You're the show-runner. As a producer, you build the contest, collect and act on data, set up scoring, and keep the night from turning into interpretive dance with clipboards and tears (not the happy kind).
SquirrelScore is like your backstage manager: applications, judges, volunteers, scores, results, and (if you want it) a checklist called Chaos Ops so nothing important slips thru the cracks until someone asks where it is.
This page is your map. Use it as your starting point, then jump to the topic pages when you need the deep dive.
- Have a producer account from a site admin. Regular judge or contestant logins will not show producer tools.
- Log in and confirm you land somewhere that includes My Contests in the sidebar.
- Know the name of the contest you're running (or be ready to create one).
- Optionally decide whether you want co-producers helping before contest tasks set in motion.
In plain language, you can:
- Create and configure contests- name, logo, scoring modes, active status, pacing dates
- Organize people- contestant applications, judge agreements, volunteer applications
- Build the scoring rubric- sections, subsections, sub-contests, time penalties
- Watch the progress- Contest Overview for progress; Results when scores land
- Run show tools- Emcee Reveal, Pop Questions random draw, score adjustments, exports
- Keep the train on the tracks- Chaos Ops checklists, emails, contest details, co-producers
You do not need to be a technician. Things are written to be as direct as possible.
After you open a contest, the left sidebar becomes your remote control. Expect items like:
| Sidebar item |
What it's for |
| My Contests |
Your list of contests (home base) |
| My Account |
Password, profile, MFA-style account stuff |
| Wiki/Support |
This help site (opens in a new tab) |
| Contest Overview |
Progress dashboard for the selected contest |
| Manage |
Mission control: people, sections, forms, settings |
| Chaos Ops |
Checklist dashboard (only if you enabled it) |
| Results |
Standings, exports, reveal tools |
| Producer Notes |
Read-only feedback judges left for your eyes only |
| Scoring Details |
Read-only view of your scoring structure |
| Contest Details |
Info pages you publish for participants |
| Contestant Applications |
Review contestant applications |
| Judge Agreements |
Review judge agreement submissions |
| Volunteers |
Positions, assignments, volunteer apps |
| Pop Questions |
Audience questions and random draw |
// Chris - To Do: Screenshot of Producer sidebar with a contest selected
- Log in with your producer account.
- In the sidebar, click My Contests.
- You should see each contest you own or co-produce.
- Click View Contest to open that contest.
- You land on Contest Overview- a progress board, not a settings form.
- When you need to build or change things, open Manage from the sidebar or Overview links.
// Chris - To Do: Screenshot of My Contests list
You do not have to do everything on day one. A suggested order of tasks to tackle looks something like this:
- Create the contest (name, logo, basic scoring toggles).
- Tune settings (active status, pacing dates, Chaos Ops if you want it).
- Build scoring structure and sub-contests if you use divisions/ have different titles under one contest and set of judges.
- Set up applications, judge agreements, and volunteers.
- Enroll or approve people; check things like completeness and the details of their responses (devil is in the details sometimes) for submissions like contestants and judges.
- Publish Contest Details so participants know what the rules and details of the contest are.
- Customize emails before you send a wave of invitations or get submissions to approve/reject.
- Use Contest Overview during the run; Results when scores exist.
Did you know?
Manage is for building. Contest Overview is for watching. If you feel lost, ask yourself: "Am I building or watching?" Then pick the matching page.
- Invite a co-producer before the wheels are in motion, not during on-site setup right before registration opens.
- Leave Contest Active on while judges and tallymasters need to work. Turning it off locks them out of that contest.
- Build scoring sections before you invite judges. Empty scoring rubrics will get you a flood of questions.
- Use Chaos Ops if you need to figure out where to start, or if you just like having a running checklist of the things you need to do (and when). Skip it if checklists only serve to stress you out - it's optional.
- Bookmark the wiki. Future-you will thank present-you at 11 p.m. on Friday when something inevitably needs changed on the fly.
- When something "disappears" from the sidebar, ask: Did I select a contest? Is it enabled? Am I logged in as producer?
- Keep one browser tab on Overview and one on the queue you're clearing if you're going thru your tasks - tab chaos is still better than clipboard chaos.
- Morning: Overview attention flags + remaining queues.
- Afternoon: Review and approve or reject what's left, check numbers/sub-contests, check Chaos Ops tasks and due dates.
- Call time: Manage only for emergencies; live in Overview/Results.
- After scores are turned in: Results > Automatic Tiebreak / adjustments if needed > Emcee Reveal > exports.
- After the afterparty (optional): Producer Notes triage and thank-you emails.
- Opening the wrong contest and wondering where Manage went - you need a producer role.
- Creating three contests named "Test" and losing track of which is the real one (that you, of course, forgot to rename...happens to the best of us).
- Sharing public apply links before the form fields are finalized.
- Enabling Chaos Ops, cancelling the setup wizard, and assuming it's still on - cancel keeps it off if nothing was seeded yet.
- Expecting edit buttons in Overview. Overview watches; Manage edit/builds.
Do I need Chaos Ops?
No. It's optional. Many contests can run happily without it. Turn it on when you want due dates and preparation checklists in one place.
Can more than one person produce the same contest?
Yes. The owner can AND SHOULD add co-producers (You don't have to do it alone!). See Co-producers.
Where do I change Olympic scoring, averaging, or Automatic Tiebreak later?
Contest settings (Edit Contest).
Where do judges leave private notes for me?
They enter them while scoring. You read them on Producer Notes. Contestants DO NOT see those notes.
What's the difference between Scoring Details and Scoring structure?
Scoring structure (from Manage) is where you build and edit your scoring sections and optional sub-sections. Scoring Details is the friendly read-only view everyone can skim. For brainstorming weights and examples first, see Designing your contest.