--- title: "Guide: Match Day" description: "Guide: Match Day" url: https://support.goalunited.org/en/articles/177-guide-match-day collection: "Starter Guides" updated: 2026-10-20 language: en alternates: [fr, de, it, pl, es, tr] --- # Guide: Match Day Guide: Match Day League matches are played every Wednesday and Saturday. This guide covers everything that happens on the day of a match: effort, the referee, cards, and the live ticker. ## **Effort Levels** The effort slider controls how hard your players push. Higher effort improves performance but costs more energy and raises the risk of cards and injuries.

Effort

Energy Required

Energy Used per Match (endurance >90)

50% — Minimal

None required

~1.4

75% — Low

25 energy

~3.1

100% — Normal

50 energy

~4.9

125% — High

75 energy

~6.9

150% — Maximum

100 energy

~9.2

If a player's energy is below the required threshold for the effort level you set, they suffer the negatives (card risk, energy drain, injury risk) without the performance gains. > **Warning:** The most common beginner mistake is using high effort every match. Your physio cannot recover energy fast enough to sustain it. Use 100% as your standard; save 125–150% for genuinely important matches. > **Info:** Players with lower endurance burn energy faster than the table above shows. Endurance training helps reduce this gap over time. ## **The Referee** Every match is assigned a referee with one of three reputations, typically revealed shortly before kick-off:

Referee Type

Implication

Easygoing

Less likely to issue yellow or red cards. High effort is safer than usual.

Balanced

Average card frequency. Normal precautions apply.

Fussy

More likely to issue cards. Consider lowering effort, especially if key players are on 2 yellows.

> **Info:** Referee type does not guarantee card-free football. An aggressive player at any effort level can still receive a card, even from an easygoing referee. ## **Yellow & Red Cards** ### **What Increases Card Risk** - Higher effort - the biggest single factor. - Aggressive or spirited personality players - naturally prone to cards. - Playing for Free Kicks half-time card - players may get caught diving. - Fussy referee. ### **Card Rules by Competition**

Competition

Suspension After

Cards Reset

League

3 yellow cards

End of season (count for relegation playoffs)

National Cup

2 yellow cards

End of cup run

International Masters

2 yellow cards

Each IM season

United events

N/A — 2nd yellow in same match = 1 match ban

After each match

A red card removes the player from the current match and suspends them for the next match in the same competition. It does not clear their accumulated yellow cards for the season. Cards are tracked separately per competition. A league red card does not affect a cup match the following week. > **Info:** Special staff Daniel Kent (Tactics Coach) reduces yellow cards in all matches by 20%. He can be won through the weekly Top Team 'Tactics United' challenge. ## **The Live Ticker** Watch your match live at Matches → Live Ticker. The page shows pitch activity on the left and key events (goals, cards, subs, injuries) at the top. - Premium users can follow up to 5 simultaneous matches. - The flash table shows a live league table assuming all current matches end as they stand. - You can play a half-time action card directly in the live ticker — drag it into the slot before 50 minutes after kick-off. > **Info:** If you have more than 10 matches live simultaneously, not all appear in the live ticker list. Access missing matches through Matches → All Fixtures → timer icon. ## **Friendly & Practice Matches** Besides official fixtures, you have one friendly (Tuesday) and one practice match (Sunday) per week. Use these to: - Give players extra experience (+0.25 XP per 120 minutes played). - Improve endurance gradually. - Test formations and tactics without risking league points. > **Warning:** Players lose just as much energy in friendly matches as in official ones. Always set effort to minimal or low for friendlies. > **Info:** Practice matches cost 150 GU STARS or Practice match coupon to initiate. If nobody accepts your challenge, your Stars are refunded. [Starter Guides](https://support.goalunited.org/collections/31)