League Rules
The rules for the 2026/27 season are as follows:
The only change in this section is that a manager has a budget of £75 million to select eleven players. Players competing in the English Premier League are each given a value and in selecting his or her team the manager cannot go over budget. A maximum of three players can be selected from any one club. If a player transfers between clubs in the league, he immediately becomes associated with his new club. If that results in a team exceeding the permitted number of players from one club the situation must be corrected at the first opportunity or any further points awarded to the player who has just moved clubs will not be counted. If a player transfers out of the Premier League he is considered no longer available for selection.
A team may be built around a standard 4-4-2 formation or other variations such as 4-3-3, 3-5-2 or 3-4-3, i.e. it must consist of a goalkeeper, three or four defenders, three, four or five midfielders and two or three forwards.
Two positions will be designated as 'floaters' allowing a manager to vary his/her formation throughout the season. A maximum of THREE players may be transferred in and out of the team per week. The transfers do not have to take place at the same time but at no stage must the manager go over budget. If more than one transfer is made simultaneously it is the value of the team at the end of the transfer transaction that counts. To be effective, a transfer must have been completed by the time of kick off in a match involving a transferred player. The transfer week runs from 00:00 hours on a Tuesday to 23:59 hours on a Monday.
Points
Players will score points based on how they perform in completed Premier League matches. The scoring system is simple, so you can sit back, relax, and count the points as the goals fly in - unless it's your defence they have been scored against!
Points are scored in the following ways, which are quite different to previous seasons:
All players
Playing up to 60 minutes: 1 point
Playing 60 minutes or more (excluding stoppage time): 2 points
Each goal assist: 3 points (including to the player who, by being fouled, wins a penalty or a free kick that is then scored. It also includes a player whose pass or final touch leads to a handball offence. No assist is awarded when the player who won the penalty or free-kick scores the goal themselves. An assist can also be awarded to the player whose pass leads to an own goal.)
Red card or 2 yellow cards: -3 points
Yellow card: -1 point
Missed penalty: -2 points
Own goal: -2 points
Bonus points for the best performing players in a match: 1-3 points. (The Bonus Points System uses a comprehensive range of statistics to create a score for every player. It is NOT based solely on the number of fantasy points earned by each player. 3 points will be awarded to the highest scoring player, 2 to the second best and 1 to the third. The scoring system is anything but transparent and too complicated to explain here!)
NB. Points are not awarded for penalty shoot outs
Goalkeepers Only
Each goal scored by a goalkeeper: 10 points
Penalty save: 5 points (the goalkeeper must have prevented the penalty from being scored with some part of his body.)
Clean sheet: 4 points (minimum 60 mins played and the team must keep a clean sheet for the entire match including extra time (if applicable) but excluding penalty shoot outs.)
Every 3 shot saves: 1 point
Every 2 goals conceded: -1 point
Goalkeepers are only penalised for goals conceded during the time they are on the pitch. If they are substituted off, they are not penalised for any further goals conceded by their team. But if they receive a Red Card they will continue to be penalised for all goals conceded by their team after the sending off.
Defenders Only
Each goal scored by a defender: 6 points
Clean sheet: 4 points (minimum 60 mins played and the team must keep a clean sheet for the entire match including extra time (if applicable) but excluding penalty shoot outs.)
Accumulating 10 or more clearances, blocked shots, interceptions (CBI) and tackles: 2 points
Every 2 goals conceded: -1 point
Defenders are only penalised for goals conceded during the time they are on the pitch. If they are substituted off, they are not penalised for any further goals conceded by their team. But if they receive a Red Card they will continue to be penalised for all goals conceded by their team after the sending off.
Midfielders Only
Each goal scored by a midfielder; 5
Clean sheet: 1 point (minimum 60 mins played and the team must keep a clean sheet for the entire match including extra time (if applicable) but excluding penalty shoot outs.)
Accumulating 12 or more clearances, blocked shots, interceptions (CBI), tackles and recoveries: 2 points
Forwards Only
Each goal scored by a forward: 4 points
For accumulating 12 or more clearances, blocked shots, interceptions (CBI), tackles and recoveries: 2 points
Introduced in 2022/23: In the event of two or more teams finishing the season with the same number of points, the manager that made the fewest number of transfers will be declared the winner.
FA Cup Rules
From the Third Round onwards, the FA Cup will again provide the basis for this year's supplementary competition.
It has become commonplace for Premier League managers to select a different team of players for their cup run and fantasy managers can do the same. The two competitions are quite separate; existing league teams will remain unaffected in the main competition and up to two weekly transfers can continue to be made in the normal way.
The FA Cup team will earn points only from FA Cup matches. The points system will be the same as for the main competition. The budget remains the same at £50 million.
TWO transfers can be made between rounds, i.e. not each week. That does mean that a maximum of four transfers could be made in a FA Cup week - two for the league team and another two for the FA Cup team. It is not possible to transfer in to a FA Cup team a player whose club has been knocked out in a previous round. So, the successful manager will be required to make a good initial team selection and have an ability to manage the budget as the pool of available players diminishes.
Initial team selections for the Third Round need to be made before the first match of that round. A cut-off time for submission will be announced in advance.
Super-Five Tie-Break
Previously called a 'penalty shoot-out', a 'super-five' tie-break will decide the competition winner if points are level at the end of the Cup Final. Before kick-off, the managers concerned will be required to list, in order, five players from either side in addition to their existing team selection (i.e. not players already in their team). The points gained in the Final (including extra time, but not a penalty shoot-out) by the first listed players will decide the outcome. If the points are still level, the points gained by the second listed players will be taken into account and so on until a clear winner is established. If the points are still level at the end of the five players, the trophy will be shared.
FIFA World Cup 2026
The Rules are effectively the same as previous international tournaments but the scoring system for this competition is quite different.
Budget: £75m
THREE players can be selected from one national team throughout the tournament. Players cannot be transferred in once their national team has been eliminated.
TRANSFERS: TWO transfers can be made between each round of the Group Stage, before the Round of 32, before the Round of 16, before the Quarter Finals, the Semi Finals and the Final.
The SUPER-FIVE TIE-BREAK, as described above, will be implemented to decide the competition winner if points are level at the end of the Final.
POINTS SYSTEM
The basic principal, as we know it, is the same - but with a few differences.
For example, EACH POSITION is credited with points for a goal and the number of points is determined by the player's position (see below). Winning and conceding a penalty has consequences regardless of that spot kick’s outcome. And, ANY PLAYER scoring from a direct free kick will be rewarded with a +1 in addition to that goal's points.
MIDFIELDERS are rewarded with a +1 for every three tackles made, as well as every two chances created. Forwards receive a +1 for every two shots on target.
DEFENDERS and GOALKEEPERS who have played for at least 60 minutes will do better (+5) for keeping a clean sheet, but there’s comparatively less leniency with goals conceded – each one after the first is penalised.
All players
Appearance (up to 60 mins): 1
Appearance (60+ mins): 1
Assist: 3
Yellow card: - 1
Red card: - 2
Own goal: - 2
Winning a penalty: 2
Conceding a penalty; - 1
Goalkeepers
Clean sheet (60+ mins): 5
First goal conceded: 0
Each additional goal conceded: - 1
Goal scored: 9
Penalty save (not including shootouts): 3
Every 3 saves: 1
Defenders
Clean sheet (60+ mins): 5
First goal conceded: 0
Each additional goal conceded: - 1
Goal scored: 7
Midfielders
Clean sheet (60+ mins): 1
Goal scored: 6
Every 3 tackles: 1
Every 2 chances creared: 1
Forwards
Goal scored: 5
Every 2 shots on target: 1