FPL Rules 2026/27 — Complete Guide for India Managers

Squad selection rules

Squad selection: 15 players (2 GK, 5 DEF, 5 MID, 3 FWD), starting budget 100M (the average squad costs ~99.5M with bench players cheaper), max 3 players from any single Premier League team. Starting XI must include 1 GK, at least 3 DEF, at least 1 FWD. Formation can be 3-4-3, 3-5-2, 4-4-2, 4-3-3 or 5-3-2.

The 100M budget is the same every season — you start with 100M and must build a 15-player squad within budget. The most expensive player (Haaland, Saka) is ~13-15M, so most squads have 3-4 premiums and 11-12 budget enablers.

Squad selection happens at the start of each season and any time you play your Wildcard chip. You can change your starting XI (which 11 players play, who is captain/vice, formation) every gameweek without using a transfer. The starting XI must be selected before the gameweek deadline.

Transfer rules

Free transfers: 1 per gameweek. Additional transfers cost -4 points each. You can bank up to 5 free transfers by not using them (max bank = 5). Wildcard chip removes the -4 penalty for unlimited transfers in one gameweek. Free Hit chip removes the -4 penalty for one week with a new squad.

Transfers are processed at the gameweek deadline. You can make unlimited transfers before the deadline, but only the final squad (after all transfers) counts. Once the deadline passes, your squad is locked for the gameweek.

Transfer deadlines: 90 minutes before the first match of the gameweek (typically Saturday 11:30 AM UK time for Saturday-Tuesday GWs). Late transfers are not accepted, even by 1 minute. Plan your transfers ahead of time.

Captain and vice-captain rules

Pick one captain (scores double) and one vice-captain (becomes captain if your captain doesn't play). Captain choice is locked at the deadline. The triple captain chip makes your captain score triple instead of double. You cannot change your captain mid-gameweek after the deadline.

The vice-captain only becomes captain if your first-choice captain plays 0 minutes (doesn't enter the pitch at all). If your captain plays any minutes (even 1 minute), the vice-captain does NOT become captain — the original captain's points (including any partial appearance points) count double.

You can change your captain up to the deadline without using a transfer. Just go to 'Pick Team' and select a new captain + vice-captain. The change is free (no -4 penalty) as long as it's before the deadline.

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.

Chip rules (wildcard, free hit, bench boost, triple captain)

You get one of each chip per season: Wildcard (unlimited free transfers once), Free Hit (new squad for one week then reverts), Bench Boost (all 15 players score points), Triple Captain (captain scores triple). Chips cannot be cancelled once played. You can play bench boost + triple captain in the same gameweek for maximum effect.

Wildcard is best played in GW 8-10 (after the international break, when player values have settled) or GW 25-28 (before DGW 33+ for a team rebuild). Free Hit is best for blank gameweeks (BGW) where some teams have no fixture. Bench Boost is best for DGW 33 or 35.

Triple Captain is best for DGW 35 with the highest projected premium (typically Haaland). The triple captain bonus in DGW 35 can return 90+ points vs ~30-40 in a normal gameweek. Always save TC for DGWs.

Price change rules

Player prices change when net transfers cross the threshold (~+200k or -200k). Price changes happen overnight at 2:30 AM UK time = 7 AM IST. Price rises/falls are +0.1M or -0.1M. Your existing players' value changes when their price changes — selling before a fall or buying before a rise is the bank-vault strategy.

The net transfer threshold is approximate — the exact threshold depends on the player's current ownership and transfer velocity. Highly-owned players (above 50% ownership) have higher thresholds (more transfers needed for a price change). Niche players (below 5% ownership) have lower thresholds.

FPL also has a season price cap — players cannot rise above 15.0M or fall below 4.0M. The cap is rarely hit for most players but is reached by long-term premiums like Salah, Haaland and Saka.

Tie-breaker rules

FPL cup tie-breakers: (1) most goals scored by your squad in the GW, (2) most assists, (3) most clean sheets, (4) most bonus points. If still tied, the manager with the higher bench points wins. If still tied, the draw is replayed with a new squad for the GW. Overall rank tie-breakers: most points in the final GW.

Mini-league tie-breakers vary by league. Most classic leagues use total points across the season. H2H leagues use goals, then assists, then clean sheets, then BPS. The official FPL cup uses the rules above.

FPL also has a 'season ticket' feature where you can lock your squad for the entire season (no transfers allowed). Season ticket managers get a special badge on the leaderboard but cannot win chip bonuses. The feature is rarely used because chip timing is critical for OR climbing, but it can be fun for casual managers who don't want to think about transfers every week. There's no separate signup — just don't make any transfers after GW 5.

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.

Season-end rules

The season ends after GW 38 on 24 May 2027. All chips must be used by GW 38. Players with 0 minutes across the season keep their value but won't score. The final OR is locked after GW 38 deadline. Mini-leagues finalise their standings within 24 hours of GW 38 deadline.

If you have unused chips at season end, they do NOT carry over to the next season. Use them or lose them. Most top managers use all 4 chips by GW 35-36 — saving them for later rarely makes sense.

Beyond the chips, FPL also has a 'season ticket' feature where you can lock your squad for the entire season (no transfers allowed). Season ticket managers get a special badge on the leaderboard but cannot win chip bonuses. The feature is rarely used because chip timing is critical for OR climbing, but it can be fun for casual managers who don't want to think about transfers every week.

Frequently asked questions