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Beginner's guide
You pick a 15-player squad within a budget, one plays captain for double points, and your score depends on how they actually perform in real matches. That's the whole game - everything else is detail.
You get £100.0m to build a 15-player squad: 2 goalkeepers, 5 defenders, 5 midfielders, and 3 forwards. You can pick at most 3 players from any one real Premier League club, so you can't just load up on one team's entire attack.
Each gameweek you pick a starting XIfrom your 15 in a valid formation (always 1 goalkeeper, at least 3 defenders, at least 2 forwards). The other 4 sit on your bench as backup in case a starter doesn't play.
Points come from what your players do in their real matches that gameweek. Roughly:
Before each deadline you pick a captain- whatever they score that gameweek is doubled. If your captain doesn't play at all, it falls back to your vice-captaininstead, so always pick a backup who's actually going to start.
You get 1 free transfereach gameweek to swap a player. Don't use it? It banks - you can stack up to 5 free transfersat once. Make an extra transfer beyond what you've banked and it costs -4 points(a "hit"), so it needs to be worth it.
Every gameweek has a deadline - once it passes, your squad and captain are locked in for that round of matches. Selling a player for more than you paid also banks a small profit into your budget (minus a small sell-on fee), so your £100.0m can grow over the season.
The one thing that trips people up early
Points only count for players who actually start (or come on) and perform. A big-name player on the bench of their real club scores you nothing, no matter how good they are - ownership and reputation don't matter, minutes on the pitch do.
How much budget do I start with?
£100.0m, to build a 15-player squad across goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and forwards.
How many players can I pick from one club?
A maximum of 3 players from any single real Premier League club.
What happens if I don't use my free transfer?
It carries over to next gameweek - you can bank up to 5 free transfers at once before they stop stacking.
What's a 'hit' in FPL?
Making a transfer beyond what you've got banked costs -4 points, deducted from your gameweek score. Sometimes worth it, often not.
Does my captain's score really double?
Yes - whatever your captain scores that gameweek is doubled. If they don't play, your vice-captain's score doubles instead.
Import your team once your squad's set and Matchday OS checks it for real issues - unavailable players, unspent budget, fixture risk - before your first deadline.
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