Adding Players to Your Squad
Overview
Your squad is the foundation of everything in Squadd — availability, lineups, match reports, and stats all depend on having players set up correctly. This article covers how coaches add players, update their details, and manage the parent-guardian links that let parents access their child's information.
Before You Start
You need to be signed in as a Coach or Team Admin to add players directly. Parents add their children via a separate self-service flow — see Linking Parents to Players below.
Adding a Player
- Tap Squad in the bottom navigation bar
- Tap the + button (top-right of the squad list)
- Fill in the player details:
| Field | Required? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Photo | Optional | Tap the photo circle to pick from your camera roll |
| First Name | Required | — |
| Last Name | Required | — |
| Primary Position | Required | GK, DEF, MID, FWD, or ALL |
| Secondary Position | Optional | Any position different from primary |
| Preferred Role | Optional | Free text, e.g. "Right Wing" — display only |
| Shirt Number | Optional | 0–99 — only shown if Kit Numbers is enabled |
| Date of Birth | Optional | Useful for age-group eligibility checks |
- Tap Save — the player appears immediately on your squad list
📸 [Screenshot: Add Player form with position chip selector]
Player photos
Tap the photo circle on the form to open your photo library. Squadd lets you crop the image to a 1:1 square before uploading. Photos appear on the squad list, in lineup views, and in the match report.
Photos are stored privately — parents can see their own child's photo but not others'.
Editing a Player
- Find the player on the Squad list
- Tap the ✏️ pencil icon on their row
- Update any field and tap Save
Coaches can edit all fields including name, shirt number, and positions. Parents can only edit their child's photo, date of birth, and preferred role — name and shirt number are coach-controlled.
Positions Explained
Squadd uses five position bands:
| Code | Label | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| GK | Goalkeeper | Locked out of rotation by default |
| DEF | Defence | Matched to defensive slots in formation |
| MID | Midfield | Matched to midfield slots |
| FWD | Forward | Matched to attacking slots |
| ALL | All Rounder | Can fill any outfield slot |
Primary position is used in lineup generation and season stats. Secondary position is shown on the squad list and can influence rotation matching when Detailed Positions is enabled.
Preferred Role (e.g. "Right Wing") is a free-text label for display only — it has no effect on how Squadd builds lineups or rotations.
Shirt Numbers
Shirt number tracking is controlled by the Kit Numbers setting on your team. If you can see a shirt number field when adding a player, Kit Numbers is enabled. If the field doesn't appear, go to Settings → Team Settings to enable it.
Shirt numbers are optional even when Kit Numbers is on — leave the field blank for players who don't have an assigned number.
Removing a Player from the Squad
Removing a player deactivates them — it does not permanently delete them. Their historical stats and match records are preserved.
- Find the player on the Squad list
- Tap the 🗑 trash icon on their row
- Confirm the action
The player will no longer appear in availability requests, lineup selections, or new match reports. They remain in the database so their historical data is intact.
💡 Reinstating a player is not currently available through the app. Contact support@squadd.co.uk if you need to reactivate a deactivated player.
Linking Parents to Players
Parents need to be linked to a player as a guardian before they can see that player's fixtures, submit availability, or view stats. There are three ways to create this link.
Method 1 — Coach links a guardian directly (recommended)
Use this when a parent is already a member of your team in Squadd.
- Find the player on the Squad list and tap ✏️ Edit
- Scroll to the Guardians section
- Tap + Add guardian
- Select the parent from the list of team members
- Tap Confirm — the link is created immediately
📸 [Screenshot: Edit Player screen showing Guardians section with Add guardian button]
Method 2 — Parent requests a link
Parents can request to be linked to an existing player themselves.
- The parent opens the Squad list
- They find their child and tap the person+ icon on that player's row
- They confirm the request — it is flagged for your review
- You will see a pending count badge on the Squad list header
- Tap Link Requests to review
- For each request you can:
- Link to player — creates the guardian link (most common)
- Create new player — if the match is incorrect and a separate player record is needed
- Reject — dismisses the request
Method 3 — Parent adds their child via "Add My Child"
If a player is not yet in your squad, a parent can add them themselves through their own account.
- The parent taps Squad → Add My Child
- They enter the child's name and details
- Squadd checks for an existing player with the same name:
- No match found: A new player is created and the parent is auto-linked as guardian
- Match found (possible duplicate): A link request is created for you to review — you then decide whether to merge with the existing player or keep them separate
💡 Best practice: Add players yourself first, then invite parents. When parents join and find their child already in the squad, they can request a link (Method 2) which avoids any duplicate player risk.
The Squad List at a Glance
Each player row on the squad list shows:
- Photo (or initials avatar if no photo)
- Name and optionally their shirt number badge
- Position labels (primary · secondary)
- Preferred role text (if set)
- Linked guardians — displayed as names below the positions
- Unavailability notice — red pill if the player is currently marked unavailable
- Your child indicator — a green "You" badge if you are a linked guardian
📸 [Screenshot: Squad list showing several players with positions, shirt numbers, and guardian names]
Team Sides
If your team has Team Sides enabled (e.g. for clubs that run A and B sides), each player can have a default side assigned. Coaches see side assignment chips on each player row and can change them directly from the squad list.
See Managing Team Sides for full details.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I import players from a spreadsheet or previous season?
Not currently. Players must be added individually. For large squads, you can add them quickly by entering just the name and primary position — other details can be filled in later.
Can two guardians be linked to the same player?
Yes — a player can have multiple guardians (e.g. both parents). Each guardian has independent access to that player's data.
Can I change a player's position mid-season?
Yes — edit the player at any time and update the primary or secondary position. Season stats are not retroactively recalculated for matches already played.
A parent can't find their child on the squad list — what do I check?
Make sure the parent is a member of your Squadd team first (they need to have joined via an invite link). Then confirm the player is active on your squad. If both are true, they can use the person+ button or contact you to link them directly.
I accidentally removed a player — can I undo it?
Not through the app. Contact support@squadd.co.uk and we can reactivate the player for you.
What is "Preferred Role" used for?
It's a display-only label visible to coaches and parents on the squad list and player profile. It has no effect on lineup generation, rotation, or stats. Use it for fine-grained notes like "Right Back", "Defensive Mid", or "False Nine".