Player Handbook
How to play.
FirstX1 is a football prediction game. Two game modes, one scoring engine, and a live table that settles every gameweek. Here's everything you need to know.
The Game Modes
Pick the mode you play.
Every Division runs one mode. Toggle below to see how that mode plays and scores — the rest of this guide (locks, Divisions, FAQ) applies to both.
Pulse
Stay on the pulse of every match.
- Picks stay hidden until kickoff — revealed to your Division at the whistle.
- React to momentum. Update selections right up until kickoff.
- Simple scoring: +1 correct, −1 wrong, 0 if you sit it out.
- Skipping is strategic — back your read or stay out of the noise.
Side competitions
Last Man Standing & Road to World Cup.
Run knockout-style side games alongside your Division. One wrong call ends your run — last competitor alive wins.
Last Man Standing
Pick one team per round. Survive or die.
- Each round, pick one team you think will win.
- Once you've used a team, you can't use them again.
- Group stage: picking a team burns the other teams in that group for the rest of the stage.
- Get it wrong and you're eliminated. Last player standing wins.
- Rounds lock the moment the first fixture kicks off — all picks reveal then.
Road to World Cup
Pick your winners all the way to the final.
- Predict the winner from group games and every knockout round up to the Final.
- Think strategically. Furthest survivor wins.
- Same round-lock rule: locks at first kickoff, all picks reveal.
Strategy
Don't just back favourites — every survivor is tied on rounds, so the furthest one through wins. Save your boldest call for when it counts.
Create one from Competitions → New competition.
Before you pick
Knockout FAQ.
The rules worth knowing before your first survival pick — how you win, and exactly when your call gets locked in.
Scoring · Pulse
Simple, fast scoring.
Pulse is built for momentum and banter. Every correct call is +1, every wrong call is −1, and skipping a fixture is 0. No probability, no maths — just your read of the match.
Correct call
Brazil to win
+1 pt
Wrong call
Morocco to win
−1 pt
Sat it out
No pick made
0 pts
Selection over volume
You don't need to pick every fixture. Skipping is a strategy. Picking everything dilutes your edge.
Streaks & upsets
Tie-breakers reward the longest correct streak and the highest-probability upset you called right.
Locks & Reveals
Open right up to kickoff.
Picks stay open until the referee blows the whistle. Trade probability movement, react to team news, exploit late squad announcements — the closer to kickoff, the sharper the edge.
Open
Fixture is open. Make your pick at any moment. In Conviction, the probability you see is frozen to your pick the instant you submit.
Locked at kickoff
The whistle locks every pick. No edits, no late entries. Conviction picks are revealed to your Division.
Settled
Final whistle. Points awarded against your locked probability. Standings update automatically.
Knockout fixtures stay hidden until the participating teams are confirmed. No placeholder picks.
Divisions
Your league. Your rivals.
Divisions are private leagues you create or join by invite. The creator picks the game mode, invites the squad, and the Division competes for the season.
Valid entries
Divisions and players must meet activity and integrity standards. Invalid entries are excluded from competitive standings.
Standings
Ranked on total points. Tie-breakers: correct picks, prediction efficiency, longest streak, highest upset.
FAQ
Quick answers.
Do I have to pick every fixture?+
No. Skipping a fixture scores zero, costs nothing, and keeps your streak intact. Selection is part of the game.
Can I switch my Division between Conviction and Pulse?+
No. The mode is set at Division creation and cannot change mid-season. This protects competition integrity.
When can I see other people's picks?+
At kickoff. Both Conviction and Pulse hide picks until the whistle — then they reveal to your Division.
What happens if a fixture is postponed?+
Picks reopen and re-lock at the new kickoff. Any locked probabilities from the original time are reset so you can re-commit.
Can I really submit seconds before kickoff?+
Yes. Picks stay open right up to the whistle. Late team news, injuries and lineup leaks are all part of the edge — that's why Conviction freezes your probability the moment you commit.
Can I edit a Conviction pick after submitting?+
No. One commit per fixture. The locked probability is frozen the moment you submit — that's the whole point of Conviction.