Case Study: Building CueRank – A Real-Time Sports SaaS & Match Engine

Simon Hull

Director, Apex Sites

Case Study: Building CueRank – A Real-Time Sports SaaS & Match Engine

Cue sports (pool and snooker) have millions of dedicated players across the UK, yet the majority of local leagues, pub venues, and tournament operators still rely on clipboards, paper scoresheets, and manually updated Facebook groups.

The Challenge: Disconnected Leagues & Manual Administration

Running a weekly pool league involves tremendous administrative friction: calculating handicaps, chasing team captains for score sheets, entering results into manual spreadsheets, and answering constant player questions about league tables.

The Solution: A Real-Time SaaS Match Engine

Apex Sites architected CueRank (cuerank.co.uk)—a modern, mobile-first SaaS platform designed to digitize every aspect of cue sports operations.

1. Live Digital Scorecards & QR Check-Ins

Players and team captains record frame scores live at the table on any smartphone. With instant validation rules and QR-code match check-ins, scores are published to the league leaderboard in real time.

2. Automated Elo Ratings & Bracket Generation

The platform features an automated ranking algorithm that computes dynamic player skill ratings (similar to chess Elo), generating balanced knockout tournament brackets and round-robin fixtures at the touch of a button.

3. Native Stripe Subscription Billing

CueRank incorporates automated recurring billing through Stripe, allowing league organizers and clubs to collect player registrations and venue SaaS subscriptions seamlessly without chasing cash.

The Results: Modernizing Community Sports

CueRank has transformed local leagues into interactive, gamified digital communities with zero administrative drag for organizers and instant match transparency for players.