FANTASY Non-League is back! And this season’s competition will again only cost you £5 to enter. The FNL 2022/23 entry deadline will be Midnight on Wednesday, August 31. It is very important that you read the rules very closely as I am making one change to the competition this season.
Again, this season the EARLY EN-TRY BONUS is in play which is worth 750pts. So, what does this mean? Well, if you enter the competition before NOON on Saturday, August 6, you will receive those EARLY ENTRY BONUS points. (Please note these points do not count in the first Manager of the Month). I was going to increase the EARLY ENTRY BONUS this season because I thought it wasn’t that much of a benefit compared with entry close to the deadline. However, I have changed my mind because the team Yellow and Blue who finished second last term entered before the season started. So, I believe if you pick the right teams you do have a great chance of winning so the EARLY ENTRY BONUS in my eyes is about right.
There will again be Manager of the Month awards, three in total – the winner, the runner-up and the bottom team. (Please note that the first Manager of the Month will be a joint one taking in the months of August/ September. In total, there will be eight Manager of the Month awards with the last one being in April.
At the end of the season there will be cash prizes for the top four places and, once again, we will have my personal favourite – aprize for finishing bottom, so why not enter two teams – one to win it and one to lose it. If you have never tried to finish bottom then give it a go – it is not easy!
Many of you will have seen that we lost a very special Fantasy Non-League player when Barrie New passed away in January. Barrie was a great friend of mine even though we only actually met once in 14 years.
He checked every point scored by every team every week for those 14 years and rang me every week when he found a mistake. The mission would be quite simple – was I right or was he? He has left a huge hole in a lot of FNL players lives, including mine. So, with the permission of the editor of The Non-League Paper, the bottom prize will be called the Barrie New Bottom Spot! The reason I have chosen that one is because he so wanted to finish bottom with his Compo & Nora team and never managed it!
Every season I like to make changes to the competition and this season is no different.
The only change for the 2022/23 season will be that if you decide to name five substitutes, unlike previous seasons you will be allowed to use all five substitutes.
THE RULES FOR FNL 2022/23: (Please read these very carefully). 1. You will need to choose three teams from each of the eight leagues (which will give you a total of 24 teams).
Then you will need to nominate three BONUS TEAMS, which can come from any of the eight leagues. (Please note, the bonus teams are no different to the first 24 you have picked). Finally, you must pick your three FNL JOKER TEAMS from the 27 teams you have already picked. Those three teams will receive double points throughout the season. That will include all bonuses awarded during the season. It will also include the end of season bonuses.
Also, if you wish you can pick five substitute teams, but these five teams must be on your FNL 2022/23 Entry Form. (More on the substitute news later in this season’s rules).
2. Points allocation, in all eight leagues (Same as last season):
League & Cup games:
Home win = 10pts + goals Away win = 20pts + goals Home Draw = 2pt + goals Away Draw = 4pts + goals
Home Defeat = -10pts Away defeats = -5pts
Every goal scored = 1pt (This counts if your team wins, draws or loses)
Every goal conceded (defeat only) -1pt
Goal Bonus Points = 5pts (This is awarded if your teams score four or more goals, but only if they win or draw)
Clean Sheet Bonus = 5pts (This is awarded for both wins and 0-0 draws).
Concede 4 goals = -5pts (This does not apply to drawn games).
(Two-legged ties count as two separate games. Cup replays that go to penalties. The penalties are only used to decide the winner. No points are awarded for the penalties scored).
Bonus points for reaching various rounds in each Cup competition:
For reaching the FA Cup 1st round proper and each round beyond = 25pts.
For reaching the quarter-finals and each round beyond in all the other cups that are involved in the competition which are listed below = 25pts.
League Leaders & Bottom Club bonus:
At the end of each month up to and including April, the team leading each of the eight leagues will be awarded 25pts. The team at the bottom of each of the eight leagues will be awarded -25pts. The Mixture bonus points will be allocated based on the best and worst team over the eight leagues that are included in The Mixture. (Please remember, and this is important, these bonus points will only count towards the main FNL season total and not the Manager of the Month points).
Manager of the Month Bonus Points:
Each month the best and worst team in each of the eight leagues will be awarded 25pts & -25pts respectively. (These bonus points only count in the Manager of the Month calculations).
Play-Off Games:
The actual Play-Off games themselves will be awarded points as if they were league games.
The Play-Off Final winners will be awarded 50pts for gaining promotion. (These points will be awarded at the end of the season).
End of Season Bonus Points: (These points will be awarded at the end of the FNL Season in May 2023).
All League Champions will receive 250pts for winning their respective leagues. The bottom team only in each league at the end of the season’s Fantasy Non-League will be awarded -250 bonus points.
Cup Winners will receive 250pts for the FA Trophy and 150pts for the other Cups. Play-Off Winners will receive 50pts.
Remember if your FNL Joker team get these bonuses they will be doubled.
For example, a league winner picked in August at the start of the FNL Season will win you 500pts.
Substituted teams will be awarded half the End of Season bonus points & the full Play-Off Winners bonus.
3. The following Leagues and Cup competitions will be involved in this season’s Fantasy Non-League:
National League FA Cup and FA Trophy
National League North FA Cup and FA Trophy
National League South FA Cup and FA Trophy
Northern Premier FA Cup, FA Trophy and League Cup
Isthmian Premier FA Cup, FA Trophy and League Cup
Southern Premier Central FA Cup, FA Trophy and League Cup
Southern Premier South FA Cup, FA Trophy and League Cup
The Mixture FA Cup, FA Trophy, League Cups
4. Use of Substitutions:
As stated earlier, you can select five substitutes on your FNL 2022/23 Entry Forms and out of those five substitutes you can use, new for this season, all five substitutes. Again, this season there will be only one substitution window and that will be during the month of December with your selected changes taking effect from January 1.
Details on how to use your substitutions will be released nearer the time during the month of November.
Please also note you can change your FNL Joker teams on January 1 if you wish, but this will count as one of your Substitutions. Good luck, everyone!
FNL Helpdesk:
Please contact Ian at [email protected] with any issues
l FOLLOW YOUR TEAMS EVERY WEEK IN THE NLP
ENTER ONLINE @ http://www.thenonleaguefootballpaper.com/fantasy-non-league
