The Rules of Jerball

1. Choose a Team name (see the History link on the menu bar for previous names)
2.  Choose a Team formation from 3-5-2, 3-4-3, 3-3-4, 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 4-2-4, or 5-3-2 (3-5-2 means 1 goalkeeper, 3 defenders, 5 midfielders and 2 forwards)
3. Choose your Team from the Price List.
4. Restrictions that apply to choosing your team are as follows:
   1. You have only 30 million to spend on 11 players (and you must select 11 players – no more, no less).
   2. Players prices (and, for information, last year’s price if applicable (LY)) are set out in the Price List.
   3. You can only have a maximum of two players from any one real Premier League team as listed on the Price List (even if they subsequently are transferred to another team). Be careful with players whose team is caveated with a ? – these players have not signed for those teams by the date that the Price List has been finalised.
   4. Goalkeepers are deemed to play in all of their Premier League team’s matches. Ask me about this rule if you are in any doubt about what this means.
5. You will be permitted to make 2 transfers during the season at any time. The player bought must cost no more than the player sold plus any funds remaining after your teambuilding phase described above. It is up to you to keep a record of how much you spend and have available to boost transfer funds. Transfers will take effect from the day after I receive notification of the transfer. Clearly, your new player only scores points for you from the date of the transfer. You keep the points scored for you up to that date by your old player. Aggregate transfers are permitted i.e. you can make both transfers simultaneously and aggregate their cost to give you an aggregate transfer fund with which to buy two new players.
6. Points scoring is based on the Premier League match results as reported on the BBC website as follows
   1. Goalkeeper = 1pt per clean sheet and 8 pts per goal
   2. Defenders = 3pts per goal
   3. Midfielders = 2pts per goal
   4. Forwards = 1pt per goal
   5. Players sent off = -1pt
   6. Players scoring a hatrick = +1pt
      If, by any chance, the results page is retrospectively changed by the BBC then an appeal may be made to me providing full details of the change. I will investigate any such appeal and make any necessary changes.
7. The fantasy team which is at the top of the table at the end of the Premier League season shall be the Jerball Champions.
8. The Jerball Champions shall receive a trophy at the annual Jerball awards ceremony which it shall return to the Jerball Management Committee in good order and condition by return.
9. If at the end of the Premier League season the Jerball Champions cannot be determined because 2 or more teams are equal on points, the Jerball team with the highest number of goals (not Jerball points) shall be declared Jerball Champions. If 2 or more teams are equal after that tie breaker, the Jerball team of those that are equal with the highest scoring (goals, not Jerball points) individual player* in their respective teams shall be the Jerball Champions. If 2 or more teams are equal after that tie breaker, the Jerball team of those that are equal with the second highest scoring individual player* in their respective teams shall be the Jerball Champions, and so on, until a Jerball Champion can be determined. *Where a player is transferred into a team or out of a team, for the purposes of a tiebreaker only goals scored by that individual player while they were in that team will be counted. In the event that a Jerball Champion cannot be determined after these tiebreakers, the Jerball Champion will be determined by a coin toss carried out by the Jerball Management Committee.
10. IMPORTANT The entry contribution this year is £10 pounds sterling. This should be paid by the end of September 2024, failing which the defaulting manager may be withdrawn from the league. Teams must be submitted in accordance with the following rules:
    1. All teams submitted by 3pm BST on Saturday 10th August 2024 will gain a bonus 3 (three) points.
    2. The final date for teams to be submitted is 8pm BST on Friday 16th August 2024. Teams submitted after that date may not be eligible for this year’s competition.
    3. Teams can be submitted by e-mail. They can also be submitted by post, or SMS. We’re not choosy.

Once I know how many people will be taking part, I will be able to determine the prize money up for grabs. If you have any questions, just contact me. In time honoured fashion, the decision of the Jerball committee (consisting of Irene and Jeremy, Jeremy having the casting vote in the event of deadlock), acting reasonably, is final in relation to any rules or points total.