A lot of officiating and fixture-management software is sold the same way: no pricing page, just a form asking for your name, your role, and how many officials you manage, followed by "a member of the team will be in touch." For a volunteer treasurer or secretary running a Sunday league in their spare time, that is a real cost before you have even seen whether the product fits, let alone whether you can afford it.
Can you see the price without talking to anyone?
This is the single most useful test. If every tier, including the cheapest one, says "get a quote" or "book a demo," that is usually a sign the pricing is negotiated per customer rather than fixed, which makes it harder to compare against alternatives or budget for in advance. A published price list, even a simple one, means you can make a decision on your own time.
Is there a free tier, or only a free demo?
A free demo is a sales call with a screen share. A free tier is something you can actually use. The difference matters for a small league that wants to try running a few fixtures before deciding whether to pay for anything at all, without waiting for someone else's calendar availability first.
What happens to the referee fee, exactly?
Ask specifically who pays any transaction or platform fee, whether it is a flat amount or a percentage, and whether it ever reduces what the referee actually receives. Vague language like "small fee applies" is not an answer. You want a number, or a formula, in writing.
Does it actually cover your sport, or just football?
Plenty of officiating tools were built for football first and had other sports bolted on later. If you run netball, cricket, rugby, or a mix, ask directly whether fixture categories and fees are something you configure yourself, or whether you are working around a football shaped template.
Does it say anything about safeguarding for junior officials?
If referees under 18 will use the platform, ask how consent is recorded, not just whether credential checks exist in general. This is worth asking directly, because it is often left out of the marketing entirely and only surfaces once you are already a customer.
A demo is not a bad thing, being forced into one is
There is nothing wrong with offering a demo to a league that wants one. The problem is when it is the only option, and the price itself is treated as something you have to ask permission to see. On Find Me a Ref, every tier's price is on the pricing page, Starter is free to sign up and use immediately, and the transaction fee is stated as a fixed formula, not a number you have to request.