Congratulations on the start of your football season. We wanted to offer you a few tips to make sure your games go off without a hitch...
- Make sure to do the practice games, watch the recorded webinar, and review all the help materials and tutorial videos in the NSCM Knowledge Base (https://www.ncaamanager.com/know-more)
- Make sure both you and your opponents have properly updated your rosters in the NCAA database (https://stats.ncaa.org/login) prior to loading the Game Key. Players can have duplicated jersey numbers but each individual MUST have a unique StatCrew alphanumeric code. (See attached image).
- If you fall behind in the action, DO NOT skip forward to the current play. Continue entering where you are and work to catch up to the live action. Intentionally skipping drives or plays is not advised.
- On the entry screen, the Step Back button will always step you back one action. Use the Step Back button to quickly go back multiple actions when needed.
- When editing plays, always use one action instead of two…
- Use INSERT to put in a play
- Use DELETE to remove an extra play
- Use REPLACE to both delete the existing play and insert a new play. Use REPLACE rather than deleting and inserting. In most cases, using REPLACE PLAY is the best option.
- When entering a Touchdown, once you have established run or pass, simply click Touchdown as the outcome. Advancing the ball carrier to the 0-yardline and ending the play will not credit a touchdown. Users have to use the Touchdown button.
- When enforcing penalties, you can freely click on the possible enforcement spots and read the play summary to help you determine the proper spot for the next play.
- Previous Spot - We are returning to the spot where the play began, therefore nullifying the statistics from that play
- Succeeding Spot - We are enforcing the penalty from the end of the play, therefore counting all statistics from that play
- Dead Ball Spot - This button only becomes available in certain change of possession situations
- Other Spot - The penalty will be enforced from the spot of the foul, so all statistics up to that point will count, but any statistics after that point will be nullified.
- Other penalty notes...
- Enter in the ENTIRE play as it happened even if you suspect a penalty will nullify it. Enter in the full play and then use the penalty functions to enforce the penalty.
- NLS will automatically calculate half the distance to the goal automatically. The user can use the "Adjust Yards" button to alter the spot of the ball in the case of moving from an odd numbered yardline or a referee error.
- In the event of offsetting penalties that occurs after a play has finished, and therefore do not affect the play (such as post-play offsetting fouls), the user should choose Succeeding Spot. This will count the play and charge the appropriate penalties.
- In the event of a penalty following a touchdown or conversion attempt that will be enforced on the kickoff, choose "Apply on Kickoff" on the penalty page.
- If there is a flag on a scoring play, you should not confirm the score, and instead close the dialogue box and then input the penalty before proceeding to the scoring entry. If you do confirm the scoring play, you can simply use the step back button. If you are able to select flag on field before entering the touchdown that is your best option.
- Please take care to complete all actions marked with the yellow “incomplete” icon and all Flagged plays. If you don’t clear those warnings, you are likely to have inaccurate statistics, and your printed reports and postgame files may not be able to generate. Without resolving all flagged an incomplete actions your game data may be rejected by the NCAA system, and then won't be reflected in the national rankings.
- In overtime, don't forget to end and confirm each overtime period. At the beginning of each overtime period, the user will select the team choice of offense or defense. Additionally, once the third overtime period starts remember to always select two-point conversion formation for each attempt.
- Postgame, if you import the FPK file into StatCrew, reports may not appear correctly until you OPEN THE GAME IN GAME SCORING. Open the game in Game Scoring, Save it, then close the game. Then you can open Game Reports and your reports will appear correctly. Unusual plays may result is an unexpected result in StatCrew. That can usually be fixed by making a simple edit to the StatCrew play-by-play.
- For a fumble that is followed by a kick-catch interference penalty, select go back and label the play as a fair catch and don't include the resulting fumble.
- If a team fumbles the ball and it goes out of bounds resulting in a touchback for the defensive team. The user must select team recovery before selecting touchback so that the team fumble recovery is properly attributed to the defense.
- If you don't wish to charge your Holder with a game played, because they only held the ball and did not participate in any other way, you will need to remove them as a Holder from each kicking action. This will result in an incomplete action icon.
- On offensive plays, laterals are only registered in front of the LOS, or following a completion behind the LOS on offense. The inputter should always mark the yard line to where the ball is received on a lateral. If a lateral attempt hits the ground, it should be marked as a fumble, no forced at the yard line where it hits the ground. It is by a rule a fumble, and not a lateral. Laterals are only selected when they are successfully completed to a member of the team that is in possession of the ball. WATCH VIDEO
Common User Errors
Take care in choosing the Coin Flip results – Read the labels closely to make sure you are assigning the proper kicking and receiving teams. If you make an error, use Step Back to return to the Coin Flip entry. WATCH VIDEO
Use of Delete Play – Use Delete Play sparingly, only when an extra play has been added to the game. If you need to remove a play and add another one, then you should be using the REPLACE PLAY function. WATCH VIDEO
Use Replace Play with the Edit Pencil – Whenever you need to change the down & distance and/or spot of an existing play, use Replace Play, and the Edit Pencil button. Then re-enter the play. Also be sure to use the Cancel button if you need to exit in the middle of replacing a play. WATCH VIDEO
Use Step Back – The Step Back button will take you back one action. If you realize you have made a recent mistake, use Step Back to move backwards through the action. You can use Step Back all the way to the first play of a drive or quarter.
Change of Spot after change of Possession – In the event that the referee spots the end of a drive (such as after a punt) between two yardlines, the user has a choice to make. They can choose one of the two yardlines, for both the end of one drive and the start of the next drive. This may grant or take away an extra yard from the punter. Or the user can re-spot the ball and move it one yard from the end of the punt to the start of the next drive. Re-spotting the ball will always result in a Flag in the software.
Entering Penalties – Choosing the Enforcement Spot can be challenging. Remember the effect that each spot has on the statistics. Remember that in the Penalty entry screen, you can choose different enforcement spots and check the Next Spot in the Play Summary to see if you have the enforcement that matches the next play, before you submit it.
- Previous Spot – Return to the previous line of scrimmage. Stats DO NOT count on this play.
- Succeeding Spot – Enforce penalty from the end of the play. Stats DO count on this play.
- Dead Ball Spot – Enforce penalty following a change of possession. Stats DO count on the previous play
- Other Spot (choose yardline) – Enforce penalty at the spot chosen, or from the spot chosen. Stats count but only up to the chosen spot.
Finalizing a quarter prematurely – There are four confirmation steps required to end a quarter (End Period, Confirm, Confirm Period, Confirm Now). Please be sure you have reached the end of the quarter before performing those steps. Be aware of any penalties or reviews that might extend the quarter.
Automatic Clock - If you are using the Automatic Clock, you are still required to End Period, Confirm Period and Setup the new period manually. The Scorelink device will not advance the period for you. If for some reason your SportzCast device were to go down and you have to change your clock to manual, the system may prompt you to run your system checks again. Also be sure the last play of each quarter is marked at 0:00. This will insure Time of Possession is calculated correctly.
Skipping ahead in the action - If you fall behind in the action, DO NOT skip forward to the current play. Continue entering where you are and work to catch up to the live action. Intentionally skipping drives or plays is not advised.
If you need assistance, please call or e-mail the NCAA LiveStats Support team at 877-542-7282 or NCAAsupport@geniussports.com
