Law 5 Ref Watch — Developed by a referee for referees
I have been a soccer referee for more than 20 years. That includes AYSO (10U through 19U), Club, Jr. High and High School. In all that time I must have tried 20 different watches and a few watch apps, but never found one that out of the box could easily handle all game formats I do. AYSO games were the biggest challenge: scheduled substitution breaks, at quarters in lower divisions and eighths in upper divisions.
During this off season (summer in Southern California) I have been developing Law 5 Ref Watch, an Apple Watch app for soccer referees.
Law 5 Ref Watch is designed for flexibility. You can easily select the format for whatever game is up next, and off you go. If you’re doing AYSO, you get a 1-minute warning before each sub break, the clock keeps running during the break, and an alert when you should be ready to restart. The AYSO game formats are built in to the Volunteer version (free on the App Store).
In the Pro version, your Game Formats can use free substitution instead of breaks, and you have the option to add hydration breaks. You can use any of the game formats available on the Law 5 Ref Watch Library Page, edit them to suit your needs, or create your own—particularly handy when you’re reffing tournaments that often have unique timing requirements.
We are currently recruiting Beta Testers for Law 5 Ref Watch. If you sign up as a beta tester, you’ll get a full year of using the Pro version for free, just for signing up. And, if you provide useful feedback, or just complete the various short lists of questions about using the app, you’ll get a free license that does not expire and includes discounts for any paid updates that may come along.
To participate in the Law 5 Ref Watch beta program you need: an iPhone (iOS 26.0 or later); an Apple Watch (watchOS 11.0 or later); and a free Apple ID. If you send your email—the one linked to your Apple Account—to me using the Law 5 Ref Watch Contact Page, I’ll add you to TestFlight, Apple’s beta testing system, and you’ll get an email from the App Store inviting you to participate.
When Law 5 Ref Watch is available from the Apple App Store, the free Volunteer version will be fully functional with AYSO game formats built in. It never expires, and is a great introduction to the functionality and versatility of the app.
The Pro version (an in-app purchase) is fully configurable for any game format and includes play-ready game configurations for the most common soccer formats.
Start with the Volunteer version. It’s free, and AYSO refs could get by with it all the way through the playoffs. Pro refs can use that version to decide if Law 5 Ref Watch is for them.
If you’re interested in the beta program, message me here at the Law 5 Ref Watch Contact Page and I’ll get you started.
Thanks
Ed Stockly
AYSO · USSF · NFHS