FAQs
How can we help?
Choosing your initial squad
Q. Can I have more than one team?
A. Yes, you can have more than one team. Though you can only enter one team into a league.
Q. Can I make changes to my squad after entering the game?
A. Yes, you can edit your team an unlimited number of times before the entered league’s start date. After that you are allowed one free transfer, and a maximum of two transfers if a transfer is carried over from the previous week.
Managing your team
Q. What formation can I play in?
A. You can play in any formation, providing 1 goalkeeper, at least 3 defenders and at least 1 forward are selected at all times.
Q. How do I change my captain?
A. On the pitch page view you can select the player and assign the captain via the pop-up window.
Q. How do I change my team name?
A. You cannot change your team name once created
Q. Can I make changes to my team during a Gameweek?
A. Any changes you make (starting 11, transfers, captain changes, substitution priorities) after the Gameweek deadline, will not take effect until the following deadline.
Offensive names
A. How do I report an inappropriate or offensive name?
A. When registering a team or league within SFF, all managers are asked to think carefully before entering a name. Names that are deemed inappropriate or offensive may result in a team and/or league being deleted. If you spot a name you find inappropriate or offensive then please let us know by reporting the manager name and the team or league name using the support form below. Your details will not be shared with anyone. We will look into the report and take immediate and appropriate action. It's important to us that SFF is an inclusive space where everyone feels welcome and safe. Thank you for your help.
Chips
A. How often can each chip be used?
Q. The Bench Boost and Triple Captain chips can each be used once a season and are played when saving your team on team pitch view page. They cannot be cancelled once activated.
The Free Hit chip can be used once a season, is played when confirming your transfers and can't be cancelled after confirmed.
The Wildcard chip can be used twice a season. The first wildcard will be available from the start of the season until Sat 12 Nov 12:00. The second wildcard will be available after Mon 26 Dec 12:00 in readiness for the January transfer window opening and remain available until the end of the season. The Wildcard chip is played when confirming transfers that cost points and can't be cancelled once played.
Q. Can I use more than one chip in the same Gameweek?
A. No, only one chip may be active in a Gameweek. For example, it is not possible to make transfers with your Wildcard chip and then use your Bench Boost chip in the same Gameweek.
Q. What happens to my Triple Captain chip if my captain doesn't play?
A. The triple points bonus will be passed to your vice-captain. If your vice-captain doesn't play either then the bonus is lost, the chip isn't returned.
Q. How do price changes affect the Free Hit chip?
After playing your Free Hit chip, at the next deadline your bank balance and squad is restored to as they were at the previous deadline, with any player price changes in the previous gameweek reflected.
Any change to your bank balance whilst the Free Hit chip was active will be lost.
Q. Is there a limit on the number of teams in an invitational league?
A. It depends on the game scoring type. A Classic scoring league has an unlimited number of teams, Head to Head and Knockout depends on the number of weeks for the league.
Q. I still haven’t been added to my league.
A. Your team will be added to the league at the next points update.
Transfers
Q. If I don’t use my free transfer, do I get two the next Gameweek?
A. If you do not use your free transfer, you are able to make an additional free transfer the following Gameweek. If you do not use this saved free transfer in the following Gameweek, it will be carried over until you do. You can never have more than 1 saved transfer.
Q. Can I cancel my transfers?
A. No. Once you have confirmed your transfers, they are final and can’t be reversed under any circumstances.
Q. I’m only receiving the amount I paid for a player, not their current price minus sell-on fee.
A. Prices shown on the transfer page are players’ selling prices minus any sell-on fee. To check the price you paid for a player, please use the list view on the transfers page.
Q. Transfers don’t seem to be costing me points.
A. Transfer points are deducted at the start of the next Gameweek.
Transfers are free of charge before the start of the season. If you join the game after the start of the season, transfers are free until your first deadline.
Wildcards
Q. What is a wildcard?
A wildcard allows you to make unlimited free transfers throughout a Gameweek. Playing a wildcard will remove any points deductions from transfers already made in the same Gameweek.
You play a wildcard when you want to make multiple changes to your team, for example Gameweeks when teams are playing more than once, or when your team is underperforming or has a lot of injuries.
When using a wildcard, you must remain within your current budget. There is no unlimited budget when using a wildcard.
Q. When can I play a wildcard?
A. The Wildcard chip can be used twice a season. The first wildcard will be available from the start of the season until Sat 12 Nov 12:00. The second wildcard will be available after Mon 26 Dec 12:00 in readiness for the January transfer window opening and remain available until the end of the season.
Wildcards are played on the transfers page but aren't active until you have confirmed the transfers.
Q. What happens to my saved transfer when I use my wildcard?
A. When playing a wildcard, any saved free transfers will be lost. You will be back to the usual 1 free transfer the following Gameweek.
Q. Can I cancel my wildcard?
A. No. Once you have confirmed your wildcard it is final and can’t be reversed under any circumstances.
Q. Do all transfers have to be made at the same time when using my wildcard?
A. No. Once you have played your wildcard, any transfers you make within that Gameweek are free, including any you made before playing your wildcard, up until the next deadline.
Gameweeks where teams play no fixtures or play more than once
Q. What happens when a team is playing twice in one Gameweek?
A. Any players you have from the team playing twice will earn two sets of points, assuming that the player plays in both fixtures.
Any team captains playing in two fixtures will also earn double points for each match he plays in.
A. One of my players was scheduled to play twice in one Gameweek, but only played in one match. Why wasn’t he substituted in the match he didn’t play?
A. If a player plays any minutes in any scheduled matches in a Gameweek, then he does not qualify for an automatic substitution.
The same rule applies to captains. If your captain only plays in one of the two matches, he will not be replaced as captain in the match he doesn’t play.
Q. What happens if a team does not have a fixture in a Gameweek?
A. Any players you have from that team will score 0 for that Gameweek. Players will play twice in a future Gameweek, when the match is rescheduled.
Points are only awarded to teams who have players selected in their team in the Gameweek the fixture is actually played, irrespective of if you had them selected for the original fixture.
Player data
Q. When is the game updated?
A. Player points are updated as the matches take place, whilst team points and league tables are usually updated 2 hours after the final whistle in the last match of the day.
Bonus points will be awarded one hour after the final whistle of the last match of any given day.
Automatic substitutions and captain changes are processed at the end of the Gameweek, when all matches have been played.
Q. A yellow/red card decision or goalscorer has been changed in an earlier match. Are you going to alter the points?
A. Once the points have all been updated on that day, no further adjustments to points will be made.
Q. Why was/wasn’t an assist given to...?
A. All assists are reviewed before the points are updated at the end of each day. If an assist still hasn’t been given after this time, please refer to the assist definition in the rules for further clarification.
Q. How do player prices change?
A. Once the season has started, player prices may change by £0.1m a day, based on activity in the transfer market.
Both the formula used to calculate this change and the time of the change include variable factors, and won’t be revealed to game players.
Q. How do you calculate form?
A. Form is a player’s average score per match, calculated from all matches played by his club in the last 30 days.
Q. How does SFF decide which position a player should be categorised?
A. The players have been positioned in the game based on the following position definitions:
Goalkeeper
The player in goal who is permitted to use their hands inside the penalty area.
It is worth noting that if an outfield player takes over goalkeeping responsibility (due to no substitute goalkeeper being available), he will be able to collect points for saves, but will score points as per their position classification (e.g. if a midfielder assumes goalkeeping responsibilities, he will only receive one point for a clean sheet) in the game.
Defender
Lining up in front of the goalkeeper, these players are charged with defending their goal.
Central defenders will often be dominant figures, amassing clearances, blocks and interceptions (CBI).
Full-backs and wing-backs will often record more tackles while also contributing in attack. They provide crosses and create chances for team-mates.
Midfielder
A player positioned in front of the defence who either plays centrally or in a wide position.
They are charged with breaking up opponents’ attacks and providing the passes and crosses to create chances for their own team.
This position also includes attacking midfielders who can play behind the forward line as a No 10, or as wide players and wingers and therefore includes players on the left and right of a central striker in a 4-3-3 formation. Their role is to provide goals, either by creating chances or by converting opportunities themselves.
Forward
The forward (also known as a striker) is deployed ahead of the midfield and in a central area rather than out wide.
They often operate either as a lone striker or as part of a front pairing, e.g. a 4-4-2 or 3-5-2 formation.
Their primary role is to score goals rather than create chances, and this is reflected in the Bonus Points System (BPS) with forwards rewarded more significantly for goals scored.
Bonus points
How are bonus points calculated?
The three best performing players in each match according to the Bonus Points System (BPS) will receive additional bonus points. 3 points will be awarded to the highest scoring player, 2 to the second best and 1 to the third.
Examples of how bonus point ties will be resolved are as follows:
• If there is a tie for first place, Players 1 & 2 will receive 3 points each and Player 3 will receive 1 point.
• If there is a tie for second place, Player 1 will receive 3 points and Players 2 and 3 will receive 2 points each.
• If there is a tie for third place, Player 1 will receive 3 points, Player 2 will receive 2 points and Players 3 & 4 will receive 1 point each.
Q. When are bonus points added?
A. Bonus points will be awarded one hour after the final whistle of the last match of any given day.
Q. My player's BPS has changed since the end of his match. Why?
A. Some BPS statistics are received after the end of the match so players may rise / fall up to an hour after the end of the days matches.
Automatic substitutions
Q. Why haven’t my players been automatically substituted yet?
A. Substitutions happen at the end of the Gameweek, when all matches have been played. You can check the list of current fixtures, to determine when this is.
Q. I think my automatic substitutions are wrong.
A. Your team must have 1 goalkeeper, at least 3 defenders and at least 1 forward selected at all times.
If your starting team has 3 defenders, and one of them played 0 minutes, he can only be replaced by another defender who played.
Premier League transfers
Q. What happens if a player is transferred to another Premier League team?
A. If a player is transferred to another team in the Premier League, and this transfer takes you over the 3 players per team limit, then you will need to go back under the limit when making your next transfers.
Q. When will new players be added?
A. New players will be added within 7 days of their transfer being completed.
Q. My player has left the Premier League. What do I do now?
You can leave the player in your squad, where he will continue to earn 0 points. To remove him permanently, you must use a transfer.