Football articles
Guides, tactics, history and the science behind the game. Written by the GolDraft team to help you understand football better and get the most out of every mode.
How to build a 5-star draft: the complete chemistry guide
What chemistry is in GolDraft's Draft Mode, how it is calculated point by point and how to combine it with ratings to reach 5 stars.
TacticsThe 8 most used formations in modern football and when to choose each one
4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, 4-4-2, 3-5-2 and more: how each formation works, which players it needs, its strengths and its weak spots.
World CupHow the 48-team World Cup works: groups, best third-placed teams and the round of 32
The 48-nation World Cup format explained step by step: 12 groups, the 8 best third-placed teams, 104 matches and how it changed from previous World Cups.
BoliviaA history of Bolivian football: World Cups, the 1963 Copa América and the big clubs
A look at the history of the Bolivian national team, its three World Cups, the 1963 Copa América title and the clubs that shaped the Bolivian league.
ScienceWhy is playing football at La Paz's altitude so hard?
What happens to a footballer's body at 3,600 metres, why the ball flies differently and what teams do to adapt.
BasicsFootball positions and which attributes matter in each one
From goalkeeper to striker: what each position does, which abbreviations are used and which attributes (pace, shooting, passing, dribbling, defending, physical) are key.
GolDraftHow we calculate player ratings in GolDraft
What a card's overall rating (OVR) means, how each attribute is weighted by position and how we update the ratings of more than 4,600 players.
TriviaThe science of penalties: what the data says about shooting and saving
How many penalties are scored, why goalkeepers almost always dive, the advantage of shooting first and the story of the Panenka.
SimulationHow to predict a football match with maths: the Poisson model
What the Poisson distribution is, why it works for simulating goals and how GolDraft uses it to calculate the chances of winning, drawing or losing.
LegendLegend Mode: 10 tips to go from prospect to eternal legend
How your player grows in GolDraft's Legend Mode: training, minutes, transfers, press, the shop and when retirement comes.
HistoryThe biggest derbies in South America
From Argentina's Superclásico to the Clásico paceño: the rivalries that bring whole cities to a halt in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Bolivia, Peru and Colombia.
HistoryCopa Libertadores: history, format and the most successful clubs
How the Copa Libertadores began in 1960, how its current format works, who the record champions are and how Bolivian clubs have fared.
Looking for the basics? We also have a page of quick guides.