FPL for Beginners: How Fantasy Premier League Works
The short version — Fantasy Premier League is the Premier League's official, free fantasy football game. You pick a 15-player squad inside a £100m budget, score points from what those players actually do in real matches, and climb your leagues. Everything below is the current rule set, read from the game itself.
One game, many names
You will see it called FPL, EPL fantasy football, PL fantasy, BPL fantasy or simply fantasy soccer depending on where in the world you are. It is all the same game: eleven million managers, one set of rules, one deadline a week.
The squad rules
- Fifteen players: two goalkeepers, five defenders, five midfielders and three forwards.
- A £100m budget to buy them, with prices that move during the season as managers buy and sell. If a player rises after you bought him, you keep half the profit when you sell.
- At most three players from one club.
- A starting eleven each week: one goalkeeper, at least three defenders, at least two midfielders and at least one forward — any legal formation. The other four sit on the bench and come on automatically if a starter does not play.
- A captain, whose points count double, and a vice-captain who takes over if the captain does not play.
How points are scored
Players earn points for playing (one for an appearance, two for sixty minutes or more), for goals — six for a goalkeeper or defender, five for a midfielder, four for a forward — and three for an assist. Goalkeepers and defenders get four for a clean sheet, midfielders one. Defensive work counts too: two points for a defender who reaches ten clearances, blocks, interceptions and tackles in a match, and for a midfielder or forward who reaches twelve. The three best players in each match share bonus points (three, two and one), and cards cost you — one for a yellow, three for a red. Smaller adjustments cover saves, goals conceded, penalties and own goals; the full table is on the official rules page.
Transfers, hits and the bank
From Gameweek 2 you get one free transfer a week. Leave it unused and it rolls over, up to five in the bank. Every transfer beyond your free ones is a hit — four points off that gameweek's score — and it is worth taking only when the player coming in is projected to out-score the one going out by more than four over the weeks you will hold him. Gameweek 1 is squad setup, not a transfer week: you can change your team as often as you like before the first deadline. This week's transfer targets →
The chips
Four chips break the normal rules for one gameweek, and this season you get two of each — one for each half of the season. The Wildcard gives unlimited free transfers; the Free Hit does the same but your old squad comes back the week after; Bench Boost counts your bench's points too; Triple Captain trebles your captain rather than doubling him. The first-half chips have to be used by Gameweek 19, and the Wildcard and Free Hit open from Gameweek 2. When to play your wildcard →
The deadline
Each gameweek locks ninety minutes before its first kick-off. Whatever your team looks like at that moment — transfers, captain, bench order — is what scores. Every deadline this season, in your time zone →
Where Fantasy Football IQ comes in
The game itself is free and always will be — you play it at the official site. We are the assistant beside it: projections for every player, a season planner, live rank, and an AI that answers your questions. Bring your Team ID and everything is tuned to your squad. Already paying for a fantasy football scout service? Our Scout offer bridges you across for free until your current membership ends.
FPL for beginners — the questions people actually ask
Is Fantasy Premier League free to play?
Yes. FPL is the Premier League's official fantasy game and it is free, at fantasy.premierleague.com and in the official app. You need an account with the Premier League, nothing more.
How many players can I pick from one club?
Three. Your 15-player squad can hold at most three players from any single Premier League club, which is why nobody can simply buy a whole title-winning front line.
How many free transfers do I get in FPL?
One per gameweek from Gameweek 2 onwards. An unused free transfer rolls over, and you can hold up to five at once. Every transfer beyond your free ones costs four points, taken off that gameweek's score.
What is a wildcard in FPL?
A chip that lets you make unlimited free transfers for one gameweek, keeping the new squad afterwards. This season you get two — one to use in each half of the season.
When is the FPL deadline?
Ninety minutes before the first kick-off of each gameweek. Transfers, captain and line-up all lock at that moment, so the deadline page is the one date to keep.
Tonight's price changes → · This week's FPL tips → · Rate my team, free → · Predicted line-ups → · When to play your wildcard → · This week's full squad and captain call → · Rate the team you just built →