BallHawk Controller Guide

Quick answers for game day. Jump to what you need.

BallHawk Game Controller with each button labeled

Most-used controls

Tap for a quick action. Hold for 3 seconds for the second action. On buttons that do both (A, Y, Menu, and Center), letting go before 3 seconds gives you the tap action.

  • Hold 3 secAStart or stop recording
  • TapASave a highlight
  • PullLeft triggerHome team +1
  • PullRight triggerAway team +1
  • PressLeft bumperHome team −1
  • PressRight bumperAway team −1
  • TapYStart or stop the game clock
  • TapCenterTurn tracking off for full control, or back on
  • MoveLeft stickAim the camera. Let go and tracking takes over again.
  • MoveRight stickZoom in or out. Let go and tracking takes over again.
  • TapXJump to your saved left boundary
  • TapBJump to your saved right boundary
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When to jump in

Tracking follows the game on its own. You can step in any time without turning it off. There are three ways, from quickest to most control.

1. Nudge the camera with the sticks

Move the Left stick to aim or the Right stick to zoom, and you're in control. Let go and tracking picks the play back up right away. You don't need to turn anything back on.

2. Jump to a saved view

You can often see a play coming before the camera does. One tap sends the camera straight to a view you saved before the game. Jumping does not turn tracking off.

Steal or fast break. In basketball, a steal can turn into a fast break the other way in a second. Tap X to jump to the left end of the court or B to jump to the right end, and the camera is already there when the play arrives. This works in every sport. It only works as well as your saved boundaries, so when you set them, aim so each side gives you a clear view of plays at that end. See setup.

Runner stealing second. In baseball, if you see a runner take off for second during the pitch, tap Up on the D-pad. The camera jumps to the second base view you saved before the game. It stays on that base until you tap Down, which goes back to home plate and tracking the batter. See Baseball D-pad.

3. Take full control

Tap Center to turn tracking off when you want the camera to yourself for a while. For example, to show the huddle during a timeout or pan over to an injured player. Tap Center again to turn tracking back on.

Only turn tracking off when you need full control. For quick moves, just use the stick or a jump button.

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D-pad by sport

The D-pad does something different in each sport. Pick your sport:

Baseball: the D-pad is the diamond

Each D-pad direction matches a base, as if you're looking at the field from behind home plate.

Baseball diamond mapped to the D-pad Up is second base. Right is first base. Left is third base. Down is home plate and returns to tracking the batter. Up: 2nd base Right: 1st Left: 3rd Down: Home
  • Up = 2nd base
  • Right = 1st base
  • Left = 3rd base
  • Down = Home plate and batter

Base views are extra. Set your left and right boundaries with X and B like any other sport, then save your base views too. See setup.

Save your base views (before the game)

  1. Use the left stick to aim at a base and the right stick to zoom until it looks right.
  2. Hold 3 sec that base's D-pad direction. This saves where the camera is pointed and how far it's zoomed.
  3. Repeat for each base.

Jump to a base during play

Tap a D-pad direction. The camera jumps to the view you saved for that base and stays there. Tracking stays on.

When the play is over, tap Down to go back to home plate. Tracking picks up the batter from there.

  • Runner stealing second: tap Up
  • Play at first: tap Right
  • Play at third: tap Left
  • Play at the plate, or back to the batter: tap Down

Football: downs and yards to go

The D-pad keeps the down and distance on the app scoreboard.

  • Left or Right: change the down, from 1st to 4th.
  • Up or Down: change yards to go.
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Set up your game

Do this once before the game starts.

  1. Connect the controller

    Open the BallHawk app and power up your BallHawk controller.

  2. Pick your sport in the app

    In the BallHawk app, select CONTROL THE GAME, then select your sport. This sets up tracking for your sport. For volleyball, the app also asks if the match is best of 3 or best of 5.

  3. Clear the controller screen

    Hold 3 secReset arrow

    The screen blinks as a warning, then both scores go to 0 and the period goes back to 1. This only clears the controller screen. It does not change the score in the app.

  4. Set your left and right boundaries

    Boundaries tell the camera where the play area starts and ends. Do this for every sport, including baseball.

    • Point BallHawk toward the field or court.
    • Hold 3 secCenter to enter boundary setup.
    • Use the left stick to aim at the left edge of the play area. Tap X to save it.
    • Aim at the right edge. Tap B to save it.

    Tip: aim so each boundary gives you a good view of plays at that end. Tapping X or B during the game takes you right back to that view.

    Tracking starts on its own once your boundaries are set.

    During the game, tap X to jump to the left boundary or B to jump to the right one.

  5. Baseball: also save your base views

    After your boundaries are set, aim and zoom at each base and hold that base's D-pad direction to save it. See Baseball D-pad.

  6. Start recording

    Hold 3 secA to start recording. Hold it again for 3 seconds to stop.

    The controller screen shows a red REC while recording, but it can be wrong. Check the iPad or iPhone to make sure it shows you're recording. The app is always the one to trust.

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Every button

Grouped by what you're trying to do. Tags show what each press changes:

  • App
  • App + controller screen
  • Controller screen only

Camera

Aim, zoom, track, and switch angles.

Left stick
  • MoveAim the camera left, right, up, or down. This takes over from tracking while you move it. Let go and tracking picks the play back up. App
  • ClickSwitch camera angle left. App
Right stick
  • MoveZoom in or out. This takes over from tracking while you move it. Let go and tracking picks the play back up. App
  • ClickSwitch camera angle right. App
X
  • TapJump to your saved left boundary. Works in every sport. App
  • In boundary setup, tap X to save the left boundary.
B
  • TapJump to your saved right boundary. Works in every sport. App
  • In boundary setup, tap B to save the right boundary.
CenterMiddle button in the center row
  • TapTurn tracking off for full control, like showing a huddle or an injured player. Tap again to turn it back on. Tracking starts on its own after boundaries are set. For quick moves, use the joysticks instead. Tracking comes back as soon as you let go. App
  • Hold 3 secEnter boundary setup. See setup. App
MenuRight button in the center row
  • TapTurn auto zoom on or off. App
  • Hold 3 secSwap Home and Away. The team labels stay put and the scores trade places. App + controller screen
D-pad

Recording and highlights

A
  • TapSave a highlight. App
  • Hold 3 secStart or stop recording. The red REC dot on the controller screen turns on or off. App + controller screen

Holding A for the full 3 seconds does not also save a highlight. Always check the iPad or iPhone to confirm recording.

Score and clock

Left triggerLower back left
  • PullHome +1. App + controller screen
Right triggerLower back right
  • PullAway +1. App + controller screen
Left bumperUpper back left
  • PressHome −1. Never goes below 0. App + controller screen
Right bumperUpper back right
  • PressAway −1. Never goes below 0. App + controller screen
Y
  • TapStart or stop the game clock. App
  • Hold 3 secChange the quarter or period in the app, and add 1 to the period on the controller screen. App + controller screen

Controller screen only

Use these to correct the controller's own screen. They never change the app score.

Back of the BallHawk Game Controller showing the four rear paddles, two on each side
Rear paddles: left side is Home, right side is Away. Upper adds 1, lower subtracts 1.
Rear paddlesBack of the controller
  • Upper left paddle: Home +1 Controller screen only
  • Lower left paddle: Home −1 Controller screen only
  • Upper right paddle: Away +1 Controller screen only
  • Lower right paddle: Away −1 Controller screen only
Reset arrowCurved arrow, left button in the center row
  • Hold 3 secThe screen blinks, then both scores go to 0 and the period goes to 1. Controller screen only
Home buttonUnder the controller screen
  • Hold 3 secOpen the controller's settings menu. Controller only
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Two scoreboards, kept separately

There are two scores during a game:

  • The app scoreboard is the score in the BallHawk app on your iPad or iPhone.
  • The controller screen is the small screen on the controller.

They don't talk to each other. When a button changes both, each one updates on its own from the same press.

Changes both

  • Triggers: +1
  • Bumpers: −1 (never below 0)
  • Hold Menu 3 sec: swap Home and Away
  • Hold Y 3 sec: change the period
  • Hold A 3 sec: recording in the app, red REC dot on the controller

Controller screen only

  • Rear paddles: +1 or −1
  • Hold reset arrow 3 sec: scores to 0, period to 1

Fixing the controller screen does not fix the app score. The rear paddles and reset arrow never change the app. The app score is the one to check.

The app score resets on its own when your broadcast ends. No button on the controller can reset the app score.

Volleyball sets

When a set ends, the app shows the final score for 10 seconds before starting the next set. If the last point was a mistake, press a bumper during those 10 seconds. That cancels the new set and fixes the score.

The controller screen does not track sets. Clear it between sets with the reset arrow if you want.

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Quick fixes

The app score and the controller screen don't match

Check the app first. That's the score that matters.

  • App is right, controller screen is wrong: use the rear paddles to fix the controller screen.
  • App is wrong: use a trigger (+1) or bumper (−1) to fix it. That also changes the controller screen, so use the paddles afterward if the controller screen is now off.
Home and Away are on the wrong sides

Hold 3 secMenu to swap the scores in the app and on the controller screen.

If you swapped teams using the button on the iPad or iPhone screen instead, the controller screen did not swap. Fix it with the rear paddles, or clear it with the reset arrow and re-enter the score.

I'm not sure if I'm recording

Look at the iPad or iPhone. The app always shows the real recording status.

The red REC dot on the controller only flips when you hold A. If recording was started or stopped another way, the dot can be wrong.

I pressed A to record but saved a highlight

A quick tap saves a highlight. To start or stop recording, keep holding A for the full 3 seconds.

The camera stopped following the play
  • Baseball: the camera may be holding on a base you jumped to. Tap Down to go back to the batter.
  • Any sport: tracking may have been turned off by a tap on Center. Tap Center once to turn it back on.
The camera keeps drifting off the play
  • Need a quick adjustment? Just move a joystick to aim or zoom. Tracking takes over again when you let go.
  • Need the camera for a while (huddle, injury, timeout)? TapCenter to turn tracking off, aim with the left stick, then tap Center again to turn tracking back on.
  • Camera wandering outside the field or court? Set your boundaries again: hold Center for 3 seconds, aim left and tap X, then aim right and tap B.
The period number on the controller is wrong

On the controller screen, holding Y only counts the period up. To start over, hold the reset arrow for 3 seconds. That sets the period to 1 and also clears the controller scores to 0, so re-enter the score with the rear paddles.

None of this changes the app.

First time connecting the BallHawk gimbal

Make sure your iPhone is connected to the internet (Wi-Fi or cellular). The first connection needs it.

Still stuck?

Read the BallHawk FAQ

Controller Setup Guide (PDF)

Gimbal Setup Guide (PDF)

Get the BallHawk app

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