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Here's how game day goes
Read this the night before. The short version: find the Rival sign at the field, scan it, and type your kid's jersey number. Then watch the game. The photos will be there.
Game day, in order
From the parking lot to two days after the final whistle. Every regular season game we shoot gets a gallery, and every one runs this way.
- Before the game
Find the Rival sign
Look for it at the main gate or by the snack bar. Point your phone camera at the code on the sign and it opens today's games. There's no app to download and no account to make.
- Warmups
Grab a seat where you can see your kid
That's the whole job. If you booked a Big Night, this is where it starts: Michael shoots pregame and warmups with your athlete before the game gets going.
- First half
Photos start posting live
The gallery fills in while the game is still going. PLACEHOLDER: how long after a play its photos usually show up in the gallery Type your kid's jersey number and only their photos show. Every photo is $2.99 while the game is on.
Or put the phone down and watch. The photos will be there.
- Halftime
A good few minutes to look
Scroll the first half, pick the ones you love, and pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay or a card. The previews in the gallery are small and watermarked. What you buy is the full size photo with no watermark.
- Final whistle
Photos go from $2.99 to $5
When the game ends, the price goes to $5 a photo. Overtime still counts as the game, so $2.99 holds until it's actually over.
- Before you leave
Ask about prints
Prints are available at the game. PLACEHOLDER: print sizes, print prices, and how to order a print at the field
- The 48 hours after
The gallery stays up for two days
Buy from the couch or the car ride home. The gallery stays up for 48 hours after the final whistle at $5 a photo, then it comes down. Save your favorites before then.
Athletes, here's how to end up in the gallery
Your parents find you by your number. Make sure it shows, then go play.
Keep your number showing
Tuck your jersey so the number doesn't fold under, lose the warmup shirt before the game starts, and pull your hair up off the number on your back.
Know where the camera is
Michael is usually on the sideline nearest the action. PLACEHOLDER: where Michael usually sets up for each sport (football, soccer, basketball, hockey, lacrosse, field hockey)
Play through the whistle
The best frames are full effort: the dive, the box out, the last step before the shot. Don't play to the camera. Play hard and he'll find you.
Look up after the play
The second after the goal, the sack or the stick save is when your face shows. Get your head up before you jog back.
Go find your teammates
The celly, the dap-up, the bench going off after a big play. Those are the ones everybody posts, and they only happen if you go get your people.
New number? Say so
Switched numbers, or wearing a different one on the road? Tell your parents which number to type so they don't come up empty.
Senior night, slow it down
The walk. Don't rush it. Walk out with your family, stop at the end, and look up together. That's the one everybody wants on the wall.
Flowers and posters. Hold them low and off to the side so they don't cover your face or your number.
After the game. Grab the other seniors for one together before anybody leaves the field.
The walk happens before the game starts. Big Night covers pregame, the whole game and postgame with family and teammates, so it's the way to make sure the walk gets shot. Send this to whoever's paying.
Parents, here's the whole thing
Everything happens on your phone, with no app and no account.
Finding your kid's photos
Scan the Rival sign at the field, or go to rivalimaging.com/today. Pick your game, type your kid's jersey number, and only their photos show up.
Paying with Apple Pay
Apple Pay, Google Pay or a card all work, and Stripe handles the payment. $2.99 a photo during the game, $5 after the final whistle.
Saving to your phone
What you buy is the full size photo with no watermark, saved straight to your phone. PLACEHOLDER: the exact save steps on iPhone and Android, and whether buyers get an email receipt or a link to download again later
A photo is missing
If your kid isn't turning up, check the number and scroll the whole game gallery. More on that below. If you bought a photo and can't find it, tell us which one.
You want a photo taken down
Every photo has a Remove button. Tap it on any photo of your kid to take it down. PLACEHOLDER: how fast a removed photo comes down You can also use the removal form. Nothing goes on social or in ads without a parent's written OK. The full photo policy is a two minute read.
Saying hi to Michael
He's usually on the sideline nearest the action. Halftime or right after the final whistle is the easy time to catch him. Come say hi. PLACEHOLDER: how to spot Michael at a game (what he wears, Rival jacket or shirt)
Game day what ifs
The stuff that comes up on a real game day, and what to do about it.
What if it rains?
PLACEHOLDER: rain policy. Does Rival shoot through rain, and what happens on a lightning delay or a rainout
One thing that doesn't change: the 48 hours start at the final whistle, so a delay doesn't eat into your time to buy.
What if the game gets moved?
Check today's games on game day. A gallery shows up there as soon as its first photos go up. PLACEHOLDER: when a game is postponed or moved, does Rival follow it to the new date or field
If it lands on a day we're not covering, you can prebook Rival for the new date, up to 7 days ahead.
What if it goes to overtime?
Overtime is still the game. Photos stay $2.99 until the real final whistle, and the 48 hours start from there. Same for a shootout.
What if I can't find the sign?
Go to rivalimaging.com/today in your phone's browser. It's the same page the sign opens. Pick your game and type the number.
The sign is usually at the main gate or by the snack bar. If you can see Michael on the sideline, you're at the right game.
What if the gallery won't load?
Cell signal at a lot of fields is rough, especially with a full crowd. Pull down to refresh, turn Wi-Fi off if you joined the school's network, or walk toward the parking lot for a bar or two.
Still stuck? Tell us what you're seeing. PLACEHOLDER: if the gallery won't load during the game, can a parent still get the $2.99 price afterward
What if my kid isn't in any photos?
Check the number first. Home and away jerseys don't always match, and a typo is easy in the bleachers. Then scroll the whole game gallery, since a photo where the number is hidden by an arm or another player can be harder to find by number.
Photos keep posting while the game goes, so look again later on. A game gallery follows the whole game, not one player, so some kids end up in fewer shots than others, especially with less time on the field.
If you want your athlete covered for sure, a Game Spotlight makes them the focus for one game, with 20 to 30 edited photos in their own private gallery.
Want us at a game we're not on?
Prebook Rival up to 7 days ahead. Tell us the game, the field and the time, and we'll confirm we can be there. Every family at that game gets the same live gallery, $2.99 a photo during the game and $5 after. Good for rivalry nights, homecoming and anything not on our schedule yet.
PLACEHOLDER: is there a fee to prebook a game, or is it free to the family who asks