Rules of the game

The English Premier League

To play this game, you just need to know that the English Premier League (EPL) contains 20 football teams who each play each other twice during the season. Consequently, the season, which runs from August to May, of 38 rounds with each round consisting of 10 matches involving all 20 teams. The full list of games for all 38 rounds of the EPL season are provided.

Topline summary of the game

For each round of EPL matches, you select only one team who you think will do well in their match. If your selected team wins their match, you receive 3 points; if they draw you get 1 point; and if they lose you receive no points. At the end of the game, whoever has the most points is crowned League Champion. Simple!

Be aware though that, during a full season:

If you miss the start of the season you can still enter one of the shorter 20-round games.

Full-season game rules

Selecting teams

Ahead of each calendar month of EPL fixtures, each player must select one EPL team from each round of games that coming month. If the chosen EPL team wins, the player receives 3 points; if the team draws, the player gets 1 point; if the team loses, the player receives no points. Goals scored for and against selected teams are recorded.

  • During the first half (19 rounds) of the season, each player must select a different EPL team for each round (i.e., they cannot select any team twice). During the second half (final 19 rounds) of the season, each player again has to select 19 of the 20 EPL teams but this must include the EPL team that they didn't use in the first half of the season. As a result, by the end of the full season, every player will have selected 18 of the 20 EPL teams twice and the remaining 2 once.
  • A player cannot select to play against the same opposing EPL team more than 5 times over the full season, and no more than 3 times during the first half of the season. Infringing this rule will result in a 4-0 defeat being recorded against any ineligible matches.
  • Players can make their selections for as many of the coming months as they like. For example, a player could make all their selections for the full season before the season starts.
  • If a player hasn't submitted their chosen teams for the month by midnight (BST) preceding the kick-off of the first EPL match that month, they will automatically be assigned their selections for that month.
  • Players’ selections for the coming month are revealed to the whole group ahead of the kick-off of the first EPL match that month.
  • If a scheduled EPL match is postponed or abandoned (e.g., due to cup competition commitments, bad weather, serious player injury, etc) after a player has selected one of the teams competing in the match, the selection is retained until the game is eventually played.
  • In the rare instance that an EPL match is brought forward so that it is played in an earlier month than it was originally scheduled, it may be removed as a selection option. If this occurs, players who have selected a team from this match will have their selection nullified and will be requested to make a new selection.

Awards

LEAGUE CHAMPION: Awarded to the player who has the most points at the end of the EPL season. Should two or more players end up on the same number of points, whoever has the larger goal difference is the winner. Should they still be level, the player who’s accumulated the most goals scored is the winner. In the very unlikely event that two or more players at the top of the league still can't be separated, the title of League Champion will be shared between them.

MANAGER OF THE MONTH (MOTM): There are 10 MOTM awards throughout the season from August 2024 to May 2025. The winner each month is the player who accumulates the most points from the rounds of matches scheduled to be played that month. Scheduled matches that are postponed to a later month do not count towards MOTM either for the month they were originally scheduled to be played or for the month where they are eventually played.

GOLDEN BOOT: Awarded twice, first to the player whose selected teams have scored the most goals during the first 19 rounds of matches, and awarded a second time to the player whose selected teams have scored the most goals during the final 19 rounds of matches. Should two or more players top the list of most goals scored, they share the award.

GOLDEN GLOVES: Awarded twice, first to the player whose selected teams have conceded the least goals during the first 19 rounds of matches, and awarded a second time to the player whose selected teams have conceded the least goals during the final 19 rounds of matches. Should two or more players top the list of least goals conceded, they share the award.

Charity the monkey

Charity, our overconfident, football-mad monkey, believes she can beat you at this game picking and revealing all her selections at the start of the season. In reality, her selections are randomly generated but with a bias towards EPL teams playing at home. She frequently beats experienced players at this game and is not to be underestimated.

20-round game rules

Selecting teams

Ahead of each calendar month of EPL fixtures, each player must select one EPL team from each round of games that coming month. If the chosen EPL team wins, the player receives 3 points; if the team draws, the player gets 1 point; if the team loses, the player receives no points. Goals scored for and against selected teams are recorded.

  • During the 20 rounds, each player must select a different EPL team for each round (i.e., each EPL team only is used once).
  • A player cannot select to play against the same opposing EPL team more than 3 times during the 20 rounds. Infringing this rule will result in a 4-0 defeat being recorded against any ineligible matches.
  • Players can make their selections for as many of the coming months as they like. For example, a player could make all their selections for all 20 rounds before the first round starts.
  • If a player hasn't submitted their chosen teams for the month by midnight (BST) preceding the kick-off of the first EPL match that month, they will automatically be assigned their selections for that month.
  • Players’ selections for the coming month are revealed to the whole group ahead of the kick-off of the first EPL match that month.
  • If a scheduled EPL match is postponed or abandoned (e.g., due to cup competition commitments, bad weather, serious player injury, etc) after a player has selected one of the teams competing in the match, the selection is retained until the game is eventually played.
  • In the rare instance that an EPL match is brought forward so that it is played in an earlier month than it was originally scheduled, it may be removed as a selection option. If this occurs, players who have selected a team from this match will have their selection nullified and will be requested make a new selection.

Awards

LEAGUE CHAMPION: Awarded to the player who has the most points at the end of the 20 rounds. Should two or more players end up on the same number of points, whoever has the larger goal difference is the winner. Should they still be level, the player who’s accumulated the most goals scored is the winner. In the very unlikely event that two or more players at the top of the league still can't be separated, the title of League Champion will be shared between them.

MANAGER OF THE MONTH (MOTM): There are 5 MOTM awards throughout the 20-round game. The winner each month is the player who accumulates the most points from the rounds of matches scheduled to be played that month. Scheduled matches that are postponed to a later month do not count towards MOTM either for the month they were originally scheduled to be played or for the month where they are eventually played.

GOLDEN BOOT: Awarded to the player whose selected teams have scored the most goals during the 20 rounds of matches. Should two or more players top the list of most goals scored, they share the award.

GOLDEN GLOVES: Awarded to the player whose selected teams have conceded the least goals during the 20 rounds of matches. Should two or more players top the list of least goals conceded, they share the award.

Charity the monkey

Charity, our overconfident, football-mad monkey, believes she can beat you at this game picking and revealing all her selections at the start of the game. In reality, her selections are randomly generated but with a bias towards EPL teams playing at home. She frequently beats experienced players at this game and is not to be underestimated.