Data Import Tool - Football Leagues Docs

Data Import Tool

The Data Import Tool allows you to bulk import data from spreadsheets (Excel, Google Sheets, etc.) into Football Leagues. Instead of manually creating entities one by one, you can paste hundreds of rows and import them in seconds.

Import types supported:

• Entities: Players, Clubs, Stadiums, Staff, Referees
• Matches: Games (insert new), Games (update existing)
• Match Events: Lineups, Goals, Substitutes, Cards

Video Tutorial

Watch this step-by-step guide:

How to Use

Step 1: Access the Import Tool

Go to Settings & Tools → Data Import

Step 2: Select Import Type

Click the import type links at the top to switch between:

• players | stadiums | clubs | staff | referees
• games (insert) | games (update)
• goals | lineups | substitutes | cards

Step 3: Choose Import Mode

For entity pages (Players, Clubs, Staff, Stadiums, Referees), toggle between:

Mode	Purpose	Required Field
Insert	Create new records	Name field
Update	Modify existing records	ID or External ID

For match event pages (Goals, Cards, Substitutes, Lineups), toggle between:

Mode	Purpose
Replace	Clear existing data for the match, then import new
Append	Add to existing data (keep current records)

Step 4: Configure Columns (Optional)

Click “Change Import Columns” to:

• Reorder columns by dragging
• Show/hide columns using the eye icon
• Click “Apply New Settings” to save

Your column preferences are saved per import type.

Step 5: Paste Data

1. Prepare your data in Excel, Google Sheets, or any spreadsheet
2. Select and copy the rows (without headers)
3. Click in the first cell of the import table
4. Paste (Ctrl+V / Cmd+V)

Step 6: Import

For entity pages:

• Click “Save Data” to start import

For match event pages:

• Click “Preview Import” to see grouped data by match
• Review the preview table showing valid/invalid counts
• Click “Import Data” to execute

Step 7: Review Results

After import, each row shows its status:

• success (green) – Imported successfully
• error (red) – Failed with error message

Use “Clear Success” to remove successful rows and re-attempt failed ones.

Importing games doesn’t rebuild standing tables. Affected tables are flagged instead, and a Recalculate now bar appears at the top of this page – one click updates them all, one table at a time, so a 380-match league doesn’t time out. Flagged tables also carry a Needs recalculation mark on the Standing Tables list, which has a Recalculate bulk action. Tables you fill in manually are never flagged.

Import Types Reference

Entity Imports (Insert/Update)

Players

Column	Required	Notes
Player Name	Insert	Display name
Short Name	No	Abbreviated name
Full Name	No	Legal/official name
Position	No	Dropdown: Goalkeeper, Defender, Midfielder, Forward
Current Club	No	Dropdown of existing clubs
Date of Birth	No	Format: YYYY-MM-DD
Nationality	No	Dropdown of countries
Height (cm)	No	Numeric
Weight (kg)	No	Numeric
Player ID	Update	Internal WordPress ID
Player External ID	Both	Your custom identifier
Custom Fields	No	cf__fieldname format

Clubs

Column	Required	Notes
Club Title	Insert	Team name
Abbreviation	No	Short code (e.g., MUN, LIV)
City	No	Home city
Country	No	Dropdown of countries
National Team	No	yes/no
Club ID	Update	Internal WordPress ID
Club External ID	Both	Your custom identifier

Stadiums

Column	Required	Notes
Stadium Title	Insert	Venue name
City	No	Location city
Address	No	Full address
Capacity	No	Number of seats
Surface	No	Grass, Artificial, etc.
Opened	No	Year opened
Stadium ID	Update	Internal WordPress ID
Stadium External ID	Both	Your custom identifier

Staff

Column	Required	Notes
Staff Name	Insert	Full name
Job Title	No	Coach, Manager, etc.
Current Club	No	Dropdown of existing clubs
Date of Birth	No	Format: YYYY-MM-DD
Nationality	No	Dropdown of countries
Staff ID	Update	Internal WordPress ID
Staff External ID	Both	Your custom identifier

Referees

Column	Required	Notes
Referee Name	Insert	Full name
Job Title	No	Main referee, Assistant, etc.
Date of Birth	No	Format: YYYY-MM-DD
Nationality	No	Dropdown of countries
Referee ID	Update	Internal WordPress ID
Referee External ID	Both	Your custom identifier

Match Imports

Games (Insert)

Create new matches. Important: Competition must exist with teams assigned before importing.

Column	Required	Notes
Competition ID	Yes	ID of target competition
Round ID	Yes	Round number in competition
Club Home ID	Yes	Home team ID
Club Away ID	Yes	Away team ID
Kickoff	No	Format: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM
Finished	No	yes/no
home_goals	No	Final score (home)
away_goals	No	Final score (away)
Matchweek	No	Matchweek number
Stadium ID	No	Venue ID
Attendance	No	Number of spectators
Referee ID	No	Main referee ID
Match External ID	No	Your custom identifier

Games (Update)

Update existing matches. Requires Match ID or External ID.

Column	Required	Notes
Match ID	One required	Internal WordPress ID
Match External ID	One required	Your custom identifier
Kickoff	No	Format: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM
Finished	No	yes/no
home_goals	No	Update final score
away_goals	No	Update final score

Match Event Imports

Lineups

Column	Required	Notes
Match ID	Yes*	Match identifier
Player ID	Yes*	Player identifier
Club ID	Yes*	Player’s team in this match
Starting XI	No	yes/no (starter or substitute)
Number	No	Jersey number for this match
Is Captain	No	yes/no

*Can use External IDs instead: Match External ID, Player External ID, Club External ID

Goals

Column	Required	Notes
Match ID	Yes*	Match identifier
Player ID	Yes*	Goalscorer identifier
Club ID	Yes*	Scoring team
Minute	No	Goal minute
Minute Additional	No	Stoppage time
Own Goal	No	yes/no
From Penalty	No	yes/no
Assistant ID	No	Assist provider

Substitutes

Column	Required	Notes
Match ID	Yes*	Match identifier
Player ID	Yes*	Player coming IN
Player Out ID	Yes*	Player going OUT
Club ID	Yes*	Team making substitution
Minute	No	Substitution minute
Minute Additional	No	Stoppage time

Cards

Column	Required	Notes
Match ID	Yes*	Match identifier
Player ID	Yes*	Player receiving card
Club ID	Yes*	Player’s team
Minute	No	Card minute
Card Type	Yes	y (yellow), r (red), yr (second yellow)

Tips & Best Practices

Data Preparation

1. Match column order – Reorder your spreadsheet columns to match the import tool
2. No headers – Don’t include column headers when pasting
3. Use External IDs – Assign your own identifiers for easier updates later
4. Date format – Always use YYYY-MM-DD (ISO format)
5. Dropdown values – Check valid options before importing

Import Order

When setting up from scratch, import in this order:

1. Stadiums (optional)
2. Clubs
3. Players
4. Staff, Referees
5. Create competitions manually (assign clubs to groups)
6. Games (insert)
7. Lineups, Goals, Cards, Substitutes

Handling Errors

Error	Cause	Solution
“Name is required”	Missing entity name	Add name to required column
“ID or External ID required”	Update mode needs identifier	Add ID column or switch to Insert
“Club ID required”	Missing team reference	Add Club ID column
Invalid dropdown value	Value not in list	Check valid options (orange highlight)

Keyboard Shortcuts

Key	Action
Tab / Shift+Tab	Navigate between cells
Arrow keys	Move around grid
Enter	Start editing current cell
Type any character	Start editing with that character
Esc	Cancel editing
Ctrl+V	Paste data