How to Handle Email Collisions When Signing In

Intro

When you manage a sports club in BallersBook, you may have multiple ways to sign in to your account. For example, you might have originally created your account using your email and a password, but later try to sign in using Google with the same email address. This creates an email collision - two authentication methods competing for the same account.

BallersBook (via Firebase Authentication) detects this situation and prompts you to enter your existing password to merge the credentials. This ensures your account remains secure and that all sign-in methods stay linked to the same profile, so you never lose access to your club’s settings, players, and sessions.

Prerequisites

• An active BallersBook account with an email address that has been registered both via email/password and via a federated identity provider (e.g., Google, Apple).
• Access to the internet and a browser.
• The email address you used for the original password account.

Step-by-Step

1. Go to the BallersBook login page (/login).
2. Click Sign in with Google (or another federated provider button if available).
3. The app calls the provider’s authentication service. If the email you use with Google already has a password‑protected account, BallersBook will show a dialog asking you to confirm ownership.

4. In the dialog, enter the password you originally created for that BallersBook account.
5. Click Continue (or Link Account - verify exact label in the app).

6. After successful authentication, BallersBook merges the two sign‑in methods. You will now be able to sign in with either Google or your password using the same email.

💡 Tip: If you have forgotten your password, use the Forgot Password link on the login page to reset it before attempting the merge.

Tips & Pitfalls

• Make sure you are using the same email. The collision only occurs if the email address from the external provider exactly matches the email on the password account.
• If you do not have a password set (e.g., you originally created the account only via Google), this scenario will not appear. In that case, other providers can be added later through your account settings.
• Contact support if you cannot complete the merge. When the password dialog appears but you are unable to provide the correct password, or if you suspect a typo in the email, reach out to BallersBook support for manual account recovery.
• This behavior is standard in Firebase Authentication. The exact appearance of the prompt may vary slightly between browsers or mobile apps.

Summary

Email collisions happen when you try to sign in with a social provider using an email that already has a password account. BallersBook automatically detects this and asks you to enter your existing password to merge the two credentials. Once merged, you can use either sign‑in method freely. Keep your password safe and use the forgot‑password flow if needed.