Playing a Match

The Pre-Match Screen

Once you are happy with your team (see Selecting Your Team) you can play your next fixture by clicking on the ball motif button in the bottom left of the Management Console (see Fig. 3). You will be taken to a screen displaying the players you have chosen for this match in their field positions. You may also view your opposition by clicking . If you are satisfied with your team, click to play the match or to return to the Management Console and adjust your team selection.

Figure 4 (Pre-Match)

The Match Console

Figure 5 (Match Console)

SCORE PANEL The two teams’ current Goals, Behinds and Points. Your team name is always displayed above your opponent’s. The symbol is displayed next to the team currently in possession of the ball.

TIME Current quarter and remaining time in that quarter.

PLAYER SELECTION AREA each one of your players' names appears on a button that can be used to select and deselect them. A red highlight will appear around a player's button if he has possession of the ball. A flashing red highlight will appear around a player's button if he is being passed to. A yellow highlight will appear around a player's button if he is shooting and this will flash if he subsequently scores a goal.

RADAR Your team is represented by the red player icons, and the opposing team is represented by the white player icons. The arrow to the top right of the radar indicates the direction your team is playing.

COACH COMMAND CATEGORIES Selecting one of these categories displays the relevant command slider(s), which can then be used to give tactical instructions to your selected players.

COACH COMMAND AREA This area displays the command slider(s) available for the currently selected coach command category, where you set your tactics for the player(s).

SPEED CONTROL (see Fast Forward)

CAMERA CONTROL (see Cameras)

 

How to issue Coach Commands
As the coach of your team you must decide how each of your players will play. This is achieved by selecting individuals or groups of players and then adjusting the various command sliders for those players.

To select the player(s) to whom you want to issue tactical instructions, click the left mouse button on their name(s) in the player selection area to the right of the screen. A selected player’s name is shown on a raised blue area and the player is further identified by a rotating star under his feet on the pitch. Left click on a selected player’s name again to deselect them. Multiple players can be selected and deselected quickly by left clicking and dragging the mouse pointer over the required players' names. To remove all current player selections press the right mouse button over any player name.

You may identify your players either via their names, their number (shown to the left of their name when unselected), or their formation position (shown to the left of their name when highlighted or selected). Player numbers appear on the backs of the players' shirts and can also be displayed above their head by pressing the 'F1' key on the keyboard. Pressing 'F1' again will remove the numbers.

Instructing a Single Player

Once you have selected a player to issue instructions to, select a coach command category from the eight available in the lower area of the screen. Selecting a category will enable either one or two command sliders in the coach command area. The position of the slider on each slider bar represents the selected player's current instruction. To change the player's instruction simply adjust the slider to the desired position. The slider position for each command slider determines your tactics.

Instructing Multiple Players

If you have more than one player selected you can set the tactics for all of those players at once in a similar way to instructing a single player. When multiple players are selected the slider will change its appearance - it will have a halo around it - to indicate this.

When multiple players are selected, the slider positions shown are those of the first player you selected. This does not mean that all the players have their tactics set to these slider values. To confirm this, if you deselect your first player, the slider(s) will change to show the value(s) of the next player in the team list (not your next selected player). However, as soon as a slider is adjusted, the new position will become the instruction for all the players currently selected.

Slider Positions

After each match, the slider positions are retained and will still be in place for the next match. Use the Tactical Timeout to adjust your tactics at the beginning of the match if you are not happy with how you left them at the end of the previous one.

Each slider position, for each player, affects the decisions they will make during the game. By giving the correct players the appropriate instructions, you can outwit the opposition's coach to gain victory!

Tactical Timeout

Before the start of each quarter, there is a timeout period, where you may set your team tactics. You are presented with the pop up dialogue Tactical Timeout, and a Continue button. The players (and the umpire) will now wait while you take the opportunity to use the command sliders to set your tactics.

When you are satisfied with your slider positions for the players, select the Continue button to resume play. This is in addition to being able to alter your tactics as the game plays.