The 2026/27 season will mark significant developments in two prominent fantasy football competitions associated with The Non-League Paper and The Football League Paper. Both Fantasy Non-League (FNL) and Fantasy Football League (FFL) will run their annual contests with entry fees set at £5, offering participants an opportunity to engage throughout the upcoming football campaign.
Fantasy Non-League celebrates its 30th anniversary this season, having originated in the 1996/97 football matchday programme. This long-running competition features clubs primarily from non-league football tiers, including the National League, National League North and South, Northern Premier, Isthmian Premier, Southern Premier Central, Southern Premier South, and the Mixture Leagues. The competition also incorporates cup contests such as the FA Cup and FA Trophy, though the National League Cup is excluded.
In contrast, the Fantasy Football League, now entering its fourth season, focuses on higher tiers of English football, encompassing The Championship, League One, League Two, and the National League divisions. Its cup competitions include the FA Cup, EFL Cup, FA Trophy, and EFL Trophy, depending on the league, again excluding the National League Cup.
Both competitions allow players to enter teams up to the deadline of August 31, 2026, with earlier entries rewarded through an Early Entry Bonus system. Fantasy Non-League offers 1,000 points for teams registered before 3 p.m. on August 8, while Fantasy Football League grants 500 points for entries before noon on the same date. The early bonus incentivizes players to commit before the season kickoff, although late entries remain accepted due to publication schedules.
Notably, both competitions have introduced significant rule changes ahead of the season. One such adjustment is the removal of substitutions; participants’ team selections made in August will remain fixed for the entire season, barring exceptional circumstances like a team folding. This change demands careful preparation and research when initially selecting teams.
The team selection process has been modified in both contests but with distinctions in format. Fantasy Non-League requires participants to choose 30 teams—three from each of the ten leagues—divided into three sections per league, selecting one team from each section. From these, players nominate five "Joker" teams that earn double points, and one "Super Joker" team for triple points. Meanwhile, Fantasy Football League participants select 24 teams across six leagues, with each league divided into four sections, picking one team per section. Similarly, five Joker teams and one Super Joker are nominated for enhanced scoring.
Scoring structures between the two games share several common elements, such as awarding points for home and away wins, draws, goals scored, and clean sheets, with deductions for goals conceded. Both competitions reward cup progression with bonus points at various stages, and promotion achieved through play-offs yields additional points.
Cash prizes are on offer in both leagues, including awards for the top three finishers and, uniquely, for the player finishing at the bottom, a category described as surprisingly challenging to achieve. Monthly Manager of the Month bonuses provide further incentives throughout the season.
While Fantasy Non-League remains rooted in non-league football, Fantasy Football League caters to the professional tiers, effectively expanding the fantasy football experience to a broader range of English football clubs. Each competition maintains a dedicated online presence with updated standings and information, aiming to serve their respective fan bases through comprehensive engagement during the 2026/27 football season.