One physical ball. Build an attack, win it back at its real position, then launch your own move.
How to play
Choose your manager and a rival before kickoff. Each has a small card-effect modifier, a distinct AI approach, and animated touchline reactions with character-specific dialogue.
All movement, shooting zones and manager yardage effects use a clean five-yard grid. Manager boosts change one recognisable tactical strength rather than adding fiddly one-, two- or three-yard adjustments.
Every kickoff holds at the centre spot for three seconds before either side can make the first move.
Every forward move gives the opposition one response: play a legal defence card or discard. A clean defensive regain flows directly into the ball-winner's attacking turn, matching the original two-ball reaction rhythm.
The side with the ball can attack, shoot or discard. After every forward move, the other side gets a genuine defensive turn: Tackle can always be played, while specialist defence cards become stronger reactions inside their clearly marked activation zones.
Tiny players shift shape around the oversized ball. Their runs, pressing and challenges illustrate the card action; the ball's yard marker remains the exact game position.
The most recently played card remains displayed on the right touchline until the next card replaces it.
Tackle is the dependable response to any completed forward move and wins the ball where it stops. Game Changer can do the same on a defensive turn. Offside Trap and Clearance are rarer positional upgrades with additional movement.
A Tackle or Interception wins the ball at its real pitch position: if the opponent was 18 yards from your goal, you begin 82 yards from theirs. There is no free 25-yard launch.
Only explicit ball-moving effects add territory on a regain: Offside Trap +10, Clearance +25, Save distribution +10 and Punched Clear +35. Your first forward card after any regain gets +10 transition momentum.
A held Counter Attack can be the new possessor's next attacking card, but it uses that turn rather than firing for free.
Hover or keyboard-focus a shooting card to preview its clearly labelled range on the pitch. A gold arc carries a manager bonus, so the two ends can differ; its label names the manager and bonus. An ordinary Save parries the shot and leaves the attacker in possession for another attacking turn; Punched Clear, Game Changer Save and Professional Foul secure the ball. Every save and defensive reaction uses one turn from the match clock.
Every straight red is a match-long penalty and stacks: one red reduces the normal five-card hand to four, while a second reduces it to three. Hand size and maximum hand capacity each fall by one per red, down to a two-card minimum. Fresh hands after goals and at half-time keep every active reduction.
After every goal, both sides receive fresh hands and the conceding side kicks off from halfway. A held Injury Time card remains with its owner and occupies one of that fresh hand's slots.
Match sound begins after your first click. Use the speaker button beside Pace to mute it, or adjust the volume slider.
From roughly 70 minutes, the trailing side can go All Out once per match—but only while it has possession on its attacking turn. Trade three random non-Injury cards for two attacking cards, surge 10 yards and still play your turn.
The gamble gives the opposition two random cards above its normal hand limit, and the All Out side cannot save until either team scores. It creates a real chance to equalise and a real danger of being caught.
Injury Time cannot be discarded or lost in a redeal. Once drawn, it belongs to that manager through goals and half-time, but it can only be played in the second half. Playing it then adds 12 turns and removes it for the rest of the match; holding it denies the opponent but occupies a hand slot.
The second half includes four ordinary stoppage-time turns, taking a normal match to roughly 90+3 even if Injury Time is never played.
Hand badges always show why either side has more or fewer cards than the normal five-card deal.
KICKOFF
Half
1st Half
Match clock
0'
60 turns left
Discipline
-
YOU0–0AI
☀️Perfect Evening
AI: Balanced
-
AI attack: 50 yards from goalYour attack: 50 yards from goal
Your handYou: 5 · normal dealAI: 5 · normal deal
Both sides begin with the normal five-card deal.
0
Match log
Deck intel & discard pile
Total discarded: 0
Empty
Full card count and discard history
“Unseen” cards are in the draw pile or AI hand. This supports card counting without revealing hidden information.
How to play
One ball, two managers and a shared deck. Move into range, create shots and score more goals before full time.
1 · When you have the ball
Play Pass, Through Ball or Long Ball to move closer to goal. The yard counter tells you how far remains. You may discard instead if you want to cycle a card.
2 · After every pass
The defending team gets one response: challenge with a legal defensive card or discard. If they fail to win it, the attacker takes the next turn.
3 · Winning the ball
Tackle and Game Changer can answer any completed forward move. Interception answers risky passes. Offside Trap and Clearance work only in the ranges printed on their cards.
4 · Shooting and saving
Shoot when the ball is inside the card's range. A normal Save parries it and the attacker may shoot again. Punched Clear, Game Changer and Professional Foul stop the attack and win possession.
5 · Position and momentum
The ball stays at its real position when possession changes. Your first forward card after a regain receives +10 transition momentum, creating counterattacks.
6 · Goals and the clock
After a goal, both teams draw fresh hands and the conceding side kicks off. The second half includes normal stoppage time; a held Injury Time card can add another 12 turns once the second half begins.
Managers
Each manager improves one recognisable tactic. Card text and highlighted pitch lines include the live bonus, so the number you see is the number used.
All Out Attack
Late in the match, a trailing team can trade three cards for two attacks and surge forward—but the opponent gains two bonus cards and you cannot save until the next goal.
Useful: Hover or focus any card—even one you cannot currently play—to enlarge it and preview relevant pitch ranges. The latest played card stays beside the pitch, while the match log keeps the full rules explanation.
Choose your manager
Every manager has a small tactical strength and a matching trade-off. Choose from all five.
Want a human opponent?Create a private room and share its code.