In 2023, the leading soccer referee assignor in Minnesota was in a tough spot. MAT Assigning had grown to assign over 10,000 games per year and there just weren’t enough hours in the day. The leagues, clubs and tournaments working with MAT Assigning were great, but scheduling and paying over 2,000 referees was becoming a mountain of administration. And to make matters worse, MAT Assigning’s software, GameOfficials.net, had just announced it was shutting down. After a long search for a new solution, MAT Assigning partnered with Notch.
“Notch not only offered modern official scheduling, but they delivered something we were looking for… fast, automated payment, similar to Venmo. This saves us a lot of time and makes us more professional.” - Tyler Dalsin, Assigning Director, MAT Assigning
MAT Assigning serves many of the largest and most established soccer clubs and tournaments in and around the Minneapolis area. MAT Assigning’s mission is to assign soccer matches with an unprecedented level of reliability, service and attention to detail, and to build long-standing relationships with its partners.
Before making the switch to Notch, MAT Assigning assigned through GameOfficials.net and paid referees using a cumbersome, weekly ACH process. After the Game Officials.net announcement, MAT Assigning wanted something more modern and intuitive, and they also understood the power of paying officials fast. Venmo-like technology would be appreciated by officials and it could significantly reduce workload and cost.
“Switching to Notch, we were able to connect Notch to the bank accounts and payment cards of our leagues and clubs. The Notch Auto Top-up feature makes sure funds are available at game time so officials can be paid immediately.”
Notch is all about efficiency and saving time for assignors. MAT Assigning’s experience proves this out.
❌ Before Notch:
✅ After Notch:
This time savings has freed up staff to focus on higher-value tasks like training new referees, communicating with clubs, and managing tournament logistics.
With Notch, you can manually assign officials to games with the click of a button, or allow officials to ‘self-request’ games, letting assignments fill up on their own
❌ Before Notch:
✅ With Notch:
The net result is better game coverage, fewer last-minute scrambles, and a higher level of professionalism in how games are staffed.
Notch’s automated payment system has been a game-changer for referee engagement. Referees now expect and appreciate being paid quickly after each assignment, with many receiving funds the same day.
One official put it simply, “The money comes at you fast!”
This has translated into stronger demand for assignments:
“We believe the speed at which referees are paid with Notch creates more demand for games from our refs.” — Tyler Dalsin, Assigning Director, MAT Assigning
Referee reliability has also seen significant improvements:
Referees consistently cite Notch as a major improvement over previous systems:
Notch is here to support you in every step along the way. We take our customer service seriously and you can be in touch with a real person at Notch within minutes.
“Notch support feels more like a partnership than a vendor relationship. They actually listen and adapt based on real-world needs.” — Tyler Dalsin, Assigning Director, MAT Assigning
For MAT Assigning, the decision to adopt Notch has yielded significant returns. Not only have they reduced administrative overhead, but they’ve also elevated the entire experience for referees. As assignors look to the future of official management, MAT’s experience with Notch offers a compelling example of what’s possible when technology is used to empower—not replace—human connection in youth sports.
