Terms of Service

Table of Contents

1. Agreement to Terms

By accessing or using PlayMate ("the Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you disagree with any part of these Terms, you may not access the Service.

These Terms apply to all visitors, users, and others who access or use the PlayMate mobile application (iOS and Android), the website at playmate.now, and all related features and services. These Terms are effective as of April 8, 2026.

2. Eligibility

• You must be at least 13 years old to use PlayMate.
• By creating an account, you represent and warrant that you meet this age requirement.
• If you are under 18, you represent that you have the consent of a parent or legal guardian to use the Service.
• We collect your birth year during registration to verify age eligibility.

Accounts found to belong to users under 13 will be terminated immediately and all associated data will be deleted.

3. Account Registration and Security

To use PlayMate, you must register for an account. When you register, you agree to:

• Provide accurate, current, and complete information (name, email, birth year)
• Maintain and promptly update your account information
• Maintain the security and confidentiality of your login credentials
• Accept responsibility for all activities that occur under your account
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account
• Maintain only one account per person — duplicate or fake accounts may be removed

You may register with an email address and password, or sign in using a third-party provider (Google, Apple, or X). We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that show signs of compromise or that violate these Terms.

4. Service Description

PlayMate is a sports social networking platform that connects people who want to play sports together. The Service includes the following features:

Player Discovery and Matchmaking

Find nearby sports enthusiasts based on your location, sport preferences, and skill level. The app uses a periodic location heartbeat system and automated matching to connect you with relevant players.

Games

Create, schedule, and join sports games. RSVP to games, manage participants, and track game results and statistics.

Groups

Create and join sports groups and clubs. Communicate with group members, post notices, and schedule games within groups.

Free Roam and Lobbies

Enable real-time location-based matchmaking. When Free Roam is active, you are automatically matched with nearby players for your selected sports. Lobbies are temporary gathering spaces for matched players that expire after 2 hours of inactivity.

Messaging

Send direct messages to other users. Participate in group chat and lobby chat conversations.

Articles and Content

Read and publish sports articles on the PlayMate articles platform. Create a channel as a regular contributor.

Places and Maps

Discover sports venues, courts, and fields near you. View locations on the map, and rate and review places you have visited.

Posts

Share updates, photos, and sports-related content with the PlayMate community.

5. User Content and Licensing

You retain ownership of any content you submit, post, or display on PlayMate ("User Content"), including posts, messages, photos, articles, and reviews.

By posting User Content, you grant PlayMate a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, transferable license to use, reproduce, modify, display, and distribute your content in connection with operating and improving the Service. This license persists until you delete the content or your account, except where the content has been shared with or saved by other users, or where we are legally required to retain it.

You represent and warrant that:

• You own or have the right to post the content you submit
• Your content does not infringe any third-party intellectual property rights
• Your content complies with these Terms and applicable laws

We reserve the right to remove any User Content that violates these Terms or that we determine, in our sole discretion, to be harmful, offensive, or inappropriate.

6. Articles Platform

PlayMate includes a sports articles platform where users can publish original content. The following additional terms apply to articles:

• Published articles are publicly accessible on the PlayMate website and may appear in search engine results.
• By publishing an article, you grant PlayMate the right to display, distribute, and promote the article on the Service and in marketing materials.
• You retain full copyright over your articles.
• Articles may be categorized as "user" (community), "encyclopedia" (editorial), or "editorial" content.
• PlayMate may feature, promote, or designate articles as "editor's pick" at our discretion.
• PlayMate reserves the right to moderate articles, edit metadata (tags, categories), or remove articles that violate these Terms.
• Article view counts and engagement metrics are collected. Anonymized IP hashes are used for view deduplication purposes only.

If you believe an article on PlayMate infringes your copyright, please contact us at legal@playmate.now with details of the alleged infringement.

8. Messaging and Communication

• Messages (direct messages, group chat, and lobby chat) are stored in plain text on our servers and are not end-to-end encrypted.
• Do not share sensitive personal information (financial details, passwords, government IDs) via PlayMate messaging.
• Group administrators are responsible for moderating their group's communications.
• System messages are generated automatically for events such as joining or leaving lobbies.

PlayMate may review message content when investigating reports of abuse, harassment, or violations of these Terms. We do not proactively monitor or scan message content.

9. Acceptable Use

You agree to use PlayMate only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms. You agree to:

• Treat other users with respect and sportsmanship
• Provide accurate information in your profile
• Honor game commitments when you RSVP

You agree NOT to:

• Harass, bully, threaten, or intimidate other users
• Post offensive, discriminatory, or sexually explicit content
• Impersonate any person or misrepresent your affiliation
• Post false, misleading, or deceptive content
• Send spam or unsolicited commercial messages
• Upload malware, viruses, or other malicious code
• Attempt unauthorized access to other accounts or PlayMate systems
• Scrape, crawl, or use automated tools to access the Service
• Interfere with the Service's operation or other users' experience
• Collect user information without their consent
• Use PlayMate to arrange activities unrelated to sports
• Circumvent any access restrictions or security measures
• Create multiple accounts or create accounts for previously banned users

10. Intellectual Property

The Service and its original content (excluding User Content), features, functionality, branding, and design are and will remain the exclusive property of PlayMate and its licensors. The Service is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

The PlayMate name, logo, and design elements may not be used without our prior written consent. User Content remains the property of its creator, subject to the license granted in Section 5.

If you believe your intellectual property has been infringed on PlayMate, please contact us at legal@playmate.now with a description of the alleged infringement, the location of the content, and proof of your ownership.

11. Third-Party Services and Links

PlayMate uses the following third-party services to operate:

• Supabase: Database, authentication, file storage, and real-time messaging
• Google Maps SDK: Map display and geocoding on Android
• Apple Maps: Map display on iOS
• Google Analytics 4: Website analytics (playmate.now only)
• Google, Apple, and X (Twitter) OAuth: Third-party sign-in

These services are governed by their own terms of service and privacy policies. PlayMate is not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or availability of third-party services. Links to external content shared by users do not imply endorsement by PlayMate.

12. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE. WE DO NOT VERIFY THE IDENTITY, BACKGROUND, OR CHARACTER OF USERS. WE MAKE NO WARRANTY ABOUT THE SAFETY OF GAMES OR ACTIVITIES ARRANGED THROUGH THE SERVICE. WE DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF LOCATION DATA, MATCH RESULTS, OR USER-PROVIDED INFORMATION. YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK.

13. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, PLAYMATE SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, USE, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, RESULTING FROM:

• YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE SERVICE
• THE CONDUCT OR CONTENT OF ANY OTHER USER ON THE SERVICE
• UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OR ALTERATION OF YOUR DATA
• INJURIES, ACCIDENTS, OR HARM OCCURRING AT SPORTS ACTIVITIES ARRANGED VIA THE SERVICE
• INACCURATE LOCATION DATA OR MATCHMAKING RESULTS

OUR TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS RELATED TO THE SERVICE SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO PLAYMATE IN THE 12 MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR $100 USD, WHICHEVER IS GREATER.

14. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless PlayMate and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including legal fees) arising out of or related to: your use of the Service, your User Content, your violation of these Terms, your violation of any third-party rights, or any injuries or damages occurring at games or activities arranged through PlayMate.

15. Dispute Resolution

Any disputes arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service shall first be attempted to be resolved through good-faith negotiation by contacting legal@playmate.now.

If a dispute cannot be resolved through negotiation within 30 days, it shall be submitted to binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the applicable arbitration association.

• Individual basis: Any dispute resolution proceedings will be conducted on an individual basis, not as a class action or representative proceeding.
• Class action waiver: You agree to waive any right to participate in a class action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration against PlayMate.
• Small claims: Notwithstanding the above, either party may bring claims in small claims court if the claim qualifies.

16. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction in which PlayMate operates, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not be considered a waiver of those rights.

17. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your account immediately, without prior notice, for any reason, including:

• Breach of these Terms
• Fraudulent, abusive, or illegal activity
• Repeated violations of our acceptable use policy
• Extended period of inactivity

You may delete your account at any time through the app settings or by contacting support@playmate.now.

Upon termination, your right to use the Service will immediately cease. Your data will be handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy, including a 30-day deletion window.

The following sections survive termination: User Content and Licensing (Section 5), Disclaimer of Warranties (Section 12), Limitation of Liability (Section 13), Indemnification (Section 14), Dispute Resolution (Section 15), and Governing Law (Section 16).

18. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. For material changes, we will provide at least 30 days' notice through the app and, where possible, via email. The "Last updated" date at the top will always reflect the most recent revision.

Your continued use of the Service after the notice period constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms. If you disagree with any changes, you must stop using the Service and delete your account.