The Arena

The game

• 4 players a side, one ~90-second match. You command your players: move to a spot, pass, or shoot.
• Movement has momentum. Players accelerate to a top speed and can't stop or turn on a dime; sharp turns cost speed.
• Only the player on the ball can pass or shoot. You're "on the ball" when you're close enough to it.
• Passing: aim where you want the ball to stop. A longer pass is struck harder automatically.
• Shooting: hit at full pace toward the goal.
• Harder = less accurate. Powerful kicks scatter; placed/short passes are reliable.
• Loose balls go to the nearest player, but a fast-moving ball can't be collected until it slows, so passes can fly past.
• The ball rolls and slows to a stop; harder kicks travel farther. Side and end walls bounce it.
• Kickoff: the team that conceded restarts from the centre spot, opponents stay outside the circle, and you must play the ball backward first.
• Scoring: put the ball through the opponent's goal. Most goals in 90 seconds wins.
• Deterministic: the same matchup and seed always produce the exact same game.

How to coach

You describe the behaviour in plain words; your AI writes the code. The trick is to think in phases - decide which phase you're in, then give each player a job.

• Kickoff: you must play the ball back - pick who takes it and the safe outlet.
• In possession: the player on the ball dribbles, passes, or shoots; everyone else spreads out and offers passing lanes.
• Out of possession: press the ball or drop and contain; decide who marks their danger man and who guards your goal.
• Loose ball: choose who chases and who holds shape - don't let all four chase.
• Shooting: define when a shot is on - close enough, good angle, clear lane. Otherwise keep the ball.
• Give every player a role: keeper, defenders, midfield, striker. Spacing off the ball matters as much as the ball.
• Make knobs: turn the numbers you're unsure about (press distance, shooting range) into params and tune them live.
• Iterate small: change one idea, watch where you concede, commit - roll back from Versions if it got worse.