A quick reference for what happens when you tap I can't host and need someone to take over your game.
How does a Master swap start?
When you tap I can't host in the app, the system checks how many hours are left until kickoff and routes your session into one of three timing zones. Each zone has different rules for how the slot is opened up, who gets notified, and whether a penalty applies.
Zone | Timing | Your status |
A | More than 3 weeks to kickoff | You're removed from the session; a placeholder Master fills your spot |
B | Between 3 weeks and 24 hours to kickoff | You stay on as Master until someone claims the slot |
C | Less than 24 hours to kickoff | You stay on as Master until someone claims the slot, and a credit penalty applies |
What happens if I cancel more than 3 weeks before kickoff?
You're removed from the session and a placeholder Master is added in your place.
The open slot appears in the Master feed (in-app).
It's added to the weekly digest, sent by push and email.
As soon as another Master claims it — you'll get a push confirming this.
What happens if I cancel between 3 weeks and 24 hours before kickoff?
You stay on as Master until someone else claims the slot.
The open slot appears in the Master feed (in-app).
It's added to the weekly digest, sent by push and email.
Once another Master claims it, you're released — you'll get a push confirming this.
Still open after 7 days? See "What happens if nobody claims my slot?" below.
What happens if I cancel less than 24 hours before kickoff?
This is the most urgent zone, since there's little time to backfill the slot.
You stay on as Master until someone claims the slot, and a -10 credit penalty applies.
The slot opens in the Master feed, with an extra +10 credits added to the game's price as an incentive for another Master to step in.
FC Urban gets an immediate nudge on Slack.
All Area Masters are broadcast the open slot by push and email.
Once claimed, you're released — you'll get a push confirming this.
Am I penalised for cancelling?
Cancelling with less than 24 hours to kickoff carries a -10 credit penalty, and the game's credit price goes up by 10 for whoever picks it up. Zones A and B carry no credit penalty.
What is the "placeholder Master" in Zone A?
It's a temporary stand-in added to the session only in Zone A, since your cancellation is more than 3 weeks out and you're removed from the session right away. It just holds your spot in the system until a real Master claims the slot — it does not host the game. Zones B and C don't use a placeholder, since you stay on as Master until someone else takes over.
What happens if nobody claims my slot after 7 days?
This applies to Zones A and B (Zone C escalates to FC Urban and Area Masters immediately instead). If the slot is still open 7 days after it was posted:
You get a nudge by push and email.
This keeps the slot visible until someone picks it up.
What happens if nobody claims my slot at all?
If nobody can claim the slot, FC Urban searches for a stand-in Master. If that's not possible, the game is cancelled.
When am I fully released as Master?
In all three zones, you (the original, or "OG", Master) are released the moment another Master claims your slot — you'll get a push notification confirming it. In Zone A you're already removed from the session at cancellation, so release just means the placeholder is swapped out for the new Master.