World Cup 2014 – Fox Sports Rule Guide

Having rolled out a series of articles on the FantasyiTeam game ahead of Brazil’s opener with Croatia, we now take a look at another Fantasy game which has caught the collective attention on site. The Australian-based Fox Sports game is starting to pick up in popularity due to the fact that its scoring system is very similar to the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game:

In the first of two articles on the Fox Sports game, we assess the rules and scoring system on offer:

Squad Selection and Transfers

Seasoned FPL managers know the score here. Initially handed a $3m budget, you select a 15-man squad which must consist of two goalkeepers, five defenders, five midfielders and three forwards. For the group stages, you can pick no more than three players per country but this limit jumps to six players for each of the four knockout rounds.

Each participant must select XI players for their starting line-up – a legitimate team must have one goalkeeper, at least three defenders and at least one forward; essentially the same formations that are available in FPL. If any of your starting players fail to feature in their respective match, they are replaced by your bench options, so getting your subs in the correct order is key.

You are allowed two free transfers per round for the group stages – three points are deducted for each and every trade that exceeds this limit. Prior to the knockout rounds commencing, you are given unlimited transfers to restructure your squad for the final four rounds – once the knockouts are underway, you are given three free transfers per round, though Fantasy managers are also handed a wildcard to wield at any point in the tournament.

Your transfers must be confirmed 15 minutes prior to each Fantasy Round deadline, giving Fantasy managers enough time to assess the team line-ups before making any alterations.

Furthermore, it also must be noted that, unlike other Fantasy games, there is no double Gameweek 1 for Brazil or Mexico, whilst Russia’s match with South Korea (which takes place on Tuesday June 17 at 11pm) will count as a fixture for Fantasy Round 1, despite the match commencing after the deadline date and time for Fantasy Round 2. Listed below are the deadline dates and times for all rounds:

Deadlines
Group Stage 1 – Thursday June 12, 8.45pm
Group Stage 2 – Tuesday June 17, 7.45pm
Group Stage 3 – Monday June 23, 4.45pm
Round of 16 – Saturday June 28, 4.45pm
Quarter Finals – Friday July 4, 4.45pm
Semi-Finals – Tuesday July 8, 8.45pm
Third Place & Final – Saturday July 12, 8.45pm

It’s also worth noting that there are no player price fluctuations in the Fox Sports game, meaning it perhaps pays off to hold fire on our transfer plans until line-ups are announced. Unlike FPL, there’s no need to quickly jump on/off bandwagons due to rapidly escalating or diminishing price tags.

Scoring Points

A full list of the rules can be accessed here, though it’s fair to say that if you’re familiar with FPL, you’ve pretty much got the Fox Sports scoring system sussed. For example, keepers and defenders pick up six points for a clean sheet and more than 60 minutes on the pitch, midfielders receive five points for scoring a goal, while forwards pick up just four. Assists are worth three points regardless of classification, whilst keepers also earn a single point for every three saves.

Looking at the rule sets of both games, it seems there are only three differences. Players are not deducted any points for own goals in the Fox game, whilst bonus points are awarded by the man in the stands. This is a throwback to the system which was disposed of after the 2011/12 Premier League campaign and allows Fox Sports to determine, at its discretion, the three most impressive performers in the match – First Best on Ground gets three points, Second Best on Ground is handed two points, while Third Best on Ground receives a single point.

Assists are also determined in a slightly different manner. In order to clarify the Fox definition, we’ve pasted in the following directly from their website to avoid any confusion:

Assists

“Fantasy points for an assist are awarded to the World Cup player from the scoring team who makes the last pass to the goal scorer from that World Cup team before a goal is scored. If an World Cup player from the goal scoring team attempts to pass the ball to another player from that World Cup team, and during that pass a defending player touches and alters the path of the ball, no Fantasy points for an assist will be awarded to the player passing the ball if a goal is score, unless that defender’s touch results in an own goal.

If a goalkeeper does not have control of the ball and parries a shot or drops a cross, or the ball rebounds off the woodwork, the attacking World Cup player shooting or crossing the ball will be awarded Fantasy points for an assist if a goal directly ensues.

If an World Cup player is awarded a penalty or free kick and that player does not take the penalty or free kick themselves, the player who was awarded the penalty kick or free kick they will be awarded Fantasy points for an assist if a goal is directly scored from the penalty kick or free kick”.

Scout League

Finally, a heads-up that we’ve set up an official Scout league for those looking to get involved. The league name is Fantasy Football Scout and the code to join is 1096-822.

Please also be aware that, as mentioned on the official site, whilst any person is permitted to participate in the Fox Sports game, only permanent residents of Australia are eligible for any official prizes.