Goal Bonito: frequently asked questions
The questions players ask us most, in one place: match rules, tickets, accounts, friend rooms, single-player modes, languages, ads and privacy. For a short run-through of the rules see About and how to play; for tactics, the guides.
The game
How do you win a match?
You and your opponent each pick a club; after a 3-2-1 countdown both clubs are revealed together. Within the round time (10, 15 or 30 seconds, chosen before the match), the first to name a player who wore both shirts takes 1 point, and the first to 3 points wins the match. If Galatasaray meets Inter, for example, Wesley Sneijder, Mauro Icardi, Lukas Podolski or Emre Belözoğlu are all correct. When the round ends, even if nobody got it, you see a few players who played for both clubs and how many there are in total. The 3-2-1 strategy guide covers which club to pick and when.
Do I have to type the player's name perfectly?
No. A suggestion list opens as you type and you pick the player from it; the list isn't limited to correct answers, so it never gives the answer away. Accents and special letters don't matter: "belozoglu" finds Emre Belözoğlu and "odegaard" finds Martin Ødegaard. Each suggestion also shows the year of birth and nationality, so you can tell namesakes apart; for famous pairs, see Played for both clubs.
What happens if I guess wrong?
In an online match a wrong name locks you out for 5 seconds. Your wrong guess is shown to your opponent by name, and you see theirs, so you both know who has been ruled out. Single-player modes have different rules, explained below.
Is there a time limit or any rule for picking clubs?
You have 30 seconds to pick, and your choice stays hidden from your opponent until you are both ready. A club can be played only once per match, and that applies to both players (in a single-league pool it opens up again after 3 rounds). If you both pick the same club, it is burned and you both pick again. If time runs out and you haven't picked at all, you get a yellow card and the round goes to your opponent if they picked; a second yellow in the same match is a red, and you lose 3-0 by forfeit.
What if the two clubs have no player in common?
The round isn't played: after a short warning you both pick again, and those two clubs can't be chosen again (for 3 rounds in a single-league pool). Three such pairs in a row and the match ends in a draw. In the "All clubs" pool, a player who picks a far more obscure club than the opponent's and causes an empty round can get a yellow card.
Accounts and progress
Do I need an account to play?
No. On your first visit you start as a guest with a nickname the game gives you, something like "Panenka_Pirlo", and you can play every mode. To choose your own name, add friends and appear on the leaderboard, create an account with Google or Apple in the Account section of Settings; a guest name can't be changed.
What are the rules for nicknames?
A nickname has 3 to 16 characters and is unique across accounts, so you can't take a name someone else already has. Names with swearing or insults are filtered out, and names that impersonate another person, a club or an organisation are banned under the Terms of Use. You can change your name later in Settings.
Why do you ask for my year of birth?
For the age rules. You must be at least 13 to play Goal Bonito, and players under 16 can't use written chat, though they can still use the preset messages and emojis in a match. Your year of birth is never shown to other players.
Will I lose my guest progress? How do I continue on another device?
When you first create an account with Google or Apple, the Elo, leaderboard points and best scores you earned as a guest stay with it. On a new device, open Settings > Account and continue with the same Google or Apple account; alternatively, "Add another device" on your old device gives you an 8-character code that works once, for 10 minutes. The website and the phone apps share the same account.
What is Elo and how does it change?
Elo is a rating that reflects your strength, as in chess, and everyone starts at 1000. Only matchmade games from Play online count: beating a stronger opponent earns more than beating an equal one, and a draw leaves Elo unchanged. Your rating moves faster during your first 20 matches, while friend rooms and rematches never affect it.
How do I delete my account or my data?
Tap "Delete account" in Settings > Account; if you play as a guest the button is called "Delete my data". You can also get there from goalbonito.com/delete-account; deletion happens straight away and can't be undone. If you have an account, you can first save a copy of your data with "Download my data".
Tickets and payments
Is Goal Bonito free, and what are tickets for?
Playing is free. Only matchmade games in Play online cost a ticket: it is taken when you press "Find match" and comes back if you cancel before you are matched or if you win, while friend rooms, single-player modes and the rematch after a match are free. One ticket refills every 30 minutes, and you can hold up to 3 on the website and up to 5 in the phone app.
What can I do when I run out of tickets?
While a new ticket refills you can play the modes that don't need one. In the phone app you can watch a short rewarded ad to earn tickets, or to win back the ticket from a match you lost, up to a daily limit. There are no ads on the website's game screens.
Online matches
How is my opponent chosen?
When you press "Find match" in Play online, the game looks for an opponent with a similar Elo who chose the same scope, era and round time. If nobody suitable turns up for a while, you may be paired with someone whose settings differ slightly; the match then uses a pool that covers both choices and the longer of the two round times. You are never matched with players you have blocked.
How do I play with a friend?
On the Play online screen tap "Create room" and send your friend the room code or the link; codes are a legend's surname plus two digits, such as zidane47. Once your friend arrives through "Join room", either of you can change the scope, era and round time, and the match starts when you both tap "I'm ready". Friend rooms need no tickets and don't affect Elo or the leaderboard.
What happens if I leave a match or lose my connection?
If your connection drops, come back on the same device within 10 seconds and the match carries on; if you don't, or if you leave, your opponent wins, and once at least one round has been played it counts as a loss for you. If your opponent leaves before the first round is over, the match doesn't count and, in a matchmade game, your ticket is returned. While you wait for a friend in a room, the room stays open for 3 minutes if you switch away from the app, so you have time to send the link.
How does the leaderboard work?
The Leaderboard in the Social tab counts only matchmade online games: 3 points for a win, 1 for a draw, none for a loss. The Daily table resets at midnight Turkish time and the All time table keeps adding up; you can view both worldwide or for your friends only. Only players with an account are listed, and points you earned as a guest move to your account when you create one.
Single-player modes
Which single-player modes are there?
The Single player menu has three: Classic ladder, This or that and Career path. None of them needs tickets, you choose a scope and an era before each run, and your best score is saved for each mode.
How do lives and time work in single player?
In Classic ladder and Career path you have 3 lives; a wrong guess costs no life and just rules that name out, and you only lose a life when time runs out (in Career path, after every club has been revealed). The early steps of the ladder give you 20 seconds, and the time shrinks as you climb but never below 10 seconds. In This or that the first mistake or timeout ends the run; each question starts at 12 seconds and gets as short as 5.
Devices and languages
Can I play on my phone? Is there an app?
Yes. goalbonito.com is built for phone browsers, so there is nothing to install. Apps for Android and iOS are on the way; they run the same game with the same account.
Which languages is the game in?
English, Turkish, Spanish, Italian, German, French, Dutch, Portuguese (Portugal and Brazil), Greek, Russian, Ukrainian, Serbian, Romanian and Polish. The game picks your device's language when it first opens, and you can change it in Settings > Language. Player names are typed in Latin letters in every language.
Privacy, ads and safety
Are there ads on the site and in the game?
The website's content pages (About, the guides and this FAQ) show Google AdSense ads; game screens and legal pages show none. In the EEA, the UK and Switzerland these pages first ask for your consent to cookies and personalised ads. The phone app shows Google AdMob ads: rewarded ads you choose to watch and occasional full-screen ads after a match ends, never during a match.
What data do you keep?
To run the game we keep your nickname, Elo, scores and friends; when you sign in with Google or Apple we do not store your e-mail address or your name. We estimate your country from your device's time zone and never ask for location access, and our own usage statistics on the website use no cookies. Google may use its own cookies on the pages with ads; the details are in the Privacy Policy.
How do I report a player who behaves badly?
After a match, use the ⋮ menu next to the Share button to report or block your opponent; the same menu is on player profiles and in chats. We review reports within 24 hours, and a player you block will never be matched with you online again. There is no free typing in matches, only preset messages and emojis; written chat is only between friends who both have an account and are at least 16, and every message passes a profanity filter.
Reporting a problem
A player is missing or something looks wrong. What should I do?
Write to destek@goalbonito.com with the player's name, the clubs involved and what looks wrong; we read every report. If you are reporting a bug, tell us your device, the app version (shown at the bottom of the Settings page), your nickname and what happened step by step. Other ways to reach us are on the Support page.