Fan Controlled Football is here! Week 1 of the inaugural FCF season is set to take place Saturday, with all four of the league's teams in action.
For those not yet familiar with the FCF, it is a new spring football league that differs greatly from past start-ups like the AAF and the XFL. It will play games in a seven-on-seven arena-style format, with a 50-yard field and several innovations altering the format. The most notable is that fans—as the name suggests—are in charge of the construction of and play-calling for teams.
If you have ever thought you could be a better general manager or coach than the ones running teams in the NFL, then the FCF may be just the thing for you.
"I guarantee you that there's been a moment that you and every sports fan has had where you're watching a game and you're asking, 'Why are they calling that play? That's ridiculous,'" Patrick Dees, the co-founder and chief gaming officer of FCF, said, per Mike D. Sykes II of For The Win. "We've all had that moment. We're just the ones who kind of put it in motion."
Here we'll examine the Week 1 schedule and take a quick look at the rosters and rules as the FCF gets ready to figuratively kick off its season
That's right, there will be no actual kicking in the FCF, but there does promise to be plenty of drama.
FCF Week 1
When: Saturday, February 13
Where: Infinite Energy Arena, Duluth, Georgia
Schedule
- Glacier Boyz vs. Wild Aces at 8 p.m. ET
- Beasts vs. Zappers at 9 p.m. ET
All games will be live-streamed on Twitch and broadcast on gaming network VENN.
Rules and Format
Perhaps the most unique aspect of the FCF is that fans join a squad and play the role of both general manager and coach. New rosters are drafted each week—though fans can choose one keeper—with three-man offensive lines and defenses each counting as a single unit. Fantasy enthusiasts will be familiar with this concept, as drafting a single defense/special teams unit is a fantasy standard.
Fans will also vote on which plays will be called in-game. They can increase their voting power by successfully constructing powerful rosters and effective game plans. From the official Fantasy Controlled Football website:
"Call the right play? You get some FanIQ. Draft the top players? Get some more FanIQ. Your FanIQ increases the more you interact with FCF and prove to other fans just how much you know the game. When you hit certain targets of FanIQ - you level up! And as you level up, your voting power increases and all your votes count for more. The more you put in, the more you get out. So get to it!"
Fans can also earn special badges to increase their voting power and even power-ups for their squad. These include 5th-down and Power-Play rewards.
Each game will consist of two 20-minute halves, with the goal being to complete matches in under an hour of real time. Opening possession will be determined by a bout of rock, paper scissors.
There will be no special teams at all in the FCF. Instead of point-after kicking tries, teams will pit a quarterback and a receiver against a defensive back in a showdown to put the ball into the end zone or be denied. One-point attempts will come from the 5-yard line and two-point attempts from the 10.
With no punts, teams will always be in four-down mode.
Other unique rules—a full list can be found here—include the lack of delay-of-game penalties and no backup quarterbacks. Teams will draft two quarterbacks for each squad, but the second quarterback will play every third possession.
Another interesting twist will be the use of multiple video game-style camera angles, from drones and 180-degree VR cams to helmet-mounted cameras with audio.
The 2021 FCF season will consist of three weeks of regular-season play, a playoff week and a championship game.
Week 1 Rosters
Glacier Boyz
Team Owners: Richard Sherman, Quavo Huncho and Deestroying
QB: Ed Crouch, David Pindell,
WR: Raphael Leonard, Kavontae Turpin, Jordus Smith
RB: Madre London
OL: Block Party
DEF: Shut Down Squad
Zappers
Team Owners: Ronnie Singh, Bob Menery and Trevor May
QB: Quinton Flowers, Johnny Manziel
WR: Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi, Alphonso Carter, LaMarcus Caradine
RB: Berkley Edwards
OL: Block Party
DEF: Heavy Hitters
Beasts
Team Owners: Marshawn Lynch, Renee Montgomery and Miro
QB: T.J. Edwards II, Braden Smith
WR: Christian Saulsberry, Andrew Jamiel, Troy Evans Jr.
RB: Calen Campbell
OL: Dam Nation
DEF: Shut Down Squad
Wild Aces
Team Owners, Austin Ekeler, Greg Miller and Jack Settleman
QB: Logan Marchi, Jackson Erdmann
WR: Douglas McNeil III, Yedidiah Louis, Elijah Rogers
RB: LaDarius Galloway
OL: Dam Nation
DEF: Heavy Hitters
Names of offensive line players and defenders were unavailable as of the time of writing, and said units are listed as "coming soon" on the official FCF website.
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