Rules

The season is split into gameweeks: a batch of real matches, usually about a week. Before each gameweek’s deadline you set your team, and once the matches are played you collect points.

Pick players and earn points from their performances to move up your league’s table.

15 players, 11 of them in your starting team, bought with a budget of 100. You can pick at most 3 from any one real team.

The 4 players who aren’t in your starting lineup sit on your bench. Bench players don’t score, but they are your cover if a starter doesn’t play.

If one of your starters doesn’t play a single minute, we bring on a bench player in their place automatically, so you don’t lose out for missing the news. You don’t have to do anything.

The order you put your bench in is the order we try them in, so put the player you most want brought on first. A goalkeeper can only be swapped for your other goalkeeper.

One catch: your lineup still has to be a legal formation afterwards. If bringing someone on would leave you with too few defenders, midfielders or forwards, we skip them and try the next player on your bench, so a bench player who played can still end up scoring nothing.

While the Bench Boost chip is on, everyone already scores, so there is nothing to substitute and automatic subs are skipped for that round.

Every player in your team earns points from what they do in real matches. The values differ by position.

• Every 3 saves1 point for Goalkeeper
• Every 3 tackles1 point for Midfielder
• Every 2 chances created1 point for Midfielder
• Every 2 shots on target1 point for Forward

A second yellow card in the same match is a red, and both still count: the booking (-1) and the sending-off (-2) come to -3 in total. A straight red card costs -2 on its own.

A saved penalty pays the penalty-save points only. It isn’t also counted toward the bonus for every 3 saves.

Each round you name a captain: their points are multiplied by 2. You also name a vice-captain, who takes over automatically if your captain doesn’t play. One exception: if you change your team after the deadline, while the round is being played, the vice-captain swap is switched off for that round.

Scouting bonus: spot a hidden gem. If a player scores at least 4 points in a round, and is either in fewer than 5% of all teams or owned by you and nobody else in the competition, you earn 2 extra points.

• You get one free transfer each round.
• Unused transfers carry over. You can have up to 3 free transfers available next round, including that round’s allowance.
• Each transfer beyond those costs 4 points.
• Before the first deadline, transfers are unlimited and free.

A chip is a boost you can play on one round. Each is optional, and each can be used once in the competition.

You can play only one chip per round. To switch to another, take back the one you played before the deadline, if it can be taken back.

• WildcardRebuild your whole squad in one round without paying for transfers. Once played, it cannot be taken back.Not available in the competition’s first round.
• Star CaptainYour highest-scoring starter becomes your captain automatically for that round.
• Extra PlayerAdd one extra player to your squad for a single round. The pick is free: it costs no budget and does not count toward the limit per real team.
• Free HitRebuild your whole squad for a single round without paying for transfers. Your previous squad returns the round after. Once played, it cannot be taken back.Not available in the competition’s first round.
• Triple CaptainYour captain’s points are multiplied by 3 instead of 2 for one round.
• Bench BoostEvery player on your bench scores points for one round too. Because everyone is already scoring, automatic substitutions are skipped that round.