To play Financial Football, one has to go to www.mymoneyskills.me and click on the game's logo. The player will then be directed to a sports stadium packed with a cheering crowd, while a fast-paced music plays in the background, building up the intensity.

Players are faced with three levels of difficulty, different game lengths and different countries to choose from. Once the game is on, the player is sent to the football field, where other athletes toss the ball around. The player will then be made to choose what action to take in order to win the game.

Each action, whether it's a side pass, back pass, forward pass or dribble, will have a question. Short passes get easy questions while longer passes get difficult questions. A wrong answer gives the opponent the opportunity to steal or gain control of the ball.

Effective tool

Sharon Pereira, an Indian expatriate who tried the game, thinks Financial Football is an effective tool to teach people about finance.

"If the answer selected is wrong, it shows you the correct one, and it's human tendency to pay attention especially when you go wrong, thus making the tool a great learning application," she tells Gulf News.

"I like the fact that there are options for levels of difficulty which caters to the understanding of finance by an individual," she adds.

Financial experts also find the game interesting, although football may not appeal to everyone.

"I played the game today and found it to be amusing, interesting and almost addictive. Mind you, a female colleague came to see what the noise was about and said the words, ‘Oh no! Not football!' and left the room immediately. Perhaps this is not so appealing to all people," notes Steve Gregory, director of technical services at Holborn Assets.

Gregory, however, says the game can help improve financial awareness among those who play the game and has the potential to lure in soccer fans and finance boffins.

He says the idea also brings an "interesting and motivating approach to teaching and should be encouraged".

"I liked the fact that you play against the clock, causing a sense of urgency, and adding to the thrill. As an advisor, I still found one or two questions quite challenging, but the use of American terminology was a bit of a disadvantage for me. Probably the content is about right. The information in the remainder of the website is spot on," Gregory adds.

It is recommended that before playing the game, participants should brush up on their financial knowledge through four modules, which can be downloaded by clicking on the ‘pregame' option. There are three age categories: amateur, for ages 11 to 14; semi-pro, 14 to 18 and world class, 18 and above.

The first module is about saving money. It will help players learn the basics of interest and how "saving money makes money". Players will also familiarise themselves with the different types of savings accounts and options, and discover some financial tools that will make saving money a breeze.

The second module aims to give students a clear understanding of the process for creating and maintaining a budget, and why budgeting is important. It tackles current spending habits and various expenses associated with living independently.

The third module is about credit, debit and prepaid cards. It seeks to teach students how to use cards to their advantage while increasing their knowledge of credit card terms. It also looks at the different factors to consider when choosing cards.

The fourth module is designed to teach students how to build and maintain creditworthiness and how to protect credit. It aims to make students understand what creditworthiness is and teach them when to use credit and when not to. It also seeks to educate them on how to spot and reverse the negative effects of identity theft.