What Is Free Hit in FPL? Rules, Strategy and When to Use It

The Free Hit is a chip in Fantasy Premier League that allows you to make unlimited transfers for one Gameweek. After that Gameweek ends, your squad returns to the team you had before activating the chip. Your points from the temporary lineup still count, but the players themselves do not remain in your squad.

How the Free Hit chip works

When you activate Free Hit, you can replace your entire FPL squad without receiving transfer-hit deductions. The new team is used for one Gameweek only, including its captain, vice-captain, formation and substitutes.

Once the Gameweek deadline passes and the fixtures are completed, your team reverts to the squad that was in place before the chip was played. Any free transfers you had before using Free Hit are also preserved under the current game rules, but managers should check the official FPL rules because chip mechanics can change between seasons.

• You can make unlimited transfers for the selected Gameweek.
• You do not pay the usual points cost for extra transfers.
• The temporary squad scores points for that Gameweek.
• Your original squad returns afterwards.
• You normally cannot combine Free Hit with another chip in the same Gameweek.

When should you use Free Hit in FPL?

The strongest Free Hit opportunities usually appear when the fixture schedule creates a major imbalance between teams. A blank Gameweek, where several clubs do not play, can leave a normal squad with too few starters. Free Hit allows you to select 11 players with fixtures without permanently restructuring your team.

It can also be useful during a Double Gameweek, when some teams play twice. A temporary squad can bring in several players with two fixtures while avoiding long-term commitments to footballers with difficult schedules, poor form or an uncertain place in the starting lineup.

Before using the chip, compare the expected points from your existing squad with the likely points from a temporary team. Consider fixture difficulty, minutes risk, penalties, set pieces, injuries, rotation and captaincy. Free Hit is usually most valuable when many players in your current squad are unavailable or have no fixture.

Free Hit versus Wildcard

Free Hit and Wildcard both allow major squad changes, but they serve different purposes. A Free Hit is a one-Gameweek solution: the temporary players disappear afterwards. A Wildcard permanently changes your squad and is better suited to correcting several long-term problems.

For example, Free Hit may be appropriate when a blank Gameweek makes your squad too small. A Wildcard may be better if you have multiple injured players, several unwanted assets or a poor fixture run lasting many weeks. Using Free Hit to solve a long-term squad problem can leave you with the same issues immediately afterwards.

How to plan a Free Hit team

Start by listing the players who definitely have a fixture and are likely to play. Then identify the best attacking and defensive options based on expected minutes, opponent strength and recent team news. Do not select players only because they are popular; a Free Hit works best when it improves your starting XI and bench compared with your normal squad.

Captaincy deserves particular attention because it can decide whether the chip succeeds. Look for a reliable attacker with strong minutes potential, a favourable fixture and a clear role in set pieces or penalties. Keep a balanced bench as well, especially in a Gameweek affected by rotation or uncertain lineups.

Wait for press conferences, injury updates and confirmed lineups where possible, but do not leave transfers until the deadline if late information could cause technical problems. Review the deadline, verify your captain and vice-captain, and check that every selected player has a fixture.

Common Free Hit mistakes

• Using the chip for a small improvement when your existing squad is already strong.
• Ignoring blank fixtures and accidentally selecting players who will not play.
• Choosing too many rotation-prone players in a busy schedule.
• Focusing on a single Double Gameweek without considering player quality.
• Forgetting that the temporary squad returns to the previous team.
• Failing to confirm the captain, vice-captain and starting goalkeeper.

The best Free Hit decision depends on opportunity cost. Saving the chip for a Gameweek where it can replace a large number of missing players is often more valuable than spending it on one or two attractive fixtures.