EVENT SCORING SERVICE

Abstract

An event scoring service is provided. An aspect of the service includes creating an event template having data fields. A portion of the data fields is configured to receive a first set of values that identify an event, participants, and criteria. An aspect also includes providing a user with access to the event template with respect to an event hosted by a venue. The access is configured to enable the user to enter a second set of values corresponding to another portion of the data fields. A further aspect includes mapping an event identifier of the event with a database of event information, populating the data fields with values corresponding to the event, and rendering an interface accessible by individuals tasked with scoring the event hosted by the venue. The interface includes at least a subset of the data fields, corresponding values, and input options based on the criteria.

Description

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to network computing, and more specifically, to providing an event scoring service for multiple event venues.

Venues across the world that host various events typically manage these events, including the scoring of events that involve competition, in an ad-hoc manner. For example, in a competitive sporting event that scored by a panel of judges, a scoring process can involve at least some manually-driven activities, such as entering score values on paper which is then hand-carried to a commissioner and ultimately to an announcer for public disclosure. Furthermore, each type of event may require different protocols, tasks, and handling.

SUMMARY

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for implementing an event scoring service is provided. The method includes creating, via a computer, an event template having data fields. A portion of the data fields are configured to receive a first set of values that identify an event, event participants, and event criteria. The event criteria are operable to facilitate a scoring process. The method also includes providing an end user, as a subscriber of the event scoring service, with access to the event template with respect to an event hosted by a venue of the subscriber. The access is configured to enable the end user to enter a second set of values corresponding to another portion of the data fields. The method further includes mapping an event identifier of the event hosted by the venue with a database of event information, populating the data fields with values corresponding to the event hosted by the venue, and rendering an interface accessible by one or more individuals tasked with scoring the event hosted by the venue. The interface includes at least a subset of the data fields, corresponding values, and input options based on the event criteria. The input options are configured to receive one or more scores.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a system for implementing an event scoring service is provided. The system includes a computer processor and program instructions executable by the computer processor. The program instructions are configured to create an event template having data fields. A portion of the data fields are configured to receive a first set of values that identify an event, event participants, and event criteria. The event criteria are operable to facilitate a scoring process. The program instructions are further configured to provide an end user, as a subscriber of the event scoring service, with access to the event template with respect to an event hosted by a venue of the subscriber. The access is configured to enable the end user to enter a second set of values corresponding to another portion of the data fields. The program instructions are further configured to map an event identifier of the event hosted by the venue with a database of event information, populate the data fields with values corresponding to the event hosted by the venue, and render an interface accessible by one or more individuals tasked with scoring the event hosted by the venue. The interface includes at least a subset of the data fields, corresponding values, and input options based on the event criteria. The input options are configured to receive one or more scores.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, a computer program product for implementing an event scoring service is provided. The computer program product includes a storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied thereon, which when executed by a computer processor, causes the computer processor to implement a method. The method includes creating an event template having data fields. A portion of the data fields are configured to receive a first set of values that identify an event, event participants, and event criteria. The event criteria are operable to facilitate a scoring process. The method also includes providing an end user, as a subscriber of the event scoring service, with access to the event template with respect to an event hosted by a venue of the subscriber. The access is configured to enable the end user to enter a second set of values corresponding to another portion of the data fields. The method further includes mapping an event identifier of the event hosted by the venue with a database of event information, populating the data fields with values corresponding to the event hosted by the venue, and rendering an interface accessible by one or more individuals tasked with scoring the event hosted by the venue. The interface includes at least a subset of the data fields, corresponding values, and input options based on the event criteria. The input options are configured to receive one or more scores.

Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniques of the present invention. Other embodiments and aspects of the invention are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed invention. For a better understanding of the invention with the advantages and the features, refer to the description and to the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The forgoing and other features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of a system upon which event scoring services may be implemented according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 depicts a flow diagram of a process for providing event scoring services according to an embodiment;

FIG. 3 depicts a data structure used in implementing the event scoring services; and

FIG. 4 depicts a computer screen of an interface used in implementing the event scoring services according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Exemplary embodiments relate to providing event scoring services, which provide the ability for facilitators of hosted events to manage the implementation of their events and the information pertaining thereto. Events include any type of organized activity having event participants in which scoring or judging of the event participants' performances is performed. In one embodiment, the network environment of the service operates via a cloud infrastructure in which the storage of, and access to, data storage, as well as at least some processing capabilities, are managed by a service provider on behalf of the data owner and/or end user.

It is understood in advance that although this disclosure includes a description on cloud computing, implementation of the teachings recited herein are not limited to a cloud computing environment. Rather, embodiments of the present invention are capable of being implemented in conjunction with any other type of computing environment now known or later developed (e.g., any client-server model).

Cloud computing is a model of service delivery for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g. networks, network bandwidth, servers, processing, memory, storage, applications, virtual machines, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or interaction with a provider of the service. This cloud model may include at least five characteristics, at least three service models, and at least four deployment models.

Characteristics of cloud computing include on-demand self-service, broad network access, resource pooling, and rapid elasticity (e.g., capabilities can be rapidly and elastically provisioned to quickly scale out and rapidly released to quickly scale in), to name a few. Services models include Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS). Deployments models associated with cloud computing include private clouds, community clouds, public clouds, and hybrid clouds.

A cloud computing environment is service oriented and provides a focus on elements such as statelessness, low coupling, modularity, and semantic interoperability. At the center of cloud computing is an infrastructure that includes a network of interconnected nodes.

Turning now to FIG. 1, a system 100 upon which event scoring services may be implemented will now be described. The system 100 includes a host system 102, a storage device 104, and a venue 108, each of which is communicatively coupled to one or more networks 106. The host system 102 may be a service provider that provides the event scoring services to end users, e.g., under a subscription, license, or other fee agreement. In an embodiment, the host system 102 may be implemented by an application service provider or commercial enterprise.

The host system 102 may be implemented as one or more mainframes or servers operating in response to one or more computer programs stored in a storage medium accessible by the host system 102. The host system 102 may operate as a network server (e.g., web server) to communicate with network entities for implementing the event scoring services. The host system 102 may handle sending and receiving information to and from the network entities and may perform associated tasks.

The host system 102 may also operate as an application server. In accordance with exemplary embodiments, the host system 102 executes one or more computer programs to provide event scoring services. These one or more computer programs are referred to collectively herein as event application 120. In some embodiments, a portion of the processing associated with the event scoring services may be implemented by network entities such as venue 108 shown in FIG. 1. For example, a promoter or commissioner associated with the venue 108 may be authorized to access system data, e.g., data stored on the storage device 104, such as information acquired about past events, scheduled events, judges, fighters, etc., as well as to implement at least a portion of the services described herein.

As previously described, it is understood that separate servers may be utilized to implement the network server functions and the application server functions of host system 102. Alternatively, the network server and the application server may be implemented by a single server executing computer programs to perform the requisite functions described with respect to host system 102.

The storage device 104 stores databases of event-related information and event templates used in facilitating the event scoring services. A data structure 300 illustrating the types of data used in implementing the templates and stored in the data storage device 104 is shown and described further in FIG. 3. The databases may be structured such that they are accessible only by the host system 102 or, if desired, they may be configured for access, at least in part, by end users of the service, as will be described further herein. The event templates may be created for each type of event, such as different sporting events.

The storage device 104 may be implemented using a variety of devices for storing electronic information. It is understood that the storage device 104 may be implemented using memory contained in the host system 102, or it may be a separate physical device as shown in FIG. 1. The storage device 104 is logically addressable as a consolidated data source across a distributed environment that includes networks 106. Information stored in the storage device 104 may be retrieved and manipulated via the host system 102 and authorized users of the venue 108. In an embodiment, the host system 102 operates as a database server and coordinates access to application data including data stored on storage device 104.

The venue 108 may be one of many venues that receive event scoring services from the host system 102. A venue may be a locale that hosts events, such as a stadium, a building housing an arena, outdoor establishment, etc., and which typically supports a number of patrons who come to view the events. The venue 108 shown in FIG. 1 includes a client system 110, judging devices 112, and a scoring output device 114. The client system 110 may be operated by an administrator or representative of the venue in establishing an account or agreement with the service provider of the host system 102. The administrator (also referred to as “end user” and “subscriber”) may also provide event-related information via the client system 110.

The judging devices 112 are operated by judges who score the events conducted at the venue 108. While three judging devices 112 are shown in FIG. 1, it will be understood that greater or fewer devices 112 may be utilized in implementing the event scoring services as dictated by the event type or needs of the venue.

The client system 110 and judging devices 112 may each be implemented using a general-purpose computer executing a computer program for carrying out some of the processes described herein. The client system 110 and/or judging devices 112 may be personal computers or host-attached terminals.

The scoring output device 114 presents scores which have been input by the judges via the judging devices 112. The scores may be processed by the judging devices 112 and/or the host system 102. In an embodiment, an interface is provided by the host system 102 to the judging devices 112 for entering data used in judging the events. A sample computer screen of an interface 400 is shown and described in FIG. 4. The scoring output device 114 may be an electronic display board or other processor-enabled device configured to render scores and related event information to event-goers or patrons at the event. While only a single scoring output device 114 is shown in FIG. 1, it will be understood that a plurality of such devices 114 may be arranged throughout the venue 108 (e.g., based on the size of the venue 108), and each of the devices 114 are connected through one or more of the networks 106 to receive and present scoring information. Additionally, it will be understood that the scores may be also transmitted to other output devices, such as personal/consumer devices (smart phones, home computers, etc.) if desired.

The client system 110, judging devices 112, and/or scoring output device 114 may be communicatively coupled to the networks 106 in a wired fashion or may be wirelessly connected using various wireless communication protocols, such as BLUETOOTH, Wi-Fi, or other known techniques. In a further embodiment, one or more of the client system 110, judging devices 112, and scoring output device 114 may be provided by the host system 102 to the venue 108, along with service applications, as a ‘kit,’ in which the devices are configured as dedicated hardware and software elements specifically designed to implement the processes, or a portion thereof, described herein.

The networks 106 may be any type of known networks including, but not limited to, local area networks, wide area networks, global networks (e.g., Internet), private networks (e.g., Intranet), and virtual private networks. The services may be implemented through a cloud computing environment or may be implemented using a client-server infrastructure. In addition, wireless communication networks and technologies may be employed in implementing the event scoring services, such as cellular, satellite, and terrestrial networks.

Turning now to FIG. 2, a flow diagram describing a process for implementing the event scoring services will now be described. At block 202, event templates for various event types are created, each of the templates including data fields for entering values corresponding to a particular event. A simplified data structure 300 shown in FIG. 3 illustrates some of the types of data used in the event templates.

The data structure 300 includes an event ID, which indicates the particular event to be hosted. There may be multiple event IDs for a venue, one for each event. The data structure 300 also includes an event type which further includes criteria specified by data fields attributable to the event based on the event type. The data structure 300 also includes information about the event participants, which correspond to the competitors engaged in the event subject to the scoring. Other types of data that may be represented by the data structure 300 include event description, event date, event location, etc. In an embodiment, some of these data fields of the data structure 300 are configured to receive a first set of values that identify the event, the event participants, and event criteria (e.g., data used to facilitate a scoring process), while other data fields (not shown) may be configured to receive a second set of values that correspond to the judges or venue-specific information.

At block 204, the application 120 provides an end user (e.g., client system 110) with access to an event template that corresponds with an event hosted by the venue 108 of the end user. The access to the template allows the end user to enter the second set of values that correspond to a different portion of the data fields in the template. The second set of values includes data associated with one or more individuals (e.g., judges) tasked with scoring the event hosted by the venue. This data may include authentication credentials to enable the individuals to access the interface for use in scoring the event. The establishment and maintenance of authentication credentials may be facilitated by the administrator (client system 110).

At block 206, the application 120 maps an event identifier of the event hosted by the venue 108 with a database of event information. For example, the storage device 104 may house a plurality of event-related data for events scheduled through an upcoming period of time (e.g., six months out). Event information can include a name and title of the event, an event type, a venue, a geographic location or address of the event, a date and time of the event, a time duration of the event, and names and descriptive information for participants of the event.

At block 208, first set of data fields may be automatically populated with values corresponding to the event based on the event identifier. Thus, the event information stored in the storage device 104 may be retrieved based on a known event schedule and the event information is entered into the event template and viewable by the administrator.

The administrator may then enter or provide information relating to the judges who will be scoring the event. As the judging information may not be known at the time the events are scheduled and stored in the storage device 104, this information may be provided by the administrator at some time before the event date. The information may include the authentication credentials of the judges.

While the event scoring services are described as providing a database of scheduled events and related information which is populated into the event templates, it will be understood that other techniques may be employed. For example, specific event-related information may be entered by the administrator of the venue 108, or alternatively, pre-established event-related information may be modified or refined by the administrator, if desired.

At the time of the event, an interface is accessed by respective judges of the event. At block 210, the interface is rendered for the judges, once authenticated, and includes at least a subset of the data fields and values, as well as input options that are based on the event criteria. The input options are configured to receive one or more scores as well as other desired information.

During the event, the judges enter scores on the judging devices 112 via the interface, which scores are processed (block 212) and presented via the scoring output device 114 at block 214. In one embodiment, the scores may be at least partially processed through logic of the interface before being transmitted to the scoring output device 114. In another embodiment, the scores may be individually transmitted to the host system 102, and the application 120 processed the scores and returns a result to the scoring output device 114. Thus, it is understood that some of the functionality of the application 120 may be provided to the client device 110 and/or the judging devices 112.

Turning now to FIG. 4, a computer screen 400 of the interface will now be described. Once authenticated, a judge may access the interface and view event-related data along with input options for scoring the event. The computer screen 400 illustrates an interface for a boxing match by way of non-limiting illustration. The computer screen 400 may display event name, images and names of participants, and related participant information. The input options may be implemented as button selections or, if the judging device 112 is touch screen-enabled, the input options may be implemented as graphical icons or instructions on the display portion of the device 112. The judge enters values corresponding to scores ascertained from assessing the boxing match, and once submitted, these scores are processed and presented on the scoring output device 114 for public view.

As indicated above, the storage device 104 may store databases of event templates and event-related information. In an embodiment, the service provider of the host system 102 may create and maintain this database for a plurality of different venues for which subscribers or licensees receive the event scoring services. For each event type, different event criteria may be stored in the database, and the event templates for such events are populated with values based on these event types. In one embodiment, the administrator of a venue is assigned an identifier, and an identifier of a particular event is stored with the event information, such that event information associated with a corresponding identifier is retrieved and populated into the event template. Event types will dictate the event criteria to use for the template. For example, a scoring system for a first event type (e.g., boxing match) will be much different than a scoring system used for a second event type (e.g., swimming competition). Accordingly, the event criteria used in the boxing match event template may include data fields for each of a number of rounds, as well as defined values (e.g., scores) that are within a pre-determined range.

The event scoring services provide useful information to various entities, including information across different venues. For example, using an example whereby the events are directed to professional fighting, the event information stored in the storage device 104 may include cumulative event information that can be searched and processed to run reports that in turn provide statistical information about judging patterns of particular judges (e.g., reflecting any biases for or against certain fighters), fighter performance statistics (e.g., career-based, time-based, and/or based on the event venue in which the fight(s) took place, etc.). In addition, based on state or federal privacy laws, it is possible to obtain health conditions/records about event participants (e.g., fighters) that can impact future performance of the participants. Thus, it is possible to identify various patterns from this information. In an embodiment, this information can be made available to interested parties, e.g., under a subscription-based service or on-demand basis.

Technical effects include providing event scoring services, which provide the ability for facilitators of hosted events to manage the implementation of their events and the information pertaining thereto. Event templates are generated and include data fields corresponding to each event type, and the event templates are provided to entities hosting the event, which allows the entities to facilitate authentication of events judges in preparation for an upcoming event. An interface is provided for enabling the judging of the event.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the present invention may be embodied as a system, method or computer program product. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.” Furthermore, aspects of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer readable medium(s) having computer readable program code embodied thereon.

Any combination of one or more computer readable medium(s) may be utilized. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readable storage medium would include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, a computer readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain, or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal with computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to, electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium that is not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages. The program code may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).

Aspects of the present invention are described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other devices to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be noted that, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one more other features, integers, steps, operations, element components, and/or groups thereof.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated

The flow diagrams depicted herein are just one example. There may be many variations to this diagram or the steps (or operations) described therein without departing from the spirit of the invention. For instance, the steps may be performed in a differing order or steps may be added, deleted or modified. All of these variations are considered a part of the claimed invention.

While the preferred embodiment to the invention had been described, it will be understood that those skilled in the art, both now and in the future, may make various improvements and enhancements which fall within the scope of the claims which follow. These claims should be construed to maintain the proper protection for the invention first described.

Claims

1. A method for implementing an event scoring service, comprising:

creating, via a computer, an event template having data fields, a portion of the data fields configured to receive a first set of values that identify an event, event participants, and event criteria, the event criteria operable to facilitate a scoring process;

providing an end user, as a subscriber of the event scoring service, with access to the event template with respect to an event hosted by a venue of the subscriber, the access configured to enable the end user to enter a second set of values corresponding to another portion of the data fields;

mapping an event identifier of the event hosted by the venue with a database of event information;

populating the data fields with values corresponding to the event hosted by the venue; and

rendering an interface accessible by one or more individuals tasked with scoring the event hosted by the venue, the interface including at least a subset of the data fields, corresponding values, and input options based on the event criteria, the input options configured to receive one or more scores.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the one or more scores;

processing the one or more scores based on the event criteria; and

presenting results of the processed one or more scores to a scoring output device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of values corresponding to another portion of the data fields include data associated with the one or more individuals tasked with scoring the event hosted by the venue, the data including authentication credentials to enable the one or individuals to access the interface, and the data including identifying information associated with the one or more individuals.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining the database for events scheduled over a plurality of venues, the database storing event types,

storing, in the database, event criteria that are specific to each of the event types and correlating the event criteria to the corresponding event types;

wherein the populating the data fields with values corresponding to the event hosted by the venue includes populating the data fields with values based on the event types.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the populating the data fields with values corresponding to the event hosted by the venue is performed automatically based on recognition of the event identifier.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the event types each specifies a different sporting event.

7. A system for implementing an event scoring service, comprising:

a computer processor; and

computer program instructions executable by the computer processor, the computer program instructions configured to implement:

creating an event template having data fields, a portion of the data fields configured to receive a first set of values that identify an event, event participants, and event criteria, the event criteria operable to facilitate a scoring process;

providing an end user, as a subscriber of the event scoring service, with access to the event template with respect to an event hosted by a venue of the subscriber, the access configured to enable the end user to enter a second set of values corresponding to another portion of the data fields;

mapping an event identifier of the event hosted by the venue with a database of event information;

populating the data fields with values corresponding to the event hosted by the venue; and

rendering an interface accessible by one or more individuals tasked with scoring the event hosted by the venue, the interface including at least a subset of the data fields, corresponding values, and input options based on the event criteria, the input options configured to receive one or more scores.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising computer program instructions configured to implement:

receiving the one or more scores;

processing the one or more scores based on the event criteria; and

presenting results of the processed one or more scores to a scoring output device.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the second set of values corresponding to another portion of the data fields include data associated with the one or more individuals tasked with scoring the event hosted by the venue, the data including authentication credentials to enable the one or individuals to access the interface, and the data including identifying information associated with the one or more individuals.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising computer program instructions configured to implement:

maintaining the database for events scheduled over a plurality of venues, the database storing event types,

storing, in the database, event criteria that are specific to each of the event types and correlating the event criteria to the corresponding event types;

wherein the populating the data fields with values corresponding to the event hosted by the venue includes populating the data fields with values based on the event types.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the populating the data fields with values corresponding to the event hosted by the venue is performed automatically based on recognition of the event identifier.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the event types each specifies a different sporting event.

13. A computer program product for implementing an event scoring service, the computer program product comprising a storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied thereon, which when executed by a computer processor, causes the computer processor to implement a method, comprising:

creating an event template having data fields, a portion of the data fields configured to receive a first set of values that identify an event, event participants, and event criteria, the event criteria operable to facilitate a scoring process;

providing an end user, as a subscriber of the event scoring service, with access to the event template with respect to an event hosted by a venue of the subscriber, the access configured to enable the end user to enter a second set of values corresponding to another portion of the data fields;

mapping an event identifier of the event hosted by the venue with a database of event information;

populating the data fields with values corresponding to the event hosted by the venue; and

rendering an interface accessible by one or more individuals tasked with scoring the event hosted by the venue, the interface including at least a subset of the data fields, corresponding values, and input options based on the event criteria, the input options configured to receive one or more scores.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising computer program instructions configured to implement:

receiving the one or more scores;

processing the one or more scores based on the event criteria; and

presenting results of the processed one or more scores to a scoring output device.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the second set of values corresponding to another portion of the data fields include data associated with the one or more individuals tasked with scoring the event hosted by the venue, the data including authentication credentials to enable the one or individuals to access the interface, and the data including identifying information associated with the one or more individuals.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising computer program instructions configured to implement:

maintaining the database for events scheduled over a plurality of venues, the database storing event types,

storing, in the database, event criteria that are specific to each of the event types and correlating the event criteria to the corresponding event types;

wherein the populating the data fields with values corresponding to the event hosted by the venue includes populating the data fields with values based on the event types.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the populating the data fields with values corresponding to the event hosted by the venue is performed automatically based on recognition of the event identifier.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the event types each specifies a different sporting event.