MATCHDAY
Matchday operations relate to all activities that are carried out before, during, and after the match by the respective stakeholders, such as clubs, referees and officials. The most common matchday functions are the entry of lineups by the clubs, entry of match events, and match report confirmation by the referee.
1. MATCH REPORT
1.1. General Data
The Info tab is organized into clear panels such as Status, Schedule, Competition and Address, giving users immediate insight into match status, venue details, competition context and location data.
Also, the PDF version of the match reports can be printed directly from the Schedule panel of the Info tab.
1.2. Team Lineups and Tactical Formations
Team lineups are typically entered by clubs before the match, with each club managing its own side. Clubs can define starting lineups, including tactical formation, substitutes, team officials, and team kits, and then confirm the lineups. The lineup interface is designed for speed and accuracy. Players can be added individually or copied from the previous match in the same competition, together with their roles and positions. Competition validations are applied automatically, helping prevent invalid submissions.
Players with active disciplinary suspensions are clearly highlighted and blocked from being added where applicable. If a person has a licence configured for visibility, it is also highlighted directly in the lineup workflow.
Once both teams confirm their lineups, they become public and can no longer be changed by the clubs.
1.3. Match Events and Live Match Operations
Match events such as goals, cards, substitutions and other incidents can be entered during the match or after the match, depending on role authorizations.
The new Live tab provides a consolidated, matchday-focused workspace where authorized users can manage both team lineups, live match timeline, match phases, match timer, match events, and live commentaries.
This allows real-time match management without switching between different tabs, making live operations faster and more convenient.
Match event entry permissions are configurable. In many competitions, the home club or another appointed role can enter events live, enabling instant delivery to COMET LIVE and third-party applications and websites through the API.
1.4. Match Confirmation
Regardless of who enters the match events, the match report must be finalized by an authorized Match Manager, most commonly the main referee. When the match is completed, the Match Manager changes the match status to PLAYED, officially confirming the report. This action officializes the result, updates standings or advances the winner in knockout competitions, creates disciplinary cases based on disciplinary match events, and serves eligible match suspensions automatically.
1.5. Match Officials and Appointments
The Officials tab provides a complete appointment management workspace for referees and all other match-related roles. Referees and Competition Administrators can appoint officials and manage appointment statuses, while Appointed Match Officials can confirm or reject their appointments directly from the match form, as well as through their calendar and COMET Football app.
The Officials tab also provides a consolidated view of match kits, including referee kit, home team field and goalkeeper kits, and away team field and goalkeeper kits. This allows quick comparison and coordination of kits, while respecting role-based authorizations.
1.6. Official PDF Reports
A formal match report with all required match data, including timestamps and names of teams and match officials, can be generated in PDF format. Available reports include Start List, Match Report, and Match Summary, which is an aggregated report including selected match forms.
These reports can be downloaded or printed for official use and external distribution. Access to PDF reports is secured, especially when they include confidential lineup data before publication.
2. ADVANCED MATCH REPORTS
2.1. Referee Assessor Report
The standard FIFA Assessor Report is submitted by the appointed Referee Assessor on each match, with numeric ratings and written observations. After the Assessor completes the report it needs to be reviewed and confirmed by the Referee Admin (who can also correct the ratings). Following confirmation, the performance report is made available to the match referees who were assessed. The assessor can also assign video links to some specific situations which were addressed in the assessor report.
2.2. Expense Report
Expenses of match officials can be managed within the system and typically consist of predefined competition fees and travel expenses, with the flexibility to include additional expense types as needed.
The entire expense management workflow can be fully automated when travel fees are predefined—for example, based on a distance matrix calculating the distance between the official’s residence and the stadium.
The system supports the upload of supporting documents, such as receipts, and enables expense submission directly by match officials. Expenses can also be captured on the go using a smartphone and uploaded through the COMET Football mobile app.
Depending on the competition setup, expenses can be managed either centrally by a responsible match role (e.g. the Main Referee entering all expenses) or through self-submission by the officials themselves.
2.3. Fair Play Report
The standard FIFA Fair Play report is supported, enabling entry of post-match scores in categories such as respect for opponents, behavior of fans and overall sporting conduct.
The system validates values automatically and compiles Fair Play standings per competition, which can be used for recognition or awards.
2.4. Match Forms
Role-specific Match Forms, such as the Match Commissioner Report, Security Officer Report, Media Officer Report, etc., can be configured on the UI, and submitted through the COMET Football Apps. Each of these forms is composed of a series of fields of different types (e.g. text, radio buttons, dropdown, etc.) and has a specific system role authorized to complete it. For e.g. the Match Commissioner Report can only be completed by the user with the role Match Commissioner that is assigned to that specific match. Match Forms ensure that all processes and data related to a match are managed and captured digitally in one location.
3. INTERNATIONAL MATCHES
3.1. Team Types
International matches of national teams and clubs are managed in COMET in the same way as any other local match, except for the entry of opponent (foreign) lineups. We differentiate official competition-based matches, and friendly matches, which are quickly created using a friendly match console.
3.2. Opponent Lineups
Players and team officials of foreign national teams and foreign clubs are added manually to the lineup, using the free text field, for convenience reasons, so that they do not need to unnecessarily undergo a registration process in COMET. Their names will nevertheless appear in reports and third-party apps/websites via API.
3.3. COMET-UEFA Integration
COMET is integrated with the newest version of UEFA Digital API and all official matches governed by FIFA or UEFA are imported as soon as the match has been completed. Such matches do not need to be entered manually in the system. However, imported data can be complemented with additional data, or updated in COMET.
3.4. COMET-UEFA Entity Mapping
When importing a match, all relevant COMET entities (such as players, coaches, and facilities) need to be mapped with the UEFA ID, and in most cases, they are mapped automatically. In case when that is not feasible, e.g. due to differences in data on both sides, a COMET-UEFA mapping console is used for conflict resolution. Each entity needs to be mapped only once in its lifetime.
4. COMET FOOTBALL MOBILE APPS
4.1. General
COMET Football enables authorized users to manage matchday operations anytime and anywhere from their mobile devices. Roles and permissions are aligned with the main COMET system, ensuring consistency across desktop and mobile environments.
4.2. Most common features for Clubs
- View upcoming and previous matches of the club across all competitions
- Enter and confirm lineups and team officials
- Manage tactical formations and kits
- Enter match events in real time, where authorized
- Receive push notifications in relation to relevant match updates
4.3. Most common features for Referees:
- View upcoming and previously appointed matches
- Confirm or Reject match appointments
- Enter/review match events and confirm the match report
- Enter match expenses
- Manage unavailabilities
- Receive push notifications regarding relevant match updates
4.4. Most common features for Competition Managers and Administrators:
- Access competitions and their match lists
- Update schedules, venues and match statuses
- Manage official appointments
- Administer the full match on behalf of clubs or referees when needed
