Triggering overlays manually lets you take full control of when graphics appear on your live stream from the Control Room, overriding or supplementing any automation set up in your Game Plan.
When to Trigger Overlays Manually
Manual triggering is useful when you want to:
• Run a match in Manual Mode without an Automated Game Plan
• Add extra graphics on top of automated playback (e.g. an unplanned sponsor graphic)
• Show a lower third, full-screen graphic, or Image Template at a specific moment
• Correct timing if an automated trigger fires too early or too late
Prerequisites
Before you can trigger overlays manually, make sure:
• Your Match has been created under a Competition
• A Theme Instance is assigned to the match
• You have access to the Production Link for the match
• Your user role is Owner, Admin, User, or Gameday Operator
Opening the Control Room
1. Go to the match you want to operate.
2. Click the Production Link to open the Control Room in a new browser tab.
3. Wait for the Control Room to fully load and connect to the graphics output.
[ Image placeholder: Control Room interface showing the list of available overlays and graphics on the left panel ]
Triggering an Overlay Manually
Inside the Control Room, each available Graphic is listed as a trigger you can fire on demand.
1. Locate the Graphic you want to trigger in the overlay list.
2. Click the graphic to preview or select it, if the option is available.
3. Click the trigger button (usually labelled IN or Play) to send the overlay to the live output.
4. When you are ready to remove it, click the OUT or Stop button for that same graphic.
Triggering a Scorebug
1. Find the Scorebug in the overlay list.
2. Click IN to bring the Scorebug on screen.
3. The Scorebug will stay on screen until you click OUT.
Triggering a Lower Third or Full-Screen Graphic
1. Select the graphic you want to display (for example, a player lower third or lineup card).
2. Confirm the data populated in the graphic is correct.
3. Click IN to play the graphic.
4. Click OUT to clear it, or let it time out if it has an auto-dismiss duration.
[ Image placeholder: Control Room showing an overlay being triggered, with IN and OUT controls highlighted ]
Triggering a Playlist Manually
You can also trigger a Playlist of graphics as a single action.
1. Find the Playlist in the Control Room.
2. Click the trigger button to start the Playlist.
3. The graphics inside the Playlist will play in sequence automatically.
Using Manual Mode
If you prefer to operate the entire match without automation, set the match to Manual Mode. In Manual Mode, no graphics fire automatically — every overlay must be triggered by you from the Control Room.
Tips
• Keep the Monitoring Link open in a second window so you can see exactly what viewers are seeing.
• Preview graphics before going live whenever possible to confirm the correct data is loaded.
• If you are running an Automated Game Plan, you can still trigger additional overlays manually without breaking automation.
• Assign a Gameday Operator role to anyone who only needs Control Room access.
Common Issues
The overlay does not appear on the stream
• Confirm the Control Room shows as connected.
• Check that the correct Theme Instance is assigned to the match.
• Verify the graphics output (NDI or browser source) is still active in your encoder.
Graphic data is missing or incorrect
• Ensure Teams, Players, and match details are filled in correctly on the match setup page.
• Refresh the Control Room if data was updated after the room was opened.
An overlay will not clear
• Click OUT again for that specific graphic.
• If it persists, refresh the Control Room — active overlays should resume their state.
Automated graphics are firing when I don't want them to
• Switch the match to Manual Mode, or adjust your Automated Game Plan.