn off Put goal and substitution banners on air automatically under Goals and banners in Window Settings. Goals are still logged.

Penalty shootouts

The Penalties tab tracks a shootout kick by kick. Choose which team goes first, then press Score or Miss after each kick. PlayOverlay alternates the teams for you and shows whose kick is next. Undo Last Action takes back a mistaken entry, and Reset Penalties clears the shootout after asking you to confirm.

Put the Penalties screen on air to show the shootout board on the stream. The end screen includes the shootout result. If a match can't go to penalties, switch them off in Match Settings.

Undo and redo

The undo and redo arrows in the dashboard header step back and forward through goals, score changes, scorer names, clock and phase changes, stoppage time, screen switches and penalties. Hover over them to see exactly what will be undone, for example "Undo home goal". The keyboard shortcuts are Cmd/Ctrl+Z and Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+Z.

Undo never rewinds a running clock, so taking back a goal doesn't lose match time.

Starting a new match

New match, next to undo and redo, gets you ready for the next fixture. It resets the scores, penalties, goal log, clock and on-air graphics, clears the undo history, and puts the match title on air. Team settings are kept, so you only change what is different about the next game. PlayOverlay asks you to confirm first.

Crash recovery

PlayOverlay saves the score, clock and match state as the match goes on. If the app closes mid-match, because the laptop restarted or the battery ran out, it offers to restore the match the next time it opens: Restore previous match?, with the teams, score and time when it closed.

• Restoring brings back the score and clock, with the clock paused. Resume when ready.
• Until you answer, the outputs stay blank rather than showing a false 0-0 on the stream.
• Paired phones and system-wide shortcuts wait too, so a tap can't overwrite the recovered score.