WSFFL Rulebook - How the Bank Balance changes

Transfer business will affect your balance of course.

There is also gate money paid (based on actual Premiership gates, with £10 per head, the "home" WSFFL team taking 75% and the "away" team taking 25%. Therefore, a home WSFFL team with a gate of 40,000 would earn £300,000 gate money). The split is 50/50 for Cup matches.

A wage bill is deducted from your balance after every match your team plays. The wage bill is calculated on the value of your squad - the more expensive the squad, the higher the wage bill. (The current wage bill is .015% of your squad value).

There are smaller awards for the co-ordinator's choice of Performance of the Week (£500k) and Manager of the Month (250k). At the end of each season there are some merit awards. Money wil be added depending on how far you get in the Cup competitions and you'll earn £100,000 for every league point you win.

WSFFL Rulebook - Making Signings

If you want some new players in your squad you can...

1) Bid for them at one of our auctions held in August, September and February (generally!) These will mostly be new players coming into the league during the transfer windows, or full promoted teams during the August AGM/Auction.

The promoted teams' players will come from the 'first team' page of the official club website. Any players with the club's age-restricted or development teams will not be auctioned and will be freely available from the pool. The auction takes long enough as it is!

2) You can approach another manager and make an offer for one of their players (sometimes works but people can have an inflated idea of value).

3) Or you can buy players out of the pool*. Each one will cost you £500,000**. (Lists of everybody's squads and the pool can be found at http://wsffl.blogspot.com or by contacting the co-ordinator).

The pool spreadsheet is not exhaustive. If there are any players not in the pool but not in anyone's squad either, then the chances are they're available to buy (this is particularly the case with young players, e.g. Arsenal's Carling Cup team). Just ask the co-ordinator in such instances. He'll have to check that the player in question isn't a recent signing and will need to be offered to the full membership of the league under the 'new player availability' rule. (Same as the 'pool cooling down' rule but with a different name.)

*If you drop a player into the pool and want to buy him back you can do, but you will have to pay at least the amount you received in compensation. He will also be restored in your squad at his previous value. (This stops people pulling a fast one with their wage bill). These previous fee details are deleted at the end of each season.

There's a weird auction loophole that's probably worth noting here. If you sell a player then you can't buy him back at the auction unless you pay the amount that you received for the player. However, if the player is unsold at the auction he drops into the pool and becomes freely available at the usual 500k fee. This is the 'Danny Drinkwater auction loophole'.

** It's not real money

WSFFL Rulebook - 'Real Life' Transfers

If one of your players gets transferred in 'real life'...

You'll be given the option of whether to retain that player or whether to accept the amount of money paid in 'real life'*. If it's an undisclosed fee you'll be offered half the player's WSFFL value.

If you believe that the undisclosed fee disadvantages you, you can appeal that verdict by providing evidence of a true fee from a reputable website.

If they return after a loan, go on a free or come to the end of their contract you could lose them for nothing so you'll need to be on your toes.

If you sell a player who, due to timings, then becomes available at any of our auctions you cannot buy him back for less than the amount you were paid. If however no one buys that player at the auction he will go into the pool and be available for £500k, including to the manager who originally sold him.

*Currently transfermarkt.com is the source for fees. WSFFL doesn't pay add-ons.

In the event of a ‘real life’ transfer going to tribunal to decide a fee, the WSFFL manager can:

1) Retain the player in their squad in the normal way or,

2) Release the player and be paid the compensation when known.

The manager’s decision needs to be made at the time of the transfer and can’t be reversed.

Week 5 Results

Aardvark Abacus 4 v 4 Real Muppets
Athletico Phoenix 2 v 1 San Dimas High School
Final Fantasy XI 0 v 3 22-Legged Groove Machine
The Cow-Faced Juniors 4 v 5 Trusted By Millions
The Dead Parrots 0 v 7 Fred West Landscape Gardening XI
The Fabulous Artisans 2 v 0 Mega Buck Bandits
York’s Returning Glory 0 v 3 Claymore Athletic FC
You Know Your Boston Rock FC 4 v 5 Nil Satis Nisi Optimum

Fred takes over at the top on goal difference from Nil Satis. Artisans are three points back.

Week 4 (and PCMT 2nd Replay) Results

League Week 4

22-Legged Groove Machine 0 v 1 York’s Returning Glory
Claymore Athletic FC 5 v 0 Athletico Phoenix
Fred West Landscape Gardening XI 4 v 3 Final Fantasy XI
Mega Buck Bandits 2 v 5 Aardvark Abacus
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum 4 v 1 The Dead Parrots
Real Muppets 8 v 1 The Cow-Faced Juniors
San Dimas High School 0 v 4 The Fabulous Artisans
Trusted By Millions 3 v 3 You Know Your Boston Rock FC

Paul Cartmell Memorial Trophy 1st Round 2nd Replay

The Dead Parrots 2 v 0 22-Legged Groove Machine

Paul and Fred continue to blaze a trail.

WSFFL Rulebook - Removing Players from your Squad

There are various ways to do this. 

1) You could advertise that you have a player (or players) for sale and ask a price and see if any manager is willing to take the bait. Don't be surprised if no one does though, there isn't very much movement between clubs.

2) The other main way will be to dump the player(s) concerned into the pool. The pool is essentially Premier League players who are not in a WSFFL team. You will get back £500k should you choose to dump a player. If your player cost more than £500k it should be noted that if you choose to buy him back he will be reinstated in your squad at that original fee for wage bill purposes.*

The pool is however not necessarily exhaustive; if there are any players not in the pool but not in anyone's squad either, then the chances are they're available to buy (this is particularly the case with young players, e.g. Arsenal's League Cup team). Just ask the co-ordinator in such instances.

3) Your player may be relegated from the PL at the end of the season. If you choose to let him go you will be given half of what you paid for him (minimum 500k) and be given 'first refusal' if he is re-signed by a different PL club. The WSFFL manager will repay that reimbursement and the player will be reinstated in the squad at the same value for wage bill purposes. 

While letting a relegated player go will free up a space in your squad for a new signing it will mean that you won't be offered any fee if that player is transferred 'in real life'.

The 'first refusal' expires at the end of the first transfer window following relegation as does the manager's right to claim the fee if the player is transferred in real life. A manager can retain the player in case they come back to the PL in future but will continue to pay their wages and not be able to use them in a match day squad.

*The record of those fees is wiped at the end of each season.

WSFFL Rulebook - How the score is worked out

The important things in this game are goals and clean sheets (a goalkeeper saving a penalty will also count as a goal providing the ensuing passage of play doesn't result in a goal). Assists are worthless. That's something to think about when you're looking at players, defensive midfielders have little value in WSFFL. A player needs to play at least 15 minutes to qualify for a clean sheet. No limping off after five minutes or coming on in injury time to nab one!

(In the case of a substitute, the player needs to be introduced before the 76th minute and remain in play for a minimum of 15 minutes.)

The co-ordinator will then compare each team's performance against one another. Goals will always count, clean sheets will be cancelled against each other to provide the final score (i.e. if team A has 3 cleans and their opponents team B have 2, then 2 are cancelled off team A and the remaining clean is converted to a "goal" for team A's tally).

If any of your non-playing players have scored or kept cleans, or if indeed any of your subs have scored whilst not counting for you, they don't count towards your score. Only the players you've selected from your squad of 27 to be in your team of 11 for that weekend count (plus subs, if they're "in play" as detailed in the article on 'The Team'). You must therefore use your skill and judgement to select the 11 players from your squad of 27 which you feel have the best chance to score/keep clean sheets that particular Premier League weekend.

(In the event of a player being sent off any goal scored or penalty saved will still count but a defender or goalkeeper will not be able to claim a clean sheet)

WSFFL Rulebook - The Team

For each match you will need to name a 4-4-2, 3-5-2, 5-4-1 or a 4-5-1 line-up and a sub for each position (no alternatives or 'in the event of' options). You can't switch formations during a game.

If you don't send a team through the co-ordinator will use the last one you sent to calculate your team score.

If one of your named starters doesn't play or is substituted then the sub in that position will come on for them, and will count from the time your starting player is withdrawn (e.g. if your first midfield player to be substituted is taken off in the 60th minute, your sub midfielder is "in play" for you from minutes 61-90 of his game. If he's scored after 57 minutes of his game, tough luck).

You can make changes over a Premier League weekend as long as neither the player you're dropping or the player you're bringing in teams have already played. (This can lead to something called the 'Bevan Dodge' which will be the subject of a future post).

WSFFL Rulebook - The Squad

Maximum squad size is 27.

The only other restrictions are you must have 2 goalkeepers, 5 defenders, 5 midfielders and 3 attackers (this is so you can field a substitute in each position).

How else you make up your squad is up to you.

WSFFL Rulebook - Introduction to the Game

The WSFFL is a 16-team matchplay Fantasy League based on the English Premier League.

Managers have a squad of players and select a team from that squad each Premiership weekend to play against another manager. Only one manager owns each Premier League player; squads have been built up and developed over the duration of the League (the game launched in 1994).

Each manager plays the other 15 teams twice, home and away, and collects points based on actual football points (3 for a win, one for a draw, nothing for a defeat) following each match.

In addition to the League competition, there are three knockout tournaments; a "League Cup" (called the Paul Cartmell Memorial Trophy, in memory of one of our former WSFFL manager colleagues), a Charity Shield (teams knocked out in the first round of the League Cup enter this) and an "FA Cup" which runs from January to late April, interspersed with the League fixtures.

PS - It's not real money.

Week 3 (and PCMT Replay) Results

Paul Cartmell Memorial Trophy 1st Round Replays

Claymore Athletic FC 1 v 2 San Dimas High School
22-Legged Groove Machine 4 v 4 The Dead Parrots

League Week 3

Athletico Phoenix 4 v 4 22-Legged Groove Machine
Final Fantasy XI 0 v 2 Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
San Dimas High School 1 v 0 Mega Buck Bandits
The Cow-Faced Juniors 0 v 1 Aardvark Abacus
The Dead Parrots 2 v 1 Trusted By Millions
The Fabulous Artisans 5 v 1 Claymore Athletic FC
York’s Returning Glory 0 v 4 Fred West Landscape Gardening XI
You Know Your Boston Rock FC 5 v 4 Real Muppets

Fred and Nil Satis still with 100% records.

Welcome to Athletico Phoenix

New WSFFL manager Brian Woolford has revealed his team name.

The new boss said: "I think looking at my position and the manner in which the old manager departed the name should be Athletico Phoenix. Another name could have been 'road kill' looking at the squad.

"A managerial escape act similar to Roy Hodgson at Fulham is required. However the fightback starts now. "

The co-ordinator will update the relevant WSFFL documents with the new name when he gets the chance.

Transfer Latest

You Know Your Boston Rock FC have made Anton Ferdinand available for transfer. Sheriff is looking for a straight cash deal or a player swap (English players only of course!)

Final Fantasy XI won the race for Hull keeper Boaz Myhill. Actually, it wasn't much of a race as Ceri's was the only team in it but you get my drift. Daniel de Ridder exits Final Fantasy and heads for the auction list.

Boston Rock have brought young midfielder Danny Rose in from Tottenham and let Ben Watson go. Watson will be up for auction when we get together in September if you're looking for a midfielder who's on loan at QPR.

Another team making a change is the Fabulous Artisans. Ben has signed Blackburn Rovers academy graduate David Hoilett. He's a striker and takes the place of James Vaughan who will be auctioned off in September