Frequently asked questions
Answers about Goaler: how challenges work, why an answer was not accepted, scoring, ties, leaving a game, where the football data comes from, and privacy.
How does a challenge work?
You play a puzzle first and get a score out of 1,000. Then you send the link to a friend. They play exactly the same puzzle, on the same clock, and when they finish you both see who won. You can send the same link to as many people as you like; each of them plays against your score.
Do I need an account?
No. Goaler remembers your device with a cookie and asks only for a nickname when you send a challenge, so your friends know who challenged them. Nicknames are up to 16 characters and don't have to be unique.
Why wasn't my answer accepted?
Most often because the player doesn't have a senior appearance for that club, or a senior cap for that country. Youth spells and spells with no appearances don't count, loans do. Caps for a country that no longer exists don't count for its successor, wartime guest appearances don't count, and a club that merged into a new club is not the same club. Players also need to be well enough known to be in Goaler's list, which is based on how many language editions of Wikipedia have a page about them. The full rules are on How to play Tic-Tac-Toe.
I think an answer is wrong. What can I do?
After a game, open the answers and tap the cell. You can report that a player was wrongly accepted, that a right answer was refused, or that a name or birth year is wrong. Every report is read, and fixes apply to future games; scores already played don't change.
How is the score calculated?
In Tic-Tac-Toe, each correct cell is worth 80 points, a rare pick adds up to 20 more, and a fast board earns a time bonus of up to 100. The maximum is 1,000. The score is computed on Goaler's server, never in your browser.
What happens with a tie?
The higher score wins. If the scores are equal, the faster time wins, measured to the hundredth of a second. Only an exact tie on both is a draw.
What if I leave in the middle of a game?
Your game waits for you on the same device for ten minutes. If you come back within ten minutes, you carry on where you were; the clock keeps running while you're away. After ten minutes without a move, the game closes with the score you had, and that score counts.
Can I play the same board twice?
A new challenge gives you a board you haven't played on this device for as long as there are any left; after that, the one you played longest ago. A friend's link is always playable, even if you have seen that board before.
Where does the football data come from?
From Wikidata and English Wikipedia: players' clubs, appearances, national teams and caps. Goaler builds its puzzles from that data with its own rules and checks, and samples of every new set of boards are reviewed by hand before they go live. The sources are credited on the Credits page.
Is Goaler free?
Yes. Goaler is free to play and is funded by advertising.
What do you store about me?
An anonymous device ID, your nickname if you give one, and your games. There are no accounts, no email addresses and no real names. Devices that are unused for 13 months are made anonymous. The details are on the Privacy page.
Is Goaler connected to any club or league?
No. Goaler is an independent football quiz and is not affiliated with any club, league or federation. Clubs are shown as plain shirts in their colours, never with their crests.
How do I get in touch?
Write to hello@goaler.net. The Contact page has the details.