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.