How-To Guide

Getting Started with SoccerMgr

Everything you need to know to set up your team and run your first match — from creating your squad to sharing the match report.

Contents

Quick Start — Your First Match in 5 Steps

Short on time? Here's the fastest path from opening SoccerMgr to running your first match:

1
Create your team

Add your team name, colours, and players.

2
Set up a match

Enter the opponent, venue, date and match format.

3
Pick your formation & lineup

Choose a formation and drag your players into position.

4
Plan substitutions

Use "Plan For Me" to auto-generate a fair rotation, or set them manually.

5
Run the match & share the report

Hit kick off, track live events, and share the match report when the whistle goes.

That's the whole flow. Read on for a detailed walkthrough of every feature.

What is SoccerMgr?

SoccerMgr is a matchday planner built specifically for soccer coaches. It replaces the sticky notes, spreadsheets and group-chat chaos with a single app that handles everything from squad selection to the post-match report.

The app follows a simple arc: Plan → Manage → Report. You walk on with a plan, run the game with calm, and walk off with the report already written.

Grassroots & Youth

Fair playing time and simple squad management for kids' football.

🏫

School & College

Manage fixtures, formations, and reports across the season.

🎯

Adult & Academy

Tactical planning, precise substitution control, and detailed match data.

SoccerMgr works on phone, tablet, and laptop — no install required. It's free during beta with no locked features.

Creating Your Team

The first thing you'll do is create a team. Give it a name and colours, then start adding your squad.

Adding Players

For each player you can set:

Name — the player's name as it will appear on lineups and reports.
Squad number — their shirt number.
Position — preferred position on the pitch (e.g. GK, DEF, MID, FWD).
Ability level — helps the auto-substitution planner balance ability across rotations.
You only need to set up your team once. Players carry over from match to match — just mark who's available on the day.

Setting Up a Match

When you have a game coming up, create a new match. You'll enter the basic details:

Opponent — who you're playing against.
Venue — home, away, or a neutral ground.
Date & time — when the match kicks off.
Match format — 5-a-side, 7-a-side, 9-a-side, or 11-a-side. This determines the pitch size, number of players, and available formations.

Once the match is created, you'll move through a set of tabs to get everything ready:

Squad Formation Substitutions Live

Choosing a Formation

SoccerMgr is built for football, not generic team apps. The formation tools understand positions, shape, and pitch layout.

Pick Your Format

Select the format for today's match — 5-a-side, 7-a-side, 9-a-side, or 11-a-side. SoccerMgr comes with common formations preloaded for each format, so you can get started with a single tap.

Set Your Lineup

On the Formation tab, drag your available players into their positions on the pitch. The remaining players are placed on the bench, ready for substitutions.

Tip: Setting positions accurately helps the substitution planner put the right player in the right spot during rotations.

Planning Substitutions

On the Substitutions tab, you choose how you want to handle sub rotations. SoccerMgr gives you two modes:

Plan for me ✏️ I'll do it myself

"Plan For Me" — Automatic Substitutions

The "Plan For Me" feature is your automatic substitution assistant. It works out when each player should come on and off the pitch so that everyone gets a fair amount of playing time — without you figuring it out with a pen and paper on the sideline.

You tell the app who's available, and it tells you who to swap, when to swap, and where they play.

"Plan For Me" is especially useful for youth and grassroots formats where equal playing time matters. It also works well for any format where you want to rotate players evenly.

Manual Mode — "I'll Do It Myself"

Prefer full control? Switch to manual mode and set your own substitution schedule. You decide who comes on, who comes off, and exactly when each swap happens.

Your Substitution Preferences

When using "Plan For Me", you can adjust three settings to tailor the plan:

Subs at Once
2–3

How many players swap at the same time. The default depends on your format size.

Min Play %
50%

The minimum percentage of the game each player is guaranteed to play.

Tolerance ±
3 min

How many minutes' difference between players is acceptable. Lower means stricter fairness.

There's also a "Rotate GK" toggle. If turned off (the default), your goalkeeper stays on for the whole game. Turn it on to include the goalkeeper in the rotation.

More detail — how the generated plan works

Once your squad and formation are set, the app instantly generates a step-by-step substitution plan. It shows you the projected minutes each player will get, colour-coded for fairness. During the match, a recommendation card appears at each substitution point telling you exactly who comes off and who goes on — just confirm each swap with a tap. You can also delay (+1 min) or skip any substitution, and the plan recalculates automatically.

Running a Live Match

When it's time to kick off, switch to the Live tab. This is your matchday cockpit — everything you need on one screen.

Timer & Scoreboard

The live screen features a match timer and scoreboard. Start the timer at kick off, and it tracks halves, kick off, and the final whistle automatically.

Recording Events

As the match unfolds, record events in real time:

Goals — tap to record the scorer (and assist if you like).
Cards — record yellow and red cards with the player's name.
Voice notes — quick audio notes for the report, captured in the moment.

Making Substitutions During the Match

If you used "Plan For Me", the app tells you when it's time to substitute. A recommendation card appears showing who comes off and who goes on — just confirm with a tap.

Look for the timer pill. When it's time to make your planned substitutions, the timer pill at the top of the screen will flash to get your attention.

You can also make injury substitutions and tactical substitutions at any time, outside of the planned schedule. The plan recalculates automatically around any unplanned changes.

The Tactics Board

SoccerMgr includes a tactics board where you can sketch out your game plan visually. It's designed to be simple enough that your players will actually understand it.

Draw arrows — show passing lanes, pressing triggers, or movement patterns.
Mark runs — illustrate off-the-ball runs and overlaps.
Highlight zones — shade areas of the pitch to show pressing zones, defensive blocks, or attacking areas.
The tactics board works with all formats from 5-a-side to 11-a-side, with the pitch automatically scaled to match.

Match Reports

When the final whistle goes, SoccerMgr generates an editable match report automatically from the data you recorded during the game. No more writing the report from memory in the car park.

The report includes:

Score & scorers — who scored and when.
Assists & cards — assists, yellows, and reds.
Photos & audio — add match photos and voice notes to the report.
Written summary — edit or add your own notes about the game.

Sharing the Report

Once you're happy with the report, share it with one tap to WhatsApp — or copy it to send via any other channel. Parents, team managers, and club coordinators get a polished, professional report in seconds.

Reports are ready the moment the whistle goes. Because the data is captured live, there's no scrambling to remember details after the match.

Tips & Best Practices

1
Set up your team before matchday

Add all your players to the squad in advance. On matchday, you just tick who's available — no data entry under pressure.

2
Use "Plan For Me" for youth football

If equal playing time matters, let the app handle the rotation. Parents will appreciate the fairness and you can focus on coaching.

3
Record goals as they happen

Tap in scorers and assists in the moment. It's much easier than trying to remember who scored in what order after the game.

4
Use voice notes for quick observations

See something worth mentioning in the report? Hit the voice note button — it's faster than typing with cold hands.

5
Share the report straight away

The report is at its best right after the match. Share it while everyone still cares about the result.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is SoccerMgr free?

Yes. SoccerMgr is free to use during beta. There are no ads and no locked features. When pricing is introduced in future, existing users will be given plenty of notice.

What devices does it work on?

SoccerMgr works in any modern web browser — phone, tablet, or laptop. There's no app to install. Just open it in your browser and you're ready to go.

What formats are supported?

SoccerMgr supports 5-a-side, 7-a-side, 9-a-side, and 11-a-side formats. Each format comes with appropriate formations preloaded.

Is my data private?

Your data stays yours. SoccerMgr doesn't sell or share your information. There are no ads and no third-party trackers.

Can I use it for adult teams?

Absolutely. While the "Plan For Me" substitution planner is especially popular with youth coaches, the match setup, live tracking, tactics board, and reporting tools work for any level — grassroots, school, amateur adult, or academy.

Do I need to create an account?

You'll need a free account to save your teams and match history. Sign-up is quick and only requires basic details.

Can multiple coaches manage the same team?

Team sharing features are on the roadmap. For now, each account manages its own teams and matches.

Quick Reference Checklist

A matchday at-a-glance — tick these off and you're set.

Before the Match

Create your team and add all players
Create the match with opponent, venue and format
Mark available players for today
Pick a formation and set your lineup
Set up substitutions ("Plan For Me" or manual)

During the Match

⏱️ Start the match timer at kick off
Record goals, assists, and cards as they happen
🔄 Follow the substitution plan (or make manual swaps)
🎙️ Capture voice notes for observations

After the Match

📝 Review and edit the auto-generated report
📸 Add photos if you have them
📲 Share the report to WhatsApp or copy to clipboard
That's it — enjoy the game! SoccerMgr handles the admin so you can focus on coaching.