Managers’ Chat Threads
Every competition on Gaff—Tournaments (Mixed & KO), Leagues, and Friendlies—comes with its own real-time chat thread. It’s the clubhouse where managers brag, banter, share receipts, and celebrates.
What it is
- Per-competition rooms: Each event has a unique chat so conversation stays on-topic and context-rich.
- Live by default: Messages stream instantly via sockets, no reloads needed.
- Media support: Post images (lineup screenshots, victory posters, meme recaps). EXIF is stripped, safe sizes enforced.
- Lightweight but lively: Reactions (👍🔥😂), inline match links, and auto-formatted scorelines (
Team A 2–1 Team B).
Why it matters
- Adds stakes & story: Banter turns fixtures into rivalries. Rivalries keep managers coming back.
- Social scouting: Share clips, ask about prospects, compare training plans, community accelerates mastery.
- Better retention: Leagues with active chat see higher re-joins and creator repeat events.
- Healthier economy: The more managers socialize, the more listings, loans, and friendlies they spin up.
Core Features
| Area | Details |
|---|---|
| Identity | Shows club name + crest, creator and admins marked with badges. |
| Images | PNG/JPG up to N MB, thumbnails in-thread, click to zoom. |
| Mentions | @username to ping rivals (rate-limited to prevent spam). |
| Context links | Auto-link a match ID to jump to its card on the page. |
| Reactions | Quick reacts (max 3 per message to keep signal). |
| Pinned | Creators/admins can pin rules, schedule changes, prize posts. |
| Search | Keyword search within the room (e.g., “lineup”, “Group B”). |
| Read receipts | Subtle “seen by X” on pinned announcements only. |
| Localization | Client locale formatting, emoji picker included. |
Safety & Fair Play
- Report / Mute / Block: One-tap report, personal mute and block lists.
- Filters: Profanity filter with escalating cooldowns (shadow-mute on repeat).
- Image checks: Size/type validation, safe-content heuristics.
- Rate limits: Burst and sustained limits to prevent floods.
- Audit trail: Admin actions (pin, remove) are logged with timestamps.
Goal: keep the spice, stop the spam.
UX Flow
- Open Competition → “Chat” tab (also accessible from the sticky bar).
- Post text or image (drag-drop or mobile picker).
- React or reply (quote-reply to keep threads tidy during peak moments).
- Jump to context (click a linked match to view its card, then back).
- Pin announcements (creators/mods only).
Mobile: the chat sits on a dedicated screen with quick tabs for Fixtures, Standings/Bracket, and Leaders, switching keeps scroll position.
Under the hood (brief)
- Rooms:
tournament:{id},league:{id},friendly:{id}. - Transport: WebSocket with auth token handshake.
- Persistence: Messages stored with competition ID, author club, and optional media metadata.
- Moderation hooks: Server-side interceptors for filters, limits, and admin controls.
Best Practices for Managers
- Bring receipts: Post your lineup screenshot pre-kickoff, win or lose, it fuels great debriefs.
- Celebrate, don’t denigrate: Sharp banter, not personal attacks.
- Pin schedules: If you’re the creator, pin the fixture times and prize splits early.
- Use mentions sparingly: Save pings for real moments (finals, tiebreaks, big trades).
Coming soon (roadmap)
- Room polls (MVP of fan voting on “Goal of the Round”).
- Image albums per competition.
- Creator-only announcements channel mirrored in main chat.
- Mini trophy emojis for round winners that persist for the competition’s duration.
TL,DR
Chat makes competitions unforgettable. It turns a list of fixtures into a living season, with memes, mind games, and momentum. Post your brag, drop your lineup, pin your prize pool, then meet your rivals on the pitch.