Bidding from your phone

This guide is for team owners and captains who need to place bids during the live auction. Read this before auction night so you're not figuring it out under pressure.

Two ways to get to your bidding screen

Option 1 — Use the link your organizer shared with you

Your tournament organizer sent you a link that looks like auctionball.com/join/abc123…. Open it on your phone. That's your bidding screen — simple, no login.

Tap the share icon → Add to Home Screen so you can open it with one tap on auction night. The link works only for your team — anyone with the link can bid on your behalf, so don't share it publicly.

Option 2 — Log in with your own account

If your organizer invited you with an email, follow the link in your email, set a password, and log in.

After login, click Place bids in the sidebar — that's the only page you'll see. No admin tools, no other distractions.

What you'll see

• Top header — your team name, your team's short code, and your remaining budget (always visible)
• A green / amber / red dot — your internet connection status
• A pill saying RUNNING, PAUSED, or IDLE — what the auction is doing right now
• The player card — photo, name, position, base price
• The current bid and the timer
• A big BID button at the bottom

How to place a bid

1. Wait for the status pill to say RUNNING
2. The amount the BID button shows is the smallest valid next bid — the current bid plus the bid step (set by your organizer; e.g., ৳5,000)
3. Tap + if you want to bid more than the minimum (each tap adds one bid step)
4. Tap − if you want to lower it back (you can't go below the minimum)
5. Tap the big BID button to send your bid

The big screen and the auctioneer's panel update within a second. If you're now leading, you'll see "You're leading" on your phone in green.

Anti-snipe rule (important)

If your bid lands in the last 10 seconds of the timer, the timer automatically extends to 10 seconds. This is to make the auction fair — nobody can sneak a winning bid in the final half-second.

If you bid right at the buzzer, expect the timer to keep going for another 10 seconds. Don't think your bid was rejected — it was accepted, and now everyone has a chance to counter.

Why was my bid rejected?

You'll see a red error message under the BID button if your bid didn't go through. Common reasons:

Error	Why	What to do
"Auction is not running"	The auctioneer hasn't started the timer yet	Wait for them to click Start
"Bid must be at least ৳X"	Someone bid right before you and the minimum jumped up	Tap + to update your amount and try again
"Bid exceeds team budget"	You don't have enough money left	You're tapped out for this player
"Bid window closed"	The timer hit zero just as you tapped	Too late — wait for the next player

A few tips

• Use airplane mode → enable Wi-Fi only if your venue's mobile data is unreliable. Wi-Fi tends to be more stable in halls.
• Don't stare at your phone — keep one eye on the big screen so you can see the room reacting and read the auctioneer's body language.
• Plan your max bid before each player. Don't bid in the heat of the moment unless you've already decided what they're worth to you.
• Vibration feedback — if your phone supports it, you'll feel a small buzz when you submit, when you take the lead, when you're outbid, and when a player is sold.

What if I have trouble during the auction?

Wave to your organizer. They can place a bid on your behalf from the auction control panel — just tell them which team you are and how much.

Next: Inviting your team →