Lower thirds are on-screen graphics used to display information such as player names, coach interviews, commentator introductions, or match notes, and they can be triggered manually from the Control Room during a live match.
Before You Start
Make sure the following are in place before you try to play a lower third:
• The match has been created under a Competition with a Theme Instance assigned
• The match is open in the Control Room via the Production Link
• Your stream or graphics output is active and visible in a preview or Monitoring Link
• Any lower thirds you want to use are included in the Theme for that competition
[ Image placeholder: Control Room with the graphics panel visible on the left-hand side ]
Finding Lower Thirds in the Control Room
Lower thirds appear alongside other Graphics in the Control Room. They are typically grouped with manual overlays rather than Scorebugs or automated Playlists.
1. Open the match from your Matches list and click the Production Link to launch the Control Room.
2. Locate the Graphics panel.
3. Browse the available graphics until you find the lower third category relevant to your match (for example, player lower thirds, commentator lower thirds, or custom lower thirds built in FUSE).
Types of Lower Thirds You May See
Depending on how your Theme is configured, you may have access to:
• Player lower thirds (populated from team lineup data)
• Coach or staff lower thirds
• Commentator or presenter lower thirds
• Generic text lower thirds with editable fields
• Custom lower thirds built in FUSE with Control Variables
Playing a Lower Third
1. In the Graphics panel, click the lower third you want to use.
2. If the graphic has editable fields or Control Variables, fill in the required details (such as name, title, or role).
3. Click the Play or On Air button to send the lower third to the output.
4. When you are ready to remove it, click Stop or Off Air to take the graphic off the output.
[ Image placeholder: Lower third graphic being triggered from the Control Room with editable name and title fields ]
Using Control Variables
If your lower third was built in FUSE with Control Variables, you can adjust text, colours, or other properties in real time before playing the graphic. Changes made to Control Variables apply the next time the graphic is played, or live if the graphic supports real-time updates.
Tips
• Preview lower thirds on the Monitoring Link before sending them to the live output.
• If you use the same lower third repeatedly (for example, a commentator intro), save the text in advance so you can trigger it quickly.
• Keep lower thirds on screen long enough for viewers to read them comfortably, then take them off manually.
• If you are running an Automated Game Plan, lower thirds can still be triggered manually without disrupting automated Scorebugs or Playlists.
Common Issues
The lower third is not appearing in the Graphics panel Check that the Theme Instance assigned to the competition includes the lower third. If not, contact your administrator to update the Theme.
Player data is missing from a player lower third Player lower thirds pull data from Team and Player Assets. Make sure the player has been added to the team lineup for the match.
The lower third appears behind the video or not at all Confirm your encoder or streaming software is receiving the LIGR graphics feed correctly (via NDI or another configured Input) and that the overlay layer is on top of the video source.
Edits to text fields are not showing on output If the graphic is already on air, stop it, update the field, and play it again. Some graphics only update on the next play.