User Guide
Getting Started
Log in with your credentials (demo / demo123 for the demo environment). The board opens with your Home team in black-and-yellow, lined up against a red opposition that adapts to your moves.
A "Welcome to {your name}" banner sits above the pitch, and you can log out at any time using the door icon at the top right.
Toolbar Controls (top of screen)
Home Shape — Pick a formation (4-3-3, 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1, 3-5-2, etc.). The roster re-slots into the new shape.
Counter Mode — Choose how the opposition reacts:
- Balanced — default pragmatic response
- Press — aggressive forward pressure
- Compact — narrow, deeper block
Pen Color — Pick a color for annotations (or use the picker for a custom shade).
Icon Buttons (top right)
Hover any icon to see a quick description. Only one tool can be active at a time — starting any other action turns off Draw mode.
- Pencil — Toggle Draw mode. Drag on the pitch to sketch lines and arrows.
- Eraser — Clear all sketched annotations.
- Dotted Square — Enter / exit Fullscreen.
- Gear — Open Settings (team names, kits, side, roster, metrics, import/export).
- Circular Arrows — Reset the board to defaults (clears drawings and selections too).
- Camera — Export a PNG screenshot of the current board.
- i — Open this guide.
- Door / Arrow — Log out of the strategy board.
Deselect Button (right of the pitch)
The circular X icon in the empty space to the right of the pitch clears any selected player and detaches the ball. Use it whenever you want a clean slate before your next move.
Working with Players
- Click a home player to select them. The selected player shows a white ring and their name appears below the circle.
- Click again on the same player to deselect, or use the Deselect button on the right of the pitch.
- Drag to reposition a player anywhere on the pitch.
- Players cannot overlap — circles nudge each other apart at their edges.
- Opposition players are adaptive: they shift automatically based on Counter Mode and your last move. When the home side is on the right, the opposition arranges itself on the left half.
Working with the Ball
The ball can only be moved when it is attached to a player — this prevents accidental ball movement.
- Step 1: Click a home player to select them.
- Step 2: Click the ball — it attaches to the selected player (yellow ring around the ball).
- Step 3 (drag): With the ball attached, drag the ball to a new spot. Only the ball moves; the player stays put.
- Step 3 (target shot): While the ball is selected, click an empty spot on the pitch to drop a target marker, then double-click the ball to send it flying to the target. The ball moves alone; the carrying player stays in place.
- Dragging a player when the ball is not attached leaves the ball where it is.
- Dragging a player when the ball is attached to them moves the ball along with the player (the pair stay together).
Settings Panel
- Edit Home and Opposition team names plus head & assistant coaches. Names appear in the top-bar subtitle (e.g. "Tigers vs Wolves").
- Pick Home and Away kit colors. The default is black-yellow striped for Home and red for Away. Solid colors and striped variants are available.
- Switch Home Side — Left or Right of the pitch. The opposition arranges itself on the opposite half automatically.
- Review Board Metrics: Threat Lane, Away Line, Home Width.
- Edit the Roster — the first 11 rows are the starting XI.
- Export (down-arrow icon) — Save all current settings (team names, coaches, kits, side, formation, mode, full roster) as a JSON file.
- Import (up-arrow icon) — Load a previously exported JSON file. Settings are populated into the form; press Save to commit them or Cancel to discard.
Tips & Shortcuts
- Only one icon-button is active at a time — starting another action turns off Draw mode.
- Screenshots capture every element: drawings, players, and the current formation.
- Use Reset Board to return to a fresh start without reloading the page.
- Use Logout (door icon) to return to the login screen at any time.
- Use Export / Import in Settings to share your tactical setups across devices or with colleagues.