The scoring table
Every way a player gains or loses points in 2026/27, by position. Goals are worth most to the players least expected to score them, which is the single most important thing to understand about squad building.
| Action | GK | DEF | MID | FWD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Playing up to 60 minutes | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Playing 60+ minutes | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Goal | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| Assist | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Clean sheet (60+ mins) | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Defensive contribution | — | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Every 3 saves | 1 | — | — | — |
| Penalty save | 5 | — | — | — |
| Penalty miss | −2 | −2 | −2 | −2 |
| Every 2 goals conceded | −1 | −1 | — | — |
| Yellow card | −1 | −1 | −1 | −1 |
| Red card | −3 | −3 | −3 | −3 |
| Own goal | −2 | −2 | −2 | −2 |
Defensive contributions — the newest way to score
Defensive contributions carry into 2026/27 unchanged. A player who hits his position's threshold of defensive actions in a single match scores 2 points, and the award is capped at 2 points per match — you cannot earn it twice.
The thresholds differ by position, and so does what counts. Defenders need 10 combined clearances, blocks, interceptions and tackles (CBIT). Midfielders and forwards need 12, but their count also includes ball recoveries — winning a loose ball — which is why holding midfielders hit it far more often than the raw threshold gap suggests. Goalkeepers do not score it.
In practice this has made cheap defensive midfielders viable in a way they never were, and it rewards a certain kind of defender — the one who clears and blocks — over the one who simply stands in a good defence.
| Position | Actions counted | Threshold | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Not eligible | — | — |
| Defender | Clearances, blocks, interceptions, tackles (CBIT) | 10 | 2 |
| Midfielder | CBIT + ball recoveries (CBIRT) | 12 | 2 |
| Forward | CBIT + ball recoveries (CBIRT) | 12 | 2 |
Bonus points — where games are actually won
The three best performers in each match get 3, 2 and 1 bonus points, awarded by the Bonus Points System (BPS), which scores dozens of on-ball actions — not just goals. A centre-back who wins every duel and keeps a clean sheet can out-BPS a striker who scored. This is why defenders from good teams are so valuable, and why bonus is the most underrated part of the game.
Why a defender who scores is so valuable
Six points for the goal, plus four for the clean sheet, plus likely bonus — a scoring defender in a 1-0 win can return 13+ points from a £5.0m asset. That combination does not exist anywhere else in the game, and it is why attacking full-backs are perennially the best value in FPL.