Fantasy Football gives you the chance to build your ultimate Premier League team and win fantastic prizes. Spend your imaginary transfer treasure chest on some of the greatest footballers in the world and score points for the goals they score every week. Plus, go head-to-head with your friends and rivals to prove you know the most about the beautiful game. Click on each + below to find out more about playing The Irish Times Fantasy Premier League 12/13:
First of all, register your personal details through this website by completing the short online registration form.
Once you've registered you'll be taken to the Team Selection page, where you'll be able to pick the players that will form your all-star team. Search by name or sort by club, position and price and then click on a player to add them to your line up.
You've got £55m to spend on your 11-man team and can select up to two players from a club. Players are categorised as goalkeepers, full-backs, centre-backs, midfielders, and strikers and there are four formations available:
Or, press the Lucky Dip button and we'll pick a team for you!
Once you've picked your team you'll be asked to name your captain and he'll score double points, both positive and negative.
Players score points based upon their performances in 2012/13 Barclays Premier League matches only. If a player is in your team at the scheduled kick-off time of their match they will be eligible to score you points and their totals are displayed on your Team Page. Your Week (based upon each Premier League Game Round), Month and Overall scores are compared to everyone playing the game and the best scoring teams will top the leaderboards.
Here's how your players will score points for your team:
Don't forget! Your captain's points will be doubled, however this also applies to points lost by goalkeepers and defenders for goals conceded.
Click here to find out more about points scoring.
If you want to change a player in your team because of form, injury, suspension or because they've left the league, you need to use a transfer. Click on the Make Transfers button (which will either be on the right-hand side of the page or beneath the image of your team) and you'll arrive at the Team Changes page. To remove a player from your team, click on the red cross next to their name, then select their replacement from the Player List on the left-hand side and, once you are happy with your line up, hit Submit.
Unlimited transfers were available before the season began at 15:00 on Saturday 18th August. Now the season is under way you can make three transfers every week. The Transfer Week runs from Tuesday to Monday. This means your new batch of weekly transfers will become available at 00:00 on Tuesday morning.
Transfers can be made at any time, but must be completed before the scheduled kick-off time of the incoming player's next match, in order to score points from that match. This means it is possible to make changes between matches. When you make a transfer you must stay within the £55m budget, pick no more than two players from any one club and use either a 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 4-5-1 or a 5-3-2 formation.
There are also two Transfer Windows during the season where unlimited transfers are available, meaning you can change your whole team if you wish! Each Transfer Window comes hot on the heels on their real-world equivalent, giving you the opportunity to take advantage of those deadline day deals. The Transfer Windows, which have been scheduled for breaks in the Premier League fixture calendar, will take place as follows:
*All times are GMT/BST and dates and times could change if matches are rescheduled.
You can change your captain right up to the scheduled kick-off time of the first game of each of the 38 Game Rounds that make up a Premier League season. You can see the Game Round dates by clicking here. This means before the first match of a set of weekend fixtures (Friday to Monday inclusive) and before the first of any midweek matches (Tuesday and Wednesday). Once the deadline has passed for changing your captain you cannot use a transfer to replace him. The window for changing your captain will re-open on Tuesday morning following a weekend Game Round and at 00:00:00 (BST/GMT) following the final midweek match.
When matches are rescheduled and played in midweek, rather than at the weekend because of cup competitions or the weather, you will be able to change your captain before and after the midweek games as normal. This is to ensure managers can change their captain ahead of the following weekend games.
Your captain will score double points. To change your captain click on Change Captain.