Complete Guide to Fantasy Premier League Scoring and Squad Rules for 2026/27

Fantasy Premier League turns real Premier League performances into a season-long points competition.

Managers build a 15-player squad with a £100.0m budget, select a starting XI for each Gameweek and score points when those players perform on the pitch. Goals, assists, clean sheets, saves, defensive contributions and bonus points can all add to a manager’s total. Cards, own goals, missed penalties and goals conceded can reduce it.

The basic idea is simple. The detail matters.

Transfers, captaincy, substitutes, player prices and chips can all affect a Fantasy Premier League team across the season. The rules below reflect the official 2026/27 FPL regulations available as of 11 August 2026.

How Does Fantasy Premier League Work?

Each manager starts with £100.0m to build a squad of 15 Premier League players.

The squad must contain:

• Two goalkeepers
• Five defenders
• Five midfielders
• Three forwards

You can select no more than three players from the same Premier League club.

Before every Gameweek, you select 11 starters from that squad. Your formation must include one goalkeeper, at least three defenders, at least two midfielders and at least one forward.

The remaining four players sit on your bench.

Most of your points come from the starting XI. Bench players can enter automatically when one of your starters do not play, provided the replacement keeps your team within a valid formation.

For readers new to the sport, World in Sport’s football rules-explained guide covers the basic laws of the matches that generate FPL points.

How Are FPL Points Scored?

The player’s FPL position affects how many points certain actions earn.

A goalkeeper scores far more for a goal than a forward, for example. Goalkeepers and defenders also receive the biggest clean-sheet reward.

These are the core scoring values in the official 2026/27 rules. Playing 60 minutes means reaching the 60-minute threshold without stoppage time being included in that calculation.

How Do FPL Clean-Sheet Points Work?

Goalkeepers and defenders earn four points for a clean sheet. Midfielders receive one.

A player must play at least 60 minutes, excluding stoppage time, without conceding while they are on the pitch to qualify.

This creates an important FPL situation.

Suppose a defender reaches 60 minutes with their side leading 1-0 and leaves the pitch. Their team then concedes after the substitution.

The defender can retain their clean-sheet points because they had already completed the required minutes and were off the pitch when the goal was conceded.

Red cards work differently. A dismissed player can continue to receive deductions for goals their team concede after their sending-off.

What Are Defensive Contribution Points?

Defensive contribution points were introduced in FPL in 2025/26 and remain in place for 2026/27. They reward defensive work that might otherwise produce no direct Fantasy return.

Defenders earn two points when they record at least 10 combined clearances, blocks, interceptions and tackles in one match.

Midfielders and forwards have a threshold of 12. Their total can include clearances, blocks, interceptions, tackles and recoveries.

The points do not multiply.

A defender recording 20 qualifying defensive actions still receives two defensive contribution points rather than four. The same principle applies to midfielders and forwards who go beyond their 12-action threshold.

That rule gives centre-backs and defensive midfielders another route to useful FPL returns, even when they do not score or assist.

How Are FPL Assists Awarded?

An FPL assist usually goes to the attacking player responsible for the final qualifying touch before a goal.

That action can be a pass, a touch or a shot. However, FPL assist rules are not identical to every statistical definition of an assist used elsewhere in football.

A pass can still receive an assist after one defensive touch in certain circumstances. Whether the goalscorer receives the ball inside or outside the penalty area can affect how FPL judges the action.

Two or more defensive touches before the goalscorer receives the pass normally remove the assist.

FPL can also award assists when a shot produces a direct rebound from a save, block or the woodwork before another player scores.

A player who wins a penalty or direct free-kick can receive an assist if another player scores directly from it. The player cannot earn both the assist and the resulting goal if they take and score the set-piece themselves.

FPL and Opta review assists, and decisions can change while match data is being checked.

How Do Bonus Points Work?

FPL awards extra points to the leading performers in each Premier League match through the Bonus Points System, usually shortened to BPS.

Opta statistics generate a BPS score for each player.

The highest-ranked player receives three FPL bonus points, the second receives two, and the third receives one.

Ties can change the distribution. If two players tie for first, for example, both receive three bonus points, and the next eligible player receives one.

The BPS changed again for 2026/27.

Players no longer lose BPS simply for being tackled. Clearances, blocks and interceptions now return one BPS for every three actions rather than every two. The goalkeeper calculations have also changed, including extra recognition for saves from big chances.

These changes affect the calculation behind bonus points rather than the basic three-two-one Fantasy reward.

FPL can revise BPS and defensive contribution data after the final whistle. For 2026/27, Gameweek scores become final at 09:00 UK time on the day after the final match of that Gameweek.

How Do Captains and Vice-Captains Work?

Every Gameweek, you select a captain and vice-captain from your starting XI.

Your captain scores double points.

If the captain plays no minutes during the Gameweek, the captaincy transfers automatically to the vice-captain.

If neither plays, nobody receives double points.

This rule applies to the whole Gameweek rather than an individual fixture, which matters during Double Gameweeks when a club may play twice.

How Do Automatic Substitutions Work?

Your bench contains one goalkeeper and three outfield substitutes.

You choose the order of priority for the outfield players.

If a starting goalkeeper does not play during the Gameweek, the reserve goalkeeper replaces them if the substitute goalkeeper played.

For outfield players, FPL works through your bench order and selects the highest-priority eligible player who appeared during the Gameweek. The substitution cannot leave your team in an invalid formation.

For example, if you start only three defenders and one does not play, a midfielder cannot replace that defender. FPL must preserve the minimum requirement of three defenders.

How Do FPL Transfers Work?

Managers have unlimited free transfers before their first deadline.

After that, FPL provides one free transfer per Gameweek. Unused free transfers can roll over, with managers able to hold up to five.

Making transfers beyond your available allowance normally incurs a penalty of 4 points per additional move.

These deductions are often called transfer hits or points hits.

Outside a Wildcard or Free Hit, the rules limit managers to 20 transfers in a single Gameweek.

Real Premier League transfers can also change the FPL player pool.

World in Sport’s Premier League transfer window rules explained guide covers how the real registration system works.

How Do FPL Player Prices Work?

Player prices can rise and fall during the season based on transfer-market activity in the game.

For 2026/27, price changes can take place at midnight UK time.

However, managers do not always receive the full price increase when selling a player.

If you buy a player for £7.5m and their value rises to £7.8m, their selling price would be £7.6m. FPL gives the manager half of the increase, rounded down to the nearest £0.1m.

You receive no similar protection against price falls. A falling player value can therefore reduce your squad’s spending power.

What Are the FPL Chips?

There are four types of chip in 2026/27:

• Wildcard allows unlimited permanent transfers for that Gameweek.
• Free Hit allows unlimited transfers for one Gameweek before your previous squad returns.
• Triple captain makes your captain score triple rather than double points.
• Bench Boost allows your benched players to contribute to your Gameweek total.

Only one chip can be active in a Gameweek.

Managers receive two sets during 2026/27, giving them two Wildcards, two Free Hits, two Triple Captains and two Bench Boosts across the season.

The first set must be used before the Gameweek 19 deadline at 13:30 GMT on Saturday 2 January 2027. Unused first-half chips do not carry into the second half of the season.

The Free Hit cannot be used in consecutive Gameweeks. Therefore, a manager using their first Free Hit in Gameweek 19 cannot immediately use the second in Gameweek 20.

Using a Wildcard or Free Hit does not wipe out free transfers already stored. Those saved transfers remain available for the following Gameweek.

When Is the FPL Gameweek Deadline?

Each Gameweek has its own deadline.

The schedule lists Under the current rules, the deadline for 90 minutes before the first match of that Gameweek kicks off. The precise deadline may change, but FPL states it will not change within 24 hours of the scheduled time.

Transfers, captaincy changes, starting line-ups, and substitute priorities need to be finalised before that deadline to be applied to the upcoming Gameweek.

What Are Blank and Double Gameweeks?

Not every FPL Gameweek necessarily gives every club one fixture.

A Blank Gameweek occurs when one or more Premier League teams have no league fixture assigned to that Fantasy Gameweek.

A Double Gameweek occurs when a team has two fixtures within the same FPL Gameweek.

Players score across both matches in a Double Gameweek.

These schedule changes are one reason managers often save chips such as the Free Hit, Bench Boost and Triple captain for later in the season. That is strategy rather than a formal requirement.

How Do FPL Leagues Work?

FPL supports Classic and Head-to-Head leagues.

Classic leagues rank managers by their total Fantasy points. If managers finish level, the team with fewer transfers ranks higher. Transfers made with a Wildcard or Free Hit do not count towards that tie-break.

Head-to-Head leagues work more like a football competition. Managers face another team each Gameweek and receive three league points for a win or one for a draw. Transfer-point deductions count when determining the match score.

FPL also operates knockout cup competitions.

If a cup tie finishes level, the first tie-break is the number of goals scored by the manager’s FPL players during the Gameweek. Fewest goals conceded comes next, followed by a virtual coin toss if the sides remain inseparable.

You can find more rules and format guides in World in Sport’s Sports Explainers section.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Much Money Do You Get in Fantasy Premier League?

Managers receive a £100.0m budget when building their initial 15-player squad.

How Many Players Can You Pick from One Premier League Club?

You can select a maximum of three players from one club.

How Many Free Transfers Can You Save?

Managers can store up to five free transfers.

How Much Does an Extra FPL Transfer Cost?

Each transfer beyond your available free-transfer allowance normally costs four points.

Does an FPL Captain Always Score Double?

The selected captain scores double if they play during the Gameweek. If they play no minutes, the vice-captain takes over. If neither plays, no player’s score is doubled.

Can a Player Keep Clean-Sheet Points After Being Substituted?

Yes. A goalkeeper, defender or midfielder who completes at least 60 minutes without conceding can retain their clean-sheet points if their team concede after they have left the pitch.

Can Defensive Contribution Points Be Scored More than Once in a Match?

No. The reward is capped at two points per player per match, even if the player reaches the qualifying threshold more than once.

Where Can I Check the Official FPL Rules?

The official Fantasy Premier League rules remain the definitive reference for squad selection, transfers, scoring, chips, leagues and other game regulations.

The Premier League can amend FPL rules between seasons, so managers should check them again when a new campaign launches.