Fantasy League Admin Guide — GoClubPro

Training Module 54 | Running the Fantasy League from Admin & Management Perspective

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What This Guide Covers

A deeper guide to managing GoClubPro's Fantasy League module than the overview in Module 13. Covers setting up scoring rules, managing the admin side of gameweeks, handling edge cases, and building a Fantasy League that drives engagement.

Primary audience: Club Admins running the Fantasy League; Selectors who finalise gameweek results Prerequisite: Module 13 (Standings & Fantasy League overview) Requires: Fantasy League module enabled (Settings → Features → Fantasy League)

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SECTION 1: SETTING UP YOUR FANTASY LEAGUE

Enabling and Configuring Fantasy League

1. Settings → Features → Fantasy League → Enable
2. Navigate to Settings → Fantasy League (if available) or the Fantasy League admin panel
3. Configure:

• Scoring system: What earns points (see scoring table below)
• Budget: How many "points" players have to spend on their team picks
• Team size: How many players each participant picks per gameweek
• Transfer rules: How many changes allowed per round
• Lock time: When picks lock for each gameweek (typically match kickoff)

📺 Video walkthrough: Coming soon on YouTube.

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Designing Your Scoring System

Fantasy League engagement depends on scoring feeling fair and exciting. Design your scoring to reward different types of contribution:

Sample Scoring Table:

Sport-specific scoring:

• Cricket: Runs scored ÷ 10 (rounded), wickets × 5, catches × 2, best bowling figures bonus
• Football/soccer: Goals × 3, assists × 2, clean sheet (defenders/GK) × 4, yellow card -1
• Netball: Goals × 1, center pass wins × 0.5, deflection × 1

Tip: Keep it simple for your first season. Complex scoring is hard to explain and verify.

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Budget System

Each participant starts with a budget (e.g., 100 "coins") to pick their team:

• Popular/high-performing players cost more coins
• Lesser-known or new players cost fewer coins
• Picking all stars is impossible — participants must make trade-offs

Setting player costs:

• Base all players at the same value at season start (simplest approach)
• Or: manually set costs per player based on past performance or perceived value
• Update costs mid-season if the system allows dynamic pricing

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SECTION 2: ADMIN RESPONSIBILITIES PER GAMEWEEK

Before Each Gameweek (Admin)

Lock deadline: Picks should lock when the first match of the round kicks off. After lock:

• No more picks or transfers accepted for that gameweek
• The picks table is now fixed

Admin checklist:

• Verify the gameweek's fixture list is complete and correct
• Check that player costs (if variable) are updated
• Confirm lock time is set correctly for the first match
• Post a Noticeboard reminder: "Gameweek [X] locks in [X hours] — finalise your picks!"

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During/After Gameweek (Admin/Selector)

Recording match results that feed Fantasy scoring:

1. Admin Panel → Schedule → completed fixture → enter result
2. For Fantasy League: also enter the relevant scoring events:

• Goalscorers / try scorers
• Assists
• Best-on-Ground
• Any other scoring events your system tracks

If your sport uses your league platform: Some scoring events may sync automatically. Verify that Fantasy League scores update after the schedule sync.

If manual entry: You need someone to record scoring events for every match — ideally the scorer, coach, or a designated "Fantasy League admin."

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Finalising Gameweek Results

After all scoring events are entered:

1. Fantasy League → Gameweek [X] → Review Scores
2. Verify the leaderboard looks correct (no obvious missing events, no impossible scores)
3. Click Finalise Gameweek (or equivalent)
4. Points are locked in for that round

Before finalising: double-check:

• A player who scored a goal shows points in their entry
• A player who withdrew at the last minute shows 0 (not the "selected" base points)
• Captain's double is applied correctly

After finalising: Post a Noticeboard summary:

"Gameweek [X] Final Scores

Top 3 this round:

1. [Player Name] — [Points] pts ([Team Pick] captain)
2. [Player Name] — [Points] pts
3. [Player Name] — [Points] pts

Overall leader: [Player Name] with [Points] total.

Gameweek [X+1] opens now — picks lock [Date/Time]. Get your team in!"

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SECTION 3: ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES

Weekly Communication

Fantasy League engagement drops without weekly reminders and result posts. Minimum communication:

Before gameweek lock:

"⏰ Gameweek [X] LOCK: [Day] at [Time]

[X] of [Y] players have locked their picks. Don't miss out — make your changes now.

Hot pick this week: [Player Name] plays at home and has scored in 3 of the last 4 rounds."

After gameweek finalised:

"[Summary post — see template above]"

Mid-season:

"Halfway point update! [Player Name] leads the Fantasy League with [Points] pts — can anyone catch them? The gap to 2nd is just [Points] — it's still anyone's season."

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Making Fantasy League Prizes Worthwhile

Without a reward, participation drops mid-season. Options:

Announce the prize at season start — it drives initial sign-up. Remind participants at mid-season when interest dips.

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Captain Strategy Content

Players love Fantasy League content that helps them make better picks. Post "captain tips" each week:

"Captain Tips — Gameweek [X]

[Player A] — playing at home, scored in 3 consecutive rounds. Top captain pick. [Player B] — returning from a 2-week blockout. Unknown fitness. Risky captain. [Player C] — Best-on-Ground last round. Could repeat. Value at [cost] coins."

This content drives engagement even from members who barely follow the Fantasy League — it reads like sports commentary and people engage with it.

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SECTION 4: SPECIAL ROUNDS AND EVENTS

Double Gameweeks

If your draw has some teams playing twice in one round (e.g., a makeup round):

• Each match scores independently — a player who plays twice scores double
• This is a significant Fantasy League advantage — communicate clearly

"DOUBLE GAMEWEEK ALERT: [Team Name] plays TWICE this round (vs [Opp 1] and vs [Opp 2]). Players from [Team Name] earn double points this gameweek. Adjust your picks accordingly!"

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Blank Gameweeks

If a round has limited fixtures (e.g., byes, cup rounds):

• Players from teams not playing score 0
• This is a significant disadvantage — communicate clearly

"BLANK ROUND [X]: [Team A] and [Team B] don't play this round. Players from these teams score 0. Consider using your transfer this week to avoid blanked players."

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Mini-Leagues and Group Competitions

If multiple people from the same friendship group or team want to compete together:

• Create a private mini-league (if GoClubPro supports it)
• Or: track manually — export the leaderboard and filter to the group's participants

Common mini-leagues:

• "Seniors only" — just the A and B grade players in one mini-league
• "Juniors vs parents" — juniors compete against their parents
• "Committee cup" — just committee members in a side competition

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SECTION 5: HANDLING EDGE CASES

Player Scored But Not Reflected in Fantasy Points

Most common cause: Match result entered but scoring events not entered.

Fix:

1. Fantasy League → Gameweek → find the fixture
2. Enter the missing scoring events
3. Re-run score calculation (if the system allows)
4. If the gameweek hasn't been finalised: fix before finalising
5. If already finalised: contact platform support for manual adjustment

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Wrong Player Got Captain Points

If a participant's designated captain didn't play and the system applied captain multiplier to their top scorer:

1. Fantasy League → Gameweek → find participant → review captain assignment
2. If the system auto-selected the captain (not the participant's choice): this may be expected behaviour — check the rules you set
3. Manual correction: contact platform support

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Participant Forgot to Set Their Team

If a participant forgot to make picks before the lock:

• They receive 0 points for that gameweek (standard Fantasy League rule)
• No exceptions — fairness requires the same lock for everyone
• Their responsibility: set up reminders; auto-submit of previous week's picks is a common mitigation (check if available in settings)

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Season Abandoned Mid-Way

If the season is cancelled mid-way (weather, COVID, etc.):

• Declare the Fantasy League winner based on points accumulated to that round
• Adjust the prize/announcement accordingly
• Export the leaderboard before archiving the season for records

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SECTION 6: RUNNING THE YEAR WITHOUT BURNING OUT

Delegating the Fantasy League Admin Role

If running the Fantasy League weekly is too much for the Club Admin alone:

1. Designate a "Fantasy League Commissioner" — a member who loves the format and will manage it
2. Grant them Co-Admin access (or specific Fantasy League admin permissions if available)
3. Their weekly duties: post reminders, enter scoring events, finalise gameweeks, post results
4. Club Admin's role: oversight and prize management only

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Setting Realistic Expectations

The Fantasy League is an engagement feature, not a revenue-generating one. Set expectations:

• Participation rate: 40–60% of members typically participate if well-promoted at season start
• Drop-off: Expect 10–20% drop-off mid-season; re-engagement posts help
• Admin time: 20–30 minutes per gameweek to enter scores and post results

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VISUAL: Gameweek Admin Cycle

MONDAY (after weekend fixtures)
└── Enter all scoring events for each completed match
└── Verify Fantasy scores look correct

TUESDAY
└── Finalise gameweek → lock scores
└── Post Noticeboard gameweek summary

WEDNESDAY
└── Post "captain tips" for next gameweek
└── Confirm next gameweek lock time

THURSDAY/FRIDAY
└── "Picks lock in X days" reminder

MATCH DAY (Saturday/Sunday)
└── Gameweek auto-locks at first kickoff
└── Scoring events recorded during/after match

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TOOLTIPS & HINTS

• Weekly post cadence is everything — a Fantasy League without regular communication dies mid-season
• Keep scoring simple in Year 1 — add complexity in Year 2 once participants understand the system
• Delegate the Commissioner role — Fantasy League admin is its own job; don't let it pile onto the Club Admin
• Announce the prize at round 1 — waiting until end-of-season to reveal the prize means participants don't know what they're competing for
• Captain picks are the most engaging element — focus content creation here

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FAQ

Q: Can non-playing members (committee, parents) participate in Fantasy League? A: Yes — Fantasy League participation is open to any club member. A committee member who doesn't play can pick players from the club's squads.

Q: What if two participants have the same total points at end of season? A: Define a tiebreaker rule at season start: (1) most wins in head-to-head gameweeks, (2) highest single-gameweek score, (3) total goals scored by their picked players. Whichever tiebreaker you use, announce it before Round 1.

Q: Can we run Fantasy League across multiple seasons of a multi-sport club? A: Run a separate Fantasy League per sport/season. Combining sports creates complexity in scoring and player pools.

Q: Is there a way to remove a Fantasy League participant mid-season (e.g., member leaves the club)? A: They retain their historical points but if they're removed from the club, their participation status may change. Contact platform support for specific account handling in this scenario.

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COMMON MISTAKES

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SHORT ONBOARDING SCRIPT

"Running Fantasy League well requires three weekly habits: enter scoring events after each match, finalise the gameweek, and post a result summary to the Noticeboard. That's 20–30 minutes per week. Keep scoring simple in your first season. Announce the prize at Round 1 and remind participants at mid-season. Designate a Fantasy League Commissioner to share the load — a member who loves the format will do this better than a reluctant admin anyway. Captain tip posts each Wednesday are your best engagement driver."

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MICRO-TRAINING QUICK TIPS

• Enter scoring events Monday → finalise gameweek Tuesday → results post Wednesday
• Announce prize at season start — don't wait until the end to reveal it
• Captain tips each Wednesday = your highest-engagement post of the week
• Keep scoring simple in Year 1; add complexity later
• Delegate the Commissioner role — 20+ weeks of weekly admin needs a dedicated person
• Tiebreaker rule: define before Round 1, not after a tie happens

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Training Module 54 | See also: 13 Standings & Fantasy League · 10 Noticeboard · 40 Communication Playbook