“We need to change something” is a familiar reaction during a match. A useful tactical call goes further: it names the problem, identifies a response and preserves the context in which you chose it. That makes the decision easier to discuss after the whistle, even if the match takes an unexpected turn.
Matchday Call’s Make a Call flow uses three steps: Diagnose, Act and Review. Here is a practical way to work through them and understand what happens to your decision afterwards.
Diagnose: describe the problem you can see
Start with a concrete observation. Is the first pass into midfield being blocked? Is an opponent receiving between the lines? Are crosses reaching too few runners? The app’s diagnosis choices cover problems in specific pitch areas as well as broader issues such as losing midfield control or a tempo that feels wrong.
Check your observation against the score, minute, player performances, Match Pulse and supported chance or pitch views. A single dangerous moment can prompt a question; repeated evidence gives you a better reason to commit. Choose the issue and area that best describe the problem.
Act: connect your response to the issue
Choose the change you think would address that diagnosis. Make a Call supports tactical responses and substitutions, with team, player or area choices where required. Keep the relationship clear: a proposed change should explain how the problem might improve. The structured review can then bring your issues, strategies and substitutions together.
In a hypothetical example, play is stalling on one flank before the switch. Moving the ball to the other side has a clear connection to that reading, although success is never guaranteed. Check the players and roles involved, and give each proposed change a distinct reason.
Review: check the decision before submitting
The final step shows your issues, selected strategies and substitutions. Read them together. Confirm the team, the affected area, and who is coming off or on. Return to an earlier step if the response no longer matches the diagnosis. Improve the draft before submitting it.
A live match can change while you are choosing. If the score changes or a new red card alters the context, the app can ask you to review and confirm again. Calls are accepted only while the relevant window is open, and submitting a live call requires sign-in. Check that the submission succeeds before treating the draft as recorded.
Explore Diagnose, Act and ReviewFollow the evidence as it develops
Your submitted call records your reading and proposed change at a particular moment. Later evidence may support it, weaken it or leave the question unresolved. The Matchday Review gives you a way to revisit those decisions once its assessment is ready. Some calls can remain pending or carry limited evidence when coverage cannot support a stronger conclusion.
Separate three questions when reflecting: was the problem present, did a relevant change occur, and what happened afterwards? A manager making a similar adjustment does not establish that your call caused it. A later goal or win also does not, by itself, prove that the proposed tactic was responsible.
Understand what counts towards your record
Only settled calls with sufficient evidence contribute to ranked Decision Scores. Rankings and My Record need a qualifying sample across settled matches, with the current requirements shown in the app. A record can still be forming while your submitted calls remain available to revisit. More submissions alone do not ensure a ranked position.
A call can be interesting to discuss without meeting the evidence threshold for comparison with other managers. Concentrate on clear observations and well-matched responses, then let the available evidence determine how confidently the app can assess them.
Learn how your record developsTry the process before your next fixture
A practice match introduces selection, making a call and reviewing it. Use it to learn the flow, then bring the same discipline to an available live fixture: name the issue, propose a response and check the decision before submission. Matchday Call is now free to download on the App Store for iPhone.
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