Help

Welcome to the Help section. I hope you are able to find the answers to any questions you may have here. But if you still need some support please enquire either on the Message Board or contact an Admin:

	Name	Position	Contact
	Ian Foletto	Gamesmaster
	Sonia Pettena	Gamesmaster
	Enrico Tassoni	Gamesmaster
	John Bishop	Administrator
	George Georgiou	Administrator
	Jon Smart	Moderator
	Neil Roberts	Moderator
	Niko Tahvanainen	Moderator

Gameplay

Getting Started
Matchdays
Competitions
Player Attributes
Strategies/Tactics
Manager Points
Suspensions
Absence
Finances
Prize Money
Transfer Rules
Wages & Contracts
Private Transfer
Team Selection
Stadium & Ticket Pricing
Youth Academy
Changing Teams
Cheating/Abusive Behaviour

Getting Started

To join In The Net you need to be registered at itnsoccer.com. You then need to login and click on the In The Net logo to access the application form. Make sure you enter your full name and a valid Internet Service Provider e-mail address. This, along with other data, is used to verify that you are a legitimate applicant. If you are accepted you will receive e-mail confirmation with a Registration Code, usually within 24 hours. Please note: it is strictly forbidden to have more than one team or to log into another manager's account without permission. Anyone found trying to use or get another account will be punished and possibly banned from the game.

You will now be an official manager in the In The Net world. Your first job is to find a job, which you can do by accessing the Managerless Teams part of the Teams & Managers page. You can only apply for one team at a time. If you apply for a bottom-level team then you will have the option to takeover straight away. For other teams you will need to wait until the next matchday is played to find out if you were successful. Note: Teams are not allocated first-come first-serve, it is based mainly on manager points accumulated during a career. So if as a new manager you apply for a big club you will probably find that a current manager beats you to it.

You must head straight for club management, the International sides are only available to experienced managers (with at least 5,000 manager points). Club sides play approximately twice as many matches as Internationals and can play up to three times a week. You have full control over a first team and reserve/under-21 side. With club teams there's also the requirement to set training for all your players, handle contract renewals and make any transfers that you wish, among other challenges.

So, you've just been appointed as manager of your first team. First off you will want to familiarise yourself with the team's position in competitions. Check when the next match is on the Match Preview page and look at the League Tables. Then take a look at your Squad. Use mainly the SOA (Sum Of Attributes) value to begin with to sort your best players into the first team and the rest into the reserves. Check the wages of the players, if some are very excessive (25,000+) you should consider selling them, or re-negotiating their contract. Some may also be getting close to the end of their contract. Go to the player page and use the drop-down menu to Renew a player's contract or do this via the Instant Transfers page.

Now, and before every match, you will probably want to make Team Selections and check on Tactics. You should also keep an eye on how players are doing in Training, making changes if players are not progressing well. There are many other options available of course (not least of all transfers) but just keeping up with these main items will do for starters. It is highly recommended that you visit the Message Board to keep up with the latest developments and get helpful information from other managers.

Many of your private pages, e.g. Team Selection, Fixture List etc, have a drop-down menu at the top to switch between your First Team and Reserves/Under-21s. Do not neglect your second string. Fines will be incurred for not keeping enough players in the reserve squad and it provides a valuable opportunity to give young players experience and to improve their skills, and to try out different formations and tactics.

Matchdays

Matchdays are when events occur, including matches. There are 3 matchdays every week and 78 matchdays per season (i.e. 26 weeks). The main matchday each week is on a Sunday evening (deadline 6pm UK Time). There are always international matches on this day but it is also when all the weekly events occur like some transfers, expenses paid (e.g. wages), contract length reductions etc. The other matchdays are Wednesday and Friday evening (both deadline 6pm UK Time). Note: Matchday times are subject to change! After each matchday you may receive various reports from your staff, which you can see in the Messages page. Training occurs every matchday, as do manager appointments/sackings.

Competitions

The club league is structured in a pyramid system. The best division is the Premier. This is fed by 2 divisions A1 and A2 (level A) which are each fed by 2 lower divisions (level B) and so on. The league tables pages for each division provide information on promotion, relegation and playoffs. In matches 3 points are awarded for a win or 1 for a draw as in real life. Every team plays every other in the division twice, once home and once away. The league table is ordered by points, goal-difference and then goals scored.

The international league is straight up and down like a traditional league system. The best division is the Premier. Each division has 8 teams, the top 2 are promoted one level, the bottom 2 relegated one level. The rules are as for the club league.

The ITN Cup is one massive cup competition for every club team in Level C or above. The whole way through it is a single-leg knock-out competition which means if a match ends in a draw it goes to extra time and, if necessary, penalties (no replays).

Each level of the club league from Level C up has its own Level Cup. This begins with group stages where the participants are split into groups of 4 who play each other home and away (6 games) with the top 2 in the group progressing to a knock-out competition (with same rules as ITN Cup).

The International and U-21 International Cups are organised the same as the club Level Cups with a group stage then knock-out.

All teams have an opportunity to play friendlies at some points during the season, for example, when a team has been knocked out of a cup. Friendlies can be arranged from the Friendlies page which shows the dates you have available. You will only be able to arrange friendlies against teams who are also available on the same matchday.

Player Attributes

The attribute system is designed to provide the greatest amount of realism without being too difficult to master. Each player is rated in 10 visible attributes:
Keeping - Goalkeeping skills such as shot-stopping and handling
Tackling - Ability to dispossess an opponent without fouling
Passing - Passing skill such as accuracy and range of passes
Shooting - Competence at striking for goal including shot technique, power and accuracy
Ball Control - Skill at receiving passes and keeping control of the ball when dribbling
Athleticism - General athletic ability including pace, strength and balance
Heading - Overall heading skill like technique and timing
Intelligence - Football brain, creative ability and anticipating events
Mentality - Professionalism and ability to handle pressure
Set Plays - General ability at offensive dead-ball situations

Each of these is rated from 0-7 or None to Legendary ability. These are points at which your coaches can judge a player to have "significantly" reached, but you should note that there is a time where a player is in-between levels. So, for example, two players may both be rated Good at Keeping, but one may be close to Average, the other close to Excellent, and the variance can in fact make a big difference.

Players can be trained in most of the attributes to try and improve their ability in that area. Intelligence and Mentality are two that cannot be trained. These attributes are things that can only be learnt over time. There are also some hidden attributes plus two equally important properties of players: Footedness and Height. Footedness really determines which side of the pitch a player should play on. Predominantly right-footed players will find it easier to receive passes, dribble and play the ball on the right side. Height can have a variety of effects. For example, it can improve a players' ability to win a header, however it can also make controlling the ball in tight situations more difficult.

A players' ratings in attributes has a direct effect on their recommended position. Just to clarify, the position given is not the only position(s) a player can be used, it is a derived set of positions which are suggested as appropriate for the current values of a players' attributes. Furthermore, changes in a player's attributes will effect the recommended position. You should decide for yourself what positions your players are best suited to. Young players in particular are difficult to pin to a certain position ("-" means no recommendation for position), but they can be trained up. Keeping, Tackling, Passing and Shooting are probably the four most position-oriented attributes and give a good idea as to whether a player should be a Goalkeeper, Defender, Midfielder or Striker respectively.

Sum of Attributes (SOA) is a figure requested for by managers and is (as the name suggests) the sum of the values for the ten attributes of a player. SOA is a useful guide but remember that it is not a figure that is used in the match simulation, the actual attribute ratings are what is important, so SOA can be misleading. For example, two strikers may have the same SOA but one may be Good at Heading the other Good at Keeping, as the striker doesn't need to do any goalkeeping the good headerer is much better.

There are also some hidden attributes which will affect a player's performance and behaviour.

Strategies/Tactics

The Formation and Tactics you employ for matches plays a vital part in your management role, in fact its probably the most important part of your job. You need to try and select the best settings, not just for your own team, but to counteract your opponent.

Firstly you need to decide what Formation and Attacking Strategy will work well together, and this will determine the strength of your overall attacking play. Your strategy will also be a key influence in what your players do in the match, for example, if you select Long Ball then your players will look to play long balls as much as possible. The different strategies are now discussed in brief:

Centre Attack - play is focussed towards the middle with central players having more of the ball, so it helps to have more players in central areas of attack. Filling the same area with defensive players can quash a centre attack.
Counter Attack - only effective against very attacking sides. May mean only having a small % of possession and chances but the likelyhood of scoring given a chance is very high as your opponent is caught out. Not being too offensive can make counter attacks against you unlikely.
Long Ball - can cause an inadequate defence all sorts of problems and you need to have both attackers that can control the long balls and defensive players who can deliver them. May mean more misplaced passes but those that are successful can be crucial. Picking a suitable defence and cutting off the supply are key requirements to defend against this tactic.
Passing - just holding onto the ball can be a good way to weaken your opponent, both physically and in the number of opportunities, and should result in a high possession %. But your play will also be fairly easy to defend against so good chances may not be that frequent.
Side Attack - play is focussed towards the wing with such players having more of the ball and putting in crosses, so it helps to have more wide players in attack. Filling the same area with defensive players can limit side attacks.

You can see that your choice of Defensive Strategy is very important for counteracting your opponent's setup. Your choice of General Play also plays a key role in how strong you are in both attack and defence. Looking at your opponent's recent matches and trying to make an educated guess at what formation/strategies they use is important to get consistent results and (hopefully) win trophies.

Which formation and strategies you choose is where your management skill comes in. You may want to have a setup which suits your players' abilities/preferred positions. There may be certain tactics that you want to stick to against all opponents, or perhaps you'll choose to play differently against different teams. To begin with it is recommended that you use a simple 4-4-2 and try not to change too many things at once.

Manager Points

Every match a manager plays they are awarded a certain number of Manager Points. This is, if you like, equivalent to a manager's reputation. The number of points awarded depend on a number of factors including match level, round, result and goals scored/conceeded. Manager Points are not necessarily important but they can be used to compare managers' achievements in the game and do make a big difference when applying for jobs. Also, only managers with over 5,000 career points can manage and International side and you must have at least 10,000 to be able to apply to manage an International team part-time (Note: This is the only way you can have more than one team in the game).

Suspensions

In matches players may receive yellow and/or red cards. In either case they have shown indiscipline and as punishment players are given suspensions. For a straight red card players are banned for 3 matches. A yellow then red in the same match will incur a two-match suspension and for every five yellow cards collected in first team or reserve/under-21 games a player will get a two-game ban. Players are banned from first team matches, and any friendlies the team plays in between will not count towards reducing a suspension and the player will not be able to feature in these games. Note: Yellow cards in friendlies don't get added to a player's tally for the season, but sending offs still result in the same penalties as above.

Absence

If a manager does not login for more than 2 weeks without notification they will no longer be manager of a team and the position will be made available for re-management.

Please use the Manager - Settings to set your Absence Start and End date if you will not be able to login and submit team selections for a short period of time, but still wish to remain manager of a team. During your absence the same team as you selected before you left will play, unless there are injuries or suspensions when the computer will choose replacements.

Your players' contracts will continue decreasing during your absence so make sure you've renewed any that have only a few weeks remaining before you go.

Finances

Club managers must look after their finances, detailed information is provided on the Club Finances page. Trying to maintain a weekly profit (before transfers) is the main aim, but particularly in a week where you've had a home league match. Income is received from the following:
- Attendance Money - gained from playing matches (split 75%/25% in league games, 50%/50% in cup or friendlies). You set the ticket price for first team matches on the Stadium page. Tickets for reserve games are a quarter of this price
- Transfers Out
- Prize Money (see help section below on prize money for more details)
- Advertising/Merchandise/TV Income (amount dependent on club level, i.e. Premier, A, B...)
- Decreasing stadium capacity

Expenses:
- Ground Maintenance/Staff Expenditure (amount dependent on stadium size)
- Player Wages (if a player is on loan the team he is on loan with pays 100% of the player's wages)
- Transfers In
- Fines (any club that fails to select a squad of at least 11 eligible players for a first team or reserve match will receive a GBP 150,000 fine)
- Increasing stadium capacity
- Youth Academy

Prize Money

Prize money is earned by club teams by finishing in the top 4 of all first team club competitions, the winnings are as follows:

Transfer Rules

- Once you have bought a player or renewed their contract they cannot be sold for 10 weeks (this is the Resale value shown on the squad page)
- When a player signs a contract they will tell you if they intend to retire at the end of it
- You cannot sell retiring players if they have less than 10 weeks remaining on their contract, but you can release them for half the normal fee
- You cannot loan a player for more than the remaining weeks on their contract
- You cannot sell a player privately that you have put on the transfer list
- You cannot sign a new player if you have a squad of 50 players (not including loans in/out)

Wages & Contracts

The best way to get an idea of the ideal wage and contract length to offer a player is to look at similar players in your team and on the transfer list. Those on the transfer list ask for fair and low wages for their ability which means that (a) They are good to buy if you're concerned about keeping wages low and (b) If one of your players is demanding very high wages you may want to sell him on the transfer list if no-one wants to pay their wages when buying privately.

Wages can vary between GBP 250 per week to about GBP 50,000 with the average player wanting between GBP 10,000-20,000. Obviously the better a player is the more they will want. Other factors such as age can also affect a player's demands with older players tending to expect more money in return for their added experience. Free agents will divulge the minimum wage they expect although you may want to offer more if you think there will be competition for the player. Be careful though, if you offer too much your board will not sanction the bid.

Contract lengths can be up to 120 weeks (about 4 seasons) but most players won't want to commit themselves for more than 3 seasons. If a player tells you how long a contract they want it is recommended to accept that or less. Generally, the better the player, the less time they'll want to be tied down to the same contract.

Private Transfer

There are two ways to buy/sell players with other teams. The Transfer List and Private Deals. The Transfer List is updated weekly with players who are placed onto it during the week before via the Weekly Transfers page. Players are listed at a certain price and will not be sold for less. You may place two players on the list per week and bid for two players currently on it per week. As previously mentioned, transfer listed players cannot be sold privately. To quickly make a bid for a player on the Transfer List or Free Agents List click on the arrow '>' to the far left.

Private deals are those agreed directly between two managers, via the messaging system, the message board or e-mail etc. A fee is agreed for a player. Both managers should now use the Instant Transfers page to submit the same deal - 1) Select the deal type (purchase/sell) from your perspective, 2) select the other team 3) select the player and enter the fee (in 1000s of GBP, no commas, e.g. "2500" = GBP 2,500,000 or 2.5m).

The proposed deal will then be displayed on the Instant Transfers page, with the current status. Both teams must submit the same deal, then the buying club must agree a contract with the player, then the selling club must confirm the deal. Either side can cancel the transfer at any time before completion (and may need to if the contract is rejected). Note: If you want to do a swap deal you should make sure both players have agreed contracts before either team confirms the deals. You can do a maximum of 3 private deals per week, any unused deals are not carried over. Using the same method you can submit an Instant loan deal except that no contract negotiations are required (Note: a club must pay the wages of a player they have taken on loan).

Team Selection

The players listed on the Team Selection page are those available to select for the next match (i.e. injured and suspended players are not shown). Use the drop-down boxes in the far-left column to make selections. The first 11 positions are those for your currently selected formation (editable on the Tactics page). No two players can have the same position. You can also allocate 5 substitutes, the actions and events for which can be modified on the Substitutions page:

You can set potential substitutions that will occur during your next match. Each row corresponds to one potential substitution. The first two columns set the conditions for making a substitution, set both to Any to void that row (no substitution). Example 1: If you set Minutes to 60 and Event to Any then the substitution will be made after 60 mins. Example 2: Minutes set to 60 and Event to Losing by 1 then the score will be checked after 60 mins, and if you are losing by 1 goal then the substitution will be made, otherwise not, even if you are losing by 1 goal later in the match. Example 3: Minutes set to Any and Event to Losing by 1 then at the first point you are losing by 1 goal (if that happens) the substitution will be made, even if after 1 minute or 90.

In the other two columns you select the player who will leave the pitch and player to replace him. The names shown correspond to the players selected on the Team Selection page. A substitution cannot be carried out if the player has already left the pitch (i.e. in another subsitution or been sent off). Also a maximum of 3 substitutions can be made during a match, and these will be the first 3 applicable. Remember to click on the Submit button to save your substitution settings.

Stadium & Ticket Pricing

From the Stadium page you can change the club's ticket price for competitive first team matches between GBP 10-30, just make a selection from the drop-down menu. Decreasing the price will encourage more fans to come to matches but you may make more money with a higher price and still fill the stadium. Supporters are charged a quarter of this figure for friendly or reserve team matches. Changes will have immediate effect, i.e. determine ticket price for the next match.

On this page you can also initiate a change in the capacity of the stadium. Enter either a positive or negative number in the change textbox to suggest increasing or decreasing the capacity by that amount respectively. Click on Submit and the board of directors will report on the potential costs/profit and time to complete the construction and let you know if they will allow the development to go ahead. If they will, you can now click on Submit again to confirm the capacity change. If you increase the capacity you will be charged in full immediately and the capacity will not change until work is complete. If you decrease, the capacity will be reduced immediately and you will not receive any money until work is completed.

Increase or decrease and respective cost or profit: Between 0-9,999 capacity seats are valued at GBP 300 each, between 10,000 and 19,999 capacity seats are valued at GBP 850 each, between 20,000 and 29,999 capacity seats are valued at GBP 1,400 each, and over 30,000 capacity seats are all valued at GBP 1,900 each.
All stadium changes also incur a GBP 1 million construction charge!

Example 1: Increase from 15,000 to 24,000 = 850 x 5,000 for the increase to 20,000 plus 1,400 x 4,000 for the increase to 24,000 plus 1m charge = 4,25m + 5,6m + 1m = GBP 10,850,000 (previously 13m)
Example 2: Decrease from 32,000 to 17,000 = 1,900 x 2,000 for the decrease to 30,000 plus 1,400 x 10,000 for the decrease to 20,000 plus 850 x 3,000 for the decrease to 17,000 minus 1m charge = 3,8m + 14m + 2,55m - 1m = 19,350,000 profit (previously 20m)

Youth Academy

On the Youth Academy page club managers can set their weekly investment in the academy (select from the drop-down menu) and this will affect the current academy strength (which is rated on the same scale as player attributes), and THIS has a major effect on how good the players are that are promoted from the youth squad.

Players can be promoted after at least 10 weeks from the last.This costs nothing to do but you must have room in the squad, and they cannot be sold for 10 weeks. They will initially have a contract of 30 weeks. If you wait longer than the minimum 10 weeks then the player will continue to improve at a fast rate, but this also prevents you from signing another youth player for a while. You can select which position you would prefer them to have some ability in (Note: this does not mean they will be perfect for the requested position but they are young and can be appropriately trained). Once you click Submit the player will be transferred immediately to your squad and be available for selection.

Changing Teams

ITN is set up to allow managers to move between teams during their managerial career if they wish to do so. Many players would prefer to have just one club to call their own and to manage from the bottom of the league to ultimate success. However, for differing reasons, managers may want to move teams and this is welcomed.

However, to prevent managers from just switching from club to club without really giving the team a chance (and preventing others the chance to manage), you cannot manage more than one team each 39 matchdays (or half a season). So if you takeover a club on matchday 1 you may resign at any time but you cannot manage another until 39 matchdays have passed, i.e. until matchday 40. The resignation page tells you how long you have been at your current team.

Cheating/Abusive Behaviour

Owning more than one team in the game is strictly forbidden (unless you have an International team part-time). Nor are you allowed to have more than one account. There are only a limited number of teams available and it is not fair that one manager should deprive another of a place in the game, or have the advantage of having more opportunity to try out tactics or to "steal" players. Furthermore, you must not log into another manager's account without permission and unfair transfer deals, even between legitimate friends, are not allowed and may be cancelled. In any instance the Administrators have the right to take whatever action they feel appropriate including fines, sackings and/or banning users from the game.

There is no point in cheating. There are no prizes in this game, it is meant to be just for fun and socialising with similar people. The Gamesmaster takes this matter very seriously and spends much time (which could've been used to make improvements) trying to eradicate cheating from the game. Help is always welcomed, but if you have suspicions about other players, including good evidence, please contact an Administrator.

Use of derogatory comments against another manager anywhere on the site (notice board, newspaper, private message etc) is against the spirit of the game and will be punished. Repeated instances of bad behaviour will result in a permanent ban from the game. By playing In The Net you agree to act respectfully and with decency in any situation and no matter what your age.

Transfer Valuations

Putting a value on a particular player is difficult in any situation but particularly in In The Net where the Sum of Attributes (SOA) doesn't always tell the whole story. Player's should have a high ability in their primary attributes (Keeping, Tackling, Passing and/or Shooting), they may not need to be good in any others (for example, outfield players don't need Keeping). Performances and statistics can also show up how good they actually are and what form they are in, but also checking their recent matches to see if they played in what you would consider their best position etc.

The following values are a rough guide for players with an Outstanding or better primary attribute and an Excellent or better secondary. Generally, younger players will fetch a higher price, whereas older players may be significantly lower with the threat of retirement.

Frequently Asked Questions

I've got a club team, can I manage an International side as well? The only way this is possible is if you have enough manager points (10,000+) to manage an International team part-time. And even they can be sacked by their International side for poor performances. Also note you cannot apply for another team without resigning from your current position.

I have a non-league team, what does that mean? Non-league teams are waiting for more teams to join the game so a new league can be created. The main thing to know is that you can resign immediately, which is handy if a league team comes up. You won't be involved in any competitive games but you can still play friendlies against other non-league sides on league matchdays and against any available teams on other days, and you can still make transfers like any other club.

Can I change the name of one of my players? No player names cannot be changed at this time (unless there are two or more with identical full names).

I offered a contract to a free agent but he didn't join me or anyone else, why not? You must at least the contract they were requesting. If you have offered too high wages your board may have cancelled the bid, if you think this might be the case try offering less.

My player has been progressing well in training and yet his attributes keep going down, why? Training helps improve attributes but it is not the only reason that they may fluctuate. Also because of the rating system a player may be improving in many areas but just one drop in another may cause a significant drop (i.e. notifiable change in level). If it says a player is progressing well in training then they probably are, although remember the progression is an overall rate for the time in the current training area.

My young players don't seem to be improving any better than the older ones, why not? Young players do improve quicker but if young players improved too fast then they would all be superstars by their 20s and the game would be flooded with too many great players. Be patient with young players, they have long careers ahead of them and plenty of time to improve. However, they may not be improving to their potential so also think about what could help them do that.

The deadline has passed but the matches haven't been played yet, what's going on? The matchday deadlines are the earliest possible point when matches may be played and you shouldn't make any changes to your team selection etc in the time after in case the matches start. It is very normal for the update to begin several hours after the deadline, the Gamesmaster will endeavour to play matches as soon as possible.

How do I change my team's kit? - Some managers have decided to design their own unique kit which you can do by downloading the blank kit from the Manager Settings page, editing it in MS Paint, then sending it to the Gamesmaster (along with your username and password). If acceptable the new kit will be uploaded and it will be available to select from this page.

Do fitnesses get reset at the start of the season? - No, and there are a lot of club games during this period so you should try to rest players during pre-season if possible and consider using fitness training.

A manager is trying to send me a private message but I'm not receiving it? This probably means you have accidently blocked them from sending you messages. Look at the top of the Messages page to see if they are in your blocklist.

I manage an International team, why can't I train all my players? - International managers cannot train all players in their squad because training is generally taken care of by club coaches only. However, you can give training to any players of the right nationality who are not currently attached to a club (free agents), even if they aren't in your squad.

How do I cancel a friendly match - You can do this on the Friendlies page but you can only cancel a friendly at least six matchdays before it is due to occur.

I think you should add/change x feature Please send any suggestions to the Gamesmaster or post them in the Ideas & Suggestions section of the Message Board.

This game is run as a hobby and is free to play. But the Gamesmaster may have to suspend the game temporarily or indefinitely without prior warning or notice.