Types of Market
How player acquisition works in Fantasy Squad
When your federation includes a Transfer Market, you need to understand how the market works. Fantasy Squad supports multiple market types, each offering a different dynamic for acquiring and managing players.
Auction Market
The most exciting market type — and the most common way to start a season. Instead of buying players at a fixed price, teams bid against each other in a live auction. Every player must be won through competitive bidding, making budget management and strategy critical.
How it works
- Players are put up for auction one at a time by the admin.
- Teams bid using their allocated credits — highest bid wins the player.
- Budget management is critical — overspend on one player and you'll lack credits for others.
- Different auction formats are supported: open bidding, sealed bid, and draft.
Best for: The ultimate competitive start to a season. Brings your group together for an exciting live event.
Free Market (libero)
The most flexible ongoing market type. Any team can buy any available player at any time during the transfer window. There are no restrictions on which players a team can own.
How it works
- Browse all available players and their current prices.
- Buy players directly — no waiting, no bidding.
- Sell players back to the market at the current market price.
- Prices update regularly based on recent performances.
Best for: Flexible ongoing market where managers want full freedom to build any squad.
Limited Market
A market where each team has a maximum number of transfers allowed per window. This creates scarcity in squad activity — managers must think carefully before making moves.
How it works
- Each team has a cap on the number of transfers they can make per market window.
- Once your transfer limit is reached, you can't make further changes until the next window.
- Forces strategic planning — you can't react to every injury or dip in form.
- Rewards managers who plan ahead and make fewer, better-quality signings.
Best for: Groups who want more strategic squad management with limited roster churning.
Initial Market
A market type available only before the federation's first matchday. After the first match of the season starts, the Initial Market closes and transitions to the regular ongoing market. Typically used alongside an Auction to let managers complete their squads.
How it works
- Available from the moment the federation is created until the first matchday begins.
- Managers use it to fill their initial squad before the season kicks off.
- Once the first match starts, the market closes and the regular market opens.
- Usually combined with the Auction to handle the bulk of squad building.
Best for: Pre-season squad assembly alongside the Auction.
Swap Market
A unique market type where instead of buying with credits, you propose player swaps directly with other managers. Two managers can exchange players from their squads by mutual agreement — no credits change hands.
How it works
- Propose a swap by offering one of your players in exchange for another manager's player.
- The other manager can accept or reject the offer.
- No credits are involved — it's purely a player-for-player exchange.
- Great for situations where managers want specific players without spending credits.
Best for: Adding a social, negotiation layer to squad management.
Release Market
A strategic market where managers can secretly release players from their squad. Released players are hidden from other managers until a set reveal time — allowing you to secretly free up squad slots and credits in preparation for an upcoming auction or transfer window.
How it works
- Mark players as 'to be released' privately — other managers can't see your decisions.
- At the configured reveal time, all releases become public simultaneously.
- Freed players return to the general market pool.
- Ideal before a summer or winter auction window — prepare your squad secretly.
Best for: Pre-auction squad preparation without tipping off rivals.
Legacy Markets
Legacy onlyThe following two market types are available only in Legacy federations, where players are signed to multi-year contracts. They do not appear in Market or Top 11 federations.
Confirmation Market
Between seasons, managers decide which players to keep. Each squad player can be confirmed for the upcoming season; players you don't confirm are released and you receive a refund.
How it works
- Your whole squad is shown with its Acquisition Price, current Contract Value, the Confirmation Price and the Release Price.
- Tick the players you want to confirm — a confirmation limit may cap how many you can keep.
- Confirming a player costs the Confirmation Price and does not change the contract's length or values.
- When the admin closes the market, confirmed players stay and unconfirmed players are released for the Release Price refund.
Think of it as the release market's counterpart for Legacy: instead of dropping players, you actively renew your commitment to the ones worth keeping.
Renewal Market
Extend the contracts of players already in your squad. Each renewal adds exactly one more season to a player's contract, up to the federation's maximum contract length.
How it works
- Each squad player shows its remaining contract duration, its end season and the renewal price.
- Renewing extends the contract by exactly one season — no other duration is possible.
- The renewal dialog shows the new contract length, the added season and the new Season Contract Value before you confirm.
- A contract can't be renewed beyond the federation's maximum contract length.
Use it to lock down your key players for another season and build a squad that lasts for years.
Which market should I use?
Start your season with an Auction Market for the most social and competitive experience. Use a Free Market for the ongoing season if you want full flexibility, or Limited Market if you want to force more strategic decision-making.