Field Event Flight Sheets Are Going Digital

For decades, the field event flight sheet has looked the same: a paper grid, a clipboard, and a pencil. It's worked — but "it works" is a low bar. Paper flight sheets are slow, error-prone, and invisible to anyone not standing at the pit.

In 2026, the tools to replace them are finally good enough to actually use on meet day.

What's Wrong with Paper

Transcription errors. The most common source of incorrect results isn't judging — it's copying. From the pit to the scoreboard, from the scoreboard to the meet results, from the meet results to Athletic.net. Every transfer is a chance for a typo.

No visibility. Coaches and spectators see nothing until results are posted — often an hour after the event ends. In a long meet, athletes are left guessing where they stand.

Hard to reference. Determining tiebreakers on paper means going back through every row on the sheet. It's tedious and error-prone under pressure.

Weather damage. Rain, mud, wind. Paper doesn't survive meet day gracefully.

What Digital Changes

Results are visible the moment they're recorded. A coach in the stands or back at the hotel can follow their athlete's attempts in real time without being at the pit. Spectators can follow without any account.

Tiebreakers are automatic. Digital systems track consecutive misses, total misses, and total attempts. Tiebreaker resolution is calculated in real time — no manual counting required.

Results export directly. No re-entering data. Export to CSV, share a link, or push results wherever they need to go.

What You Actually Need on Meet Day

The concern many coaches and officials have: "will it be more work than just using paper?"

The answer depends on the tool. RecordBoard was specifically designed to not be more work:

• One tap to record an attempt — Make, Miss, Foul, or Pass
• Works without internet — all data stored locally, syncs when you reconnect
• Large touch targets — designed for cold hands and gloves in the field
• No training required — officials have picked it up and started using it within minutes

The learning curve is shorter than learning a new clipboard format.

Making the Switch

You don't have to convert your entire meet at once. Many coaches start by using RecordBoard for one event at one meet — the shot put circle, or high jump — and expand from there.

The first time you don't have to squint at your own handwriting to read a mark, it clicks.

Start your first competition free →