The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) have launched the first official A-League fantasy competitions.
After years of fans dreaming of getting the same popular game played by supporters of the Premier League, the APL have managed to get the format off the ground ahead of the 2022/23 seasons.
The fantasy format will be available for both the A-League Men and A-League Women with a tipping 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 tipping competitions is huge," Ant Hearne, Chief Commercial Officer for APL, said.
"This product helps fans to get more deeply invested in players and their performances, and helps fans to connect with one another to build social connections around the A-Leagues too.”
The Sporting News looks at everything you need to know about A-League fantasy.
How to play A-League fantasy
To play the official A-League fantasy competitions, fans must first register their team via the Keep Up website.
Registration is free for users from around the world but only residents from Australia and New Zealand are eligible to win prizes.
Individuals can only register one team each and may be disqualified if they are found to be controlling more than one side.
A unique team name will also be needed upon registering with users then required to select a team consisting of 15 players that abides by the $4 million salary cap.
Users must then select 11 players for their starting XI with points assigned each round based on their actions and results in games.
Head-to-head leagues will start from round two, with finals for that format beginning in round 24.
🚨 𝐈𝐓'𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 🚨
— Isuzu UTE A-League (@aleaguemen) September 20, 2022
We're delighted 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! 👇
A-League fantasy rules
A-League fantasy will follow similar rules to that of its Premier League counterpart FPL.
The salary caps for each fantasy league is understandably very different with the A-League's $4m paling in compared to FPL's $100m.
Teams in A-League fantasy must consist of two goalkeepers, five defenders, five midfielders and three forwards.
Unlike in FPL, there appears to be no limit on 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 select from nine different formations to get the most out of their starting sides.
Points each round will only be counted from players in the starting team with a substitute's points only counting if an XI player with the same position didn't play.
Elected team captains will get double points each round with vice-captains receiving the same boost if the captain ends up not playing.
MORE: Every A-League kit for 2022/23 as they're released | A-League Men pre-season results for every club
A-League fantasy points system
Point scoring in A-League fantasy looks set to be a high-risk/high-reward affair.
The number of points a player gets for an action is sometimes impacted by their position with defenders getting more points for scoring a goal compared to a striker.
Goalkeepers and defenders also pick up plenty of points for clean sheets, while strikers will receive none.
| Action | Points for GK | Points for DEF | Points for MID | Points for FWD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goal | +14 | +12 | +10 | +8 |
| Own goal | -6 | -6 | -6 | -6 |
| Assist | +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 | +1 | - | - | - |
| Penalty save | +8 | - | - | - |
| Penalty miss | -6 | -6 | -6 | -6 |
| Penalty conceded | -4 | -4 | -4 | -4 |
| Yellow card | -2 | -2 | -2 | -2 |
| Red card | -6 | -6 | -6 | -6 |
| Played 60mins+ | +2 | +2 | +2 | +2 |
| Played -60mins | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 |
A-League fantasy prize money and rewards
Aside from bragging rights, A-League fantasy will reward users with the very best scores throughout the season.
Players with the top five scores after each round in A-League Men Fantasy this season will get a double pass to an A-Leagues game of their choice.
While the player with highest overall score at season's end will receive $4,000 in prize money with second pocketing $600 and third $400.
Only residents from Australia and New Zealand are eligible to win prizes.
