Yes. If you join Fantasy Premier League after the season starts, you have unlimited free transfers until your first deadline, and your team is placed in a league for managers starting in that Gameweek.
What a late-joining team gets right away
Here are the rules that apply as soon as a team is created mid-season.
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| Transfers before the first deadline | Unlimited and free |
| Free transfers after the first deadline | 1 per Gameweek, up to 5 saved |
| First-half Bench Boost and Triple Captain | From the manager's first Gameweek to the Gameweek 19 deadline |
| First-half Wildcard and Free Hit | After the manager's first Gameweek, to the Gameweek 19 deadline |
| Second-half chips | From Gameweek 20 |
| Classic leagues | Can be joined at any point |
| Head-to-head leagues | Locked once fixtures are generated |
A new manager can keep changing the squad in “Pick Team” and “Transfers” without paying any points cost before that first deadline.
After the first deadline, the standard transfer system applies. You get 1 free transfer each Gameweek, an unused one carries over up to 5 saved, and any extra transfer in the same Gameweek costs 4 points at the start of the next Gameweek in both classic scoring and head-to-head scoring.
Which leagues and competitions you enter, and which ones can block late entry
Some leagues are automatic when a team is created, while others depend on eligibility or league format.
| League or competition | How entry works | Result for a late-joining team |
|---|---|---|
| Overall league of all registered teams | Automatic | Every registered team is in it |
| League for managers from the same country | Automatic | Based on the country in the manager's premierleague.com profile |
| League for supporters of the favourite Premier League team | Automatic | Based on the favourite club chosen before the first deadline |
| League for managers starting in the same Gameweek | Automatic | Grouped with managers who started in the same Gameweek |
| Second Chance League | Automatic | Starts in Gameweek 21 |
| 1% League 25/26 | Qualification required | Only for managers who finished in the top 1% of ranks in 2025/26 |
| 10% League 25/26 | Qualification required | Only for managers who finished in the top 10% of ranks in 2025/26 |
| Rookie League | Qualification required | Only for managers in their first FPL season |
| Classic leagues | Manual entry | Can be joined or left at any point in the season |
| Head-to-head leagues | Manual entry | Cannot be joined after fixtures are generated at the start of that league's first Gameweek |
If you want to enter private leagues, the place to check is “Leagues & Cups”. Classic leagues stay open throughout the season, but head-to-head leagues stop accepting teams once their fixture list has been generated for that league's opening Gameweek.
When a team joins a league, it is added at the next points update. Other teams in that league can only be viewed after their own first Gameweek has started.
Each person may enter only one team, though that single team can be entered into many leagues. As of 15 September 2026, the official game data showed 10,791,709 managers with a team in 2026/27.
When chips become available
Joining late does not make every chip available at the same moment. Bench Boost and Triple Captain are available from the start of your own season, while Wildcard and Free Hit become available only after the first Gameweek of your season has finished.
All first-half chips must be played by the Gameweek 19 deadline. In the official schedule as of 15 September 2026, that deadline is 18:30 on Friday 1 January 2027 UK time, which is 02:30 on Saturday 2 January 2027 Beijing time, and the Gameweek 20 deadline is 18:00 on Tuesday 5 January 2027 UK time.
From Gameweek 20, the second-half set of chips becomes available. Deadlines can still change, but not within 24 hours of the scheduled time.
How country and supporters' leagues are set
Your country league is tied to the country in your premierleague.com profile, and that does not change after the first Gameweek deadline. The supporters' league is tied to the favourite Premier League club you select before your first deadline.
If you change the supported club after that first deadline, the supporters' league does not switch with it.
FAQ
Can you start FPL after Gameweek 1?
Yes. A team created after the season has begun still enters the official game structure, including the league for managers who started in that same Gameweek.
The rules are then built around that team's own first deadline and first Gameweek.
Do you still get chips if you join FPL late?
Yes, but they do not all open together. Bench Boost and Triple Captain are available from the start of your season, while Wildcard and Free Hit open after your first Gameweek.
The first-half set must be used by the Gameweek 19 deadline, and a second set begins from Gameweek 20.
What is the difference between classic leagues and head-to-head leagues for a late team?
The difference is the entry window. Classic leagues can be joined or left at any point in the season.
Head-to-head leagues are locked once fixtures are generated at the start of that league's first Gameweek, so late entry depends on whether that fixture list already exists.
Do league entries appear immediately after you join?
Not fully. Your team is added to a league at the next points update rather than instantly.
You also cannot view other teams in a league until their own first Gameweek has started.
Can one person create more than one team for different leagues?
No. Each person may enter only one team.
That same team can still be entered into many leagues, so multiple teams are not needed for separate league entries.