45 FOOTBALL

A tactics simulator small enough to use in a coffee break

Set a plan, run the half, read what happened and why.

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What the simulation actually models

Passing lanes are evaluated against the players who would have to stop them. Runs are tracked against whoever picks them up, with anticipation against off-the-ball movement. Pressing height, defensive line, tempo, width, build-up and transition all shift how well each move lands, and every substitution is blended by the minutes each player is on the pitch.

You see the workings

Before you sim, the board shows each pass’s chance of arriving and marks the space your runs leave open. Afterwards, the timeline gives you the half minute by minute: the chances, who took them, what the opponent changed and when, and the duels behind each one.

With honest limits

Player attributes are prototype estimates on a 1–20 scale, not official ratings, and the simulation weights are game-design choices rather than a validated model. Historical scenarios use the documented half-time state; everything after that is an alternate history.

Recent puzzles

• #1 — Brighton & Hove Albion v Brentford, BHA 1–2 BRE at half-time
• #2 — Arsenal v Ipswich Town, ARS 0–1 IPS at half-time
• #3 — Egypt v Morocco, EGY 0–1 MAR at half-time
• #4 — Manchester United v Ipswich Town, MUN 0–2 IPS at half-time
• #5 — Hull City v Arsenal, HUL 1–0 ARS at half-time
• #6 — Chelsea v Leeds United, CHE 0–2 LEE at half-time

Play today's puzzle