What Is Simulation in the Premier League? Rules and Format Explained
By Arasi Rex · Updated 15 August 2026 · 7 min read
A Premier League simulation is a structured replay of a season using the competition's real rules. The league is a 20-club division, not a cup format. Every club plays 38 matches, home and away, producing 380 matches in total. Any simulation that claims to be a Premier League season must follow that structure.
How a Premier League simulation works
A simulation starts with the league table. Clubs get three points for a win and one for a draw. When points are level, the tiebreakers come in this order: goal difference, goals scored, head-to-head record. If the teams are still level and the position decides the title, relegation, or European qualification, a play-off at a neutral venue may be used. That is not a guess; it is the official order of separation. A simulation should apply the same tiebreakers in the same order, otherwise the final table can change without a single result changing.
The fixture list matters too. Each club plays every other club once at home and once away. That is why 20 clubs produce 38 matches per club and 380 matches per season. The Premier League was founded on 20 February 1992, when First Division clubs broke away to negotiate their own broadcast deals. The first season, 1992/93, had 22 clubs; the league reduced to 20 in 1995/96. If you are simulating a historical season, you need to use the right-sized league. If you are simulating the modern competition, it is 20 clubs.
Key details to get right
The league format is not the only rule set a simulation must respect. Squad registration is part of the competition. A club must submit a 25-player squad list for players over 21. At least 8 of those 25 must be homegrown. Homegrown in this context means trained in England or Wales for three years before turning 21. Under-21 players do not count against the 25, so they can be added without taking a senior spot. A simulation that ignores the homegrown quota is not simulating the Premier League, because it allows a squad construction the real league forbids.
Substitutions also have a specific shape. A team can make five substitutions per match, but they have to be made in a maximum of three windows plus half-time. It is not five separate chances to change the game at any moment. The rule limits the number of stoppages, not just the number of players used. A simulation that treats substitutions as unlimited is running a different game.
At the bottom of the table, the rule is unforgiving. The bottom three are relegated to the Championship. Three clubs come up in their place: two automatically and one via the play-off. A simulation needs to include those clubs or the next season starts with the wrong field.
European qualification is another output of a completed season. In a typical season, 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. If a cup winner has already qualified by league position, the place passes down. Additional Champions League places can be earned through UEFA coefficient performance. These are the places a simulation should produce when it uses the standard qualification path.
FPL scoring is a separate simulation
Simulation has another meaning inside Fantasy Premier League. FPL is a game with its own scoring rules, and those rules are not the same as the league table rules. In FPL, you build a 15-player squad with a £100.0m budget and a maximum of 3 players per club. Goals are not worth the same for every position. A goalkeeper or defender gets 6 points for a goal, a midfielder gets 5, and a forward gets 4. Assists are worth 3. Clean sheets are worth 4 for a goalkeeper or defender and 1 for a midfielder. Appearance points are 1 for a player who plays under 60 minutes and 2 for a player who plays 60 or more. Bonus points go to the top three BPS scorers in each match: 3, 2, 1.
The scoring table for FPL simulation looks like this:
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Goal for goalkeeper or defender | 6 |
| Goal for midfielder | 5 |
| Goal for forward | 4 |
| Assist | 3 |
| Clean sheet for goalkeeper or defender | 4 |
| Clean sheet for midfielder | 1 |
| Appearance under 60 minutes | 1 |
| Appearance 60 or more | 2 |
| Bonus points | 3/2/1 |
| Yellow card | -1 |
| Red card | -3 |
| Own goal | -2 |
| Penalty miss | -2 |
| Goalkeeper save, per 3 saves | +1 |
| Penalty save | 5 |
| Every 2 goals conceded by goalkeeper or defender | -1 |
| Captain | Double points |
A few details in that table are easy to miss. Every two goals conceded costs a goalkeeper or defender 1 point, so heavy defeats are punishing for defensive players even if they do not concede a penalty. Yellow cards cost 1 point and red cards cost 3, meaning a red card is worse than an own goal. A penalty save is worth 5 points, which is the same as a midfielder's goal. The captain scores double, and a transfer beyond the free allowance costs 4 points. These numbers are the rules of FPL, and they are just as fixed as the 38-match league format.
Common confusions
The biggest confusion is thinking a simulation is the same as a prediction. A prediction says what you think will happen. A simulation applies the rules and sees where they lead. Two simulations can start with different assumptions and finish with different tables, but both can be following the same Premier League rules.
Another common error is assuming the Premier League has always had 20 clubs. The first season had 22. It only became a 20-club league in 1995/96. If you are comparing historical seasons, you need to know which format was in use.
Homegrown causes trouble too. It does not mean English. A player qualifies as homegrown if trained in England or Wales for three years before turning 21. A player can hold any nationality and still count. Managers only need eight homegrown players in the 25-man list, and under-21 players do not take up a slot.
FPL clean sheets also cause confusion. A clean sheet is worth 4 to a goalkeeper or defender but only 1 to a midfielder. A midfielder who helps keep a clean sheet does not get the same reward as a defender. That is not a bug in the scoring system; it is the rule.
Key takeaways
- A Premier League simulation uses the real format: 20 clubs, 38 matches per club, 380 matches total, three points for a win and one for a draw.
- Tiebreakers follow a fixed order: goal difference, goals scored, head-to-head record, then a play-off if the position decides the title, relegation or European qualification.
- Squad rules limit the over-21 list to 25 players, at least 8 of whom must be homegrown; under-21 players are not counted.
- Five substitutions are allowed per match, but only in a maximum of three windows plus half-time.
- FPL scoring values defenders more than forwards for goals and clean sheets, and a captain's points are doubled.
FAQ
How many matches are in a Premier League simulation?
A 20-club Premier League season has 380 matches, with every club playing 38 times, once at home and once away.
What happens if two clubs are level on points in a simulated league?
The tiebreakers are goal difference, then goals scored, then head-to-head record. If still level and the position decides the title, relegation or European qualification, a play-off at a neutral venue may be used.
What does homegrown mean in Premier League squad rules?
Homegrown means trained in England or Wales for three years before turning 21. At least 8 of the 25 over-21 players must meet that condition.
Why do defenders score more than forwards in FPL simulation?
In FPL, a goalkeeper or defender scores 6 for a goal while a midfielder scores 5 and a forward scores 4. Clean sheets are also worth 4 to a goalkeeper or defender but only 1 to a midfielder.