Triggers tell an Automated Game Plan when a playlist should play during a match. Each trigger points the playlist at a part of the game, so your graphics, ads and multimedia run at the right moment without an operator clicking anything.
Before you start
Your organisation needs the Graphics module, as Automation depends on it.
You need an Automated Game Plan in the Automation tab with at least one playlist created. If you haven't made one yet, see Create an Automated Game Plan.
Have a rough idea of where in the match the playlist belongs, for example before the game, during a break or after the final whistle.
Open Trigger Playlists
Go to the Automation tab and open the game plan you want to work on, for example the one used for Harbour City (HCF) v Ridgeview (RVR) in the LIGR Demo League.
Open the playlist you want to set up.
In Configure, open Trigger Playlists.
You'll see the triggers already attached to this playlist. Each one is listed with the settings that decide when it fires.
This article covers playlists on the Pre/Post Match & Breaks tab. Playlists on the In Game (Live) tab use live triggers instead, such as goals, cards, substitutions, milestones and time elapsed. For those, see Live triggers: events, milestones and time. The Default scorebug playlist has no trigger at all.
How a trigger works
Every trigger is made up of three settings. Together they describe one point in the match where the playlist should play.
Period group
The period group is the part of the match the trigger relates to, for example pre-game, a regular break such as half time, extra time, or post-game. Pick the group that matches where you want the playlist to run. This keeps a pre-match playlist from appearing at half time, and a half-time playlist from appearing after the final whistle.
Break number
The break number is optional. Use it when you want the playlist to play at one specific break rather than every break in that period group. For example, you might want a sponsor reel only at the first break. If you leave it empty, the trigger isn't tied to a particular break.
Trigger type
The trigger type sets what actually starts the playlist within that period group. The options are:
Pre-game: the match is in the pre-game state as soon as it exists, so this suits a playlist that runs for the whole build-up, such as the Match ID on Loop.
Players Entering: fires when the scorer presses the Players Entering button in the LiveScore app.
About To Start: fires when the scorer presses the About To Start button in the LiveScore app.
Regular: fires when the break has been called, for example half time.
Time Trigger: fires a set amount of time before kick-off.
Players Entering and About To Start rely on the scorer's buttons in LiveScore. If your match data comes from an external provider, those buttons aren't used, so choose another trigger type. For more on time-based triggers, see Run a playlist at a set time with time triggers.
Add a trigger
In Trigger Playlists, click Add Trigger.
Choose the period group.
If you need the playlist at one particular break, choose the break number. Otherwise leave it as it is.
Choose the trigger type.
Click Add Trigger to save it.
The new trigger appears in the list for this playlist. From now on, when the game plan runs and the match reaches that point, the playlist plays automatically.
Use several triggers on one playlist
One playlist can have several triggers, so it can play at more than one point in the match. This saves you building the same playlist twice.
For example, an "About to start" playlist (Hide all, score line, Hide all) works just as well before kick-off as it does before the second half or extra time. Give it one trigger for pre-game, one for half time and one for extra time, and the same content runs at all three points.
To do this, repeat the steps in Add a trigger for each extra point in the match. Each trigger is independent, so you can mix different period groups, break numbers and trigger types on the same playlist. For worked examples, see Setting up pre-game playlists and Setting up half-time, extra-time and post-game playlists.
Tips and common mistakes
A playlist with no triggers won't play. If a pre-match, break or post-match playlist never appears during a match, check that it has at least one trigger.
Only set a break number when you need it. Adding one limits the trigger to that single break, which can be confusing if you expected the playlist at every break.
Watch for overlaps. When two playlists trigger together, the higher priority one wins. In pre-game, a time-triggered playlist close to kick-off is usually set higher than the button-triggered ones so it isn't skipped. See Playlist priority and guards explained.
Check before match day. Use Preview a playlist to check the content, and Review a match against your game plan to see which trigger fired at each point of a real match.
Make sure the game plan is running. Triggers only fire when the match's overlay uses the theme instance this game plan is assigned to and Manual is turned off in the Control Room, so the game plan runs the graphics automatically. See Switch between Manual and Auto in the Control Room.