OBPlay – Coach Setup Guide

Coach Setup Guide

Everything you need to set up and run OBPlay Basketball — from first launch to full competition mode.

The Game

OBPlay is a competitive challenge card game designed to run inside your regular practice environment. It is not a standalone activity — it is a coaching tool that maps directly onto your season plan, period plan, and practice plan.

From the skills phase early in the season through to tactical competition prep, OBPlay gives you three distinct game modes that align with where your team is in training. Every challenge card can be tailored to match exactly what you are working on.

💡 Coach Tip OBPlay works best on a tablet mounted on a tripod or handed to an assistant coach. Keep the device visible to both teams for maximum engagement.

Game Modes

OBPlay adapts to your coaching objectives. Choose the mode that fits your training focus for the day.

🎲

Coach Driven Challenges

Skills Focus

The coach curates the card deck before play begins — only selected challenges are available. No randomness, no distractions. Full control over the session's skill focus.

Best for: Early-season skills phase. Targeting specific skills, mechanics, or behaviours that align with your well-planned practices.

🎯

Skill Challenges

Head-to-Head

Both teams receive the same challenge card simultaneously. First team to complete the challenge earns the points. When a challenge is completed, both teams immediately receive a new card in the same category.

Best for: Consolidating skills. Mid-season. High energy, fast-paced sessions.

🏀

Live Games

Full Competition

Each team holds its own private hand of challenge cards — different cards, unknown to the opponent. Teams work their challenges secretly during live play. Power Cards can be played at any moment to change momentum, block opponents, or amplify your score.

Best for: Tactical and competition phase. Replicating real game pressure. Pre-tournament prep.

Skill Cards

There are four Skill Card categories. Each category contains 20 challenges, ranging in difficulty from foundational to elite. Every card in every category can be customized by your coaching staff to align with your terminology, your standards, and your season focus.

🏀

Shooting

20 cards

Shot selection, form, footwork, and pressure finishing. From basic catch-and-shoot reps to pull-up jumpers and contested finishes at the rim.

🤜

Passing

20 cards

Decision-making, timing, court vision, and execution under pressure. From basic two-man passing to complex motion and transition scenarios.

🛡️

Defense

20 cards

On-ball defence, help positioning, rotations, and transition defence. Includes individual lockdown challenges and team-based defensive schemes.

⚡

Dribbling

20 cards

Ball handling, change of direction, creating off the dribble, and dribble penetration under pressure. From basic control to advanced dribble combinations.

★ All Skill Cards are fully customizable Every title, description, and difficulty rating on every Skill Card can be edited to match your practice plan. The card deck is a living document that should evolve with your team throughout the season. See Deck Manager below.

Power Cards

Power Cards are strategic weapons available exclusively in Live Games mode. Each team holds two Power Cards at all times. They can be played at any point during live play and introduce real competitive pressure — mirroring the tactical complexity of actual game situations.

❄️

Freeze

Opponents cannot complete any challenges for the next 2 possessions.

💥

Momentum Shift

After 3 consecutive scores, transfer points from the opponent's last challenge to your score.

🙅

Challenge Flag

Contest the opponent's last completion. Points are removed automatically.

✌️

Double Down

Complete a challenge this possession for double points. Fail and lose a point. High risk. High reward.

🛡️

Shield Up

Protect your team from 6 specific opponent Power Cards for 3 possessions.

⏳

Time Warp

Return the opponent's last completed card to their hand. They must earn those points again from scratch.

🎲 Coach Driven Challenges — How to Run

The coach curates the card deck before play begins. Only selected challenges are available — giving you precise control over the skill focus of the session.

01

Launch Coach Driven Challenges

From the home screen, tap Coach Driven Challenges and select game mode "Live Game" (teams get separate cards) or "Skill Comp" (both teams compete on same card).
02

Set Teams & Target Score

Enter team names and select your target score.
03

Select Skill Categories & Challenge Cards

Select "Pick Cards". Toggle individual cards on or off within each skill category. Only active cards will be dealt during the game.
04

Run the Practice / Challenge

Coach can choose approach to announce challenges and start play. Cards from your selected categories are dealt and the game runs inside your normal practice flow.
05

Coach Verifies Completion

When a team completes a challenge, the coach confirms it and taps Complete. Points are awarded instantly. A fresh card from the same category is dealt.

🎯 Skill Challenges — How to Run

Both teams see the same card. First to complete it wins the points. High energy, clear focus.

01

Launch Skill Competition

From the home screen, tap Skill Competition.
02

Set Teams and Target Score

Enter team names and your target score.
03

Select Active Categories

Choose which skill categories are in play. Power Cards are not used in Skill Competition mode.
04

Start Game & Compete

Both teams compete on the same challenges for active categories.
05

First to Complete Wins

The first team to successfully execute the challenge earns the points. The coach confirms and taps Complete for that team. A new card is immediately dealt to both teams.

🏀 Live Games — How to Run

Full competitive mode. Private hands. Power Cards active. Mirrors real game pressure.

01

Launch Live Game

From the home screen, tap Live Game.
02

Set Teams, Target Score & Categories

Enter both team names, set the target score, and choose which skill categories (and Power Cards) are active.
03

Each Team Receives Their Hand

Cards are dealt privately — each team holds one challenge card per active category, plus two Power Cards (if active). Teams should not reveal their cards to opponents.
04

Play Basketball, Work Your Challenges

Teams attempt their challenges secretly during live play. There are no announcements. Any challenge can be targeted at any moment within the normal flow of play.
05

Play a Power Card

Coaches can determine conditions for playing Power Cards (example: stoppage in play, during time outs, etc.). Power Cards trigger immediately and their effect is applied to the game state.
06

Coach Verifies and Scores

When a team executes a challenge successfully, the coach confirms and taps Complete on that team's card. Points are awarded. A new challenge card is dealt to replace the completed card. First team to the target score wins.

⚠️ Power Card Timing Power Cards can be activated before, during, or after your team's challenge — but most affect the next action after they're played. Read the card effect carefully before tapping Activate.

Deck Manager — Manual Edits

The Deck Manager is your control centre for the entire card library. Access it any time from the home screen. Admin accounts have full edit permissions.

Every card in every category can be edited directly inside the app. Select the category tab, tap the card you want to edit, and update any of the following:

Field	What to Change
Title	Rename the challenge to match your coaching language or terminology.
Description	Update the parameters, repetition counts, zone targets, or success criteria to fit your drill.
Difficulty Rating	Adjust the rating to reflect where your team is in their development.

Save the card and the updated version is immediately active in all future games. Manual edits are ideal for fine-tuning individual cards to your specific team standards.

Deck Manager — Upload Templates

Instead of editing cards one at a time, you can build a complete set of challenge cards in a spreadsheet and upload the entire deck at once.

💡 Why This Matters You can create multiple saved versions of your card deck — one for each phase of your season, or separate decks for teams at different skill levels. Switch between them with a single upload.

To Use the Upload Template

Download the template from the Deck Manager — tap Upload → Download Template.
Open in Excel or Google Sheets. Each row is one challenge card. Fill in the Category, Title, Description, and Difficulty for each card.
Build as many versions as you need — a Skills Phase deck, a Tactics Phase deck, a Beginner deck, an Elite deck.
Save each version as a separate file so you can switch between them throughout the season.
Activate a deck: go to Deck Manager → Upload and select the file. The app replaces the current card set with your uploaded version.

🗓️ Season Planning Tip

Build your card decks at the start of the season alongside your period plans. Create one template per phase — Skills, Tactical, Competition Prep — so that your OBPlay challenges automatically mirror what your team is working on each week. As the season progresses, upload the appropriate deck and the game instantly reflects your current training focus.

📲 Get the Full Coach & Player Guide For complete Power Card rules, scoring details, and in-game coach tips, see the Coach & Player Guide.