Training
Choosing trainees
Choosing the correct players to train is a balancing act. There are four factors to consider.
- Main skill (goalkeeping, defending, playmaking, winger or scoring)
- Age
- Secondary skills, related to the main skill
- Price
There is little to be gained from training players that are not at least passable in their main skill, although for new players 17 year olds with inadequate main skill should be considered. Training a player who is passable or solid in primary skill is not as profitable as training higher skills, but lower skilled players cost considerably less to purchase. To get some ideas of the cost and profit from various skill increases see HAM Transfer Price Evaluation
As players age, they decrease in price, so buying slightly older players (eg 18 or 19 year olds) is often wise.
The better the secondary skills, the more you will pay to purchase the trainee, but the final selling price will also be higher.
Training types
In Hattrick, training takes place once a week. Typically only players who played on certain positions are fully trained depending on the skill you are training. If, for instance, forwards are being trained then only the players that played as a forward in one of the two games that week receive training. Note that only last played position matters for training. There are 12 types of training. Each have their own potential for generating profit or improving your team. Generally the training types that concentrate on one of the main skills (goalkeeping, defending, playmaking, winger, and scoring) are the most popular training types.
To train the maximum number of players each week it is important to arrange friendlies where you play your trainees who did not play in the league match in the same week.
Brackets indicate small effects. Double brackets indicate very small effects
| Training type | Improves | ...for... | Training speed | Max players trained | Impairs |
| Goalkeeping | Goalkeeping | Goalkeepers | 5 weeks | 2 | |
| Defending | Defending | Defenders ((Others)) | 8 weeks | 10 | |
| Playmaking | Playmaking | Inner midfielders (Wingers) ((Others)) | 7 weeks | 6 (4) | |
| Scoring | Scoring | Forwards ((others)) | 7 weeks | 6 | |
| Crossing (Winger) | Winger | Wingers (Wing backs) ((others)) | 5 weeks | 4 (4) | |
| Defensive positions | Defending | (Defenders and midfielders) ((Others)) | 16 weeks | (20) | |
| Wing attacks | Winger | Forwards and wingers ((Others)) | 7 weeks | 10 | |
| Shooting | (Scoring) | (Outfielders) ((Others)) | 14 weeks | (20+) | |
| (Set pieces) | ((All)) | 16 weeks | (50) | ||
| Short passes | Passing | Midfielders and forwards ((Others)) | 5.5 weeks | 16 | |
| Through passes | Passing | Defenders and midfielders ((Others)) | 7.5 weeks | 20 | |
| Set pieces | Set pieces | All | 2-3 weeks | 50 | |
| Stamina | Stamina | All | 1-2 weeks | 50 | Form |
| General | (Form) | (All who played a game during the week) | 1 week | 22 | |
| (Goalkeeping) | ((Goalkeepers)) |
Please note the 'Training Speed' numbers are based on 17 year old trainees, using a solid coach, and 9 assistants.
There is a theory that claims that for each year above 17 you should add one week (or a fraction of a week) of training. Another theory is, that training speed is depreciated with approximately 8% each year above 17 years of age.
Also note that these training speed values are given as an average, and can (and will) vary from player to player. This means, for example, that if the value presented for a given training is 7 weeks, some players will take 6, others 8, but if you look at a large number of players they should average at 7. This might be due to the fact that the player gets a part of the next level after a pop. When that happens he needs less time to pop again. For example: When the first pop ends up to solid and a very little bit (7,02) he needs more time to go to excellent then when his first pop gives him a bit more (7,12).
When to cash in
In most cases selling trainees at age 21 is the best way to maximise profit. Once a player hits 21 years old, he begins to train at a noticably slower rate compared to a younger player.
With particularly high skilled players, especially National Team players, training can be taken on further, but in general the financial returns decrease beyond the age of 21.
It is also worth noting it is possible to overtrain a player, and make him unsustainable in the long run due to the extremely high wages.
