How to Run Scrims and Matches on Your CS2 Server with MatchZy

MatchZy turns your Counter-Strike 2 server into a match server. Players ready up, a knife round decides sides, teams can pause, and demos are recorded for you. This guide shows you how to install it and run your first scrim.

Difficulty

Intermediate

Time

20 minutes

What MatchZy does

Ready system: the match starts when enough players type .ready.
Knife round: the winners choose their starting side.
Pauses: tactical and technical pauses.
Round backups: go back to the start of a round after a problem.
Practice mode: spawns, bots, grenade rethrows and saved lineups.
Demos: recording starts when the match goes live and stops at the end.
Match setups: team names, whitelists and Get5-style match configs for leagues and panels.

Install MatchZy

Install CounterStrikeSharp

Open Frameworks and click Install CounterStrikeSharp. Metamod:Source is installed with it. Restart the server. See frameworks and plugins.MatchZy needs a recent CounterStrikeSharp. If you installed it a while ago, click Reinstall on its card.

Download MatchZy

Go to the MatchZy releases and download the latest release without CounterStrikeSharp, because the panel already installed it.

Upload it

Click Files, open game/csgo/ and upload the .zip. Click … next to it and choose Unarchive. The addons and cfg folders merge with yours. See how to use the file manager.

Restart and check

Restart the server and type css_plugins list in the console. MatchZy should be in the list. It also appears on the Plugins page.

When you update MatchZy later, the files in cfg/MatchZy/*.cfg are replaced. Your admins, whitelist, saved lineups and database settings are kept. Put your own settings in the *_override.cfg files so updates don’t overwrite them.

Add match admins

Admins can force-start, restart and end matches. Choose one way.

CounterStrikeSharp admins
MatchZy admins

Add the admin to game/csgo/addons/counterstrikesharp/configs/admins.json with the flags they need, then type css_admins_reload. See admin and commands.

Flag	MatchZy access
`@css/root`	All admin commands.
`@css/config`	Config-related commands.
`@custom/prac`	Practice-related commands.
`@css/map`	Change map and turn practice mode on or off.
`@css/rcon`	`!rcon <command>`.
`@css/chat`	`!asay <message>`.

Edit game/csgo/cfg/MatchZy/admins.json. MatchZy creates it the first time it loads.

{
  "76561198000000000": "",
  "76561198000000001": "@css/config @css/map"
}

Each key is a SteamID64. An empty value gives access to all MatchZy admin commands, including !rcon. List flags to limit an admin. Type .reload_admins in chat to reload.

!rcon gives full control of the server console. Only give unlimited admin to people you trust with your server.

Run a scrim

Set a password

Set a Join password in Server settings so only the two teams can join. Share it privately.

Players join

The server stays in warmup. By default, at least 2 players must be ready to start.

Ready up

Each player types .ready (or !ready) in chat.

Knife round

The knife winners type .stay to keep their side or .switch to swap.

Play

The match goes live and recording starts. To play all rounds, for example 30 rounds for practice, an admin types .playout before the start.

Commands

Players can use . or ! in chat, for example .ready or !ready.

Player commands

Command	What it does
`.ready` / `.r`	Mark yourself ready.
`.unready` / `.ur`	Mark yourself not ready.
`.pause`	Pause at the next freeze time.
`.tech`	Technical pause.
`.unpause`	Ask to unpause. Both teams must type it.
`.tac`	Tactical timeout.
`.stay` / `.switch`	After the knife round: keep or swap sides.
`.stop`	Ask to restore the current round’s backup. Both teams must type it.
`.coach t` / `.coach ct`	Coach a side. `.uncoach` stops.

Admin commands

Command	What it does
`.start`	Force-start the match.
`.restart` / `.rr`	Reset the match.
`.endmatch`	End the match with no winner.
`.forcepause` / `.forceunpause`	Pause or unpause; players can’t undo it.
`.restore <round>`	Go back to the start of a round.
`.roundknife`	Turn the knife round on or off.
`.playout`	Play all rounds, whoever is winning.
`.readyrequired <number>`	How many players must be ready. `0` means everyone connected.
`.whitelist`	Turn the whitelist on or off. Add SteamID64s to `cfg/MatchZy/whitelist.cfg`.
`.team1 <name>` / `.team2 <name>`	Set team names.
`.map <mapname>`	Change the map.
`.prac` / `.exitprac`	Start or leave practice mode.
`.settings`	Show the current settings.
`.asay <message>`	Admin message to everyone.

Practice mode

An admin types .prac. Useful commands:

Command	What it does
`.spawn <number>`	Go to a competitive spawn of your team.
`.bot` / `.nobots`	Add a bot where you stand, or remove all bots.
`.rethrow`	Throw your last grenade again.
`.last`	Go back to where you threw your last grenade.
`.savenade <name>` / `.loadnade <name>`	Save and load a grenade lineup.
`.clear`	Remove smokes and fires.
`.noflash`	Turn flash immunity on or off.
`.timer`	Time something, for example a rotation.
`.exitprac`	Leave practice mode and load match mode.

Settings and config files

MatchZy’s files are in game/csgo/cfg/MatchZy/.

File	What it’s for
`config.cfg`	MatchZy’s settings. Runs when the plugin loads.
`config_override.cfg`	Your changes to `config.cfg`.
`warmup.cfg`, `knife.cfg`, `live.cfg`, `live_wingman.cfg`, `prac.cfg`	Game settings for each phase. Add your changes to the matching `*_override.cfg`.
`admins.json`	MatchZy admins.
`whitelist.cfg`	SteamID64s allowed to join when the whitelist is on.
`database.json`	Database settings for match stats.

Common settings for config_override.cfg:

Setting	Default	What it does
`matchzy_knife_enabled_default`	`true`	Knife round on or off.
`matchzy_minimum_ready_required`	`2`	Players needed to start. `0` means all connected players.
`matchzy_whitelist_enabled_default`	`false`	Whitelist on or off.
`matchzy_playout_enabled_default`	`false`	Play all rounds by default.
`matchzy_kick_when_no_match_loaded`	`false`	Kick players when no match is loaded.

To reload after a change, type exec MatchZy/config.cfg; execifexists MatchZy/config_override.cfg in the console, or restart. If you use MatchZy’s stats with MySQL, create a database on the Databases page and use the host shown there, not 127.0.0.1. See give a plugin a database.

Demos

MatchZy records a demo when the match goes live and stops after the map ends.

Turn on GOTV

Add tv_enable 1 to server.cfg (click Open server.cfg in Server settings) and restart. Don’t put tv_enable or tv_delay in MatchZy’s phase configs, as that causes demo problems.

Find your demos

Demos are saved in game/csgo/MatchZy/ by default. The name looks like {TIME}_{MATCH_ID}_{MAP}_{TEAM1}_vs_{TEAM2}. Download them with Files.

Setting	What it does
`matchzy_demo_path`	Folder for demos, relative to `game/csgo/`. Must end with `/`.
`matchzy_demo_name_format`	How demos are named.
`matchzy_demo_upload_url`	A web address MatchZy uploads each demo to when recording stops.

Delete old demos regularly, as they take up disk space. See GOTV demos. Full documentation is on the MatchZy website.

Frameworks and plugins

Install CounterStrikeSharp.

Admin and commands

Admins, flags and console commands.

Popular setups

Practice, retakes and demos.

Counter-Strike 2 FAQ

Quick answers to common questions.

Need Extra Help?

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Last Updated: October 2026

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How to Run Scrims and Matches on Your CS2 Server with MatchZy

Difficulty

Time

What MatchZy does

Install MatchZy

Add match admins

Run a scrim

Commands

Player commands

Admin commands

Practice mode

Settings and config files

Demos

Frameworks and plugins

Admin and commands

Popular setups

Counter-Strike 2 FAQ

Need Extra Help?

Save on Your Hosting

Difficulty

Time

​What MatchZy does

​Install MatchZy

​Add match admins

​Run a scrim

​Commands

​Player commands

​Admin commands

​Practice mode

​Settings and config files

​Demos

​Related articles

Frameworks and plugins

Admin and commands

Popular setups

Counter-Strike 2 FAQ

​Need Extra Help?

​Save on Your Hosting

What MatchZy does

Install MatchZy

Add match admins

Run a scrim

Commands

Player commands

Admin commands

Practice mode

Settings and config files

Demos

Related articles

Need Extra Help?

Save on Your Hosting