Attributes of the Pensra assigning system
The Peninsula Soccer Referees Association has a website that is based on the software provided by RidgeStar. Some of the philosophy and attributes of the software include:
Policy and Technology
RidgeStar software is customized to reflect the policies of Pensra. With 100% "off-the-shelf" referee assigning systems, the referee organization may have to adjust their policies to conform with the capabilities of the software.
Flexibility
The data structure is conducive to "slice and dice" how different matches are handled (for example with fees, durations, difficulty rankings, methods, rules) The factors can include Client, Gender, Level, Playing League, Location, Individual Referees, Youth/Adult, USSF/AYSO, Competitive/Recreational, Area, etc.
Transparency
The philosophy is to display information to the referees and let the referees make informed decisions. Which referees get which assignments is not hidden.
Rule Based Self Assign
When assigning a large number of matches there are different requirements than when assigning a handful of matches. The best utilization of referee resources is when the individual referee has the most input into their schedule. To accomplish this we use a "Rule Based Self Assigning". The rules are extensive and involve ranking, licensing, schedules, number of matches, referee age, completion of continuing education modules, etc. The idea here is any match requested by a referee where the assignor would instantly say "Yes" can be assigned immediately when requested.
Reliability
RidgeStar systems are designed to work. They are compatible with all browsers and platforms. They use the LAMP web software design (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP).
A small thing perhaps, but notice that the web page dynamically adjusts to the width of your window.
All software, especially software that has been customized, encounters some bugs and flaws. 90% of bugs that are reported are repaired within 24 hours (not acknowledged-repaired!).
Data Ownership
Pensra has its own data tables. Pensra owns the data and can choose what data is shared with whom. Some systems use a single database with each data record designated to which customer. In those systems, the data is owned by the software provider and the software provider determines who can access what data.
Real Time Database
RidgeStar avoids batch processing or batch operations at all. Code to maintain the data is triggered. For example if a referee looks at a match, before that match information is presented, background code will run to see if the match data is accurate.
Accounts
RidgeStar accounts are held by individuals - not titles and not organizations. Individuals interact with the data. Yes we give individuals permissions and capabilities ot interact with the data on behalf of a club or league, but we audit and hold the individual responsible for the data they add or update. We use the person's name as their account credentials - not a password and not a made-up name.
Referee Pay
RidgeStar does not restrict how referees are paid. Pensra provides the data that individual assignors (or the Pensra treasurer) can use to pay referees via Quicken, Intuit, PayPal, Checks, direct deposit, etc.
Cost
RidgeStar charges Pensra an annual fee based on the amount of computing resources consumed. The formula takes into account the number of data records, the number of tables, the number of hits and the bandwidth consumed. Pensra in turn charges Clients a per match fee. There are no additional charges per referee, or per assignor. | 
