How to create a Match Day in Squadd

A Match Day lets you group several games together under one event when your team plays multiple fixtures on the same day, for example a festival, a tournament, or a round of cup games organised by someone else. Use this when your team is taking part in a day someone else is running. If you're the one setting the whole day's schedule for multiple teams, see Host a match day instead. You create the day first, then add your own games one by one as opponents are confirmed.

What you'll need

  • The date and rough kick-off time for the day
  • The venue name and postcode (optional, but recommended — parents get a directions link from this)
  • The game format your team will play (3v3, 5v5, 6v6, 7v7, 9v9, or 11v11)

Steps

Part 1 — Create the Match Day event

  1. Go to the Fixtures tab.

  2. Tap the green + button in the top-right corner.

    [Screenshot: Fixtures screen with the green + button visible in the top-right header. Red box around the + button.] Tap the green + button on the Fixtures screen to start creating a new event.

  3. Select "Match day (you're taking part)" from the menu.

    [Screenshot: The "Add to calendar" modal showing all five options: Single match, Match day (you're taking part), Host a match day, Import fixture list, Find a friendly. Red box around the "Match day (you're taking part)" option.] Choose "Match day (you're taking part)" when your team is playing more than one game in a day that someone else is running. If you're running the day yourself, use Host a match day instead.

  4. Enter a Title for the day (optional). This appears on the Match Day card and helps identify the event — for example, Spring Festival or League Cup Day.

  5. Set the Date for the match day.

  6. Set the First kick-off time, the start of your first game (not every game). If it isn't confirmed yet, tick Kick-off not confirmed yet (time TBC).

  7. Enter Where (optional). Once there's a venue, a Postcode box appears; add it and players and parents can tap Get directions.

  8. Check Match settings. The row shows what's set, for example 7v7 · each game 2 × 10 min halves · no squad cap. The format is your team's own (Settings → Edit team details), and each game's length copies the last match day added in that format. Tap it to change:

    • Format: 3v3, 5v5, 6v6, 7v7, 9v9 or 11v11.
    • Each game: tap a preset (10, 15, 20, 25, 30 or 40 minutes) or type the total, then choose Halves, Quarters, Thirds or No half time. Every game you add to the day starts with this, and you can change a single game on its own later.
    • Squad size cap (optional): for festivals with a registration limit. The first to say yes fill the squad and the rest go on a reserve list.

    💡 Tip — The green line under Each game shows your association's guidance for your age group, for example "The FA (from 2026/27): 7v7 for U10 and U11, 50-min match (25-min halves, or quarters)."

  9. Open Details for families (or Details for players) for the optional extras: Players arrive by, Kit, Meeting point, What to bring, Day finishes at, Notes and Coach registration (festival check-in, only coaches see it). When you publish the squad, the message to families includes the arrive-by and kick-off times.

  10. Tap Create match day.

Part 2 — Add individual matches

Your Match Day is now saved. You don't need to add every match immediately — come back and add them as opponents confirm.

  1. Tap your new Match Day card in the Upcoming Match Days section of the Fixtures screen.

[Screenshot: Fixtures screen with the new Match Day card visible in the UPCOMING MATCH DAYS section. The card shows the event title, date, kick-off time, venue, and a "0 matches" indicator.] Your Match Day appears in the Upcoming Match Days section. Tap it to open the detail view.

  1. On the Match Day detail screen, find the MATCHES section and tap "+ Add match".

[Screenshot: Match Day detail screen showing the MATCHES section header with "+ Add match" button on the right. Red box around the "+ Add match" button.] Tap "+ Add match" to add individual games to your Match Day as opponents are confirmed.

💡 Tip — If you've been invited to the Scan beta, you don't have to add every game by hand. Scan reads a photo of the organiser's schedule, pulls out your own games for you, and also picks up games between other teams if you want the full day on record. See Adding a fixture to an existing Match Day.

  1. Fill in the opponent name, kick-off time, and any other details for that game. If the game is between two other teams rather than one your team is playing in, for example you're logging the wider festival schedule, switch on the "Game between two other teams" toggle instead of entering a single opponent.

  2. Tap Create fixture.

  3. Repeat for each game as opponents confirm.

What happens next

Each match you add appears as a numbered card inside the Match Day detail screen. Tapping any match card opens the individual Fixture detail — where you can check availability, review position cover, and build a lineup for that specific game.

Players and parents can confirm their availability for the day as a whole from the AVAILABILITY FOR THE DAY section of the Match Day detail screen.

[Screenshot: Match Day detail screen showing the full view — the event info card at top, the availability strip (AVAILABLE / MAYBE / OUT / AWAITING counts), the MATCHES section with two fixture cards, and the AVAILABILITY FOR THE DAY section with player rows and availability buttons.] The Match Day detail screen — availability summary, individual match cards, and per-player availability all in one place.

Once you've got games on the day, tap Share in the Matches section to send the schedule on to parents or the wider group. See Sharing a match day schedule.

Minutes today

If your association sets a limit on how long a child can play in one day, a Minutes today card appears under your matches once the first game has finished. It lists each child who has played, most minutes first, against the limit for your age group: for example, the FAW's limit at U11 is 60 minutes per child a day, and The FA's is 90. A child with less than a whole game left is marked in amber, and anyone who has reached or gone past the limit is marked too.

It counts what was actually played, so it stays right when the day changes: if your first game is cut to 15 minutes because an opponent is late, that game counts as 15. Games count once they finish, if you recorded them live or added their minutes afterwards. When you build the lineup for your next game, the planner also marks in red anyone the plan would take past the limit.

It's a guide, not a block: you can still pick anyone. It only shows for associations that publish a daily limit (The FA at every age, and the FAW up to U13), and only coaches and admins see it.

Tips

💡 Tip — You don't need all your opponents confirmed when you create the day. Create the event as soon as the date is set to lock it into your team's calendar. Add individual matches one by one as the draw is finalised.

💡 Tip — Always add a postcode, even if the venue name makes it obvious. Parents on the touchline rely on Get directions — it opens the venue directly in Apple Maps or Google Maps.

💡 Tip — Use the Notes field for anything time-sensitive: kit colour, where to park, or who's bringing the corner flags. Everyone in the team sees this on the Match Day detail screen.

📝 Note — The format and default match length you set here apply to every game added to the day. If one of your games runs to a different format or duration, you can edit it individually from the match's Fixture detail screen.

Troubleshooting

My Match Day isn't showing on the Fixtures screen. Check that the date is in the future. Completed match days move to the Results section, not Upcoming Match Days. If the date is correct and the event still isn't showing, try closing and reopening the app.

I selected the wrong format when I created the day. Tap the Edit icon (pencil) in the header of the Match Day detail screen to change the format. This updates the default for all future matches added to the day. Individual matches that were already added may need to be updated separately.

I can't find where to add individual matches. Open the Match Day detail screen by tapping the Match Day card on the Fixtures screen. Scroll down to the MATCHES section — the "+ Add match" button is in the top-right corner of that section.

The presets don't show the length I need. Type the total minutes into the box under the presets. You can also change the length of a single game after you add it to the day.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between a Match Day and a single match?

A single match is one game against one opponent on a specific date. A Match Day groups multiple games together under one event. Your team plays several short games on the same day, one after another. If you're not sure which to use, see Which type of fixture should I create?.

Do I need to know all my opponents before I create the Match Day?

No. Create the Match Day as soon as you know the date. Add individual opponents one by one as the draw is confirmed by tapping "+ Add match" on the Match Day detail screen.

Can I change the format after I've created the Match Day?

Yes — tap the Edit icon in the Match Day detail header. Note that this changes the default format for the day. Individual matches that have already been added may need to be edited separately.

What is "First Kick-Off" — does it set the time for every game?

No. First Kick-Off is the start time of the first game of the day. Individual matches within the day have their own kick-off times, which you set when you add each game. The First Kick-Off time appears on the Match Day card so parents and players know roughly when the day starts.

Can I set individual meet-up times per match within a Match Day?

You can add a Meet at Pitch time to individual matches when you add them via "+ Add match". This tells parents the arrival time for warm-up before that specific game.

Can I delete a Match Day?

Yes, tap the Delete icon (bin, shown in red) in the Match Day detail header. This removes the entire Match Day and all individual matches within it, and cannot be undone. If the day's just been called off and you might want the record back, Cancel it instead: cancelling preserves everything and can be undone with Reinstate. See Editing or Cancelling a Fixture.

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