A rejected entry can mean either that the answer does not qualify or that the text did not match an accepted name. Those are different problems. Footbillion removes several harmless formatting differences when checking answers, but it does not treat every misspelling or nickname as a valid match.
The quickest improvement is to separate presentation from spelling. Capitals, punctuation and spacing usually do not need your attention. The actual letters and the identity you intend still do.
Formatting differences that are normalized
The answer checker lowercases text, removes combining accent marks after normalization, and removes characters other than letters and numbers. Spaces and ordinary punctuation therefore do not distinguish otherwise identical entries.
For a purely illustrative name, “André Example” and “andre-example” normalize to the same sequence of letters. “Andre Exampel” does not: the last two letters have been reversed. Formatting tolerance is not fuzzy spelling correction.
There is also a technical limit worth understanding without memorizing it. Not every letter used by every language turns into an English letter through accent removal. Some special letters need a separately listed spelling alias. When uncertain, use the full name you know rather than assuming all writing systems are automatically interchangeable.
What aliases do
An alias connects an accepted alternative name to the same answer. The bank includes selected everyday names and localized labels. Crossover questions also contain common player-name variants and, where unambiguous within the question, surnames.
An alias is explicit data, not a promise that every nickname will work. A club abbreviation familiar in your group chat may be too ambiguous or may simply not be listed. The discussion of official versus everyday names helps you choose a reliable form without making your input unnecessarily long.
For player intersections, consult the crossover name-input guide. Full names are particularly useful when a surname could identify more than one footballer. In duel, typing another alias for a player already used does not create a new eligible identity.
After a rejected attempt
Do not immediately submit the same letters with different capitalization. If case is already ignored, that retry cannot solve the problem. Instead, check three things:
- Does the answer satisfy every condition in the prompt?
- Did you omit or transpose a letter?
- Are you using an established full name or a nickname whose acceptance is uncertain?
A rejection consumes an attempt and the clock continues. Repeated experiments with near-identical text can leave no time for a different valid answer. Where you have a clear fallback, use it rather than trying to negotiate with the checker.
Phone keyboards deserve a final glance
Predictive text can replace an unfamiliar surname with an ordinary word, insert a different name, or retain a partial suggestion. Read the field itself before submitting; the word you intended is not always the word the keyboard left there.
Our phone-playing guide covers the small-screen controls in more detail. For input alone, a one-second check is enough: correct person, correct letters, no accidental extra word. You do not need to polish accents while a valid fallback waits.
Try these habits in guest practice. After the reveal, compare the accepted spelling and source with what you entered. That turns a frustrating rejection into a specific correction, instead of encouraging random spelling changes on the next timed question.
