Best Free Umpire Scheduling Software Ranked

Umpire assigning should not eat your evenings. If you run a youth baseball league, a weekend softball tournament, or a small officials association, you can build a clean, reliable schedule without paying for heavy enterprise software. The catch is simple: there are very few purpose-built “umpire assigning” platforms that are fully free forever. Most well-known referee systems are paid, and for good reasons like rules, eligibility, game fees, and payouts. The good news is that you can still get 80% of the value using free tools and a smart workflow. Below is a practical, beginner-friendly ranking of the best free options and how to make them feel like real assigning software.

How We Ranked These Free Options

This list focuses on tools you can use at no cost for ongoing umpire scheduling. Some were built for teams or staff shifts, not specifically for officials, but they adapt very well. We prioritized tools that make it easy to capture availability, assign or claim games, prevent double-booking, send reminders, and keep a clear history of who worked what. We also looked at how fast you can set them up without training every volunteer on a new system.

What “Free” Really Means for Umpire Scheduling

Free can mean a few different things. Some platforms are truly free forever with core features. Others are free for a certain number of people or events. A few are free if you are okay with very light limitations or if you mainly need sign-up or RSVP style assigning. Where a tool has a primarily paid model but offers a trial, we list it later under honorable mentions and make that clear. The ranked tools here are usable long-term without paying.

Best Free Umpire Scheduling Software Ranked

1) Google Sheets + Forms + Calendar (Best all-around free system)

Google’s free trio becomes a surprisingly powerful assigning platform when tied together. Forms gathers availability and interest. Sheets becomes your master assign board with filters, validations, and basic conflict checks. Calendar sends auto reminders and gives umpires a daily or weekly view of where they need to be. It is simple, universal, and everyone already knows how to use it.

Why it’s great. You can build your league’s game list in Sheets, add columns for date, start time, field, home/away, plate/base roles, and then assign umpires with drop-down lists. With Data Validation you can keep names consistent. With conditional formatting you can highlight conflicts, over-assignments, or unfilled slots. A simple Google Form lets umpires submit availability windows by date range, or declare they can take an extra base game if needed. A quick AppScript or an add-on like Form Publisher can push responses to your assign sheet. Finally, publish games to a shared Google Calendar so each umpire can add only their events to their own calendar.

What you give up. There is no native payments, no per-umpire eligibility rules, and no one-click mass self-assign with conflict detection. You manage most of this with a clean process instead of automation. Still, for small to medium rec leagues and tournaments, it is shockingly effective and costs nothing.

Setup tip. Start with one master sheet tab for all games and a second tab per week for working assignments. Use a short, consistent list of umpire names to avoid duplications. Share view-only links with coaches and a separate edit link just for assigners.

2) Airtable Free Plan (Best for visual control and light automation)

Airtable gives you a database feel with the ease of a spreadsheet. On the free plan, you can build tables for Games, Umpires, Fields, and Assignments with linked records. You can view the same data as a calendar, a grid, a Kanban, or a gallery. That means you can drag and drop unfilled games into a “filled” group, or filter for only this weekend’s doubleheaders.

Why it’s great. Airtable’s relational structure reduces errors. A single Umpires table stores contact info, certifications, and preferred roles. Your Assignments table connects a game to a plate and base umpire. Filters and views let you isolate conflicts, open slots, or umpire workloads in seconds. You can add simple automations like send an email when an assignment changes or when a new game is created.

What you give up. Advanced automations and granular permissions may require paid tiers. There is still no built-in pay management or eligibility logic for complex associations. The free plan has usage limits, so very large leagues may eventually need an upgrade.

Setup tip. Use separate linked tables for Games, Umpires, and Fields. Build a Calendar view on the Games table and group by Field or Division. Add a checkbox “Ready to publish?” and use an automation to email confirmed assignments.

3) Spond (Best free mobile-first option with RSVP and reminders)

Spond is a free team and club communication app that also works for officials. You can post events (games), invite selected umpires, collect availability, and assign roles within the event. It is clean, fast, and mobile-first, which makes it great for leagues where most people manage their schedules by phone.

Why it’s great. You can invite a pool of umpires to an event, see who is available, and then confirm assignments in the app. Spond sends notifications and reminders automatically. Umpires can comment or message if there is a last-minute change, and you can push updates to everyone quickly. For a weekend tournament, you can create events per field and time slot and fill them as RSVPs arrive.

What you give up. Spond is not built specifically for officials assigning, so there is no deep eligibility engine or automated conflict detection across multiple teams and leagues. You also do not get built-in payments for officials. That said, for small leagues and short tournaments, it is a very effective zero-cost tool.

Setup tip. Make a Spond group called “League Umpires.” Create events with clear titles like “U10 Field 3, 5:30 PM, Plate and Base needed.” Use the event roles or notes to indicate which slot is still open. Confirm assignments once people respond.

4) SignupGenius (Best free self-assign sign-up sheets)

SignupGenius is a simple, free way to let umpires claim games. You create a sign-up sheet with slots like Plate and Base under each game. Umpires click a link, claim a slot, and receive a confirmation. It is not fancy, but it is fast and self-explanatory, especially for volunteers and new officials.

Why it’s great. For a rec league with many single games, you can post a week’s worth of games and let your umpires claim first-come, first-served. You can control visibility, limit signups, and send reminders automatically. It also gives you a clean record of who claimed what, which is helpful at season’s end.

What you give up. You do not get formal conflict checks and you cannot enforce advanced rules like maximum games per night per umpire on the free plan. You also need to watch for balance so that new umpires get opportunities.

Setup tip. Create one sign-up per week and schedule reminder emails 24 hours before game time. Use short slot names like “Plate” and “Base,” and include the field and division in each slot’s description.

5) Sling Free (Best free staff-scheduling style tool for assigning)

Sling is a workforce scheduling tool with a free plan that covers schedules, availability, time-off requests, and messaging. While it is meant for businesses and restaurants, it adapts well to umpire assignments by treating each game as a shift and each field or division as a position or location.

Why it’s great. Sling’s core strengths are conflict prevention and clarity. You can see who is available, avoid overlaps, and broadcast updates. Umpires can set their availability and receive schedules on mobile. It feels like “real” scheduling software without the price tag.

What you give up. The free tier leaves out some advanced features like timesheets and some reporting. You may need to convert the “shift” terminology into baseball-friendly language, which takes a little education for your officials.

Setup tip. Create positions like “Plate” and “Base” and locations like “Field 1,” “Field 2.” Build shifts named “5:30 PM Game: Minors” and assign the plate and base roles as separate shifts so you always fill both.

6) Notion Free (Best free command center with templates)

Notion is a flexible workspace for notes, databases, and simple automation. On the free plan, you can set up databases for Games, Officials, and Assignments, then use linked views to see what is open or who is overbooked. It is also great for publishing a read-only “Assignments Board” that anyone can view from a browser.

Why it’s great. Notion lets you combine scheduling with everything else you manage: rules for each division, field maps, rainout procedures, and message templates. A single page can contain your weekly schedule, an embedded calendar, and quick links for umpires to request swaps.

What you give up. Notion has fewer built-in scheduling automations than Airtable, and there is no native SMS. You can connect external services if you are comfortable with integrations, but many leagues will keep it simple and manual.

Setup tip. Use relation properties to link Assignments to a specific Game and Umpire. Add formula fields that warn you if an ump is assigned to overlapping games or more than a set number per night. Share public view-only links for coaches and parents.

7) OpenSports (Best for event-based leagues and tournaments)

OpenSports is a group event platform. It is popular with pick-up sports and clubs, but it also works for assigning if you create private events for your officials to RSVP into role-based slots. You can keep your umpire group private and post the week’s games there for claim and confirmation.

Why it’s great. It is mobile-friendly, supports RSVP and reminders, and lets you gate access so only trusted officials see the signups. If your club already uses OpenSports for players and teams, having the officials process in the same ecosystem can be convenient.

What you give up. OpenSports is not designed for formal official assigning logic. Payments are focused on event fees from participants, not on paying umpires. For simple claim-and-confirm workflows it works fine, but complex eligibility is manual.

Setup tip. Create an “Officials” group. For each game event, set two ticket types or roles, Plate and Base, with capacity one each. Invite your umpire roster privately and confirm assignments once they RSVP.

8) TeamLinkt Free for Teams (Best if your league already uses it)

TeamLinkt offers free tools for teams and some free options for community clubs. While its full officials modules may depend on the organization’s plan, you can still manage a small umpire pool within team events by creating a dedicated “Officials” team or by using events with assigned roles. If your league already runs schedules and communications on TeamLinkt, extending it to officials keeps everything in one place.

Why it’s great. One app for game schedules, messages, and alerts reduces confusion and duplicate calendars. Umpires can subscribe to calendars and receive push notifications about changes or cancellations. For small leagues, a lightweight approach inside an app your families already use is a win.

What you give up. This is not a specialized officials assigner on the free plan. You will likely run an RSVP or claim-style process and do manual checks for conflicts. If your league upgrades to organizational tools, look at whether their officials assigning options meet your needs.

Setup tip. Create an “Officials” team with events for each game. Use the notes field to label Plate and Base and confirm roles in the comments. Share a guide so umpires know exactly how to claim and how you finalize assignments.

9) Trello with Automation (Best for Kanban-style assignment flow)

Trello is a board of lists and cards. Make one card per game, then move cards left-to-right through stages: Needs Assigning, Plate Filled, Base Filled, Confirmed, Completed. With the free Butler automation, you can set rules like move a card to Confirmed when both Plate and Base checkboxes are ticked.

Why it’s great. Trello shines when you want a clear picture of what is still open. You can create custom fields for field, time, level, and plate/base assignments. Tag cards with umpire names so you can filter by official and see their workload at a glance. Notifications keep everyone in the loop.

What you give up. Trello is not a database. You do not get native reporting or a calendar view as strong as Airtable or Google Calendar. It is best as the control center and status board, while you keep the master list of games in a spreadsheet.

Setup tip. Use one board per week or per month for simplicity. Create a template card with all the fields you need and copy it for each game. At season’s end, archive boards to preserve a record.

10) Google Groups + Calendar Self-Assign (Best ultra-simple workflow)

If you want the lightest setup possible, create a private Google Group for your umpires and a shared Google Calendar. Post games to the calendar with two separate events at the same time, one labeled Plate and one labeled Base. In the event description, write “Reply to this thread to claim.” People reply to the group email, and the assigner adds their name to the event title once confirmed.

Why it’s great. Everyone already understands email and calendars. Changes or rainouts are easy. This approach is perfect for a small community league where the same 10 to 20 officials rotate through games and are quick to respond.

What you give up. There is no structure beyond email and your own process. You must watch for double-booking and seniority fairness. For a tiny crew, the tradeoff is fine and saves time.

Setup tip. Keep event titles consistent, like “Field 2, 6:00 PM, Minors – Plate.” Use short claim rules, such as no back-to-back plates on school nights, and paste those rules in the calendar description so everyone can see them.

Quick Picks by Situation

If you want a spreadsheet-first approach that scales, pick Google Sheets + Forms + Calendar. If you want drag-and-drop power with a database feel, pick Airtable Free. If your umpires live on their phones and prefer RSVP flows, pick Spond. If your league already runs on TeamLinkt, adapt it for officials in the same app. If you love visual boards, pick Trello and keep a simple sheet in the background. For a basic self-serve claim system, pick SignupGenius.

What About Assignr, ArbiterSports, HorizonWebRef, RefTown, ZebraWeb?

These are the best-known officials assigning systems in North America. They offer deep features like eligibility checks, travel limits, ranking, evaluation, pay tracking, and robust conflict detection. They also have costs, because those features take real engineering and support. If you run a mid-sized to large officials association, or if you pay many umpires across multiple schools and leagues, a paid system is typically worth it.

If you are not ready to pay, start with the free options above and build a clean workflow. If you outgrow it, the move to a paid assigner later will be smoother because your data will already be organized.

How to Build a Reliable Free Assigning Workflow

Step 1: Standardize your data

Create a single master list of games with these columns: Date, Start Time, Field, Division, Home, Away, Plate Umpire, Base Umpire, Status, Notes. Decide how you will name fields and divisions and stick to it. Consistent naming saves hours later.

Step 2: Collect availability first

Send a simple form every week or every two weeks asking when each umpire is free. Ask for special notes like ready for plate, travel limits, or exam results. When you assign from known availability, you reduce back-and-forth and last-minute swaps.

Step 3: Set clear claiming rules

If you use a self-assign tool like SignupGenius or Spond, write short rules like maximum two plates per week, junior umpires take base before plate, or do not claim within 24 hours of a game without texting the assigner. Post these rules where people claim.

Step 4: Confirm and remind

Use automatic reminders 24 hours before game time. Whether via Google Calendar invites, Spond notifications, or Sling reminders, the nudge cuts no-shows. Ask umpires to reply “Confirmed” if you need that extra layer of certainty for playoffs and championships.

Step 5: Track changes and backups

Keep a small list of on-call backups who live close to your fields. When rainouts or illnesses happen, message your backup group first. In your sheet, note the last-minute swap so you can keep fair totals by season’s end.

Free Templates You Can Copy

For Google Sheets, build a tab called Games with your master columns and a second tab called Assign Board with filters for this week, next week, and unfilled. In Airtable or Notion, create tables for Games, Umpires, and Assignments and link them. In Trello, build lists called Needs Assigning, Plate Filled, Base Filled, Confirmed, and Completed and a template card with checkboxes for Plate and Base.

Tips to Avoid Double-Booking and Conflicts

Use consistent names

Pick a single version of each umpire’s name and lock it in a list or dictionary. In spreadsheets, use data validation so you do not end up with “Jon,” “John,” and “John S.” counted as three different people.

Add simple conflict formulas

In a sheet, you can add a formula that flags if the same umpire appears on overlapping games within a 90-minute window. This does not replace a paid eligibility engine, but it prevents the most common mistakes.

Color code your hardest games

Mark higher-level divisions or rivalry games in a distinct color. Fill those first when experienced umpires show availability. Build confidence for newer officials by giving them a base on a calm field and pairing them with a mentor on plate.

Handling Rainouts and Makeups on Free Tools

Weather is where paid systems earn their keep, but free tools can still handle it cleanly. Keep a “Status” column with Scheduled, Canceled, Postponed, Rescheduled. When you postpone, duplicate the game row with the new date and move the old row to Canceled. Send a quick message to both assigned officials and offer them first right to confirm the new time. In Spond or SignupGenius, close the old event or sign-up and create a new one with the updated time so reminders are correct.

Pay Tracking Without Paying for Software

If your league pays officials, add columns for Fee, Paid Y/N, and Payment Date. At the end of each week, filter for Paid equals No and sum by umpire. Send a quick confirmation note when each payment is processed. It is not as automatic as a dedicated officials system, but it keeps a clean record for audits and tax season.

Onboarding New Umpires Smoothly

Create a one-page “How We Assign” guide

Write simple steps: how to submit availability, how to claim, how to confirm, when to arrive, what to do if late, how to request a swap, and who to contact. Include screenshots of your main tool so nobody is confused on day one.

Start them on base with a mentor

Use your schedule to pair new umpires with experienced partners. In your sheet or Airtable, add a “Mentor” field and mark those games so you can quickly show new officials where they will get extra support.

When to Move From Free to Paid

As soon as you manage multiple leagues, staggered start times across many fields, complex eligibility rules, and the need to calculate pay automatically, a paid system saves time and reduces errors. If your assigners spend more than two hours a day checking conflicts, it is a sign you are ready. Start by exporting your current game, umpire, and assignment lists. Most paid systems allow CSV import so you will not retype history.

Honorable Mentions With Trials or Low-Cost Options

There are excellent officials platforms such as Assignr, ArbiterSports, HorizonWebRef, RefTown, and ZebraWeb. These typically require a subscription or per-official fee. If you consider one, take advantage of their demos or trials to see how eligibility rules, self-assign, evaluations, and payments work at your scale. Many associations find the cost lower than the time saved every week.

Putting It All Together: Sample Free Workflow

The weekly rhythm

On Sunday night, send a Google Form asking for availability Monday through Sunday. On Monday morning, open your Google Sheet or Airtable base and filter the week’s games. Fill high-skill plates first using the availability responses. Post remaining open games on SignupGenius or in Spond for claim by Tuesday noon. On Wednesday, send confirmations and add all assignments to a shared Google Calendar. On game day, rely on automatic reminders and keep a short list of backups ready by text message.

For a weekend tournament

Create events in Spond or SignupGenius for each time slot and field with Plate and Base slots. Invite your umpire pool and let them claim within your rules. Keep a Trello board to watch open slots and move cards to Confirmed as you lock them in. Post a public read-only view of assignments using a Notion or Airtable shared link so coaches can see who is scheduled without contacting you repeatedly.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Publishing too early without a change plan

If you release a schedule before team coaches confirm time changes, you will spend your week editing. Set a standard cut-off time for coaches to confirm, then publish assignments. If changes happen after that, set one daily update window so you are not re-sending every hour.

Letting “first-come” create unfairness

Self-assign is helpful, but it can tilt to whoever is fastest. Balance your assignments by reserving some plates for newer officials to learn and some for veterans to lead. A simple rotation list posted in your Notion or Sheet keeps things transparent.

Not tracking swaps

When officials trade games without telling you, your calendar and your field crew may not match. Ask that all swaps go through the assigner to update the master sheet. In Spond, require a comment on the event before you officially switch names.

The Ranked List at a Glance

1) Google Sheets + Forms + Calendar for the most control with zero cost. 2) Airtable Free for database power and clean views. 3) Spond for mobile-first RSVP and reminders. 4) SignupGenius for simple and effective self-assign. 5) Sling Free to adapt staff scheduling to officials. 6) Notion Free as a command center with public read-only boards. 7) OpenSports for event-driven leagues and private claiming. 8) TeamLinkt Free for teams if your league already uses it. 9) Trello with Automation for a visual “what is left” board. 10) Google Group + Calendar for the ultra-simple email and event approach.

Conclusion

You do not need to pay to build a clean umpire schedule that your officials can trust. With today’s free tools, you can capture availability, fill plates and bases, send reminders, and track who worked what. If you are a small to medium league or a weekend tournament, start with Google Sheets and Spond or SignupGenius and add Airtable or Trello if you want visual control. Document your process, keep your data consistent, and run a weekly rhythm so your umpires always know the plan.

When you outgrow free, the paid officials platforms will be waiting with advanced rules, conflict detection, and payments. Until then, you can deliver a professional experience with the free options ranked here and spend more time on the field and less time chasing confirmations.