Soccer Rivals is based on a board-game format with managers moving their counters around a Monopoly-style board. Three managers get to play, any of them human or computer controlled.

The three teams all start out in an eight-team Fourth Division. With efficient management, you can be one of two teams promoted at the end of the 14-game season. Landing on lucky squares helps, enabling you to win wodges of useful cash with which to buy better players.