How MatchDay works: the whole match day in one app

MatchDay is built for one thing: making match day easier for the football coach. From setting up the squad to sharing the match report afterwards, everything happens on the phone - no login, no cloud and no scraps of paper flapping in the wind. In this walkthrough we go step by step through how the app actually works.

Everything is on your own phone

The first thing that sets MatchDay apart from many other tools is that the app is "offline-first". Teams, players, matches and statistics are stored locally on your device. You don't need an account, and the app works even if you're standing on a gravel pitch with no signal. It also means you own your data yourself - nothing is gathered in a cloud you don't control.

In return, you're the one responsible for the backup. That's why the app has flexible ways to export, share and move data, which we'll come back to further down.

Get started in five minutes

The first time, you create a team in the Profile tab, give it a name - for example "U12 Lyn" - and add the players. With Premium you can have several teams in the same app and switch between them from the team selector at the top.

If you want to add a whole squad, you don't have to type in each player manually. With Smart import you can paste a list, copy rows from Excel, or take a photo of a team list - and the app reads off the names and shirt numbers for you. You always get an editable preview before anything is added, so you're fully in control.

On each player card you can optionally set a skill rating from 1 to 10, mark availability and write a short note. These are used later by team selection and smart substitutions, but are entirely optional.

Set up the match - or let the app suggest the team

A new match is set up with the opponent, home or away, format (5-a-side, 7-a-side, 8-a-side, 9-a-side or 11-a-side) and half length. You tick who's in the squad, and can mark attendance to leave out those who aren't coming.

Not quite sure who should start? Tap "Suggest lineup". The app sets up the starting eleven and bench in seconds - either in Competition mode, which prioritises the best available players in each position, or Balanced mode, which evens out playing time over the season. Each player gets a short explanation, and nothing is applied until you tap "Use this lineup".

During the match: record everything with one tap

Once the match is under way, you get a large clock, the scoreline and the players placed on a pitch. The match screen is built to record events quickly, without you taking your eyes off the play:

• One tap on a player opens a quick menu with goal, card and substitution.
• Double-tap records a goal straight away, and sends you right to the assist picker.
• Hold and drag a player to move position, swap places, or set up a substitution down to the bench.

The time each player is on the pitch is counted automatically, and all substitutions, goals, assists and cards land in the match timeline. The clock pauses by itself at half-time, and when you tap "End match" everything is saved automatically in the history.

Smart substitution and AI coach

In the heat of the match it's hard to work out who has played the least. The "Smart substitution" button does it for you: it suggests who should be substituted now, based on playing time in the match, positions and how much each player has played previously. You choose the aim for the substitutions - fair playing time or the strongest possible team - and can lock the goalkeeper for the half.

With Premium you can also ask for an AI suggestion that takes the state of the match into account and gives a short explanation. If you're on the free plan, or without signal, you always get the local suggestion that's calculated on the phone itself. Either way, you're the one who decides - no substitution happens until you confirm it.

Statistics, history and AI insights

Everything you record builds up the statistics: goals, assists, matches played, minutes on the pitch and goals per match. You can filter by season and by team, and tap a player for detailed history.

MatchDay also has an AI assistant that reads your own match data and sums it up in short insights - a season insight at the top of the statistics, a short match report after each match, and a monthly report per player. An important principle: the numbers are always checked against your actual match data, so the AI never "makes up" results. You can edit the match report before sharing it as a message to the parents' group.

Share with the rest of the coaching team

Because the data is stored locally, the app has several ways to share. A QR code shares the squad quickly with an assistant. A file export (.json) takes absolutely everything - all teams, players, seasons and the entire match history - perfect as a backup or when you change phone.

If several coaches are to follow the same team over time, you create a team code with a password. Then everyone stays up to date on the same squad and statistics, with roles such as team manager, co-manager and member. Player ratings are kept private - only team managers can see them.

Fixtures straight from fotball.no - and reminders before the match

If your team plays league matches in Norway, you can connect the team's FiksID and fetch the official fixture list directly from fotball.no: dates, opponent, pitch and home/away straight into the schedule. Syncing only happens when you tap the button, and the official programme is kept separate from the matches you've played, so your statistics never get muddled.

Also new are match reminders: the app can remind you of the matches in your schedule the evening before and just before kick-off - including matches you add yourself for teams outside Norway. It's free for everyone and is switched on under Profile.

Free or Premium

MatchDay is free to use for match management: you can set up matches, record events and see the last 10 matches without paying. Premium unlocks unlimited history, more teams, advanced statistics and all the AI features - Smart import, AI lineup, AI coach for substitutions, AI insights and stats chat. The subscription is managed via App Store or Google Play, and can be cancelled at any time.

In short: MatchDay brings the whole match day together - squad, lineup, live recording, playing time, statistics and sharing - in one tool that's made to be used with one hand, from the sideline, when it matters most.