The judging system is designed to keep working even when your internet connection drops. Scores, battle votes, and placement votes are saved locally and synced automatically when you reconnect.
When Offline Mode Activates
The system automatically detects when your connection drops:
- A yellow "You're offline" alert appears at the top of the screen
- The wifi icon in the header turns red (wifi-off icon)
- All scores you submit are saved to a local queue on your device instead of the server
You do not need to do anything. The system handles it automatically.
What You Can Do While Offline
You can continue judging normally:
- View entry information (already loaded in the session)
- Enter scores for each criterion
- Add comments
- Check nomination boxes
- Submit scores (they are queued locally)
- Navigate between entries within the current section
Battle voting and placement voting also work offline. Your votes are saved locally and replayed when you reconnect.
What Happens When You Reconnect
When your internet connection returns:
- A blue "Back online. Syncing scores..." alert appears
- Queued scores and battle votes are automatically submitted to the server
- A red badge in the header shows the queue count as items are processed
- A success message confirms how many items were synced (e.g., "Synced 3 score(s)")
- A schedule sync is triggered to update progress for all judges
You can also tap the Sync button in the header to manually trigger a sync if needed.
Offline Queue Indicators
| Indicator | Where | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Red wifi-off icon | Header (top right) | You are currently offline |
| Red badge with number | Header (next to wifi icon) | Number of scores waiting to sync |
| Sync button | Header | Tap to manually sync queued items |
| Yellow alert | Top of screen | Offline warning message |
| Blue alert | Top of screen | Reconnected, syncing in progress |
| Green alert | Top of screen | Sync complete |
Best Practices
- Start judging with a good connection so all entry data loads into your session
- Keep your device charged: offline mode relies on the browser staying open
- Stay on the judging page while offline. Navigating away could lose unsaved drafts
- Check the queue badge after reconnecting to confirm all items synced
- Do not clear browser data while scores are queued. This will delete your offline queue
Troubleshooting
If scores don't sync after reconnecting:
- Check that your internet connection is stable
- Tap the Sync button in the header to retry
- Stay on the judging page until the queue is fully processed
- If issues persist, contact the event organiser