How to play Starting Ten: the ranked football quiz

Starting Ten is a ranked football quiz for people who enjoy arguing about lists. Each round hides ten players or clubs in a real ranked table. Find as many as possible before three shared strikes end the round.

The rules in 30 seconds

1. Read the ranked-list prompt and its cutoff date.
2. Submit a player or club you think appears in the hidden ten.
3. A correct answer reveals its position and scores 11 minus its rank.
4. A wrong or repeated answer uses one of the three strikes.
5. Reveal all ten to clear the list.

First place scores 10 points, second scores 9, and tenth scores 1. That means a difficult high-ranked answer is worth taking a risk on, while a safe answer can protect a lead.

What makes a good answer?

Start with clubs or players that are obvious for the competition and season in the prompt. Then use the context clues, the shape of the table, and your memory of the era. Suggestions help with spelling, but they are drawn from the wider directory and do not confirm that an answer is in the active list.

Daily and local modes

The daily Starting Ten challenge gives everyone the same list for the UTC day. Your attempt is saved locally, so you can leave and return without losing the board.

In local mode, two to four people alternate answers across three lists. The starting player rotates between rounds, and the shared strikes keep every turn meaningful.

Why the date matters

Football tables change, and memories become unreliable when seasons blur together. Every Starting Ten list shows its competition, season or cutoff, source and review date. Treat the prompt as part of the question, not background decoration.

Do not just name the biggest club. Name the right club for the exact table in front of you.