Royal Park Avenue Fantasy Football League

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Rules of Play

There are 10 teams, each team can have a maximum of 22 players in their squad.

Players and their valuations are taken from The Fantasy League player lists.

Submission of teams

Each week of the season when there are matches, teams can be submitted, preferably by e-mail, before 3 p.m. on Saturday.

When there is an early Saturday match, participating players should be submitted before kick-off, but rarely are.

If the only matches of the week are midweek matches, teams can be submitted before the start of the first match.

If no team, or an 'illegal' team, is submitted, the last 'legal' team submitted will be used.

A team is legal if the 11 players conform to the rules on team formation.

Substitutions cannot be made from an illegal bench which contains 2 players of the same position.

A bench is not illegal if it contains substitutes whose subsitution would form an illegal team.

If a previously legal team becomes illegal through the expiry of a loan deal, and no legal team is submitted, the team scores 0 points and the team is barred from further loan deals that season.

If no legal team is submitted for 4 weeks, the manager is liable for disqualification and replacement.

Team formation

The team consists of 11 players and 3 subs (can be 1 gk, 1 fb, 1 cb, 1 mf or 1 sk).

1 substitution allowed, but only if the sub played in the Premiership game.

Maximum 2 from any one club side, 1 from any club side in defense or attack, in the final 11.

(you can play 2 players from the same club side in midfield)

(all of your substitutes could be from the same team even if you are playing 2 players from that team, but they can only substitute for their position and for the player from that club, retaining a legal team.)

1 gk + 4 or 5 defenders (2 or 3 fbs, 2 or 3 cbs), more than 2 mfs, less than 4 sts.

Players except goalkeepers can 'move forward' not backwards (or sideways) in position.

(e.g. a fb can play as a mf, a cb as a sk, but not a fb as a cb, or a cb as a fb), but substitutes can only come on for their position.

Scoring

Players score 1 pt for starting or coming on as substitute in a game, 2 pts for an assist, 3 pts for a goal, -1 pt for an own goal, -1 pt for a missed penalty.

An assist is scored by:

i)the last attacking player to touch the ball, including passes cleared by a defending player of the scoring team.

ii)the last attacking player fouled if the free-kick or penalty is converted.

No interpretation of intent, on the part of the attacking team, is made to retain objectivity.

An assist is awarded irrespective of the number of touches by the defending team provided these touches are not under control e.g. keeper parries, uncontrolled rebounds.

An assist is not awarded if a player is fouled then converts the free kick or penalty himself.

An assist is not awarded if a defending player loses the ball in free play.

An assist is not awarded should a defensive player make a deliberate clearance (including clean punches by the keeper, heading off the line), even if the clearance falls to an attacking player who then scores.

Defenders score 3 points and goalkeepers 4 points for a clean sheet if they play without conceding for 75 minutes.

Goalkeepers and defenders lose 1 pt per goal scored against while they're on the park, if they're sent off they continue to lose points for goals against.

Goalkeepers score 1 pt for saving a penalty if they touch the ball.

If a player fails to convert a penalty but scores from the rebound, he still loses 1 pt for the penalty miss, the goalkeeper gets 1 pt if he touches the ball, and the assist is retained by the penalty assister.

Earning money

Each week when there are matches teams are awarded money, from £50,000 for 1st place down to £500,000 for 10th place, in measures of £50,000. 2 equally placed teams get the aggregate of their positions. e.g. equal 3rd get (3rd + 4th)/2 = £175,000.

The Fantasy Cup

From Round 3 of the F. A. Cup, a team earn appearance points, clean sheets, goals and assists for every player in the squad, with no negative points for non-appearance, except players bought after Round 3 Saturday, who are cup-tied and marked with an asterisk on the squads page.

Points are accumulated through rounds 3 and 4, when the bottom two teams are eliminated.

In the event of 2 teams drawing for 9th, their score at the end of round 3 decides who progresses.

There are then 3 knock-out rounds, drawn randomly, our final accumulated from the F. A. semi-finals and final.

In the event of a tied game, the team drawing home advantage progress forward.

The winning team gets £1,000,000, £500,000 for the runner-up.

Buying and Selling Players

You can bid for any player once he is listed in the Fantasy League listing online, for his valuation or greater.

You can bid for an unlisted youth or home-grown player for £1,000,000 or greater.

You can buy or sell players at any time in the season up to the last Friday in March.

You cannot sell or loan a player within six weeks of buying them, or buy them within six weeks of selling them, unless you buy a listed player whose deal subsequently collapses, when your bid is refunded.

Bids and all other financial transactions must be in intervals of £10,000.

Beginning of the season

On Friday of the week before the Premiership season starts, each team declares season start sales.

On the following Thursday there is a first round of sealed bids for players at valuation in the Fantasy League list or greater.

These are opened as soon after the 10 p.m cutoff as possible, with as many managers as possible present.

Any bids not received before the declaration of sealed bids can be included if uncontested.

On the Friday there is a further round of sealed bids.

Valuation of Players sold at Season start

1) If you bought a player last season:

You can sell him (or her) for your purchase price or his current (if he has one) or previous list price, whichever is higher.

2) If your player was purchased more than 1 season ago:

i) If he is still playing in the Premiership, you get this year's or last year's valuation, whichever is greater.

ii) If a player has been relegated or has retired you get last year's valuation.

During the season

If you sell a player, you get half his valuation, or half what you paid for him if you bought him this season.

You can bid for a player from the list for his valuation or greater by Friday midnight, and if you are successful you can include him in your Saturday squad.

If you are unable to confirm your success, you can nominate a player in the team to replace him.

If there are other equal bids by Friday midnight, the bidding goes on to the next week, when the original bidders only can put in new bids for the player or withdraw.

Selling players between Clubs

Teams can agree to sell each other players at any time for any price but this price will not be used in calculating their value when sold.

Loan Deals between clubs

Any two teams can agree player loans between them. This must be for a minimum period of 3 weeks.

The loan start date must be specified with the terms, which can involve straight swaps or any financial deal, including "productivity" deals, e.g. an extra amount for clean sheets or goals scored.

You cannot borrow players to take your squad over 22, even if you have players loaned out.

There is a transfer deadline at midnight on the last Friday of March, after which time no player can be sold or bid for, no new loan deals agreed, and no end of season deals revoked by mutual agreement, but rolling loan deals can be extended or terminated.

Rule changes

In the 2 weeks preceding the opening sales and bids of a season, there will be the opportunity to submit, and then vote on, rule changes. Any submission cannot then be resubmitted for the next 2 years.