Cover by Position — Understanding Positional Shortfalls
Overview
Before building your lineup, the fixture detail screen shows a Cover by Position breakdown — how many confirmed-available players you have at each position. Red highlights flag any position where you're short for your format, so you can chase availability or adjust the lineup before match day.
Where to Find It
Open a fixture and scroll below the availability summary (Available / Maybe / Out / Awaiting counts). The Cover by Position grid appears whenever at least one player has confirmed available.
The grid shows four cards:
| Card | Players counted |
|---|---|
| GK | Players with Goalkeeper as primary position |
| DEF | Players with Defence as primary position |
| MID | Players with Midfield as primary position |
| FWD | Players with Forward as primary position |
All-Rounders (players with the ALL position) count toward every category simultaneously — they're included in all four counts.
📸 [Screenshot: Cover by Position grid on fixture detail, showing one red DEF card indicating a shortfall]
What "Short" Means
Each card turns red and shows a Short label when the available count falls below the minimum for your team's format:
| Format | GK min | DEF min | MID min | FWD min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5v5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 7v7 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 9v9 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 11v11 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
A red card doesn't mean the match can't go ahead — it means Squadd's auto-suggested lineup will need to put players out of their preferred positions to fill the gap. It's a prompt to act before match day, not an error.
What to Do When You're Short
Chase availability first. Tap Nudge X unresponded to send a reminder to parents who haven't responded yet. Some "maybe" players may be willing to commit when they know you need cover in a specific position.
Adjust the formation. If you genuinely don't have a midfielder, open the lineup builder and shift to a formation with fewer midfield slots. For example, moving from 2-3-2 to 3-2-2 on a 7v7 reduces the midfield requirement from 3 to 2.
Play out of position. Select an All-Rounder or a player from an adjacent position to cover the gap. The lineup builder lets you place any available player into any slot regardless of their primary position.
Only Confirmed Available Players Count
The Cover by Position grid only shows players who have responded Available. Players who responded Maybe or who haven't responded are excluded. This gives you a conservative, reliable count of who you can definitely build a lineup around.
If you include "maybe" players in your plans, bear in mind the count may be higher than shown — but chase confirmations rather than plan around uncertainties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my GK count showing 0 even though my goalkeeper said they're coming?
Check that the player's primary position is set to GK on their player profile. If their position is set to DEF or ALL, they won't count in the GK card. Edit the player's profile to set the correct primary position.
The grid doesn't appear at all — why?
Cover by Position only shows when at least one player has confirmed available. If nobody has responded yet, the grid won't display.
One of my players can play multiple positions — are they counted in both?
Players with a primary position count only toward that position (e.g. DEF). Players with an ALL primary or secondary position count toward all four. Secondary positions are not counted separately — only primary and ALL.
I'm short on midfielders but the lineup builder seems to have filled the slots anyway — how?
The auto-suggestion falls back to All-Rounders, then to any available player, if not enough position-specific players are available. The Cover by Position warning highlights the gap; the lineup builder still makes its best attempt.