HOW TO PLAY KICKABOUT
KICKABOUT is a Play-by-internet simulation of all the troubles, joys and demands of being
the manager of a football team. To simulate this Kickabout (KA) has a number of game
aids to enable the simulation to run smoothly and to take the mundane bits out of the
game mechanics.
So how is the game organised? Well, firstly there are a number of computer programs that
help you to organise the data and play the game. Firstly, there is TEAMPICK. This
program allows you to select your team for each match, organise your tactics, scout other
teams and generally prepare your club for the week (session) ahead. Perhaps more
importantly, Teampick knows the rules very well indeed, and therefore it error checks your
orders for you to prevent mistakes, silly or worse, that might cost you dearly indeed! It
produces a file (called a .kai file) that is sent to us with your orders for the coming session
(a session might well comprise of more than one match/ opponent). TEAMPICK, and
instructions can be downloaded from our dedicated web-site www.teampick.co.uk
Secondly, there is SHOMATCH. This program allows you to watch the results of each
session's matches on your computer screen in a ticker-tape style final results vide-printer.
We send you a DISPLAY (plus an Index) file which Shomatch uses to display the matches
for you to watch. You can either watch just your matches, selected matches, or all
matches, it is up to you! SHOMATCH, and instructions can be downloaded from our
dedicated web-site www.teampick.co.uk
Before installing these programs PLEASE ensure that you read the help guides on the
teampick.co.uk web-site!!
All you then need to get going is to download and install these programs, set-up and
register your team (see the next page), and you are on your way to the best internet
football simulation that you could ever hope to become involved with.
We will then put your new team in the next available league that starts. We will send you a
FIXTURE SCHEDULE for that league when it starts, though later in the site there is a
specimen fixture list for you to have a look at.
Each Session thereafter you will be sent a Shomatch DISPLAY file (plus the attached
INDEX file necessary to run the Shomatch programs), an update file for your Teampick
program (showing the current stats of your team (called a ***.KIK file)), a hardcopy file
(called a ***.RTF file), which you can either print out or view on your screen separately with
not only your team stats but also the results and reports from the session. Lastly, you will
receive a file that will include all the results of all the teams from that session in all
competitions, along with league stats, tables, transfers and auction details.
Much to take in all at once, but try to take it easy, play a few turns, and gradually get yourself
into the game. One tip to remember here is that tro start with all divisions in the league with are
equal, division one is not better than division three and at the end of the first season the
top teams in EACH division will form the league make up for the following season (after
that promotion and relegation will be the same each season). Therefore, although it is nice
to win something in the first season, in the long run you are planning for season two and
the future, not season one, so look at the first season as a team-building one, a learning
season, and don't take success as too serious an ambition. You wanna be at the top in
future seasons not the first one.