Live gameplay graphics are the automated overlays that trigger during a match in response to Match Facts such as goals, cards, substitutions, and period changes. They are configured in the Live gameplay section of your Automated Game Plan and work alongside Pre-Game and Post-Game playlists to cover the full broadcast.
How Automated Game Plans Are Structured
An Automated Game Plan is split into three sections, each responsible for a different phase of the match:
• Pre-Game: playlists that run before kick-off, typically including team line-ups, head-to-head stats, sponsor reels, and countdown content.
• Live gameplay: playlists triggered by Match Facts during the active match, plus any persistent graphics and sponsor fillers that run between events.
• Post-Game: playlists that run after full-time, such as final scoreline, player of the match, top scorers, and closing sponsor content.
Each section contains playlists, and each playlist contains an ordered sequence of graphics with individual on-screen durations.
[ Image placeholder: Automated Game Plan structure showing Pre-Game, Live gameplay, and Post-Game sections ]
What the Live Gameplay Section Covers
Typical graphics managed in Live gameplay include:
• Persistent score and time display
• Goal animations and updated scoreline graphics
• Yellow card and red card graphics
• Substitution graphics
• Period change graphics (kick-off, half-time, full-time, and other period markers relevant to your sport)
• Sponsor Loops that fill gaps between events
[ Image placeholder: Live gameplay section of an Automated Game Plan showing event triggers and assigned playlists ]
Prerequisites
Before configuring live gameplay graphics, make sure you have:
• An Automated Game Plan created for your Competition
• A Theme Instance assigned at the Competition overlay level (Competition, Settings, Streams and Overlays, Overlay Settings)
• Match officials or operators ready to record Match Facts in the LiveScore App
Accessing the Live Gameplay Section
1. Open your Automated Game Plan from the Automation area.
2. Select the Live gameplay section.
3. You will see a list of event triggers, each with a playlist assigned to it.
[ Image placeholder: Automation menu with Game Plan selected and Live gameplay section highlighted ]
Event-Triggered Playlists
Each event trigger in Live gameplay runs a playlist when the matching Match Fact is recorded in the LiveScore App. The most common triggers are:
• Goal: plays a goal animation, then updates the scoreline
• Yellow Card and Red Card: plays the card graphic with player and team details
• Substitution: plays the substitution graphic showing player off and player on
• Period change: plays graphics tied to kick-off, half-time, full-time, or other period transitions
Configuring a Trigger
1. In the Live gameplay section, select the event you want to configure (for example, Goal, Yellow Card, Red Card, Substitution, or a period change).
2. Add the graphics you want to play when this event fires.
3. Set the order of graphics within the playlist.
4. Adjust the on-screen duration for each graphic.
5. Save your changes.
[ Image placeholder: Playlist editor showing graphics ordered within a Goal event trigger ]
Playlist Priority
Match events can happen close together (for example, a goal followed quickly by a substitution). Priority is set per playlist within a Game Plan and determines which playlist takes precedence.
Key rules to understand:
• Higher-priority playlists take precedence over lower-priority playlists when events overlap.
• Within a single Game Plan, if two playlists share the same priority, the first one built fires.
• Sponsor Loops typically sit at a lower priority so they pause when a match event triggers.
• Persistent on-screen graphics continue to run unless a playlist explicitly clears them.
Plan priority intentionally so critical events (like goals and cards) always take precedence over filler content.
Playlist Guards for Missing Data
Some Match Facts depend on player data that may not always be present. For example, a goal scorer, a carded player, or a substitution pair might be recorded without a linked player profile, or with partial information.
To prevent empty or broken-looking graphics going to air, use playlist guards:
• Build playlists that only include graphics which will render correctly with the data available.
• Where a graphic relies on player details (name, number, photo, stats), provide an alternative graphic in the playlist for cases where that data is missing, or structure the playlist so the player-dependent graphic is skipped.
• For goals where the scorer is unknown, consider a generic scoreline update rather than a named scorer graphic.
• For cards and substitutions, confirm what the playlist should display when only team-level data is recorded.
Guarding playlists this way keeps the broadcast clean when data entry is incomplete or delayed.
Persistent Graphics
Persistent on-screen elements (such as the ongoing score and time display) stay visible throughout the match and update automatically as Match Facts are recorded.
If a Competition has multiple overlays (for example, a full-graphics stream and a scoreboard-only stream), each overlay has its own Theme Instance and its own Game Plan, so persistent behaviour can differ per output.
Testing Live Gameplay Graphics
1. Create a test Match on your Competition.
2. Record sample Match Facts in the LiveScore App for goals, cards, substitutions, and period changes.
3. Confirm each trigger plays the correct playlist in the correct order and with the correct timing.
4. Test with both complete and intentionally incomplete player data to confirm your guards behave correctly.
Tips
• Keep goal animations short (3 to 5 seconds) before cutting to the updated scoreline.
• Test every event trigger before going live, especially cards and substitutions, which are easy to overlook.
• Assign Sponsor Loops at a lower priority so they fill gaps without interrupting event graphics.
• If a Competition runs multiple overlays, confirm each overlay has its own Live gameplay configuration on its assigned Theme Instance.
• Review priority for every playlist in the Game Plan, not just the ones you most recently edited.
Common Issues
• Graphic does not trigger: check that the event is assigned to a playlist in the Live gameplay section and that the Match Fact was recorded in the LiveScore App.
• Wrong graphic plays: confirm the correct Theme Instance is assigned to the overlay on the Competition.
• Graphics overlap or fire in the wrong order: review playlist priority. Remember that when two playlists share the same priority, the first built fires.
• Player details missing on a graphic: review your playlist guards and confirm the Match Fact was recorded with the player linked.
• Timing feels off: adjust the on-screen duration of each graphic within the playlist rather than changing the trigger itself.