Football Numbers
A little help for game day.
Questions, a score that looks wrong, or an idea for the app? Contact the developer, Troy Loberger.
Playing with number pairs
Choose a football team, add a pair of digits before or after kickoff, and see how they compare with scores at the end of each quarter and, optionally, the final score. Football Numbers supports all 32 NFL teams. It is for personal entertainment: the app does not accept wagers, collect entry fees, handle payments, or award cash or prizes.
When reporting a problem
Include your iPhone model, iOS version, app version, the selected team, season, phase and week, the score’s “Updated” time, and the steps that led to the problem. A screenshot can help. Please hide any entry labels or other personal information you do not want to share. Never include passwords or API keys in a support message.
Common questions
How do quarter matches work?
At the end of each completed quarter, the app compares the last digit of each team’s cumulative score with your pair. Either order is the default; choosing “Selected team first” requires the first digit to match the team saved with that entry and the second digit to match its opponent. A score during an unfinished quarter is not a completed-quarter match.
How do final numbers work?
The app adds the digits of each team’s final score separately, then takes the last digit of each sum. For example, 29 gives 2 + 9 = 11 → 1, and 13 gives 1 + 3 = 4. The resulting pair is 1–4. Your chosen pair-order setting also applies to final numbers. Final numbers include overtime; the fourth-quarter checkpoint uses the score at the end of regulation. In Add numbers, turn off the Final Numbers toggle if you want to compare completed quarters only. The app’s calculation does not use the last digit of the final score or repeatedly add digits to find a digital root.
Why didn’t a refresh change the score?
The app reads a shared score service. Manual refresh downloads the latest saved result; it does not force the football data provider to update. Check the “Updated” time in the score section. Provider delays, network problems, rate limits, and the server’s daily request limit can leave that time unchanged. The service uses BALLDONTLIE as its primary data source. If a usable update is unavailable, the service retains saved results. Refreshing does not guarantee a newer result or force a correction to an already-final cached game.
When does the app update automatically?
While the app is open, it checks during live games using the interval selected in Settings. Upcoming games wait for kickoff, and completed games stop automatic checks. The shared service also follows its own schedule, so checking more often on your phone does not make the underlying score newer.
Why didn’t I receive an alert?
Enable “Notify me about matches” in the app’s Settings and allow notifications in iPhone Settings. Alerts are generated locally when the app processes an update with a new match. The app does not continuously monitor scores or deliver remote score alerts while closed.
Can I track another week or team?
Use the calendar button on My numbers to choose a team and week, or choose your team in Settings. Known bye weeks cannot be selected. Each entry keeps its own team, so switching teams preserves earlier entries and history. The app defaults to Green Bay before your first saved entry, then uses the team from the most recently saved entry on the next launch. Browsing another team alone does not change that launch default. Removing entries does not reset the remembered team. Some future or older results may not yet be available from the shared service.
Why did the selected week change when I reopened the app?
Opening the app or returning after it was in the background selects the current or next scheduled game for your team. Brief interruptions and automatic score refreshes preserve your selected week. Your saved entries remain attached to their original team and week.
Where are my entries stored?
Your number pairs, labels, and history stay in the app’s local storage on your iPhone. No account is required, and the app has no built-in entry syncing between devices. Your Apple backup settings may affect backup or restoration.
How can I delete my data?
Use the trash icon to remove an entry and its calculated history. Recent label suggestions, preferences, downloaded scores, and the remembered team can remain after an entry is deleted. To remove all local app storage, use iPhone Settings → General → iPhone Storage → Football Numbers → Delete App. Offloading keeps app data; deleting the app removes its local data. Manage any device backups separately in your Apple settings.
Can I use the app without the score service or for another sport?
Yes. Open Custom games to create an offline game with your own team names. Choose quarters, halves, innings, or custom checkpoints. Enter the cumulative score for each team and mark a checkpoint complete when it ends. You can add extra checkpoints, rename them, correct scores, or delete an unwanted checkpoint. The game keeps at least one checkpoint.
To continue an NFL game manually, choose Continue with manual scores on My numbers. This makes a separate copy of that team's guesses and available scores. If an opponent was not available, edit the team names. Original automatic NFL records are kept, and later feed refreshes will not overwrite manual scores. Opening the same manual copy again preserves your edits.
How do manual scores and matches work?
Enter the total score so far, rather than points scored during just that period. Blank means unknown; zero means zero. A checkpoint counts only after both scores are supplied and it is marked complete. Cumulative scores cannot decrease between completed checkpoints. Enter a separate final score, including overtime or extra innings, and mark the game finished to evaluate final numbers for guesses with that option enabled.
You can add guesses before, during, or after a game. Manual results are labeled Manually entered and appear in Guess history separately from automatic NFL results. Correcting or removing scores recalculates matches. An alert already delivered to iOS may remain after a correction. Custom-game features work offline; automatic NBA, MLB, and other non-NFL feeds are not included.
About the app
Football Numbers is an independent app. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NFL, any NFL team, BALLDONTLIE, ESPN, Apple, or Cloudflare. Scores may be delayed or corrected.