OSM Specialists: The Captain, Penalty, Free-Kick and Corner Guide
Manager Guide · 2026-10-06 · 7 min
Next to the tactics screen OSM has a small, often forgotten section: specialists. The game has exactly four specialist roles: captain, penalty taker, free-kick taker and corner taker. Most managers pick them once and forget them. This guide covers the logic of each role, a worked squad example and when to check the roles again.
1. The four roles at a glance
| Role | Who to pick | Why | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Captain | The oldest player in the eleven; on equal age, the stronger one | The experience and leadership role | A bench or heavily rotated player |
| Penalty | The forward with the highest attack | A penalty is a finishing moment | A high-overall player with low attack |
| Free kick | Your best midfielder, weighted toward attack; your best forward if you have no midfielders | A pass or a shot from outside the box | A centre-back |
| Corner | Your best midfielder, weighted toward attack | The player sending the ball into the box | Centre-backs and your top scorer: you need them inside the box |
2. Captain: the most experienced player
For captain we pick the oldest player in the starting eleven; on equal age, the stronger one. Think of the player who has been on the pitch longest, not your young star.
3. Penalty: the forward with the highest attack
The penalty should go to the forward with the highest attack value. Attack, not overall strength, is the measure: a forward with a higher overall but lower attack is not the better penalty taker. If your squad has no forwards, the tool tells you so plainly.
4. Free kick and corner: your best midfielder
For both roles we pick your best midfielder, weighted toward attack. When the tool compares midfielders it gives attack more weight than overall strength. With no midfielders, the free kick goes to your best forward.
Avoid two mistakes on corners:
- Do not make a centre-back your corner taker. You need him inside the box at set pieces.
- Do not make your top scorer your corner taker. The player who should be where the ball lands should not be the one sending it.
5. Worked example
Say we enter these four players into the Specialist Selection Matrix:
| Player | Position | Age | Overall | Attack | Defence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murat | Defender (centre-back) | 33 | 88 | 40 | 90 |
| Emre | Midfielder | 31 | 89 | 82 | 75 |
| Kaan | Midfielder | 27 | 91 | 86 | 80 |
| Arda | Forward | 24 | 92 | 94 | 45 |
Result:
- Captain: Murat. He is the oldest (33).
- Penalty: Arda. The only forward and the highest attack.
- Free kick: Kaan. Of the two midfielders, the one with higher attack and overall.
- Corner: Kaan. Same logic. Murat is a centre-back; making him corner taker would take your strongest header out of the box at set pieces.
6. When to check specialists again
| What happened | What to check |
|---|---|
| The transfer window closed | All four roles |
| A player got injured or suspended | Is his role empty? |
| You are rotating | Is the captain in the eleven? |
| You changed formation | Did the number of midfielders and forwards change? Who has free kicks and corners? |
| You sold a player | Who took over his role? |
7. The most common mistakes
- Picking specialists at the start of the season and never looking again.
- Leaving the captain on the bench.
- Making the top scorer the corner taker.
- Giving the penalty to the highest-rated player overall; the right measure is attack.
- Making a centre-back the free-kick or corner taker.
Summary
The captain should be your most experienced player, the penalty your highest-attack forward, free kicks and corners your best midfielder. Check the roles again after transfers, injuries and formation changes. Enter four players' age, overall, attack and defence into the Specialist Selection Matrix in the site's menu and it fills the four roles with this logic. For the whole pre-match routine, see the pre-match checklist.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many specialist roles are there in OSM?
- Four: captain, penalty taker, free-kick taker and corner taker.
- Who should be captain in OSM?
- By the logic of the site's tool, the oldest player in the starting eleven; on equal age, the stronger one. It is a practical approach, not an official formula.
- Who should take penalties?
- The forward with the highest attack value. Attack, not overall strength, decides it.
- Who should take corners?
- Your best midfielder, weighted toward attack. Do not make a centre-back or your top scorer the corner taker; you need them inside the box.
- How often should I check my specialists?
- After every transfer window, injury, suspension and formation change. If you rotate, check the captain before every match.