Host computer setup

The host computer runs the event. It stores the event file, serves the interface to every client device, and keeps automatic backups while the event is open. Pick one machine and keep it as the host for the whole event.

Before you start

• An RECF account. You need it to sign in and activate Competition Control.
• Internet access for the first launch. Signing in and installing updates need internet. Running an event does not.
• A Windows, macOS, or Linux computer. See Choosing the machine below.

Choosing the machine

• Any reasonably current Windows, macOS, or Linux computer works. A laptop is fine.
• Keep it plugged in and turn off sleep in the operating system settings. If the host computer sleeps, every client device shows Connection Lost until it wakes.
• Use a wired network connection when the venue offers one. Wifi works, but a cable is more reliable with many devices connected.
• Keep enough free disk space for the event file and its backups. A typical event stays well under a few hundred megabytes in total.

How to install

1. Open the download page and download the installer for your platform.
2. Run the installer and follow the prompts.
3. Open Competition Control. The host window appears.

[Screenshot: Host window before sign in, showing the Sign in to Activate prompt]

How to sign in

Competition Control must be activated with an RECF account before it can start or open an event.

1. In the host window, click the RECF End Users button under Sign in with your RECF account to continue.
2. Your web browser opens the RECF sign-in page. The host window shows Waiting for your browser... while it waits.
3. Sign in with your RECF account in the browser.
4. Return to the host window. It now shows Signed in as followed by your account name, and the Start Event and Open Event buttons become available.

You stay signed in between launches. Click Sign Out at the bottom of the host window if you need to switch accounts. Signing out disables Start Event and Open Event until someone signs in again.

If you see Sign-in did not complete, close the browser tab, check your internet connection, and click the sign-in button again.

The host window

The host window is the small control panel you use to start, open, and connect to events. It is separate from the event interface, which opens in its own window.

[Screenshot: Host window after sign in, showing Start Event, Open Event, IP Address, Connect, and Open Log Location]

How to start a new event

1. Click Start Event.
2. A Save Event Database dialog opens in the folder Documents/Competition Control/Events. The suggested file name is event- followed by the current date and time, for example event-2026-09-16-08-30.db.
3. Change the file name to something you will recognize later, such as the event name, and click Save.
4. The host window shows a spinner while the event starts. When it is ready, a new window opens on the General step of Event Setup.
5. Continue with Event setup.

The event file is a single file with the .db extension. Everything about the event lives in it: teams, matches, scores, awards, authorized devices, and settings.

How to open an existing event

1. Click Open Event.
2. An Open Event Database dialog opens in Documents/Competition Control/Events. Select the event file and click Open.
3. When the event is ready, a new window opens on the General step of Event Setup. All teams, scores, rankings, and authorized devices are exactly as they were when the event was last closed.

Note

If you used an earlier release that stored events in Documents/PortalEvents, and you have not yet created any events in the new folder, Open Event starts in the old folder so your existing events are easy to find.

While an event is running

• Start Event and Open Event are disabled. Only one event can run on a host computer at a time.
• The host window shows a button with the running event's name and a green dot. Click it to open another event window on the host computer. You can have several open at once, for example one on the Queue page and one on the Displays page.
• The IP Address field is filled in with the local address, and Connect opens the same event.
• Updates cannot be installed. The update dialog shows Stop the event server before updating.

To stop the event, close Competition Control. Every saved score and setting is already in the event file. Open Competition Control again and click Open Event to pick up where you left off.

Connecting to another host computer

You can use the host computer application as a client of a different host computer. This is useful when a second laptop should have a full-size window into the event without opening a browser.

1. Ask for the Server address shown on the other host computer's Devices page.
2. Type it into the IP Address field. A green check mark appears when Competition Control finds the event.
3. Click Connect.
4. A window opens showing a device code. Have an Admin authorize it as described in Adding client devices.

If no check mark appears, make sure both computers are on the same network and that the address is typed exactly as shown.

The event file and automatic backups

While an event is running, the host computer saves a backup copy of the event file every 2 minutes.

• Backups are stored in Documents/Competition Control/Backups/, in a subfolder named for the Event ID you entered on the General step of Event Setup.
• Each backup is named with the Event ID followed by the date and time it was taken, in UTC, for example MyEvent-2026-09-16T143000Z.db.
• Every backup from the last 30 minutes is kept. Older than that, one backup per hour is kept and the rest are removed automatically.

To restore from a backup:

1. Close Competition Control so the event stops.
2. Copy the backup file you want out of the Backups folder and into Documents/Competition Control/Events. Give it a clear name, such as event-name-restored.db.
3. Open Competition Control and click Open Event. Select the copied file.

Important

Always copy a backup into the Events folder before opening it. If you open a backup directly from the Backups folder, the automatic cleanup can remove the file you are working from.

Network and firewall

Client devices reach the host computer on port 53243. The Devices page on the host computer lists the exact Server address to type into a browser, for example http://192.168.1.20:53243.

• If client devices cannot load the address, allow Competition Control through the host computer's firewall. On Windows, choose to allow access if a firewall prompt appears the first time an event starts.
• Some venue networks block devices from talking to each other. If you cannot fix that with the venue, use your own travel router or a hotspot and connect the host computer and every client device to it.
• Client devices do not need internet access. They only need a route to the host computer.

Updates

Competition Control checks for updates when it starts and after you sign in.

1. When an update is available, a Version X Is Available dialog opens.
2. Make sure no event is running. If one is, the dialog shows Stop the event server before updating. Close and reopen Competition Control with no event open.
3. Click Install and Restart. The dialog shows Downloading... with a percentage, then Installing.... Competition Control restarts automatically when the update finishes.

The Updates selector at the bottom of the host window chooses which releases you receive.

Install updates several days before an event so you have time to test. Do not update on event day.

How this connects to other features

• The Devices page shows the Server address that client devices use, and it is where you authorize them. See Adding client devices.
• Opening an event lands on Event Setup. See Event setup.
• The event file holds every setting described in Settings and every authorized device, so reopening the same file restores them all.
• Reports are generated from the event file on the host computer. See Reports.

Tips

• Create and fully set up your event file at home, then bring the host computer to the venue and click Open Event.
• Rename the event file to include the event name and date. The default name only has a timestamp.
• Keep a copy of the event file on a USB drive at the end of the day. It is the complete record of the event.
• Use one dedicated host computer. Running the event on the same laptop that a volunteer also uses for something else invites accidental shutdowns.

Troubleshooting

• If you see Port 53243 is already in use. An event server may already be running on this computer., another copy of Competition Control is running. Close all Competition Control windows and try again. If the message persists, restart the host computer.
• If you see This event file was created by a different version of Competition Control and can't be opened., the event file came from a newer or older release. Install the version that created it, or ask Support for help.
• If you see The event file could not be opened. or Failed to open the event file., the file may be damaged or still in use. Close any other program that has the file open, and if that does not help, restore from a backup as described above.
• If you see Failed to start event server, click Open Log Location in the dialog and share the most recent log file with Support.
• If you see The event server stopped unexpectedly, click Open Event and choose the same event file. Scores saved before the stop are in the file. If the file will not open, restore from a backup.
• If Start Event and Open Event are grayed out, check that you are signed in and that no event is already running.
• If you see Could not change the update channel, check the host computer's internet connection and try again.
• If client devices show Connection Lost, confirm the host computer is awake, still connected to the same network, and that the event is still running.