FPL Points System 2026/27 — How Points Are Scored

Goals and assists

Goals scored: GK/DEF +6, MID +5, FWD +4. Assists: +3 points regardless of position. Own goals scored: -2 points. Goals scored by a substitute who comes on: full points (the substitution does not affect scoring). Penalty goals and free-kick goals count the same as open-play goals.

The position-based goal points reflect the relative difficulty — defenders score rarely, so they're rewarded more. Midfielders score more often, so the reward is moderate. Forwards score most often, so the reward is lowest.

One quirk: a substitute who comes on as a sub but scores gets full points, not partial. This means a 60th-minute substitute who scores twice will earn 8 defender points (or 10 midfielder points, etc.) even though they only played 30 minutes. Sub appearances matter more than many managers realise. A 60th-minute sub who scores is one of the highest-value FPL events of a gameweek — watch the bench for substitutes warming up around the hour mark.

Clean sheets

Clean sheet (60+ minutes played, team concedes 0): GK/DEF +4, MID +1. Goalkeeper saves: 1 point per 3 saves. Penalty save: +5 points. Penalty miss: -2 points. Clean sheet points are added on top of any goals or assists in the same match.

A player must play 60+ minutes to get the clean sheet bonus. A substitute who comes on at the 30th minute and plays to the end gets the clean sheet (60+ minutes played). A starter who gets substituted at the 30th minute does NOT get the clean sheet.

MID gets only +1 for clean sheet (vs +4 for DEF/GK) because midfielders score more from goals/assists. The clean sheet bonus is meaningful but not the main attraction for midfielders. For DEF/GK, clean sheet is the primary scoring event — that's why premium defenders (e.g. Liverpool's defence) are popular picks.

Bonus points (BPS)

Bonus points are allocated based on the in-match BPS (Bonus Point System) ranking. The top 3 BPS scorers in each match get +3, +2, +1 bonus FPL points. BPS factors: goals (24-32 pts), assists (9-18 pts), clean sheets (12 pts), key passes (3-6 pts), tackles (2 pts), clearances (2 pts), interceptions (2 pts), saves (2 pts per save for GKs).

BPS is computed in real-time during the match. The final BPS ranking is locked at full-time. The top 3 BPS scorers per match get +3, +2, +1 FPL bonus points. The BPS winner (most BPS) is highlighted in the official FPL post-match summary.

BPS can be the difference between captain picks. If your captain scores a goal (+5) and is BPS winner (+3), they get 8 points before captain doubling (16 points total). If a rival captain also scores but isn't BPS winner, they get 5 points (10 points doubled). The +3 BPS bonus is significant.

How this affects FPL scoring

Consider both short-term captain pick points and long-term team value, plus the impact on your bench players and chip timing windows. Use our projection tools at /predictions/ to model the outcome before locking in your squad.

Goalkeeper saves

Goalkeepers get 1 point per 3 saves. A goalkeeper with 9 saves gets +3 points on top of any clean sheet bonus. The save points are calculated per 3 saves — so 8 saves = +2 points, 7 saves = +2 points, 6 saves = +2 points, 5 saves = +1 point. This rewards goalkeepers who face lots of shots but still keep a clean sheet.

Goalkeepers who face 15+ shots per game are valuable picks even if they don't keep a clean sheet. For example, a goalkeeper with 8 saves + 2 goals conceded = +2 (saves) +0 (no clean sheet) +0 (no BPS) = +2 points. With 8 saves + 0 goals conceded = +2 (saves) +4 (clean sheet) +3 (BPS winner) = +9 points. The same keeper scores wildly differently based on the match outcome.

Top goalkeeper picks are typically the keepers with the most saves per game. Arsenal's Raya, Liverpool's Alisson, and Manchester City's Ederson are popular picks because they face both shots (save points) and keep clean sheets (clean sheet bonus).

Defensive contributions (new 2026/27)

NEW for 2026/27: defensive contributions add points based on in-match defensive actions. Defenders: +2 points for 10+ clearances, interceptions, blocks or tackles. Midfielders: +2 points for 12+ combined. Forwards: +2 points for 8+ ball recoveries. This rewards workrate beyond just goals and assists.

The new defensive contributions rule is the biggest scoring change in 3 years. It rewards box-to-box midfielders and defensive full-backs more than ever before. Expect more value in 6.0-8.0M midfielders with high defensive output (e.g. Declan Rice, Moisés Caicedo, Bruno Guimarães).

Defensive contributions are added to the player's existing FPL score. So a defender with 10 clearances + 1 assist = +2 (defensive contribution) +3 (assist) = +5 points. With captain doubling, that's +10 points — same value as a clean sheet bonus for a defender.

Cards and own goals

Yellow card: -1 point. Red card: -3 points (in addition to any yellow card that led to the red). Own goal: -2 points. Penalty miss: -2 points (for the player who missed). If a player gets a yellow card and scores in the same match: +5 (goal) -1 (yellow) = +4 net points.

Card penalties are a significant drag on FPL points. A defender who gets a yellow card and no other scoring = -1 point. A midfielder who gets a red card = -3 points (or -4 if they also got a yellow earlier in the match).

Own goals and penalty misses are particularly costly for defenders and goalkeepers. An own goal by a defender = -2 points. A penalty miss by your captain = -2 points (or -4 with captain doubling). These are rare events but can swing a gameweek significantly.

How this affects FPL scoring

Consider both short-term captain pick points and long-term team value, plus the impact on your bench players and chip timing windows. Use our projection tools at /predictions/ to model the outcome before locking in your squad.

Captain double / triple captain triple

Captain scores double points (e.g. a striker goal worth 4 pts becomes 8 pts, an assist worth 3 pts becomes 6 pts). Triple captain scores triple points (12 pts for a striker goal, 9 pts for an assist). Vice-captain only becomes captain if your captain doesn't play at all (0 minutes) — partial appearances do not trigger vice-captain.

The captain choice is the single most impactful decision in FPL each gameweek. A captain scoring 8 points (4 doubled) vs blanking 2 points adds 10 points to your gameweek total — equivalent to 1 full player above replacement level.

Triple captain is the highest-leverage chip in FPL. In DGW 35 with a premium captain like Haaland playing twice, triple captain can return 80+ points. In a normal GW, triple captain returns ~25-35 points. Always play TC in DGWs.

Frequently asked questions