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How to run a match
Everything you need for the touchline, in the order you’ll need it.
1. Set up your squad (once)
- Sign up, add your club name, colours and badge.
- Create a team and add players. Paste names from a WhatsApp list or snap a photo of a team sheet to add them in seconds.
- Set your usual format (3v3 to 11v11), match length and number of periods.
2. Before kick-off
- On Home, tap Start matchday for the right squad.
- Tick who has turned up. Absent players never build up “owed” minutes.
- Pick your formation, then choose starters yourself or tap auto-pick for fair minutes.
- Optional: Share Live sends parents a private live match link. Pass the Whistle sends the match to a stand-in coach if you can’t be there.
- You can do this the night before. Your prep is kept on this phone until kick-off.
- Tap Start Match.
3. During the match
- The clock runs and every player’s minutes are tracked automatically.
- Players who need minutes are highlighted. Tap a player to make a sub, or swap several at once.
- Record goals and assists with the + buttons. Mark injuries so the player isn’t counted as “owed”.
- At the end of each period, kick off the next one when you’re ready.
4. Full time
- Tap End Match and confirm. The match saves to your season straight away.
- Pick a Player of the Match and add a report. Type it or tap the microphone and speak for 30 seconds.
- Share the report to WhatsApp for parents.
5. Player Spotlight (mid & end of season reports)
- Go to Season → Stats and tap a player.
- Tap Create Player Spotlight and choose Mid-season or End of season.
- Positive badges are worked out from their season (for example Playmaker, The Rock or Total Team Player). Untick any you don’t want.
- Mentions from your match reports are found for you, unticked. Tick the ones you want parents to see.
- Write a short summary in your own words.
- Share it to WhatsApp as a message, or download a PDF with your club colours and badge.
No signal at the pitch?
- Open Pocket Gaffer at home first, before you travel, so it’s loaded.
- The clock, subs and minutes all keep working with no signal.
- When you end the match it is saved on your phone first. A bar at the top says “saved on this phone” until it uploads.
- It uploads by itself as soon as you have signal or Wi-Fi. Just open the app again. Don’t clear your browser data before it has uploaded.
Add it to your home screen
- iPhone (Safari): tap Share, then “Add to Home Screen”.
- Android (Chrome): tap the ⋮ menu, then “Add to Home screen” or “Install app”.
- It then opens full screen like a normal app.
Still stuck?
Email hello@pocketgaffer.co.uk. I’m a grassroots coach too and reply personally.
See how it works