Option 1 - PlayTheGame

In-depth gameplay and innovative scoring system

Free to enter

Players owned by only one manager in each league

Direct competition against rivals in mini-leagues

Unlimited free transfers Playing strips, Barclays Premier League and FA Cup tickets to be won

Sign up for PlayTheGame here

We call PlayTheGame “Fantasy Football advanced” because it is for fantasy players who want to go farther. If you are content to pick a team and rely on a limited number of transfers to adapt it to the changing situations during a season, fine. If you do not mind having a team resembling thousands of others, no problem. But PlayTheGame offers you a far more challenging fantasy experience. And, best of all, it is free to play.

Every squad in your league will be unique, with no Premier League player belonging to more than one team. If you want to change your playing personnel, you will have to negotiate a transfer with another manager or back your judgment by signing an out-of-contract player – just as Harry Redknapp or Arsène Wenger would. But you have the advantage that there are no transfer windows and no limit on the number of moves you can make.

You can have up to four free teams and either enter them in existing leagues or form your own. PlayTheGame is all about communities, with each league having its unique message board, while the blog section gives you the chance to ask questions and discuss tactics with the PlayTheGame network.

And once the season starts, you will notice a big difference between PlayTheGame and other fantasy experiences as you rotate your 20-man squad and change formation to suit the fixtures. Last season PlayTheGame managers were active on the final day of the campaign, choosing their best team as the Premier League season went to the wire. The 2008-09 season will be long and testing. PlayTheGame will keep you involved until the last kick.

Option 2 - Fantasy Football

£100,000 prize fund - £50,000 to the winner and £15,000 to the best mini-league

Just pick, pay and play £100m to select 11 players

£3 entry fee or £6 for three teams

20 transfers and five player loans

£500 weekly prize in Premier Play prediction competition

Sign up for Times Fantasy Football here

Times Fantasy Football is classic fantasy football: pick 11 men from the cream of England and Scotland, pay the entry fee and play for a share of the £100,000 prize pool. It is as simple as that.

The format and gameplay will be familiar to experienced fantasists, although we have added fresh twists, such as Champions League and Uefa Cup matches counting towards the scoring and a loan system within the transfer market.

Once you have registered on our website, it is time to start combining your Ferguson-style tactical acumen and an Abramovich-type budget. Choose a formation – 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 4-5-1 or 3-5-2. Then the really fun part: picking your team. We have valued the biggest names from the English and Scottish Premier Leagues and given you £100 million to lavish on them. Fit your selections to your formation and keep within budget, using the statistics we provide to help you. You can see how popular a selection each player is with your rival fantasy managers. Then hand the armband to one of your top stars – captains score double points.

That done, all you need do is pay. It is only £3 per team. If you agonised over your XI and found it hard leaving out some players, why not take another team? You can enter up to ten and we are offering a special deal until the start of the season of £6 for three teams.

Now you are ready to turn fantasy into reality: there is a £50,000 first prize. And bring your friends because the best mini-league will win £15,000. If you fancy yourself as a soothsayer, the Premier Play prediction competition boasts a £500 weekly prize. Good luck.

Explore Football

• Premier League

• Football League

• Scotland

• European Football

• International Football

• TheGame

• Live Match Tracker

• The Fink Tank

• Fantasy Football