Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about UnderPar. The full rules are on the How to play page.
Scoring
What is PAR?
Every player gets a PAR before each Gameweek: the FotMob rating we expect from him if he starts. Stronger players and easier fixtures carry a tougher PAR. PARs are set the morning after the previous Gameweek's last match and don't change after that.
How is my score worked out?
Each player scores his PAR minus his FotMob rating. A player with a PAR of 7.0 who gets an 8.0 scores −1.0. Add up your 11 players. Like golf, lower is better.
Why are some PARs higher than others?
Better players are expected to get better ratings, so they have higher PARs. Picking a star only helps if he beats what's expected of him.
The bench and players who don't play
How much does a player who doesn't play score?
From Gameweek 9: +1 if he doesn't play at all and your bench can't cover him, and +0.3 if he only comes off the bench. If your bench does cover him, the bench player's score counts instead. A whole Gameweek with no team counts as +11, the same as 11 players who didn't play. (In Gameweek 8 it was +0.3 a player and +5.5 a missed week.)
What does the bench do?
From Gameweek 9 you pick a goalkeeper and two ranked subs. Once the Gameweek is final, any of your XI who didn't start is replaced by the first bench player who did start, as long as your formation and the club limits still work (so a sub who would make a 4th player from one club, or a second club with 3, is skipped). The goalkeeper only covers your goalkeeper. From Gameweek 10 the club limits count your bench too (at most 3 from one club, and only one club with 3, across your XI and bench), so a sub can never be skipped for breaking them.
From Gameweek 11 your bench is one of each: a goalkeeper, a defender, a midfielder and a forward. A starter who doesn't play is replaced by the bench player in his own position first, so your formation always works. If that player didn't start either, the others are tried.
What if a player doesn't start and my bench can't cover him?
Only ratings earned as a starter count. A player your bench can't cover scores +0.3 if he came off the bench, or +1 if he didn't play at all.
What if a starter doesn't get a FotMob rating?
He scores +0.3.
What if a match is postponed?
Players in that match score 0.
Why does my live score look worse than my final score?
During the Gameweek, players who didn't start count at +0.3 or +1. Your bench only comes in once the Gameweek is final.
Saving your team
What if I forget to pick a team?
Your last team plays again automatically. It's marked "rolled over" in your league.
What if I never picked a team at all?
A Gameweek you miss counts as +11 (+1 for each of your 11 places). But weeks before your first team don't count, so you never start on a penalty just for signing up.
When is the deadline?
It's shown on the Pick tab. Teams lock at the deadline and stay hidden from other players until then.
Leagues and the table
How does the table work?
Tables rank you by your average score per Gameweek, lowest first. Each row shows your score for the Gameweek, then your season average, and arrows showing whether you moved up or down the table and whether your average went up or down.
Why average and not total?
So people who join later can be compared fairly with people who've played every week. For anyone who has played the same number of weeks, average and total give exactly the same order.
What does "Not yet ranked" mean?
You get a place in the table once you've played at least 3 Gameweeks and at least half the Gameweeks so far (or all of them, while fewer than 3 have been played). Until then you're listed under Not yet ranked, with the Gameweek you'll be ranked from. This stops someone joining late, having one lucky week and going straight above people who've been playing all season.
I joined late. Can I still win?
Yes. Once you're ranked you're compared on average, so a good manager can pass anyone. If you join after about Gameweek 23 you can't play half the season, so you won't be ranked in the season table, but you can still win the monthly table.
What is the monthly table?
Tap the month's name above any league table. It adds up everyone's scores for that month's Gameweeks (a Gameweek counts in the month of its deadline), lowest first. Anyone who had a team in every Gameweek of the month gets a place, so everyone starts level each month.
What is the UNDERPAR GLOBAL LEAGUE?
Every player is in it automatically, and it counts from Gameweek 8. You can also create or join private leagues with friends.
Does one terrible week ruin my season?
It costs you the same as anyone else's terrible week. Bad weeks are mostly bad luck, and good weeks are just as lucky, so over a season it evens out.