How to play
Three players. One captain. Plenty of questionable decisions.
Your squad
Pick exactly three different ThemLads players each gameweek.
You have a fictional £20m budget. It is game currency only and has no monetary value. Any positional combination is allowed.
Edit your picks as often as you like before the deadline. Nothing is charged and nothing is penalised.
Captain and vice
Your captain scores double, including negative points.
If your captain does not appear, your vice-captain gets the double instead. There are no substitutes.
A player who does not appear scores zero.
Deadlines
The deadline defaults to kick-off and is shown in UK time. Picks lock on the server at the deadline.
Team talk's over. Your picks are locked.
Other managers' picks and selection percentages stay hidden until the deadline passes.
Scoring
- Appearance: +2
- Goal: +5
- Assist: +3
- Official player of the match: +3
- Yellow card: −1 each
- Red card: −3 each
- Own goal: −2
No clean sheet points. Six-a-side is too wild for that.
Prices follow recent fantasy performances and move gradually. Prices are fixed once a gameweek opens.
How pricing works
- Each lad starts the season on a price set by ThemLads, between £4.0m and £10.0m.
- After every published match they play, we look at their last five appearances, newest counting most (5, 4, 3, 2, 1).
- Early in the season their starting price still counts for a lot, so one big game can't send them flying.
- That form sets a target price (£3.0m + £0.6m per form point). The price moves a quarter of the way there, never more than £0.3m per match, in £0.1m steps.
- Captain doubling, predictions, XP and how many people pick a lad make no difference. Missing a match doesn't lower a price, and neither does being injured.
- New prices only apply to gameweeks that haven't opened. Your saved team is never repriced.
For a second-yellow dismissal, both yellows and the red card penalty apply.
Delayed results
Matches are often played before the episode goes out. Until an admin publishes a gameweek you will see "Awaiting episode" and no stats, totals or prediction outcomes.
Nothing unlocks automatically — an admin has to press publish.
Predictions
Predict both scores before the deadline. Exact score is 5 points, correct outcome is 2, otherwise 0.
Prediction points sit on their own table and never affect the fantasy leaderboard.
XP, ranks and achievements
XP is engagement only and unlocks cosmetic ranks and badges. It never gives a fantasy advantage.
First valid team each gameweek: +20 XP. First valid prediction each gameweek: +10 XP. Three consecutive eligible gameweeks: +30 XP once per season.
Ranks: Trialist, Benchwarmer, Squad Player, Starter, Captain, Gaffa. Ranks are never taken away.
Ties and void fixtures
Equal points share the same rank. Display order after that is stable but is not a sporting tiebreaker.
Cancelled or void gameweeks are excluded from scores and do not break your streak.
Postponed gameweeks count only once they are played and published.