How to create a COACH file

 

First you must restore the League File.  The easiest way to do that is to use the “Download League from Cloud” option on the “Cloud” menu in the League Manager.  Your commissioner will provide you with the “League Number” and “League Access Code”.

 

Once the league is created, you should claim your team.  Click on “Cloud” and then click on “Claim Team”.  Follow the on-screen instructions.  Claiming your team will allow you to upload files like the Coach File and POST files to the Cloud.

 

Once you have created the league in the League Manager and claimed your team, you are ready to create a COACH file for your team.  A COACH file contains the position assignments for your players in all offensive and defensive formations in your depth charts.  Your league Commissioner will import your COACH file.  This information will then be included in all pregame files created throughout the season, including the playoffs.

 

1.     Start the League Manager program.

 

2.     Open the league by clicking on League and then clicking on Open.  Select your league from the drop-down list.

 

3.     Select your team by clicking on the name.  Your team’s name will be highlighted.

 

4.     Click on TEAM, and then click on COMPUTER MANAGER.  This will open the Computer Manager window for your team.

 

5.     At the top of the window are four tabs titled:  OFFENSIVE DEPTH CHART, DEFENSIVE DEPTH CHART, OFFENSIVE PLAYS, and DEFENSIVE PLAYS.  Ignore the last two tabs as I set these for you.

 

6.     Select either the OFFENSIVE DEPTH CHART tab or the DEFENSIVE DEPTH CHART tab, depending upon which set of formations you wish to modify.

 

7.     From the drop-down window titled FORMATION, select the formation on which you wish to work.

 

8.     Initially, an algorithm in the League Manager determines how the players are placed in each position in each formation.  To change a player for a particular position, select the player by clicking on his name.  A drop-down list arrow will appear.  Click on the arrow to see a list of the players that can be placed in that position.

 

9.     For each position there is a column for 1ST STRING, 2nd STRING and 3RD STRING players.  If your league does not use injuries then you are only required to fill-in the names of the 1st STRING players.  If your league does use injuries then you are required to fill-in the names of both the 1st STRING and 2nd STRING players.  You are never required to fill-in the 3rd STRING column.

 

10.  A player’s name can appear only once in the 1st STRING column.  If you wish to move a player from one 1st STRING position to another you must first clear the name from the old position.  You can do this by selecting NONE from the drop-down list for the position.

 

11.  If a player’s name appears in the 1st STRING column then his name cannot be used in the 2nd STRING or 3rd STRING columns.  Conversely, if a player’s name appears in the 2nd STRING or 3rd STRING columns then he cannot be placed in the 1st STRING column.

 

12.  A player’s name may appear multiple times in the 2nd and 3rd STRING columns.

 

13.  The REPLACE button is a quick way to place a player in the same position in every formation.  However, you must exercise caution when using this shortcut.  The REPLACE function will not violate the rules covered in items 10 and 11, above.  It will simply skip any formation where the replacement would violate those rules.  It will list the formations that are not changed and then you must change those formations manually.

 

Once you have set every position in every offensive and defensive formation, you are ready to create and export the COACH file for your team.  There are two methods for doing this, one which uses a “Cloud” function, and one that does not use the Cloud.  Here is the second method:

 

1.     Select your team by clicking on your team’s name.  Your team’s name will be highlighted.

 

2.     Click on LEAGUE, and then click on EXPORT COACH FILE.

 

3.     Click on the OK button.

 

4.     The COACH file will be created in the SEND folder.  The file will have your team’s name with the file extension: “ .coach”.

 

5.     The SEND folder is located inside the folder titled:  STRAT-O-MATIC FOOTBALL.

 

6.     Attach the COACH file to an email and send the email to your league’s Commissioner.  Please include, in the body of the email, your assignments for your kickoff returners (who is #1 and who is #2).  These assignments are not included in the COACH file.  Some leagues will require additional declarations.  Each commissioner will tell you what information to send for your league.

 

Here is the method that uses the “Cloud”:

 

1.     Select your team by clicking on your team’s name.  Your team’s name will be highlighted.

 

2.     Click on CLOUD, and then click on PUSH COACH FILE.

 

3.     A pop-up dialogue box will appear asking you this question:  “Is this Coach File to be used only against one particular opponent?”.  Click on NO.

 

4.     If the push is successful then you will see a pop-up box that confirms your success.  Click on OK.

 

Your commissioner will tell you which method is preferred for your league.

 

That’s it!  Have fun creating your COACH file.