The Manager's Playbook
Master the tactics, draft your squad, and dominate the league.
01. Foundation & Registration
Sign up in under 60 seconds. CardGradient is completely free to play. No credit card required, no hidden deposits, just pure football passion. Once registered, you will be directed to your Manager Dashboard where you can configure your profile, set your favorite club, and review the upcoming fixtures.
02. League Selection
Find a public league to test your skills against managers worldwide, or create a private league to compete with your friends and colleagues. Private leagues come with customizable draft times, trade veto settings, and custom scoring modifiers to make your office pool unique.
03. The Draft Room
The draft is where champions are forged. Select forwards, midfielders, defenders, and goalkeepers from the real-world player pool. You have a strict 60 seconds per pick. Do you prioritize a premium striker or build a rock-solid defense? Stay within your virtual budget and pick players who you think will perform best on the pitch. You cannot draft a player that another manager in your league already owns.
04. Weekly Management & Waivers
Football is unpredictable. Make tactical changes, transfer out injured players, and adapt to the weekly fixtures. Use the waiver wire to claim rising stars before your opponents do. Waiver priority resets every Tuesday morning based on the reverse order of the league standings, ensuring competitive balance.
05. Live Matchday Tracking
Watch your players score points based on their real-life performances via our live Opta integration. Goals, assists, clean sheets, and advanced metrics like xG will determine your position on the leaderboard. The stats update in real-time as the matches are played.