Watchfire announced it will debut TouchConnect, a new touch screen scoreboard controller, at the 2025 National Athletic Directors Conference & Exhibit Show, scheduled for Dec. 12–16 in Tampa, Florida. The company will demonstrate the controller at Booth 1535 during the National Federation of State High School Associations event.

TouchConnect is designed to replace traditional keypad-based scoreboard controllers with a touchscreen interface intended to simplify game-day scoring. According to Watchfire, the controller was developed in collaboration with coaches and athletic administrators and is built around sport-specific layouts that reflect how games are scored in real-world settings.

“We set out to design the most user-friendly controller in high school sports,” said Kyle Dines, vice president of sports and indoor for Watchfire. “The TouchConnect removes the frustration coaches and operators have long felt with complex keypads and cryptic interfaces. If you know how the sport is scored, you can master the TouchConnect confidently in 60 seconds.”

The controller features touch screen interfaces tailored to sports including football, basketball, baseball and softball, soccer, volleyball, wrestling, hockey and lacrosse. Users can make quick adjustments to scores, time and statistics through long-press controls rather than navigating layered menus.

TouchConnect is also designed for portability. The handheld console can detach from its docking station, allowing operators to score from the sidelines or other locations in the venue. Watchfire said the unit can operate for up to eight hours on a single charge.

Compatibility with Watchfire fixed-digit and video scoreboards, clocks and game displays is built into the system. The company said the controller is intended to streamline operations, reduce scoring errors and support a wide range of school and community sports environments.

“Our goal was to create a controller you can hand off with confidence,” said Byron Hall, director of product development at Watchfire. “No crash course. No stress. Just game-ready scoring that makes everyone look and feel like a pro.”

In addition to introducing TouchConnect, Watchfire will celebrate the 40th anniversary of its practice timer, originally developed in 1986 by Spectrum by Watchfire, formerly known as Spectrum Scoreboards. As part of the celebration, the company is offering an expanded sweepstakes for NFHS attendees.

Visitors to Booth 1535 can enter for a chance to win a segment timer or $5,000 toward the purchase of a new Watchfire scoreboard, videoboard or scorer’s table. Attendees will also have the opportunity to explore Watchfire’s broader lineup of scoring and timing technologies and learn about its integrated practice-to-playoffs solutions for athletic programs.