diff --git a/sites/mainweb/app/(portal)/hackathons/[id]/judge/page.tsx b/sites/mainweb/app/(portal)/hackathons/[id]/judge/page.tsx
index 3e0f28dc..60f16359 100644
--- a/sites/mainweb/app/(portal)/hackathons/[id]/judge/page.tsx
+++ b/sites/mainweb/app/(portal)/hackathons/[id]/judge/page.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 "use client";
 
-import React, { useEffect, useState } from "react";
+import React, { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
 import { loginHref } from "@/lib/safe-callback";
 import { useSession } from "next-auth/react";
 import { useParams, useRouter } from "next/navigation";
@@ -257,6 +257,26 @@ export default function JudgeHackathonPage() {
     onError: recoverOrReport,
   });
 
+  /**
+   * Tap-to-start. The NFC tag on a table holds this page's URL with
+   * ?table=<code>, so tapping it opens the page and starts that table exactly
+   * as scanning the printed card would. Waits for judge access and an open
+   * round; the param is dropped once used so a reload cannot replay it
+   * (startByQrCode is idempotent anyway).
+   */
+  const tappedTable = useRef(false);
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (tappedTable.current) return;
+    if (!hackathonId || judgeCheck.data?.isJudge !== true || !judgingOpen) return;
+    const url = new URL(window.location.href);
+    const code = url.searchParams.get("table");
+    if (!code) return;
+    tappedTable.current = true;
+    url.searchParams.delete("table");
+    window.history.replaceState(null, "", url.pathname + url.search + url.hash);
+    startByQr.mutate({ qrCode: code.trim() });
+  }, [hackathonId, judgeCheck.data?.isJudge, judgingOpen, startByQr]);
+
   useEffect(() => {
     if (status === "unauthenticated") router.push(loginHref());
   }, [status, router]);
@@ -478,9 +498,10 @@ export default function JudgeHackathonPage() {
                   Scan the team&apos;s code to begin
                 </h2>
                 <p className="text-sm text-text-muted font-mono mb-8 leading-relaxed max-w-md mx-auto">
-                  Walk to table {project.tableNumber ?? "?"} and scan the card
-                  on their desk. Your judging time starts from the scan, not
-                  from when this table was assigned to you.
+                  Walk to table {project.tableNumber ?? "?"} and tap your phone
+                  on the NFC tag, or scan the card on their desk. Your judging
+                  time starts from then, not from when this table was assigned
+                  to you.
                 </p>
                 <button
                   type="button"
@@ -625,9 +646,16 @@ export default function JudgeHackathonPage() {
           onScan={(codes: { rawValue: string }[]) => {
             const raw = codes[0]?.rawValue;
             if (!raw || startByQr.isPending) return;
-            // The card encodes the code on its own. Accepting a bare value
-            // keeps the printed card as small and as scannable as possible.
-            startByQr.mutate({ qrCode: raw.trim() });
+            // The card encodes the code on its own, which keeps the printed
+            // QR as small and scannable as possible. The NFC link form
+            // (...?table=<code>) is accepted too, in case one is printed.
+            let code = raw.trim();
+            try {
+              code = new URL(code).searchParams.get("table") ?? code;
+            } catch {
+              // Not a URL: the bare code.
+            }
+            startByQr.mutate({ qrCode: code });
           }}
           onError={(e: unknown) => console.error(e)}
           isProcessing={startByQr.isPending}
diff --git a/sites/mainweb/components/admin/hackathons/TableCards.tsx b/sites/mainweb/components/admin/hackathons/TableCards.tsx
index a2686721..5b92d8cc 100644
--- a/sites/mainweb/components/admin/hackathons/TableCards.tsx
+++ b/sites/mainweb/components/admin/hackathons/TableCards.tsx
@@ -1,9 +1,27 @@
 "use client";
 
-import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
+import { useEffect, useState, useSyncExternalStore } from "react";
 import { trpc } from "@/lib/trpc";
 import { LiquidGlass } from "@/components/portal/LiquidGlass";
-import { Printer } from "lucide-react";
+import { Check, Copy, Nfc, Printer } from "lucide-react";
+
+/** Web NFC is Chrome on Android only and not in the TS DOM lib. */
+type NdefWriter = {
+  write: (msg: { records: { recordType: "url"; data: string }[] }) => Promise<void>;
+};
+declare global {
+  interface Window {
+    NDEFReader?: new () => NdefWriter;
+  }
+}
+
+/** What a table's NFC tag holds: the judge page, opened on that table. */
+const tableLink = (hackathonId: string, code: string) =>
+  `${window.location.origin}/hackathons/${hackathonId}/judge?table=${encodeURIComponent(code)}`;
+
+const noopSubscribe = () => () => {};
+
+type WriteState = "writing" | "written" | "copied" | { error: string };
 
 /**
  * The printable half of scan-to-start.
@@ -21,6 +39,42 @@ export function TableCards({ hackathonId }: { hackathonId: string }) {
     hackathonId,
   });
   const [images, setImages] = useState<Record<string, string>>({});
+  const [writes, setWrites] = useState<Record<string, WriteState>>({});
+  // False on the server and during hydration, then the real answer.
+  const canWriteNfc = useSyncExternalStore(
+    noopSubscribe,
+    () => typeof window.NDEFReader === "function",
+    () => false,
+  );
+
+  const setWrite = (id: string, state: WriteState) =>
+    setWrites((prev) => ({ ...prev, [id]: state }));
+
+  // Android Chrome: hold a blank tag to the back of the phone after pressing.
+  const writeTag = async (id: string, code: string) => {
+    if (!window.NDEFReader) return;
+    setWrite(id, "writing");
+    try {
+      await new window.NDEFReader().write({
+        records: [{ recordType: "url", data: tableLink(hackathonId, code) }],
+      });
+      setWrite(id, "written");
+    } catch (e) {
+      setWrite(id, {
+        error: e instanceof Error ? e.message : "Could not write the tag.",
+      });
+    }
+  };
+
+  // iPhone or desktop: copy the link into an NFC writer app instead.
+  const copyLink = async (id: string, code: string) => {
+    try {
+      await navigator.clipboard.writeText(tableLink(hackathonId, code));
+      setWrite(id, "copied");
+    } catch {
+      setWrite(id, { error: "Could not copy. Select the link and copy it." });
+    }
+  };
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!cards) return;
@@ -82,7 +136,8 @@ export function TableCards({ hackathonId }: { hackathonId: string }) {
           </h2>
           <p className="text-sm font-mono text-[var(--text-subtle)]">
             {cards.length} card(s). Print and put one on each table — judges
-            scan it to start scoring.
+            scan it to start scoring. For tap-to-start, stick an NFC tag on
+            each card and write its table link to it.
           </p>
         </div>
         <button
@@ -125,8 +180,41 @@ export function TableCards({ hackathonId }: { hackathonId: string }) {
               </p>
             ) : null}
             <p className="mt-4 text-[10px] font-mono uppercase tracking-widest text-neutral-400">
-              Judges: scan to begin
+              Judges: tap or scan to begin
             </p>
+
+            {/* Organiser-only: programming the tag. Not printed. */}
+            <div className="mt-5 pt-4 border-t border-neutral-200 flex flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-2 print:hidden">
+              {canWriteNfc && (
+                <button
+                  type="button"
+                  onClick={() => writeTag(card.id, card.qrCode)}
+                  disabled={writes[card.id] === "writing"}
+                  className="px-3 py-2 bg-black text-white text-[11px] font-mono uppercase tracking-wider font-bold flex items-center gap-2 disabled:opacity-50"
+                >
+                  <Nfc className="w-4 h-4" />
+                  {writes[card.id] === "writing" ? "Hold tag to phone…" : "Write NFC tag"}
+                </button>
+              )}
+              <button
+                type="button"
+                onClick={() => copyLink(card.id, card.qrCode)}
+                className="px-3 py-2 border border-neutral-300 text-neutral-700 text-[11px] font-mono uppercase tracking-wider font-bold flex items-center gap-2 hover:bg-neutral-100"
+              >
+                <Copy className="w-4 h-4" /> Copy link
+              </button>
+              {(writes[card.id] === "written" || writes[card.id] === "copied") && (
+                <span className="flex items-center gap-1 text-[11px] font-mono text-green-700">
+                  <Check className="w-4 h-4" />
+                  {writes[card.id] === "written" ? "Tag written" : "Copied"}
+                </span>
+              )}
+              {typeof writes[card.id] === "object" && (
+                <p role="alert" className="basis-full text-[11px] font-mono text-red-700">
+                  {(writes[card.id] as { error: string }).error}
+                </p>
+              )}
+            </div>
           </div>
         ))}
       </div>