Simplay fantasy footbal RULES
1. Selecting Your Initial Squad:
Squad Size
To join the game, select a fantasy football squad of 15 players, consisting of:
• 2 Goalkeepers
• 5 Defenders
• 5 Midfielders
• 3 Forwards
Budget
The total value of your initial squad must not exceed £100 million.
Players Per Team
You can select up to 3 players from a single Premier League team.
2. Managing your squad
Choosing Your Starting 11
From your 15 player squad, select 11 players by the Gameweek deadline to form your team.
All your points for the Gameweek will be scored by these 11 players, however if one or more doesn't play they may be automatically substituted.
Your team can play in any formation providing that 1 goalkeeper, at least 3 defenders and at least 1 forward are selected at all times.
Selecting a Captain and a Vice-Captain
From your starting 11 you nominate a captain and a vice-captain. Your captain's score will be doubled.
If your captain plays 0 minutes in the Gameweek, the captain will be changed to the vice-captain.
If both captain and vice-captain play 0 minutes in a Gameweek, then no player's score will be doubled.
Prioritising Your Bench For Automatic Substitutions
Your substitutes provide cover for unforeseen events like injuries and postponements by automatically replacing starting players who don't play in a Gameweek.
Playing in a Gameweek means playing at least 1 minute or receiving a yellow / red card.
Based on the priorities you assign, automatic substitutions are processed at the end of the Gameweek as follows:
• If your Goalkeeper doesn't play in the Gameweek, he will be substituted by your replacement Goalkeeper, if he played in the Gameweek.
• If any of your outfield players don't play in the Gameweek, they will be substituted by the highest priority outfield substitute who played in the Gameweek and doesn't break the formation rules (eg. If your starting team has 3 defenders, a defender can only be replaced by another defender).
3. Transfers
After selecting your squad you can buy and sell players in the transfer market. Unlimited transfers can be made at no cost until your first deadline.
After your first deadline you will receive 1 free transfer each Gameweek. Each additional transfer you make in the same Gameweek will deduct 4 points from your total score (Classic scoring) and match score (Head-to-Head scoring) at the start of the next Gameweek.
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.
Unlimited free transfers can also be made between Sat 12 Nov 12:00 and Mon 26 Dec 12:00 when the Premier League season has been adjusted to accommodate the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
At other times you are limited to 2 transfers in any single Gameweek. This rule does not apply when playing a Wildcard or a Free Hit Chip.
Wildcards
For information on wildcards please refer to the chips section of the rules.
Player Prices
Player prices change during the season dependent on the popularity of the player in the transfer market. Player prices do not change until the season starts.
The price shown on your transfers page is a player's selling price. This selling price may be less than the player's current purchase price as a sell-on fee of 50% (rounded up to the nearest £0.1m) will be applied on any profits made on that player.
4. Chips
Chips can be used to potentially enhance your team's performance during the season.
Only one chip can be played in a single Gameweek. The chips available are as follows:
Bench Boost:
The points scored by your bench players in the next Gameweek are included in your total.
Free Hit:
Make unlimited free transfers for a single Gameweek. At the next deadline your squad is returned to how it was at the start of the Gameweek.
Triple Captain
Your captain points are tripled instead of doubled in the next Gameweek.
Wild Card
All transfers (including those already made) in the Gameweek are free of charge.
The Bench Boost and Triple Captain chips can each be used once a season and are played when saving your team on the “my team page”. They can be cancelled at any time before the Gameweek deadline.
The Free Hit chip can be used once a season, and 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.
Please note that when playing either a Wildcard or your Free Hit chip, any saved free transfers will be lost. You will be back to the usual 1 free transfer the following Gameweek.
5. Deadlines
All changes to your team (starting 11, transfers, captain changes, substitiution priorities) must be made by the Gameweek deadline in order to take effect for that set of matches.
Deadlines are subject to change and will be 90 minutes before the kick-off time in the first match of the Gameweek.
Gameweek Deadline
Gameweek 19 Mon 2 Jan 17:00
Gameweek 20 Sat 14 Jan 14:30
Gameweek 21 Sat 21 Jan 14:30
Gameweek 22 Sat 4 Feb 14:30
Gameweek 23 Sat 11 Feb 14:30
Gameweek 24 Sat 18 Feb 14:30
Gameweek 25 Sat 25 Feb 14:30
Gameweek 26 Sat 4 Mar 14:30
Gameweek 27 Sat 11 Mar 14:30
Gameweek 28 Sat 18 Mar 14:30
Gameweek 29 Sat 1 Apr 13:30
Gameweek 30 Sat 8 Apr 13:30
Gameweek 31 Sat 15 Apr 13:30
Gameweek 32 Sat 22 Apr 13:30
Gameweek 33 Tue 25 Apr 18:15
Gameweek 34 Sat 29 Apr 13:30
Gameweek 35 Sat 6 May 13:30
Gameweek 36 Sat 13 May 13:30
Gameweek 37 Sat 20 May 13:30
Gameweek 38 Sun 28 May 14:30
6. Scoring
During the season, your fantasy football players will be allocated points based on their performance in the English Premier League.
Action Points
For playing up to 60 minutes 1
For playing 60 minutes or more (excluding stoppage time) 2
For each goal scored by a goalkeeper or defender 6
For each goal scored by a midfielder 5
For each goal scored by a forward 4
For each goal assist 3
For a clean sheet by a goalkeeper or defender 4
For a clean sheet by a midfielder 1
For every 3 shot saves by a goalkeeper 1
For each penalty save 5
For each penalty miss -2
Bonus points for the best players in a match 1-3
For every 2 goals conceded by a goalkeeper or defender -1
For each yellow card -1
For each red card -3
For each own goal -2
Clean sheets
A clean sheet is awarded for not conceding a goal whilst on the pitch and playing at least 60 minutes (excluding stoppage time).
If a player has been substituted when a goal is conceded this will not affect any clean sheet bonus.
Red Cards
If a player receives a red card, they will continue to be penalised for goals conceded by their team.
Red card deductions include any points deducted for yellow cards.
Assists
Assists are awarded to the player from the goal scoring team, who makes the final pass before a goal is scored. An assist is awarded whether the pass was intentional (that it actually creates the chance) or unintentional (that the player had to dribble the ball or an inadvertent touch or shot created the chance).
If an opposing player touches the ball after the final pass before a goal is scored, significantly altering the intended destination of the ball, then no assist is awarded. Should a touch by an opposing player be followed by a defensive error by another opposing outfield player then no assist will be awarded. If the goal scorer loses and then regains possession, then no assist is awarded.
Rebounds
If a shot at goal is blocked by an opposition player, is saved by a goalkeeper or hits the woodwork, and a goal is scored from the rebound, then an assist is awarded. The shot does not have to be on target to result in an assist.
Own Goals
If a player shoots or passes the ball and forces an opposing player to put the ball in his own net, then an assist is awarded.
Penalties and Free-Kicks
In the event of a penalty or free-kick, the player earning the penalty or free-kick is awarded an assist if a goal is directly scored, but not if he takes it himself, in which case no assist is given.
Finalising Assists
Assist points awarded are calculated using additional stats which may differ from other websites.
For the avoidance of doubt, points awarded in-game are subject to change up until one hour after the final whistle of the last match of any given day. Once the points have all been updated on that day, no further adjustments to points will be made.
Bonus Points
The Bonus Points System (BPS) utilises a range of statistics to create a BPS score for every player. The three best performing players in each match will be awarded 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.
How is the BPS score calculated?
Players score BPS points based on the following statistics (one point for each unless otherwise stated):
Action BPS
Playing 1 to 60 minutes 3
Playing over 60 minutes 6
Goalkeepers and defenders scoring a goal 12
Midfielders scoring a goal 18
Forwards scoring a goal 24
Assists 9
Goalkeepers and defenders keeping a clean sheet 12
Saving a penalty 15
Save 2
Successful open play cross 1
Creating a big chance (a chance where the receiving player should score) 3
For every 2 clearances, blocks and interceptions (total) 1
For every 3 recoveries 1
Key pass 1
Successful tackle (net*) 2
Successful dribble 1
Scoring the goal that wins a match 3
70 to 79% pass completion (at least 30 passes attempted) 2
80 to 89% pass completion (at least 30 passes attempted) 4
90%+ pass completion (at least 30 passes attempted) 6
Conceding a penalty -3
Missing a penalty -6
Yellow card -3
Red card -9
Own goal -6
Missing a big chance -3
Making an error which leads to a goal -3
Making an error which leads to an attempt at goal -1
Being tackled -1
Conceding a foul -1
Being caught offside -1
Shot off target -1
*Net successful tackles is the total of all successful tackles minus any unsuccessful tackles. Players will not be awarded negative BPS points for this statistic.
Once the data has been marked as final it will not be changed. No discussions will be made regarding any of the statistics used to calculate this score for any individual match
7. Leagues
After entering your squad, you can join and create leagues to compete with friends and other game players.
League Types:
Private League/Invitational Leagues & Cups
A Private/Invitational leagues & cups is where you compete against your friends. Just create a league and then send out the unique code to allow your friends to join. A cup will be automatically created as part of the league.
You can compete in up to 25 private leagues. There's no limit on the number of teams in a single league.
Public Leagues
For an extra challenge, you can join a public league of randomly assigned teams. You can compete in up to 5 public leagues.
Global Leagues
You are automatically entered into the following global leagues:
• The overall league featuring all registered teams
• A league for fellow managers from your country (coming soon)
• A league for supporters of your favourite Premier League team (Coming Soon)
• A league for managers starting the same Gameweek as you
• The Fantasy Cup (starts in Gameweek )
League Scoring
All leagues score on either a Classic or Head-to-Head basis.
Classic Scoring
In a league with classic scoring, teams are ranked based on their total points in the game. You can join or leave a league with classic scoring at any point during the season.
In the event of a tie between teams, the team who has made the least amount of transfers will be positioned higher. Any transfers made using a wildcard or free hit will not count towards total transfers made.
Classic scoring leagues are run over a number of phases:
Phase First Gameweek Last Gameweek
Overall Gameweek 1 Gameweek 38
August Gameweek 1 Gameweek 5
September Gameweek 6 Gameweek 8
October Gameweek 9 Gameweek 14
November Gameweek 15 Gameweek 16
December Gameweek 17 Gameweek 18
January Gameweek 19 Gameweek 21
February Gameweek 22 Gameweek 25
March Gameweek 26 Gameweek 28
April Gameweek 29 Gameweek 34
May Gameweek 35 Gameweek 38
Any transfer point deductions in the Gameweek before a phase starts won't be deducted from the phase score. For example, any transfers made in Gameweek 5 (preparing for Gameweek 6) won't be deducted from your September score.
Head-to-Head Scoring
In a league with Head-to-Head scoring, every team plays a match against another team in the league each Gameweek. The match result is based on the Gameweek score of each team minus any transfer points spent preparing for the Gameweek.
3 points are awarded for a win and 1 point for a draw, teams are then ranked on points earned in Head-to-Head matches.
Head-to-Head fixtures are generated at the start of the league's first Gameweek. Once these fixtures have been generated the league is locked and teams will not be able to join or leave.
If a Head-to-Head league has an odd number of teams then an average team will join the league to ensure each team has a fixture every Gameweek. This team will always score the Gameweek average.
In the event of a tie between teams, the team who has most game points will be positioned higher.
Head-to-Head Knock-out stage
Optionally, a Head-to-Head league may end with a knock-out stage over up to 3 Gameweeks with the league winner decided by a match in the final Gameweek. The automatically entered average team will not enter the knock-out stage, their place being taken by the next placed team.
In the event of a tie between teams in a Head-to-Head knock-out match, the following tie-breaks will be used:
• Most goals scored in the Gameweek
• Fewest goals conceded in the Gameweek
• Virtual coin toss
8. Cups
A League Cup will be created for all Invitational Classic Leagues. Dependent on the size of league, the League Cups will start in the second half of the season dependent on the size of your league and will conclude in Gameweek 38.
All managers will be entered into their cup competitions. The starting round will be determined by the number of teams in the cup competition. All finals will be contested in Gameweek 38.
How Cups work
Each qualifying team will be randomly drawn against another in the first round. The winner (the team with the highest Gameweek score minus any transfer points), will progress to the second round and another random draw, the losers are out! This process continues until the final Gameweek when the two remaining teams contest the cup final.
If a cup match is drawn, then the following tie-breaks will be applied until a winner is found:
• Most goals scored in the Gameweek
• Fewest goals conceded in the Gameweek
• Virtual coin toss