Premier League Player of the Season history explained

The Premier League Player of the Season is judged over a 38-match, 20-club league season, and that format has been constant since 1995/96. The league itself was founded on 20 February 1992, when First Division clubs broke away to negotiate their own broadcast deals. The award is the individual expression of that same competition.

The mechanism behind the award

A Player of the Season is a full-season judgment, not a cup-run judgment. Because the Premier League has 20 clubs, every club plays every other club twice, once at home and once away. That creates a 38-match sample for every player and a 380-match season for the league as a whole. The table that decides titles, European places and relegation comes from that same set of matches.

The table has a fixed order of separation. Points come first, then goal difference, then goals scored, then head-to-head. If two clubs are still level and the position decides the title, relegation or European qualification, a play-off at a neutral venue may be used. That means a player's season can come down to a single tiebreaker. A defender on a team that wins the title on goal difference is usually rated above a defender on a team that finishes third despite the same points, because the tiebreaker has placed the first team above the second.

Squad rules also shape who is available across those 38 matches. Each club is allowed a 25-player squad list for players over 21, and at least eight of those players must be homegrown, meaning trained in England or Wales for three years before turning 21. Under-21 players are not counted against the 25. Managers can use five substitutes per match, but only in a maximum of three windows plus half-time. Those constraints define the playing pool for the whole season.

History and evolution

The history starts with the breakaway. The FA Premier League was founded on 20 February 1992, when First Division clubs left the old structure to negotiate their own broadcast deals. The first season, 1992/93, used 22 clubs, not the 20 that fans now expect. The league was reduced to 20 clubs for 1995/96, and every season since then has used the same 38-match, 380-game structure.

That reduction fixed the size of the award's stage. Since 1995/96, the league has been a balanced home-and-away competition in which every club plays 38 matches. It gave every player the same number of league matches to make a case for the player of the season award. With 22 clubs, the structure was different; from 1995/96, the 20-club format became the league's permanent shape. For the format's effect on individual clubs, the Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal club histories are good places to start.

European qualification is also part of the history. Under the typical structure now, the top four clubs enter the Champions League league phase. Fifth place and the FA Cup winner go to the Europa League. The League Cup winner goes to the Conference League play-off. Additional Champions League places can be earned via Uefa coefficient performance. If a cup winner has already qualified through the league, the place passes down. These paths are part of the context around the award: a top-four finish can carry more weight in the player of the season conversation than a cup run.

Edge cases and common confusions

One common confusion is to treat the league table's tiebreakers as if they decide the player of the season. They do not. The tiebreakers decide club positions. They only shape the context in which a player's performance is judged. A player on a club that is relegated on the last day because of goals scored, after being level on points and goal difference, has still played a full 38-match season. The tiebreaker decides the club's fate, not the player's quality.

Another confusion involves the homegrown rule. The label does not mean British. It means trained in England or Wales for three years before turning 21. That is a squad-list rule, not a playing restriction. It affects how clubs build their 25-man squad, but it does not change the length of the season or the value of a goal.

The FPL Player of the Season is a separate thing. Fantasy Premier League has its own scoring system, and it produces a different measurement. FPL squads have 15 players, 11 starters, a £100.0m budget and a maximum of three players from one club. Goals are worth 6 points for a goalkeeper or defender, 5 for a midfielder and 4 for a forward. An assist is worth 3. A clean sheet is worth 4 for a goalkeeper or defender and 1 for a midfielder. Appearance points are awarded, with 1 point for under 60 minutes and 2 for 60 or more. Bonus points go 3/2/1 to the top BPS scorers in each match. Yellow cards cost -1, red cards -3, own goals -2 and missed penalties -2. Goalkeepers get +1 for every 3 saves and 5 for a penalty save. Every two goals conceded costs a goalkeeper or defender -1. Captains score double, and a transfer beyond the free allowance costs -4.

That is why the FPL player of the season can be a defender or goalkeeper. A defender goal is worth more than a midfielder or forward goal, and clean sheets add points. The official award is not decided by FPL, so the two rankings can finish with different players.

FAQ

When did the Premier League move to 20 clubs?

The first Premier League season, 1992/93, had 22 clubs. The league moved to 20 in 1995/96, and the 38-match, 380-game season has been the format since then.

How does the Premier League decide teams that finish level?

Points come first, then goal difference, then goals scored, then head-to-head. If two clubs are still level and the position decides the title, relegation or European qualification, a play-off at a neutral venue may be used.

What is the homegrown rule?

The 25-player squad list for players over 21 must include at least eight homegrown players. Homegrown means trained in England or Wales for three years before turning 21. Under-21 players do not count against the 25.

Does Fantasy Premier League scoring decide the official player of the season?

No. FPL is a separate game with its own scoring system, including a 15-player squad, an £100.0m budget, positional goal values, assists, clean sheets, bonus points, captaincy and transfer deductions. It is a useful comparison, not the official award.

Key takeaways

• The Premier League Player of the Season is judged over a 38-match, 20-club season that has been unchanged since 1995/96.
• The league was founded on 20 February 1992 and first played with 22 clubs in 1992/93 before reducing to 20 in 1995/96.
• Table ties are broken by points, goal difference, goals scored and head-to-head, with a possible play-off for title, relegation or European places.
• Squad lists are limited to 25 players over 21, with at least eight homegrown players required; under-21s are not counted.
• FPL scoring is a separate system, where positional goal values, clean sheets, bonus and captaincy make a different player of the season.