1.0 FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK
1. 1 The Fantasy Football Week falls into two phases; Midweek and Weekend. A manager may select up to two teams per week; one for Midweek, one for Weekend. Tuesday to Thursday fixtures are classed as being Midweek, Friday to Monday, the Weekend.

1.1a) Occasionally 2 or even 3 sets of fixtures may present themselves outside the acknowledged Midweek and Weekend parameters during a given Week. (Christmas or bank holiday periods, where there is a full set of fixtures on a Friday and a further set of fixtures on a Monday, being an example.)
In such instances, the two sets of fixtures will be treated as separate entities; therefore a team may be entered for each set of fixtures independently.
The committee will notify managers in this event and will confirm where one set of fixtures end and the next begins.

2.0 SQUAD

2.1 A manager's full squad may be comprised of, up to, two types of player. Book players and unlisted players.

2.2 Player Types

2.2a) Listed/Book Player - a player that has been allocated a book value in the current season. Listed players form the first team squad of the manager's full squad. The maximum number of listed players permitted in a squad is 50. A squad may increase beyond the maximum number of 50 if unlisted players within the squad subsequently become listed. In this case the manager will be granted clemency and will not need to make sales to reduce squad size to 50 (but will be unable to add further players to their squad until their numbers are reduced below the threshold). Mangers may also be permitted to buy listed players during a monthly meeting to take their squad size over 50 but must reduce the total prior to conclusion of the meeting.

2.2b) Unlisted Player - a player that has not been allocated a book value in the current season is classed as unlisted. A player who was listed in the previous season retains his value (LYP) and therefore once a player has been allocated a value by the Telegraph that value will continue to be attached to that player going forward until such a time when the player is sold/released for the ‘value’ associated or until the player subsequently becomes re-listed, in which case the new value (if different) is applied going forward. Legacy unlisted players (players who were unlisted prior to 2023-2024 season) will continue to be treated as having 0 value if released and wages will be based on whether they are aged under 21 (as of 1 September) in which case no wages are payable, or 3M per season for player over age 21.

2.2b-i) Upon purchase, the age of an unlisted player defines their notional value (3M for players under the age of 21 and 6M for players aged over 21). The player’s age (as of 1 September) also determines their wage for the full season, regardless of whether they reach the age of 21 during the campaign. This only changes mid-season if the player subsequently becomes listed in which case the player’s value and wage is based on their listed book value.

2.2b-i.a) Under 21 at time of purchase - 3M purchase price, no wages payable for active season.

2.2b-i.b) Over 21 at time of purchase - 6M purchase price, 3M p/a wages.

2.2b-i.c) Any player with a senior international cap, may not be purchased using the unlisted system.

2.3 Reclassification within Player Types

2.3a) If a listed player, who is unattached to any managers' squad, leaves the book at any time throughout the season they will be reclassified as an unlisted player from that point forward.

2.3b) A listed player attached to a manager’s squad who leaves the book mid-season will not be reclassified as an unlisted player. They will retain both their book value and position within the first team squad for the remainder of the current season.

2.3c) A listed player attached to a manager’s squad who leaves the book in the close-season will be assigned a temporary reclassification as a 'Last Year's Price’ player. They will retain their previous season's book value and will effectively become part of the unlisted players within the manager’s non-playing squad.
Players assigned this classification (LYP) may be sold for their stated book value at any time in the future.

2.3c-i) Should a manager’s unlisted roster increase to more than the maximum of 10 due to reclassification of exiting squad players there will be no requirement to sell/release surplus players. A manager cannot however purchase unlisted players unless they have fewer than the maximum permitted.

2.3d) An unlisted player attached to a manager’s squad who has turned 21 in the previous season or close-season attains a new unlisted status as an Over 21. A player is deemed to be under 21 at the start of the season if his 21st birthday falls before 1 September. This does not apply to LYP players who’s values are not dictated by age, but rather their previously listed book value.

2.4 Managers may make alterations to their squads personnel via the Telegraph book, transfer dealings with other managers or by purchasing unlisted players.

2. 5 A manager must have a minimum first team squad size of 15 which must include: 1 goalkeeper, 4 defenders, 3 midfielders & 2 attackers at all times.

2.6 The maximum number of listed players is 50 and the maximum number of unlisted players is 10, however these maximums can be exceeded when listed players become unlisted within the same squad, and vice versa.

3.0 TEAM ENTRY & SELECTION

3.1 A manager may select a maximum of 11 first team players and 7 substitutes for each set of fixtures from their squad. There is no minimum level on how many players a manager may select for each set of fixtures.

3.2 A manager may amend their team on a continuous basis throughout the set of fixtures, provided all changes are made prior to the 'scheduled kick-off time' (as defined in Rule 3.7) of the player(s) effected by the change. A.K.A Staggered System.

3.3 Using the staggered system a manager must name all players in a particular position before naming a corresponding positional substitution unit.

3.4 The final team (the sum of the selected players for the designated fixture phase once all scored matches have commenced) entered by a manager will be in place for that body of fixtures only, after which the team selection is wiped in preparation for the next set of fixtures.

3.5 Once a manager has made a new valid team selection, this supersedes all previous entries.

3.6 Team entries must be posted on the message board prior to the 'scheduled kick-off time' or given to a committee member who must in turn post on the message board and confirm the team was validated prior to kick-off. It is also acceptable to leave a voicemail on Dean’s mobile phone number 07748641036 if you are unable to access the website or reach a committee member prior to kick-off.

3.7 'Scheduled kick-off time' is defined as the time that a match is due to commence. It is acceptable to delay naming players in a fixture which has been rescheduled however. A rescheduled game is defined as one which is delayed by a minimum of 30 minutes. Player entries for rescheduled games must be entered no later than the amended kick-off time. Late entries will not be permitted under any circumstances

4.0 TEAM FORMATIONS

4. 1 Managers must play formations that include a minimum of 1 goalkeeper, 3 defenders, 3 midfielders & 1 attacker.

4. 2 Acceptable formations are: 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 5-3-2, 5-4-1, 4-5-1, 3-4-3, 3-5-2.

5.0 SUBSTITUTES

5. 1 The substitutes' 'bench' may consist of a maximum of 7 substitutes, made up of players from any position. If more than one substitute is named in a position, the order in which they are named will signify their order of preference.

5. 2 A substitute will come into effect if a first team player in the corresponding position plays no part in the scored match.

6.0 POINT SCORING

6. 1 Points will be allocated in accordance with the Daily Telegraph scoring system. No deviation from this scoring system is permitted even in the event of a Telegraph error.

6.2 All players:

• Starting XI appearance (2 pts)
• Substitute appearance (1 pt)
• Goal scored (5 pts)
• Key Contribution (3 pts)
• Red card (-3 pts)
• Yellow card (-1 pt)
• Missed penalty (-2 pts)
• Own Goal (-3 pts)
• Points are not awarded for penalty shoot outs.

6.3 Goalkeepers only:

• Penalty save (5pts)
• Every 2 saves (1pt)

6.4 Goalkeepers/defenders only:

• Full Clean Sheet - player plays 60 mins or more (5 pts)
• Part Clean Sheet - player plays fewer than 60 mins (2 pts)
• First goal conceded (0 pts)
• Each additional goal conceded (-1 pt)

6.5 Midfielders only

• Every 2 successful tackles per game (1 pt)
In order to earn a full clean sheet bonus (5 pts), your player must complete at least 60 minutes of the match and his team must keep a clean sheet for the entire match (excluding penalty shoot-outs).If a player is on the pitch for less than 60 minutes and his team keeps a clean sheet for the full match, he'll score a Part Clean Sheet bonus (2 pts).

7.0 MONTHLY MEETINGS

7. 1 The Monthly meeting is the only time a manager may make personnel changes to their squad.

7.2 There is no limit on the number of sales or purchases a manager may make at a monthly meeting.

7.3 There is no limit on the number of transactions between managers between the months of August & April inclusive.

7. 4 The monthly meeting will take place on the first Sunday of each month of the football season, commencing in August and ending in May.

7.5 Meeting Dates & Purchase Format

• August - Full Auction Format - No New Unlisted Purchases
• September - Full Auction Format - Unlisted Purchases Permitted
• October - List - Unlisted Purchases Permitted
• November - Unlisted Purchases Permitted
• December - Unlisted Purchases Permitted
• January - Full Auction Format - No New Unlisted Purchases
• February - Full Auction Format - Unlisted Purchases Permitted
• March - Unlisted Purchases Permitted
• April - Unlisted Purchases Permitted - LOG Transfer Deadline
• May - Player Sales Only

7.6 Lists

7.6a) A manager may prepare a list of up to 10 unlisted players for eligible monthly meetings.

7.6b) A list is required for unlisted players only. All book players are subject to the standard auction process.

7.6c) When adding an unlisted player to a list, a manager should include the player's name, club and age.

7.6d) The list should be prioritised in order of the managers' preference of purchase. 1, being the highest priority, through 10.

7.6e) Once a list has been given to the auctioneer, it may not be withdrawn or amended.

7.7 Bidding

7.7a) Managers wishing to make purchases from the Book may do so by bidding for players.

7.7b) The minimum bid a manager may make on a player is their book value and once made is binding.

7.7c) Bids may only be increased by amounts of 0.1M or more and are binding.

7.7d) Should the bidding on a player reach 5M, the minimum incremental scale increases to 0.5M.

7.7e) After each new bid the auctioneer will offer 3 times, the opportunity for further bids, before declaring that player auction concluded.

7.7f) The manager with the highest bid when the auction on the player is concluded secures the player.

7.8 Running Order of Monthly Meeting

• Player Sales
• Lists in
• Book Purchases
• Unlisted Purchases
• Managerial Dealing Period
• Final Player Sales
• Final Read Through of Book
• Book Closed
• Manager deals till midnight

7.9 Player Sales

7.9a)Managers may sell players back to the book.

7.9b) Managers may release 'Unlisted' Players.

7.9c) Managers must announce all players to be sold back to the book prior to the commencement of the book purchase process.

7.9d) The book purchase process will be announced 30 minutes before it is due to commence.

7.9e) The auctioneer will announce the selling of players suspended until completion of book purchase process. Players can subsequently be sold back to the book after completion of the auction buying process.

7.10 Book Purchases

7.10a) A transaction tax of 1M is chargeable on the purchase of every listed player. This tax is waived if players are bought during the August, September, January or February meetings. This tax is charged at the point of transaction and is non refundable upon disposal of the asset. There is no tax payable on unlisted purchases or deals between managers.

7.10b) The auctioneer will read goalkeepers alphabetically, A-Z, from the Book, followed by defenders, midfielders and strikers in the same way. A Manager wishing to participate in the purchasing process of a player should make the auctioneer aware upon the reading of that player's name by announcing their opening bid. In the event of more than one manager being interested in a player, the first bid option will be given to the manager who speaks first, or if still unclear,the first bid will go to the winner of paper, scissors stone.

7.10c) For the sake of brevity and if it pleases the assembled gentlemen, the auctioneer may enquire as to whether anyone wants a goalkeeper at all instead of reading out all of them individually, If a positive response is received then the auctioneer would move to keepers with a,b,c etc.

7.11 Unlisted Purchases

7.11a) A manager may only bid for unlisted players that appear on their own list.

7.11b) Should an unlisted player appear on more than one manager's list...

7.11b.i) The auctioneer will read the compiled schedule of unlisted players in preferential order.

7.11c) If an unlisted player is up for a contested auction between two or more managers; once that player's auction has concluded that player will no longer be purchasable by any manager at the current monthly meeting.

7.11d) The absence of a bid does not prevent the contested auction from concluding.

7.11e) An uncontested unlisted player may be purchased up until midnight by the manager who listed them.

7.12 Managerial Dealing Period

7.12a) A period of hiatus from scheduled action, whereupon managers may deal freely with one another and purchase players from the book. All in accordance with preceding guidelines herein.

7.12b) A transfer fee must be paid up-front in all cases for at least the book value of each player (unless player swap involved which is acceptable consideration).

7.12c) Future stage payment plans are acceptable between managers (subject to initial consideration as mentioned above), details of which will be recorded and are binding between parties involved.

7.12d) In the event of an unlisted player being transferred the minimum ‘consideration’ payable is 0.5M.

7.12e) Informally this period will run for approximately for 90 mins. However, the will of the Gentlemen must always be taken into consideration in allowances regarding this timescale.

7.13 Player Sales

7.13a) Upon the completion of the managerial dealing period, the auctioneer will call for any final player sales from managers.

7.14 Final Book Reading

7.14a) For the sake of brevity the auctioneer may enquire as to whether anyone wants a goalkeeper at all instead of reading out all of them individually, If a positive response is received then the auctioneer would move to keepers with a,b,c etc.

7.14b) The book is closed until the next monthly meeting. No further sales or purchases are permitted.

7.15 Post Meeting Period

7.15a) Managers may continue to deal with one another until midnight.

7.15b) Any deals reached outside of the meeting should be reported to a committee member and ideally also posted on the message board so as to keep all members informed.

8.0 THE HAIRY CUP

8.1 The result of all Hairy Cup matches is determined by the number of 'goals scored' by the participating teams.

8. 2 Only goals scored by listed players (selected in accordance with Rule 3.0) will count towards Hairy Cup results.

8.3 Own goals are in effect in the cup. E.g. Team A plays Team B. One of Team A's 'active' players scores an own goal in his actual Premiership match. That goal will be attributed to Team B's score for the current Hairy Cup fixture. Team B's manager will not score any league points for the own goal.

8.4 A Golden Goal is defined as a goal within a Hairy Cup knock-out fixture which has the latest 'in-play' (point within the 90+min game time of Premiership fixture) time of that particular fixture.

8.5 Group Stage

8.5a) All LOG teams will play each other twice in a 'round-robin' style competition.

8.5b) The group stage results will collated in a 'league table' and points will be assigned, dependent on outcome, against the following criteria: Win 3pts | Draw 1pt |Loss 0pts.

8.5c) A team's position in the 'table' is determined by the number of points they have accrued in Hairy Cup matches (in accordance with Rule 8.5b).

8.5d) Should two or more teams have accrued the same number of points; the determining factor denoting table position shifts to goals scored, with the greatest number taking the higher position.

8.5e) Should two or more teams have accrued the same number of points and have scored the same number of goals; the determining factor denoting table position shifts to goals difference, with the greatest number taking the higher position.

8.5f) Upon conclusion of all Group Stage matches, the teams occupying the top four positions (in accordance with Rule 8.5a-e) table will progress to the semi-final stage of the competition.

8.5g) Semi final fixtures are played according to group stage finishing position as follows - 1st plays 4th & 2nd plays 3rd.

8.6 The Semi-Final Stage

8.6a) Semi-finals will be played over a single leg.

8.6b) In the event of a semi-final match being tied, a single leg replay will be held.

8.6c) In the event of a semi-final replay being tied; the winner will be decided by the team with the most assists, and if still equal, the most clean sheets, and if still equal the fewest red cards (3) and yellow cards (1) score. In the event that the teams are still equal the winner will then be decided by the highest total points and of still equal by virtue of a golden goal (last goal scored). A final decider if all of the above are equal is paper/scissors/stone.


8. 7 The Hairy Cup Final

8.7a) The Cup Final will be played over one leg between the two victorious semi-finalists on the final day of the premier league.

8.7b) In the event of the cup final match being tied no replay will take place; the winner will be decided by the team with the most assists, and if still equal, the most clean sheets, and if still equal the fewest red cards (3) and yellow cards (1) score. In the event that the teams are still equal the winner will then be decided by the highest total points and of still equal by virtue of a golden goal (last goal scored). A final decider if all of the above are equal is paper/scissors/stone.


The Conference Cup
Each season starting from the 2024-2025 season, the 4 teams that do not qualify for the Champions Cup will compete in the Conference Cup. The winner of the Conference Cup will at least qualify for a play-off game to gain entry to the Champions Cup the following season. Qualification for the Champions cup is detailed below.

The format of the conference cup is as follows – Each of the 4 teams will play each other twice during the course of the season in exactly the same format as per the Hairy Cup. After all 6 fixtures have been played the top 2 teams qualify for the final.

The final of the conference cup is played over 1 leg with the winner being awarded the Conference Cup. In the event of a tie the same tie-breaker system as in the Hairy Cup applies.

The Champions Cup

This competition is for the teams who finish in the top 2 places in the league in the previous season, plus the winner of the Champions cup in the previous season and the winner of a play-off game between the highest place finisher (within top 4) and the winner of the Conference Cup.

The format of this cup is exactly the same as the Conference cup (above).

8.9 Rearrangement of Fixtures

8.9a) A minimum of 8 scoring matches must be achieved for a week to count as a cup fixture week.

8.9b) If, for whatever reason, the number of matches noted in Rule 8.9a fail to take place on a scheduled Hairy Cup weekend, the fixture will be rearranged to be replayed at a later date. Managers will be informed of these events by the committee should they arise.

9.0 MONEY

9. 1 Each Manager will receive 100M at the August Monthly Meeting.

9.2 Each Manager will receive 20M at the September Monthly Meeting.

9.3 Each Manager will receive 20M at the January Monthly Meeting.


10.0 WAGES

10.1 Wages are payable for all listed players and specified Unlisted players.

10. 2Managers must pay the appropriate wages for the players they have in their full squad at every monthly meeting at a rate of 1/10th of their annual rate.

10. 3 Annual wages are calculated for Listed Players as 50% of their Daily Telegraph book value.

10.4 Annual wages are calculated for unlisted players as 50% of their Nominal value.

10.4a) Unlisted Players bought prior to 2010-11 Season - Nominal Value: 4M
10.4b) Unlisted Players aged 21 and over on September 1st - Nominal Value: 6M
10.4c) Unlisted Players aged under 21 on September 1st - Nominal Value: 0M

11.0 CAPITAL ADEQUACY

11.1 Each club must ensure that they have sufficient funds to meet obligations at all times. Managers must make provision to ensure they have sufficient liquid funds available to meet all commitments for the forthcoming month. Including, but not limited to player transfers and player wages.

11.2 To allow for minor miscalculations in expenditure; each club will begin the season with an interest-free overdraft of 1M.

11.3 Providing a manager remains within the 1M limit of this facility they may take their club's balance into negative figures, without incurring penalties, forward to the subsequent month.

11.4 A negative balance may not be maintained for more than 1 consecutive month.

11.5 Should a manager exceed the 1M limit of the facility; the following actions are taken without exception:

11.5a) Removal of the overdraft facility for the remainder of the season.

11.5b) Interest levied at a rate of 100% on any balance above the 1M overdraft limit.

11.5c) Full repayment of overdraft and any negative balance including interest must be paid the month following the infringement.

11.6 In the event of a manager attaining a negative balance after the removal of the overdraft facility; the following actions are taken without exception:

11.6a) Interest levied at 100% of any negative balance.

11.6b) Penalty fee of 1M.

11.6c) Full repayment of fees, interest and any negative balance must be paid the month following the infringement .

12.0 MANAGER RESIGNATION

12.1 When a manager resigns from the game he will be given the option of placing his team is stasis for a season. If this option is taken his squad will be frozen for the forthcoming season, during which time wages will be paid as normal and income will be received at the same rate as all active teams (i.e. 140M income per season currently as of 2019). Prior to commencement of the season (when the team is due to be frozen) the manager will have the choice of selling any players back to the book. The manager will be able to resume management of his team the following season if he chooses to do so. If this option is not taken then all listed players will be released back into the book for general sale as part of the standard auction process. Regardless of whether the ‘gap year’ is taken or not, the manager resigning will have the opportunity to change his mind up to the commencement of the summer auction and may either resume full control of his team or elect to place his players in stasis (for 1 season) or elect to forego the gap year and have his team liquidised.