Your first observation

Accept the visit, or add an observation

Accept a County FA visit from the dashboard, or add the match yourself and choose Observer as your role. Your own observation does not require your county to use Penalty: keep the report in your account and export a PDF yourself.

Open Start observation

On the match page or next-match card, choose Start observation. Check the teams, kick-off, officials and kit colours before continuing. If you have already started, the action changes to Resume observation. Make sure the match role is Observer if you cannot see the action.

Add your pre-match context

Open Before the match and add any useful general notes. Confirm which officials you are observing. During the match, select REF, AR1 or AR2 before saving evidence so it reaches the correct official’s report.

Start at the whistle

Check the half length before kick-off. Start the clock at the referee’s whistle so each note has the right match minute. Use Half time at the interval, then start the second half. At the final whistle, choose Full time and confirm.

Capture one clear example at a time

Choose the team and shirt number, the pitch zone and + or − where relevant, then type what happened. Record the action and its effect: what the referee did, how the players responded and why it mattered. Goals and cards can sit on the same timeline.

Example: 23′ · Home 10 · Middle · + · Delayed the whistle, allowed the pass and brought play back when no advantage developed.

Hold, speak, release

In the iPhone or Android app, choose the note’s context first. Hold Hold to talk, speak your note, then release to save the transcription. Slide your finger off the button to cancel. On first use, allow microphone and speech recognition, then hold again to start your note.

Check the words afterwards, especially names and shirt numbers. Voice requires a supported phone with the on-device English (UK) speech model installed. If it is unavailable, type the note or use your keyboard’s microphone.

Keep your notes safe without signal

Notes save on this device first and sync when the connection returns. Watch the waiting-to-sync indicator and reconnect before switching devices. Open the match and check its setup while online before travelling. Offline note capture does not mean report submission works offline.

If a note has no transcription, open it after the match and type the missing words. Do not clear the app’s data or reinstall it while notes are waiting to sync.

Review notes and select the official

Open After the match. Correct any unclear notes, then choose Write the reports or Report on the referee / AR1 / AR2. Work through each official separately so evidence and ratings stay with the right person. Record the debrief if useful, with the referee’s knowledge.

Rate each criterion with evidence

Complete the observer form using its six-level scale, from Major Development to Exceptional. Expected needs no further explanation; other levels require the description, evidence and impact requested by the form. The observer total updates as you rate. Use the notes beside the form to support each judgement.

In the web report editor, drag a note onto a criterion or choose Attach to turn it into an evidence line. Check unused notes before finishing: not every note needs to appear in the report.

Review each report

Check the ratings, wording and missing-item checklist before finishing. On your own match in the phone app, mark the relevant official’s report ready. Use the web report page to download the PDF and send it yourself. Each official has their own report.

Submit a County FA visit online

For an assigned visit, reconnect and submit the completed report to your county. Submission needs signal and is not queued for later. After county approval, each official receives only their own section. Penalty does not automatically submit to MOAS: copy the report across or attach the PDF if your county requests it.