Football: What is Baller League UK?
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Baller League UK: Format and Overview
Baller League UK is a six-a-side indoor football league consisting of 12 teams. Every Monday night, all teams play their league matches in succession, with the first night of the competition being staged on March 24.
Each league night is made up of six matches of 30-minute duration each and will be hosted by the Copper Box Arena in London. The top four teams at the end of the 11 weeks will advance to the final Playoff in June, when the Baller League UK champion will be crowned.
Points are allocated in exactly the same way as any of Europe’s top leagues, such as the Premier League or La Liga, with match winners being awarded three points, a draw earns one point, and no points are earned for a loss.
What Are the Rules for Baller League UK?
Baller League UK introduces a fresh and exciting twist to the conventional football that we know and love - here are the competition rules:
- All matches are in a six-a-side format with rolling substitutions
- Each half of the match lasts 15 minutes
- At the end of each half, there is a “Gamechanger” which lasts three minutes
- Gamechangers can include a 3v3 format, long-range goals counting as double, and goalkeepers cannot use their hands
- All Gamechangers are randomised from one match to the next
- Teams are allowed Wildcard players from Night 2 onward
- Managers are allowed to challenge a referee's decision by throwing a white flag
One of the most exciting rules of the game is that there are no corner kicks. Instead, if a team concedes three corners, the opposing team is allocated an MLS-style 1v1 penalty kick.
Which Teams are Participating in Baller League UK?
Baller League UK has assembled a star-studded cast of managers, ranging from ex-footballers like John Terry, Alan Shearer and Ballon d'Or winner Luis Figo to YouTube sensations and internet personalities like Sidemen members Miniminter, Tobi Brown and Alisha Lehmann.
These are the teams and managers competing in Baller League UK this year:
| Team Name | Manager(s) | Notable Players |
|---|---|---|
| 26ers | John Terry | J'ardell Sterling |
| Deportrio | Alan Shearer, Micah Richards, Gary Lineker | Bakary Sako |
| FC Rules the World | Clint 419 | Michael Duemi, Josh Harrop |
| M7 FC | Miniminter | Jesse Waller-Lassen |
| MVPs United | Alisha Lehmann, Maya Jama | Lorenzo Spinelli |
| N5 FC | Jens Lehmann, Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg | Owen Locke, Adrian Mariappa |
| Santan FC | Dave | Michael Hill |
| SDS FC | Sharky | Bruno Andrade |
| Trebol FC | Luis Figo | Gary McKenzie |
| VZN FC | Tobi Brown | Henri Lansbury, Jerome Sinclair |
| Wembley Rangers | Ian Wright, Chloe Kelly | Dom Pires |
| Yanited | Angry Ginge | Kadell Daniel, Michael Hector |
Squads include several former Premier League players, futsal players, free agents and released academy players. Among those are former Manchester United academy graduate Josh Harrop and Liverpool winger Jordan Ibe.
Other notable names include Ciaran Clark, Adrian Mariappa, Bruno Andrade, Michael Hill, and J'ardell Stirling, while Premier League winner Joleon Lescott featured as a wildcard player on night two of the competition.
Baller League UK: Standings After Three Weeks
The third round of Baller League UK was played on Monday, April 7, and there were plenty of big results - most notably with AngryGinge’s Yanited maintaining their unbeaten record, while Ian Wright and John Terry’s teams picked up their first points of the competition.
Here’s how the table looks after three rounds:
| POS | PLD | W | D | L | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yanited | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 9 |
| 2 | Deportrio | 3 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 9 |
| 3 | MVPs United | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 9 |
| 4 | VZN FC | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 5 | Santan FC | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 6 | Trebol FC | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 7 | SDS FC | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 8 | M7 FC | 3 | 1 | 0 | -1 | 3 |
| 9 | F.C RTW | 3 | 0 | 1 | -5 | 2 |
| 10 | Wembley Rangers AFC | 3 | 0 | 1 | -3 | 1 |
| 11 | 26ers | 3 | 0 | 1 | -5 | 1 |
| 12 | N5 FC | 3 | 0 | 0 | -10 | 0 |
You can also wager on matches at Baller League UK with most of the best online betting sites worldwide.
How to Watch Baller League UK?
Baller League UK has secured a one-year broadcast partnership with Sky Sports and Now, with all matches being aired live on Monday nights for the remainder of the season until the grand finals in June.
Baller League UK also broadcasts all of its matches live from the Copper Box Arena in London via its exclusive YouTube Channel, with League nights hosted by internet personality and Beta Squad member Chunkz and Olivia Buzaglo.
