By Evan Yan
Picking how the scoreboard looks is the quick part. What keeps a project on schedule is everything around it: the quote, the site, power, approvals, funding and a timeline that ends before the first game. If you haven’t chosen a board yet, start with our school scoreboard buying guide.
The Steps
- Plan: agree on the sports, location, decision-makers and funding.
- Design: create a free preliminary design at design.fair-play.com.
- Quote: your Fair-Play dealer or sales representative prices the project.
- Site details: share photos, measurements, the mounting location, and available power.
- Engineering: Fair-Play’s Engineering Department confirms the structure, mounting and power and prepares drawings.
- Approval: your committee or board approves the drawings and purchase.
- Installation: the board is built and installed on the agreed schedule.
- Training: your staff learn the controls before the first game.
What to Gather Before You Ask for a Quote
- Photos of the mounting location, from the seats and up close
- Rough measurements of the wall, ceiling or ground area
- Distance to the farthest seat
- What the board mounts to: wall, ceiling or posts in the ground
- Where power is available, and where the scorer’s table is
- For outdoor boards: which way it faces, and equipment access
Power and Mounting
Every scoreboard needs power at the board and a connection to its controller. A video display also needs a control system and data cabling. Fair-Play’s engineering sets the electrical requirements, and a licensed electrician should do the work. A truss, video display and sponsor sign all add size and weight, so the whole system is engineered together. See Indoor vs. Outdoor Scoreboards for mounting options.
Approvals, Permits and Timeline
Share the designer’s PDF and link so everyone reviews the same design. Ask your district facilities office whether a permit is needed, especially for a new outdoor structure. Collect sponsor logos early, then work back from the first game the board must be ready for and ask your Fair-Play representative for a schedule.
Questions to Ask Before You Buy
- Who installs it, and what does installation include?
- What’s included: structure, controller, signs, video system?
- What warranty and service come with it?
- What training do our staff receive?
- How are sponsor panels changed later?
Ready to see your scoreboard? Create a free preliminary design at design.fair-play.com. Your Fair-Play dealer or a Fair-Play sales representative prepares the quote, and Fair-Play’s Engineering Department prepares the final engineering. Questions? Call +1 (800) 247-0265 or email [email protected].