SENSIBLE SOCCER
SWOS tactics and formations
The 96/97 manual is specific: 12 preset tactics, six custom slots named User A to F, and an editor built on 35 zones of the pitch and 240 places a player can be sent. That is the system. Formation fashion is extra, and it is labelled as a 2002 player's opinion where I use it.
Last checked: 2026-10-30
What the editor lets you do
The manual names six tools: abort, save and exit, undo, import, copy, and a flip toggle. Players can be paired so a run on one side mirrors the other. The assistant coach marks each tweak with a tick or a cross. A large tick means the change should raise the side's potential, and the manual says those marks affect both the match you play and the results the computer simulates.
The suggested workflow in the manual is practical: import a 4-4-2, walk the 35 zones until you have collected as many ticks as you can, then save three variants for normal, defensive, and attacking play.
Shapes, from a 2002 player guide
Ricky's 2002 guide argues, in his own voice, that 4-4-2 is steady, 3-5-2 strengthens midfield and fears counters, 5-3-2 is calmer against a strong side, 4-3-3 leaves the flanks open, a sweeper adds a deep defender, and the pure defending or attacking presets are extreme. I am quoting a point of view from 2002, not a law.
| Shape | His claim |
|---|---|
| 4-4-2 | The steady starting point |
| 3-5-2 | Stronger midfield, exposed to counters |
| 5-3-2 | Calmer against a better side |
| 4-3-3 | Wide spaces left open |
| Sweeper | An extra deep defender |
Expert mode is not in the 1996 manual
Expert mode belongs to SWOS 2020. One player, writing on the SWOS United forum about a Premier League career, said the computer sits tighter, injuries feel frequent, and the speed attribute dominates. That is one person's career. I will not promote it to an official rule.
Watch
SWOS 2020 goals compilation. Upload date 2022-07-17. The player loads only after you press it.
Questions people ask
How many custom tactics can I store?
Six, User A to F, on top of the 12 presets, according to the manual.
Do the ticks change simulated results?
The manual says yes. I am repeating that claim, not re-simulating a season.
Is expert mode in 96/97?
No. It is described as a SWOS 2020 feature, and only one player write-up is on file here.
Keep going
Sources checked 2026-10-30
- SWOS 96/97 manual — checked 2026-10-30
- Ricky's 2002 guide — checked 2026-10-30
- SWOS United, expert mode thread — checked 2026-10-30