Tactics is the most technical screen on Lonida: a formation, twenty-seven team instructions, twenty-nine player instructions, eight set-piece duties and five substitutions. This is what every part of it does, and which parts matter most.
What is live today
Your formation, instructions, set-piece duties and substitutions are saved to your club and kept between matches. The match engine is being connected to them in stages, so a saved tactic will not change a simulated result yet. Everything you set now is stored and carries over when it does.
The formation board
The board is a pitch with your squad beside it. Tap a position, then tap a player to fill it — from the squad list on the right, or straight from a bench seat. You can also drag a player onto a position. A player can only ever be in one place: moving them out of a slot or off the bench happens automatically.
Every filled position is ringed by how well that player suits it. Green means their natural position, amber means a reasonable fit, red means they are out of position — a centre-back at left wing will play there, but not well.
Reading the board
- Green ring — natural position, no penalty.
- Amber ring — a related position they can cover.
- Red ring — genuinely out of position.
- The gear badge on a player opens their individual instructions.
Fill the bench too
Substitutes are named, not automatic. A bench seat left empty is a substitution you cannot make, and a player left in the squad list is not travelling.
Style of play, and how it interacts
Style of play is a preset. Choosing one fills in a coherent set of team instructions in one move — a starting point rather than a straitjacket.
Your instructions always win
A preset only fills fields you have not set yourself. Anything you change by hand overrides it and stays changed, even if you pick a different style afterwards. If you want a clean slate, reset the instruction rather than switching preset and expecting it to move.
Team instructions
Twenty-seven settings, grouped the way a manager actually thinks about a match rather than as one long list. Every one has a sane default, so a club that never opens this screen still fields a coherent side.
Overall Approach — how much risk, and how the ball moves forward
- MentalityOptionalUltra defensive through to ultra attacking. How far the team commits forward and how much risk it accepts.
- Build-upOptionalSlow, balanced, fast, counter-attack or direct.
- PassingOptionalShort, mixed, direct or long ball.
- TempoOptionalSlow to very fast. Faster drains fitness and produces more mistakes.
- Team ShapeOptionalCompact, balanced or stretched.
- Creative FreedomOptionalDisciplined, balanced or expressive.
Attacking — where the danger comes from
- WidthOptionalVery narrow through to very wide.
- FocusOptionalLeft flank, right flank, both flanks, through the centre, or mixed.
- Chance CreationOptionalPossession, forward runs, through balls, crossing, or shoot on sight.
- Final ThirdOptionalWork the ball into the box, early crosses, run at the defence, or shoot from distance.
- CrossingOptionalLow, mixed, high, early crosses or cutbacks.
- Players ForwardOptionalVery few through to maximum bodies in the box.
Pressing & Defending — where you win it back
- Pressing StyleOptionalDrop back, own half, balanced, press on a bad touch, counter-press, or constant pressure.
- IntensityOptionalVery low to very high. Heavy pressing costs fitness.
- Defensive LineOptionalVery deep to very high.
- Defensive WidthOptionalVery narrow to very wide.
- ApproachOptionalContain, balanced, front foot or aggressive.
- MarkingOptionalZonal, man-marking or mixed.
- TacklingOptionalCautious, normal or aggressive. Aggressive wins more balls and concedes more fouls and cards.
- Offside TrapOptionalOn or off. Only works with a high, coordinated line.
Transitions — the seconds after the ball changes hands
- Counter-attackOptionalOn or off.
- Winning the BallOptionalHold shape, balanced, or counter immediately.
- Losing the BallOptionalRegroup, balanced, or counter-press.
Game Management — playing the clock
- ScorelineOptionalProtect a lead, balanced, or chase a goal. Can be changed during a match.
- Time ManagementOptionalNever, sometimes, often or maximum time-wasting.
- RestartsOptionalSlow, normal or quick.
- GK DistributionOptionalShort, mixed, long, to full-backs, to centre-backs, to a playmaker, or to a target player.
Player instructions
Twenty-nine instructions across four groups, set per player through the gear badge on the formation board. They are position-aware: a player is only ever offered the instructions their position can legally take.
Why some options are missing
A keeper role cannot be given to a striker, and a false nine is not an instruction for a centre-back. The screen only offers what a position can actually receive — and it considers both the player's natural position and the slot you have put them in, so a midfielder played wide gets the winger options too.
Role — what this player is for
- KeepersOptionalKeeper role (line, balanced or sweeper), claiming crosses, and distribution.
- Centre-backsOptionalStandard, stopper, cover, or ball-playing defender.
- Full-backsOptionalStay back, balanced, overlap, or invert.
- MidfieldersOptionalHolding, deep playmaker, box-to-box, advanced playmaker, or ball winner.
- WingersOptionalTraditional winger, inside forward, wide playmaker, or inverted winger.
- StrikersOptionalPoacher, advanced forward, target player, false nine, pressing forward, or complete forward.
Movement — where they go
- Attacking SupportOptionalStay back, balanced, join the attack, or get forward.
- Defensive SupportOptionalStay forward, balanced, or come back.
- PositioningOptionalHold position, balanced, or free roam.
- WidthOptionalStay wide, balanced, cut inside, or move central.
- RunsOptionalCome short, mixed, get in behind, target player, or false nine.
- In the BoxOptionalStay outside, balanced, get into the box, near post, or far post.
- Work RateOptionalConserve energy, normal, or high intensity.
Defending — what they do without the ball
- PressingOptionalPress less, normal, press more, or constant press.
- Defensive PositionOptionalHold position, cover centre, cover wing, step up, or drop deeper.
- MarkingOptionalZonal, mark position, or mark player.
- InterceptionsOptionalConservative, normal or aggressive.
- TacklingOptionalAvoid tackles, normal, or tackle harder.
- DisciplineOptionalAvoid risk, normal, or aggressive.
On the Ball — what they do with it
- Passing RiskOptionalSafe, balanced, or riskier.
- Passing DistanceOptionalShort, mixed, direct, or long.
- DribblingOptionalHold the ball, balanced, dribble more, or take on the defender.
- ShootingOptionalPass first, balanced, shoot more, or shoot on sight.
- CrossingOptionalCross less, balanced, or cross more — full-backs and wide players.
- Cross TargetOptionalNear post, centre, far post, target player, or mixed.
- Ball RetentionOptionalRelease quickly, balanced, or hold the ball up.
- LeadershipOptionalCalm the team, balanced, motivate, or control discipline.
Set-piece duties
Eight jobs, each given to one player. These are duties rather than behaviours — you are naming who does something, not how the team does it.
- CaptainOptionalLeads the side.
- PenaltiesOptionalYour penalty taker.
- Left CornersOptionalTakes corners from the left.
- Right CornersOptionalTakes corners from the right.
- Short Free KicksOptionalTakes free kicks in range to play short.
- Long Free KicksOptionalTakes the ones worth shooting or floating in.
- Target on CornersOptionalThe player who attacks the ball in the box.
- Stays BackOptionalGuards against the counter while everyone else goes up.
Substitutions
You can plan up to five substitutions before a match. Each is one player coming off, one coming on, and the minute it happens — set with a slider. A player already used in another swap disappears from the options, so you cannot accidentally bring the same substitute on twice.
Plan around fitness, not just quality
A high tempo and heavy pressing both drain fitness faster. If you have set either, plan your changes earlier than you otherwise would.
Where to start
Twenty-seven team instructions is a lot to reason about at once. A smaller set does most of the work, and these are the ones to set first.
The eight that matter most
- Mentality — the single biggest decision on the screen.
- Passing style — short, mixed, direct or long.
- Tempo — and remember it costs fitness.
- Attacking width — narrow through the middle, or wide.
- Pressing style — where you try to win the ball.
- Defensive line — how high you dare push it.
- Tackling style — and the cards that come with aggression.
- Counter-attack — on or off.
For individuals, the ones worth setting early are attacking and defensive support, width, runs, pressing, marking, interceptions, passing risk, dribbling, shooting and work rate. Leave the rest at their defaults until you have a reason to change them.
Set the eight. Play a few matches. Change one thing at a time.