How we run our fantasy football auction day

Older, balder, fatter and greyer

We are a bit older, balder, fatter and greyer than some of the youngsters getting into fantasy football. Our auction has settled into a format that suits us very well.

The venue rotates between managers' gardens. More precisely, it is whichever manager can get a pass to have the boys over. We all turn up with a deckchair, make a circle and get comfortable. Between the group, there are a few hundred bottles of beer. With a bit of sun, we are set for the day.

There is usually some money left in the kitty from last year's fines. That pays for the pizza delivery. Order whatever food your group likes. The important part is getting everyone together with nowhere else they need to be for a few hours.

Midday to about 6pm, and no great hurry

We start at a leisurely midday and finish at about 6pm. That is six hours we actively want to spend doing this. The auction is the day out.

Everyone starts with the same budget. When a player comes up, you decide whether to bid, how far to go and when to leave someone else to pay for him. If you want a player badly enough, you have a chance to buy him. You have to live with what that leaves for the rest of your squad.

That is what I mean by high-agency fantasy football. You put a price on your own football opinions, in front of the people you will spend the season arguing with. The squad you leave with is yours. Nobody else in the league owns those players.

If six hours of this sounds like a chore, it is absolutely not for you. If it sounds like a great way to spend a day with your mates, with some light competition and a season riding on your decisions, it probably is.

You do not need a garden

A garden works for us. If you are in London and space is at a premium, look at a spare room above a pub, a large table in a pub garden or a private bar. Hiring a venue is another option if your group wants to make a bigger occasion of it.

Ask before you book. Explain that you want several hours at the table and will be calling bids aloud. Check the food arrangements, any minimum spend and whether everyone will be able to hear the auctioneer. For a garden, agree what happens if it rains.

Choose somewhere the whole group can settle in. A table booking that ends halfway through your auction is a problem worth avoiding.

Before your group turns up

If you want to run your own version, agree the rules before the day. Nobody should discover a different squad size or scoring system after buying their first player. Auction League gives each manager £100m. New leagues default to 14 players per squad, with 13 to 16 supported before season preparation. Our founding league uses 13. Check the selected settings before you send the rules round.

• Fix a date everyone can make. Send the start time, likely finish and venue details together.
• Share the player list, scoring rules, squad requirements, minimum bid and bid increments in advance.
• Tell people what to bring, including a chair if you are using our garden approach. Agree how the food bill will be paid.
• Ask each manager to prepare a shortlist and spending limits. The auction will give them plenty of reasons to change their mind.
• If someone must join remotely, agree how they will hear nominations and place bids before the first sale.

Keep one clear record of the bidding

Give someone the auctioneer role and someone the job of recording sales. One person can do both, but separate roles help when the room gets noisy. Decide how managers take turns nominating players and how the auctioneer closes a sale.

Record the player, winning manager and price after every sale. Update each manager's remaining budget and empty squad places. Keep enough money available for that manager to finish a legal squad at the minimum price.

Use a shared spreadsheet or another record everyone can check. Auction League does not provide an online live auction room. Your group runs the bidding, then the organiser enters or imports the completed squads and prices into the app.

Check the squads before the chairs go home

Leave time at the end to count players, check positions and total each manager's spend. Confirm there are no duplicate owners or missing prices while everyone is still there to settle a query.

Six hours is how our group does it, not a required duration. Set aside enough time for your league size and the pace your friends enjoy. If you want the leisurely version, tell people before they make evening plans.

Then you have a squad to care about all season, and a date to look forward to doing it again.

Put the plan into practice

Read six real auction prices from our founding league.

Ready to bring your group? Run your auction, then enter the final squads in the app.