A-League Fantasy: How to play, rules, points system and prize money
The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) have launched the first official A-League fantasy competitions.
After years of fans dreaming of the same popular game being played by Premier League supporters, the APL have managed to get the format off the ground ahead of the 2022/23 season.
The fantasy format will be available for both the A-League Men’s and Women’s A-League, with a prediction competition also available for the two competitions.
“We want to create opportunities for fans to connect with the A-Leagues in any way they choose, and the demand for fantasy and prediction competitions is huge,” said Ant Hearne, APL’s chief commercial officer.
“This product helps fans invest more in the players and their performances, and helps fans connect with each other to build social connections around the A-Leagues as well.”
The sports news tackles everything you need to know about the A-League fantasy.
How to Play A-League Fantasy
In order to enter the official A-League Fantasy competitions, fans must first register their team through the Keep Up website.
Registration is free for users from all over the world, but only residents of Australia and New Zealand are eligible to win prizes.
Individuals can only register one team at a time and may be disqualified if found to control more than one side.
A unique team name is also required when registering with users who are then required to select a team consisting of 15 players and adhering to the $4 million salary cap.
Users must then select 11 players for their starting XI, with points allocated each round based on their actions and results in matches.
Head-to-head leagues start in round two, with finals for this format starting in round 24.
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We are pleased to announce the launch of our official A-Leagues Fantasy and Tipping for 2022-23, for both the @IsuzuUTE A-League men and @LibFinancial A league women!
Sign up today! π
β Isuzu UTE A-League (@aleaguemen) 09/20/2022
A-League Fantasy Rules
A-League Fantasy follows similar rules as its Premier League counterpart FPL.
The salary caps for each fantasy league are understandably very different, as the A-League’s $4 million pales in comparison to the FPL’s $100 million.
Teams in A-League Fantasy must consist of two goalies, five defenders, five midfielders and three forwards.
Unlike FPL, there appears to be no limit to the number of players users can select from a single club for A-League Fantasy.
Up to two trades or transfers can be completed after each round, but users only get 35 trades for the entire season.
Users can also choose from nine different formations to get the most out of their home pages.
Points are only counted in each round by players in the starting team, with a substitute player’s points only counting if an XI player in the same position did not play.
Elected team captains get double points every round, vice-captains get the same bonus if the captain doesn’t play.
MORE: All 2022-23 A-League kits as soon as they’re released | A-League Men pre-season results for each club
A-League Fantasy Scoring System
Scoring points in the A-League fantasy seems like a high-risk, high-reward proposition.
The number of points a player gets for an action is sometimes affected by their position, with defenders scoring more points for a goal compared to a forward.
Goalkeepers and defenders also earn a lot of points for clean sheets, while forwards don’t.
| action | Points for GC | Points for DEF | points for MID | Points for FWD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goal | +14 | +12 | +10 | +8 |
| own goal | -6 | -6 | -6 | -6 |
| Help | +8 | +8 | +6 | +6 |
| Shot on target | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 |
| Blocked shot | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 |
| clean sheet | +8 | +6 | +2 | – |
| goal conceded | -2 | -2 | – | – |
| Save on computer | +1 | – | – | – |
| penalty kick | +8 | – | – | – |
| Penalty missed | -6 | -6 | -6 | -6 |
| Penalty conceded | -4 | -4 | -4 | -4 |
| Yellow card | -2 | -2 | -2 | -2 |
| Red card | -6 | -6 | -6 | -6 |
| Played 60min+ | +2 | +2 | +2 | +2 |
| -Played 60min | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 |
A-League Fantasy prize money and rewards
Bragging rights aside, the A-League Fantasy rewards users with the very best results throughout the season.
Players with the top five results after each round in A-League Men Fantasy this season will be awarded a one-two into an A-League game of their choice.
While the player with the highest total points at the end of the season will receive a prize of $4,000, second place will receive $600 and third place will receive $400.
Only residents of Australia and New Zealand are eligible to win prizes.