Hattrick - Top Ten Tips

Read and understand THE RULES !!!!

You cannot expect to be good at this game without a basic understanding of how it works.

The rules are VERY HELPFUL and ..

should be read more than once.

Put in place a strong training system. This is how you will improve your team and make money.

Train 17 - 18 year olds in one primary skill for at least three seasons, and sell them as they get older for profit. You can then use some of that money to buy new trainees. Avoid older players, as they take longer to train. A passable trainer with poor leadership purchased externally is a good choice as a startup coach.

Always play a mid-week game, and make sure you play different players in the training spots in each game. This doubles the number of players that you're training each week.

Train at 100% intensity.

Always try to play a formation which maximises the number of players who receive training. For example play three forwards when training Scoring, five midfielders when training Playmaking etc.

Make a plan and stick to it. Hattrick is a marathon not a sprint. However make good use of the internal conferences and ask questions. A good place to start is the English newbie conference, learn from the forums and tweak your plan where it needs it. Learn who is trustworthy for advice on the forums and who isn't.

There are also lots of external hattrick-related forums that have been set up by various groups and federations within the wider hattrick community. Some of these external forums require that you be a member of their federation before they accept your registration whilst others such as the Football Forums Hattrick Forum is open to all.

Manage your club economy especially your expenses. You will not need to upgrade your stadium for quite a while. Also, when you start out, less backroom staff is better than more. For example it has been argued that for new teams one goalkeeping coach, five assistant coaches, one or two spokespersons & one physio (maybe) is good to start (if you're training outfielders). Youth Squad investment is not recommended until you're making more than enough profit to cover that investment over each 2 week period.

Only spend money

• if you can afford it
• if you really understand why it is necessary to do so
• if you can spare the cash.

You DO get charged interest if you're in debt, 5% every week.

Bankruptcy isn't forever, but it's annoying waiting for a new team for a few weeks!

When upgrading a position (usually after the sale of a trainee and after the trainee replacement has been purchased), a helpful principle is to replace that player with a new player that is at least 2 skill levels higher.

Upgrading is a balance, and you have to look at the gain to the team against the costs (including wages) of the players involved.

Manage your Team Spirit (TS).

Why? Because it affects your midfield lots. In it's simplest form, this means Play it Cool (PIC) in games you can't win OR can't lose.

Please note that owning a "clown" does not affect TS significantly. The leadership of your coach is far more important.

Play the Normal tactic. (ie no tactics like attack in the middle (AIM), etc).

Only start using tactics if you know how they work and if they are necessary (which mostly they are not).

Scout your opponents. Learn where they are weak and strong, and know your team. ("Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be beaten in a thousand battles." Sun Tzu).

Stars are not the best indicator of where a team is weak or strong. Look at match ratings for this. Stars can be deceiving and are considered evil. They can however be helpful for comparing a player's current performances to his previous ones.