BallsInAir — How to Use

A simple guide for getting started, finding a game, and getting the most out of the app.

What is BallsInAir?

BallsInAir (BIA) is a private app for private club members to find games at their own club — golf, tennis, pickleball, and paddleball all in one place — without the back-and-forth of group texts, phone calls, and endless "who's in?" messages.

Members pick which sports they play at signup, and the app filters everything (the Looking feed, the Destination dropdown, the notifications) to just those sports. A tennis-only member won't be bothered with golf games; a multi-sport member sees the union of all the games they could actually want.

It works like this: a member who wants a game posts the day and time. Other members at their club who want to play can see the post and tap to join. The host either approves the joiners, or — even better — sets the game to confirm players automatically. When the group is full, BIA handles the roster, the calendar invite, and the reminders. Everyone just shows up.

The pitch in one sentence: Post once, see who's in within an hour, stop sending the same text to ten people.

Why use BIA instead of group texts?

Anyone who's tried to organize a Saturday foursome knows the drill:

"Anyone want to play this Saturday at 9?"

"Joe — out, helping daughter move in"

"Mike — maybe, let me check with the wife"

"Tom — in, but I'd rather play 8:30 if you can"

"Wait who else is coming?"

"Mike, are you in or out?"

... 47 messages later you have 3 players and Tom isn't speaking to Mike ..."

Now multiply that by every weekend, every member, every club. Group texts don't scale.

What BIA does instead

You still play with the same friends — and you'll discover other members who play your format and want a regular game.

Getting started (5 minutes, one time)

1. Create your account

1. Open https://play.ballsinair.com on your laptop or phone.
2. Tap "Create account".
3. Enter your email, pick a password.
4. Fill in your name, gender, and whether you play as an individual or a couple. (These help filter the right games to you — e.g., a men's group game won't appear in a woman's feed.)
5. Pick the sports you play — Golf, Tennis, Pickleball, Paddleball. Check every sport you book time for at your club. You'll only see games for sports you select, and the Destination dropdown when you post a game is built from your picks. You can add or remove sports anytime in your profile.
6. Search for your club and tap to select it.
7. Submit.

2. Verify your email

Open the inbox of the email you registered with. You'll get an email from noreply@ballsinair.com with a "Verify my email" button. Click it. You're logged in.

3. Add the BIA icon to your home screen (highly recommended)

This makes BIA feel like a real app instead of a website — same icon, same launch experience as any other app on your phone. You'll also need this step before push notifications work reliably on iPhone.

iPhone (Safari)

1. Open https://play.ballsinair.com in Safari (not Chrome — Safari is the only browser that can install apps on iPhone).
2. Tap the share icon at the bottom of the screen (the square with the up-arrow).
3. Scroll down through the share sheet and tap "Add to Home Screen".
4. The next screen shows the BIA icon and name. Tap Add in the top-right.
5. Find the BIA icon on your home screen and tap it to launch.

Android (Chrome)

1. Open https://play.ballsinair.com in Chrome.
2. Tap the three-dot menu in the top-right.
3. Tap "Add to Home Screen" (or "Install app" — wording varies by device).
4. Confirm with Add or Install.
5. Find the BIA icon on your home screen and tap it to launch.

The BIA icon is the green-and-white "BIA" mark — same one at the top of this manual.

4. Turn on push notifications

Notifications are how BIA tells you a friend invited you, a game you joined just filled, or your tee time changed. Without them you'd have to remember to open the app to check.

1. Launch BIA from the home-screen icon (not from a browser tab — push only works reliably from the installed app).
2. Tap Profile at the bottom of the screen.
3. Find the Notifications card and tap "Enable notifications on this device".
4. Your phone will pop up a permission prompt. Tap Allow.
5. You should see "✓ Notifications are on." If it didn't work, see troubleshooting below.

You can also tap "Send test notification" right below — within a few seconds you should get a push that says "BIA test notification — If you can see this, push notifications are working on this device." That confirms everything's wired up.

Troubleshooting:

• iPhone: push notifications require iOS 16.4 or later and BIA must be launched from the home-screen icon (Safari tabs can't receive push). If the Enable button does nothing, check Settings → Notifications → BallsInAir and toggle "Allow Notifications" on.
• Android: if you accidentally tapped Block at the prompt, open Chrome → Settings → Site settings → Notifications → ballsinair.com and switch it back to Allow, then re-tap Enable in BIA.
• Mac/PC laptop: push works in Chrome and Edge. Firefox is hit-or-miss.

Posting a game

Tap the + Post button at the bottom of the screen.

Step 1: Pick the format

• Standard game — A regular foursome (or threesome, or twosome). Up to 4 spots.
• Group outing — A flexible-size event. Could be 8 people, could be 24. You set a minimum and maximum, and the app accepts sign-ups until you cap it.

For a typical weekend round, use Standard game.

Step 2: Fill in the details

• Date — When you want to play.
• Destination — This dropdown is built from the sports you picked at signup plus your club's courses. What you see depends on your club:
  • Multi-course golf club — Each course (e.g., "East", "West") shows as its own option, plus a "Golf Course TBD" option if you haven't decided yet.
  • Single-course golf club — Just "Golf" (no need to pick a course — there's only one).
  • Tennis / Pickleball / Paddleball — A single option for each sport you play. No court picker (mention a specific court in the Notes if you've reserved one).
  • If you play multiple sports at the same club, all your options appear in one dropdown — pick the one for the game you're posting.
• Time — The hour you want to play.
• BIA? (Yes / No) — The most important field. See below.
• Who's this game for? — Open to all members, Men's, Women's, Couples. Filters who can see and join.
• Visibility — How widely to broadcast it:
  • Group only — Just members of one of your saved Groups (think: your regular foursome).
  • Club — Every eligible member at your club sees it. Best for finding new players. Only members who selected this sport in their profile will see the game.
  • Hand-picked — Only the specific people you choose. Like sending a private invite.
• Notes — Anything extra: "Buddy match, 2 vs. 2. Loser buys drinks." Also a good place to specify a court number for tennis/pickleball games.

Step 3: (Optional) Invite specific players

If you already know someone wants to come, you can tap Invite player and select them. They get a notification immediately. You can also mark them as pre-confirmed — meaning they're already in, no acceptance step needed. Useful when you've already agreed in person.

Step 4: (Optional) Add guests

Bringing a non-member friend or family? Add them as a Guest — just type their name (email optional). The guest takes up a slot but isn't a BIA user themselves.

Step 5: Submit

Your game is live. Other members at your club who match your audience and visibility settings will see it within seconds.

The BIA (Balls In Air) concept

This is the heart of the app — and where the name comes from.

When you post a game time, that time can mean one of two different things to your players:

BIA = Yes

The posted time is when the ball actually goes in the air. (Or the first serve, in tennis; first dink, in pickleball.) Players should arrive earlier to warm up, drop bags, check in.

"Saturday at 8 AM, BIA Yes" → arrive by 7:30 to be ready at 8:00.

This is the case when you have a booked tee time or a reserved court. The clock is fixed; the world is built around showing up early.

BIA = No

The posted time is when to show up. Play begins whenever everyone's ready.

"Saturday at 8 AM, BIA No" → just be there at 8:00. We'll head out together.

This is the case for open-format play, walk-on golf, drop-in pickleball, etc. Casual arrival, no specific start.

Why does this matter?

Because the question "Is that BIA?" used to be the first thing every invitee asked. Now it's answered at the moment of posting, and shown to every player in every notification, on their game card, on their calendar event. Nobody has to ask. Nobody shows up at the wrong time.

Joining a game someone else posted

Browse the Looking feed

Tap Looking in the bottom menu. You'll see all the games posted at your club that match your audience, the sports you play, and that have open spots. Each game card shows:

• The host's name
• The date and time (with "Balls In Air" or "Arrive By" label so you immediately know what the time means)
• A sport chip (Golf, Tennis, Pickleball, Paddleball) so you know at a glance what this game is for
• The destination (for golf, the course name; for other sports, the sport itself acts as the destination)
• How many spots are open and how many players are confirmed
• A short explanation of what BIA Yes/No means for this game

Filter

Filter by date, course, game type (standard vs. outing), to narrow down to what you care about.

Tap the game

Tapping a card opens the game's detail page. You'll see the full roster (who's confirmed, who's been invited), the host's notes, and a Join button.

Two ways to get in

• Request to join — Tap Join. The host gets notified and either approves or declines. You'll be notified either way.
• Be directly invited — The host taps your name from a member list. You get a notification asking if you're in. Tap "Accept" or "Decline."

Either way, once you're confirmed, the game appears in your My Games page and the calendar invite is ready to add to your phone.

Saving your regulars as a Group

If you and three buddies play almost every Saturday, you don't want to invite them by hand each time. Set up a Group.

1. Tap Groups in the bottom menu.
2. Tap Create Group, name it ("Saturday 8 AM crew", "Tuesday tennis", whatever).
3. Add members.

Now, when posting a game, set Visibility → Group and pick your group. Only those members see it. Tap to join, tap to pass — same as any game, but private to the group.

You can be in as many groups as you want. Different days, different members, different formats.

Calendar integration

On any game you've confirmed, tap Add to Calendar.

• Google Calendar — opens Google Calendar with the event pre-filled. Tap save and you're done.
• Apple Calendar / Outlook — downloads an .ics file. Open it to add to your default calendar.

The calendar event will include:

• Title: "Game at [your club] — [destination]"
• The BIA explanation line so you don't forget what the time means
• The list of confirmed players
• Any notes from the host

When the host changes the time, you get a notification — but the original calendar entry doesn't auto-update. You'll need to add the updated event manually. (This is a limitation of Google/Apple calendars, not BIA.)

Notifications — what you'll hear about and when

BIA sends you notifications for things you'd care about, and stays quiet otherwise.

You'll be notified when:

• A game is posted that matches your audience and your group / club
• Someone joins, declines, or withdraws from a game you're hosting
• A host invites you to a game (or pre-confirms you in one)
• A game you're confirmed in changes time
• A reminder 24 hours and 2 hours before a confirmed game
• Someone responds to a join request you made
• Account-related updates from the BIA team

You can change the cadence:

• Real-time (default) — Push notifications + emails as things happen
• Daily digest — All notifications batched into one 6 AM email
• Off — Silent. You check the app when you want.

Quiet hours stop push notifications during the time you set (e.g., 10 PM – 8 AM). The hours are evaluated in your local time zone — captured when you registered — so 11pm means 11pm where you live, not on a server somewhere. Email always arrives — quiet hours don't block email.

Mute entire-club games — If you only care about games from your saved groups and don't want to hear about every game posted at your club, toggle this on in Profile → Notifications.

Mute specific members — If a particular member's posts you'd rather not see, mute them in the member directory. Their games won't appear in your feed. (They won't know you've muted them.) You can still receive direct invites from them if you want.

Sport filter — You only receive notifications for games in sports you've opted into in your profile. A tennis-only member won't get pinged about a golf foursome and vice versa.

Test it anytime — In Profile → Notifications, tap Send test notification to verify push is working on the device you're using. A test message arrives within a few seconds.

Home-screen badge — When games are posted to your club overnight (during your quiet hours), you'll see a small number on the BIA icon on your home screen the next morning — e.g., "3" meaning three new games posted overnight. The badge disappears the moment you tap the icon. (Requires iPhone running iOS 16.4 or later, with BIA installed to the home screen; Android shows a small dot rather than a number.)

My Games

Tap My Games in the bottom menu to see every game you've hosted, joined, or been invited to. The most recent and upcoming games are at the top.

This is where you'll come most often to:

• Check who's confirmed for tomorrow
• Add the game to your calendar
• See the host's notes
• Withdraw from a game if your plans changed

Withdrawing

Sometimes life happens. On any game you've confirmed, scroll to the bottom of the game detail page and tap Withdraw. The host gets notified, the spot reopens, and the game is still there for someone else to fill.

If you're withdrawing more than 24 hours out, no harm done — the spot reopens. If you withdraw the morning of the game, BIA logs it but doesn't penalize you. (Repeat-flakers — the social pressure of your own club will sort that out.)

Your profile

Tap Profile to manage:

• Playing preferences — Individual vs. couple, plus your gender. If couple, link to your partner so couples games show up correctly.
• Sports I play — Tick the sports you book time for at your club (Golf, Tennis, Pickleball, Paddleball). Add a sport here and it instantly shows up in the Destination dropdown when you post a game; remove one and its games stop appearing in your Looking feed. At least one sport must be selected — otherwise no games would be visible.
• Notifications — Cadence (real-time / digest / off), quiet hours in your local time, mute toggles, and a Send test notification button to verify push is working.
• Enable notifications on this device — Grant your phone permission to show BIA push notifications. Only visible if push hasn't been enabled yet.
• Multiple clubs — Member at more than one club? Add additional memberships, switch between them.
• Unavailability — Tell BIA in advance when you're out of town. The app won't bother you about games on those days.
• Password & email changes.
• Account status — View your account details (BIA is free during the beta).
• Refer a friend — Each member you refer who subscribes earns you a perk.
• Delete your account — Soft-deletes immediately, fully purges after 30 days.

Subscription

BIA is currently in beta testing and completely free to use. Every feature in this guide — posting games, joining games, calendar invites, notifications, groups — is open to all members during the beta period.

We're keeping it free while we listen to early members about what works, what's missing, and what should change. When the beta wraps up, we'll let everyone know what's next well in advance.

For now: enjoy.

Frequently asked

What if my club isn't in BIA?

Right now BIA is rolling out club-by-club. If you don't see yours, contact support and we'll add it.

Can I host games for someone else?

No. Each member posts their own games. But you can directly invite anyone, so the practical effect is the same.

What if my friend doesn't want to use the app?

Add them as a Guest on a game (name + optional email). They take a slot, but don't have a BIA account. Use this sparingly — the app works best when everyone's on it.

Can I see games at other clubs?

No. BIA only shows you games at clubs where you're a confirmed member. Each club's network is private.

What if I forget to post a game and decide to play last minute?

Post anyway — even 30 minutes before. Some members keep an eye on the feed for spontaneous opportunities. Worth a try.

Will the app text me?

Not currently. All notifications are push (to your phone) or email. Texts may come in the future.

Can I post a game for next month?

Yes. BIA doesn't care how far in advance you post.

What about tournaments or club events?

Use the Group Outing format for anything bigger than a foursome. You set a minimum and a maximum, and BIA handles the sign-up list.

I play golf AND tennis at my club. How does that work?

Pick both sports in your profile (Profile → Sports I play). Your Looking feed will show games for either sport. When you post a game, the Destination dropdown shows your golf courses and "Tennis" — pick whichever one this game is for. Members who only play golf won't see your tennis post, and vice versa.

Can I change which sports I play later?

Yes — Profile → Sports I play. Tick or untick anytime. Changes take effect immediately for your Looking feed and the Destination dropdown.

Why don't I see any games?

Three things to check, in order:

1. Sports — Have you picked at least one sport in Profile → Sports I play? If not, nothing will show.
2. Audience — A men's-only game won't show in a woman's feed and vice versa. Open the Looking feed and check the filter.
3. Quiet hours / muting — Push notifications stop during your quiet-hours window, and games from muted members are hidden entirely. Both are in Profile → Notifications.

Why aren't push notifications working on my iPhone?

On iPhone, BIA must be installed to your home screen and launched from that icon for push to work — Safari tabs can't receive notifications. iOS 16.4 or later is also required. See "Add the BIA icon to your home screen" earlier in this manual.

In closing

If your typical Saturday morning starts with five group texts and ends with three players, give BIA a try for one weekend. Post once. See who's in by Friday. Show up to your tee time.

That's the whole pitch. Welcome to BIA.

One ask: help us grow the network

BIA only becomes powerful when the people you actually want to play with are on it too. An app with you and two strangers from your club is useful. An app with you, your foursome, and your group of regulars is transformative — because every time someone in your circle is looking for a game, you'll know about it.

So if you like what you see:

1. Tell other members at your club. The more members at your club who use BIA, the more games you'll see in your feed.
2. Tell your friends and family at other clubs. Each club's network is private to that club, but the more clubs we have on the platform, the better BIA gets for everyone. Your buddy at another club benefits from his club joining the same way you benefit from yours.
3. Send them this manual. A 5-minute read is all it takes for them to get the idea.

The faster the network grows, the less time anyone spends in group-text purgatory. Pay it forward.

Questions? Email Ballsinairsupport@gmail.com.