HotStat Classic Soccer Team Web Site Management Help How-to and Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome to HotStat.com. If you are reading this, your soccer league must be using HotStat.com to “power” their league web site. HotStat is web-based software solution that is used by many soccer leagues all over the world. Leagues choose to utilize HotStat because of its ability to leverage the Internet to streamline communications between the league office and the league participants. Participants can be players, coaches, parents, or fans, and they are all usually associated with one particular team that has registered to play within a league that uses HotStat.
HotStat as been utilized by soccer leagues and their registered teams since 1999. In that time, we have learned that 95% of all questions about how to do this or that come from the person or persons assigned to manage their team’s page on HotStat – which includes responsibility for filing online game reports and player stats. This document is targeted to these users of HotStat, and covers virtually every question or issue that we have been asked over the many years of providing support.
If you are experiencing problems with your team web site on HotStat, or you just have questions about how to do this or that, please read over this document before contacting the HotStat help desk. Unless your issue is something that has not been seen before, the HotStat help desk will only respond with a canned reply that is taken almost verbatim from the text within this document.
If you do need to contact HotStat for help, email . Please note, that HotStat CANNOT give out team passwords, or provide other functions that would be categorized as issues the league office would handle. HotStat is only the internet software provider to your soccer league, and is not authorized to answer questions or make changes to the web site dealing with team assignments, rosters, scores, schedules, etc…
Thank you for using HotStat, and good luck in your soccer season!
Yours in Soccer,
HotStat Classic
Setting up your Team Page within your league web site on HotStat.com
The Team Home Page
Your team home page on HotStat is where all players, coaches, parents, and other fans will come to receive the important information they need about your team. From the team page, all the specific information about your team's schedule and status within your league can be found in one place. Schedules, results, record, standings, match reports, rosters, fan lists, sponsors, and important announcements are all customized just for your team. However, information cannot be found by your players and fans if the coach or manager do not get involved with the management of their team home page. While the league may post a schedules and the occasional game result, the burden is with each team Coach and Manager to post rosters, file official match reports, track player stats, write game summaries, post a team logo, sponsors, and post announcements or approve fan list additions. We can give you the tools, but without proper use, no tool can benefit anyone without proper use. The more you put in to your team home page management, the more you, your team, your league, and the entire soccer community will get out of it! Here's how to get going...
Step 1 – Coach and Manager Use Only
At the bottom of your team page is a lt. blue box with a field for the team password that was sent to the Coach and Manager when you were registered with the team. (if you have lost this password, click the link under the password field and it will be sent to the currently Registered Coach and Manager's email address. If your email has changed, contact your league Website administrator and they can give it to you or set up a new on). Enter the password and click the GO button. You will be taken to the opening page of your Team Administration section – "Logo and Preferences"
Step 2 – Logo and Preferences
While you can upload a team logo anytime, what cannot wait is to confirm both you and your Manager/Assistant Coach's contact information. The only information that will be visible to the public on your team page are the names and phone number. Every email address registered with HotStat is kept completely confidential from the outside world. However, it is imperative that we have accurate emails for all league administrators because there is not other way to get important information out, or for your team to contact you through our special HotStat Mail tool that let's you receive email without disclosing your address to the sender.
You should provide all the contact information you can for both you and your Manager and then click on the "Roster" tab.
Step 3 – Complete Your Roster and Register Your Fans
Without a roster, you will not be able to properly report your game results or contact your players by email, and they will certainly never receive an automatic scheduled game reminder or any important announcements or last minute schedule changes from the league.
Registering fans is also a great way to keep parents, friends, and family members in touch with the happenings of your league and team.
Remember, NO player or fan email will be visible to the outside world, nor will anyone from the outside world be able to even contact a player or fan without going through you first.
Using the table titled "Add Fans and Players", fill in the name and email of every player and fan. To make sure they all receive automated game reminders or announcements from the league, leave the "Receive" check box checked. Choose a position for each player while ignoring the position field for any fans, and then designate each person as a fan or player by filling in the circle under the appropriate column. IF YOU DO NOT choose the fan or player column by clicking the circle, all the information for that person will be ignored and lost when you submit the page.
When you are ready, submit the information by clicking on the gray "Add fans/parents or players" button at the bottom of the screen. The page will refresh and reappear with separate editable lists for players and fans. You can update their information, or add more players and fans anytime from this same page.
NOTE: It is possible for people to register themselves as a player or fan right from your public team home page. Each time they do however, you will receive an email announcing their registration, at which time you should return to this page to make sure the person is a valid player or fan.
Step 4 – Reporting Games
Now that your roster is loaded, and once games have been played, it is time to file your online Match Reports. You will only be able to do so if the date for the scheduled game has arrived. Any games scheduled in the future will not be available for reporting. Also, if your league office has already recorded the score online, you will not be able to change it, but you WILL still be expected to report on player stats, field conditions, referee performance, and to write a few comments about the game for everyone to read.
If the scores are already there and not able to be typed over, just click on the gray"View" button for the appropriate game and you will be taken to the report. If you still need to report the score or edit an existing score that has not been confirmed by the league or other team, place the correct score in the box and then click on the gray"Create" button and you will be taken to the report.
Choose the goal scorer, approximate time of goal, and the primary assist for each goal your team scored (if any). Be sure to enter them in the correct order so the "Game Winning Goals" stat can be accurately tracked for games you team wins.
You may then enter Saves and Goals Against for up to three different Goal Keepers. The shots and save percentages are automatically calculated based on the game score as compared to saves and goals allowed.
Next, choose an MVP and Honorable Mention. This are extremely important for more defensively responsible players who do not get as many chances to be recognized for their accomplishments through goal scoring stats. Also check applicable weather and field conditions and choose an overall rank. HotStat accumulates all the rankings for fields to provide a "field quality" index.
Finally, write a description of the game and a referee report so people who missed it can read about it as soon as possible. This will also prove valuable for historic record keeping, which may benefit players with advancing their playing careers. HotStat also has plans to allow you to publish your match reports directly to local newspapers, so practice your writing skills! You never know, maybe you'll be the next lead reporter for Soccer America or 442.
When you are done, click the gray "Submit Game Report" button at the bottom of the page and your report will be sent to the Website. If the team you played has already filed their report, and you both reported the same score, the result will instantly become official and your standings will be updated throughout the Website.
Other Team Management Features and Tools
1. Announcements
Post announcements or other critical information on your team home page for all to see. You can hide and un–hide frequent announcements as needed, as well as edit existing ones. Instantly and automatically notify all registered players and fans of important announcements with the simple click of a check box before you submit the announcement.
2. Email Center
Email the league, division directors, all or just one player, or any combination of fans right over your team Website. Just choose your recipients and mail away.
3. You will see a “classified” link. This is no longer functional. We now recommend placing team tryout/openings on SoccerAds.com. Use the coupon code AG310 for a 10% discount. It’s free to browse and contact players already listed.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about managing team home pages on HotStat
1. Question: How do I get a team password?
Answer: When your League's HotStat Website Administrator registers you as the official team Coach or Manager. If they have used a correct email address for you, you will receive an email from HotStat with your password.
2. Question: My team password doesn't work, what should I do?
Answer: This can be caused by a number of different factors.
1- You could have just typed it in wrong. Try going back and re-entering it.
2- Your password may have been changed by the league or someone else with access to your team page. Click on the "Forget Password?" link and then check the email that is sent to confirm the correct password and try again.
3- If you know for a fact that you have the correct password, and you have tried re-typing it just to be sure, then try closing and re-opening your Web browser and then try again. If this does not work, try deleting all "cookies" that contain "www.hotstat.com" from your cookies folder (In the Windows directory for MS Windows users), restart your computer and try logging in again.
4- If none of these work, contact HotStat right away at and be sure to provide your league, division, team, and the password you have that is not working.
3. Question: I can log in to my team admin area OK, but as soon as I try to do anything, I get an error message telling me to re-enter my password, what should I do?
Answer: You may need to change some settings on your web browser's security settings dealing with "cookies". We use a session cookie to continually read your password as you navigate your team admin pages, and if your computer does not allow these to be set, then the system keeps asking for your password every time you attempt to make a change or move to another page within your team admin section. To adjust your cookie settings, see below:
1. When you have your browser open: Go to the Tools Menu, and select Internet Options.
2. Click on the Privacy Tab.
3. Click on the button to edit cookie settings for individual websites.
4. Add "hotstat.com" to the websites allowed text field. Note: Do not enter www.hotstat.com. The www. Will throw it off. Just enter hotstat.com
5. Close your browser, re-open and try logging in again. It should work now.
4. Question: How do I contact my league so they can register me as the coach or manager?
Answer: If you do not already have the email address or phone number of your league's office. Try using the "Contact Us" link on left-side navigation links on any of your league's home pages on HotStat - including your team page.
5. Question: I cannot get a hold of my league office. Can HotStat give me my password?
Answer: No. HotStat has no way to verify the identity of people requested to be registered as coaches or managers of teams. For the personal privacy AND security of the players, HotStat has a policy not to provide this information.
6. Question: I have more than one team manager, or an assistant coach(es) and a manager. How can I register all of them with the team, and make sure they have the team password?
Answer: There is only has room for one coach and one manager to be "officially" listed on your team page. However, you can list additional managers or coaches under the Fan list to make sure they get important team information, and you can personally tell them what your team password is if you would like them to have access to the private team administration areas.
7. Question: I hate the Internet, and don't have anyone on the team staff that likes it either. However, my players really want a team Website. Can I give the password to one of our players or fans so they can maintain the site for me?
Answer: Anyone you give the password to will be able to access your private administration area. It is up to you if you want to give this password out, but if you do be sure to give it to someone that will take the job seriously, and accurately report player statistics (not put themselves in as the scorer of every goal...) Also be sure they do not give the password to others, as this could violate the privacy and security of others on your team. If at any time you suspect the password has gotten in to the wrong hands, log in to your page immediately and change the password.