FISOlympics Decathlon 2025/26

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Members of the FISO Forum run a number of FPL side-games each season. One such side-game is the FISOlympics Decathlon which has been running for over 10 years. Here is a summary:

i) What the Side-Game Is About (for Newcomers)

  • This is a custom FISO-side competition (“FISOlympics Decathlon 2025/26”) for fantasy-premier-league (FPL) managers who want an extra challenge.
  • It’s set up like a decathlon, where FISO members compete across multiple “events,” each tied to different FPL gameweeks.
  • Scoring is factored: their FPL performance (gameweek score, etc.) is converted into “sport-like” results (e.g., times, distances) using formulas.
  • Some of the rules:
    • Factored Points = (points scored) × (50 / average score) — so performance relative to the field matters.
    • Effects from special FPL chips (like Bench Boost or Triple Captain) are ignored when converting gameweek scores.
  • The “events” of the decathlon roughly align like this:
  • 100m: GW2 — gameweek score is converted to a “time.”
  • Long Jump: GWs 3, 4, 5 — based on a team’s highest-scoring player, with some penalty for bonus (“boni”) points.
  • Shot Put: GWs 6, 7, 8 — total points from goalkeepers + defenders are converted to a “distance.”
  • High Jump: GWs 10, 11, 12 — using the gameweek score to set a “target height.”
    5–7. Further events (400 m, 110 m hurdles, Discus) are tied to other GWs later in the season (GW14–15, GW20, GWs 22–24).
  • Entry is done via the forum thread: participants post their FPL team history page, plus optionally which “country / territory / random collection of particles” they represent in the decathlon.
  • The “entry window” closes around GW2’s FPL deadline.
  • The competition disregards “political” debates of real geography: participants can choose any “country / territory” (real or fanciful) to represent.

ii) Story of How the Side-Game Has Progressed over the Opening Gameweeks

  • The side-game was announced by Mystery (a FISO Knight) on 22 July 2025, marking the launch of the 11th FISOlympiad.
  • Mystery laid out the full decathlon schedule (which maps to FPL GWs) and explained how scoring would work, including the formula for “factored points.”
  • By that same day (or shortly after), several FISO users signed up:
    • jimmy ching joined, linking to his FPL history and choosing “France, Île de Batz” as his representation.
    • morganb signed up as well, representing the “Isles of Scilly.”
    • Brightwater also confirmed, using their FPL history link and choosing “Nauru.”
    • Smurphy Paw later joined, representing “Vatican City.”
    • Other entrants include thebillfella, blahblah, zipnolan, Talkie Toaster, Luxmonk, Hogmeister, stripes1973, and wahine, each choosing different “countries” or territories.
  • The first event (100m) was set for Gameweek 2, converting each manager’s GW2 FPL score into a “time” (using the formula time = 12.2 – 0.025 × FactoredPoints).
  • In the next event (Long Jump, covering GWs 3, 4, 5), they track “highest-scoring player” but apply a penalty: if any player in your starting XI gets a red card, own goal or misses a penalty, there’s a “foul jump.”
  • Through GWs 6–8, they will convert defensive-squad (goalkeepers + defenders) points into “shot-put distance.”
  • For GWs 10–12, they have the “High Jump” event: they take a target (based on gameweek score) and convert that into a “height” cleared.
  • The side-game is structured so that all squad members count for these events, not just the starting XI (e.g., in defensive events they include both goalkeepers).
  • Importantly, when calculating decathlon results, they ignore chip effects (like Bench Boost / Triple Captain) to avoid unfair distortions.
  • As of the “sign-up in progress” thread, participants are still joining (or confirming) their entries and territories; the full competitive “decathlon” hasn’t wrapped yet, and further Gameweek events are still to come per the schedule.

Interpretation / Significance

  • The FISOlympics Decathlon is a long-term endurance-style competition, rewarding consistency and squad depth — not just week-to-week luck.
  • Because it converts FPL performance into athletic-style “events,” it attracts users who enjoy meta-challenges beyond standard league play.
  • The variety of “countries / territories” chosen by participants reflects the playful and imaginative side of FISO’s community: some pick real places, others whimsical ones.
  • By ignoring chips in the scoring, the game encourages pure performance, rather than “chip gaming.”
  • The layered structure (10 different events across ~24 GWs) ensures many FPL managers remain engaged throughout the season.