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IShowSpeed and KSI are teaming up with football icons to expand the Baller League in the United States and the United Kingdom. The six-a-side format was first introduced by entrepreneur Felix Starck, alongside footballers Mats Hummels and Lukas Podolski, in Germany earlier this year.
In the UK edition, YouTube personality KSI will join forces with other content creators like Chunkz, Miniminter, Sharky, and others. The Baller League will also feature British football legends such as Gary Lineker, John Terry, Alan Shearer, and more as managers.
Meanwhile, IShowSpeed will head the US version alongside Brazilian icon Ronaldinho.
KSI and IShowSpeed's Baller League explored: Team composition, tournament format, and game rules
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Tournament format and rules
The Baller League is far from your typical football league. It blends elements of street football with the star power of famous names from the football world.
According to reports, the tournament will feature 12 teams of six players, each headed by a celebrity coach. The top four teams will advance to the semi-finals, with the winners battling it out in the grand finals for the trophy.
The teams will compete in back-to-back matches on Monday nights. The 30-minute matches (with 15-minute halves) can be livestreamed on Twitch and YouTube, with Chunkz as the host.
Drawing inspiration from street football and old-school MLS rules, the pitch is shortened to suit a six-a-side football match, with offside lines marking each half. Additionally, there are no corners. If the ball goes behind the goal three times off the opposition, the team gets an MLS 1990s-style penalty, where the penalty taker starts running with the ball from the halfway mark and has six seconds to score.
No rebounds are allowed during the penalty. VAR technology is present, but the referee will only check footage if a team uses their sole review option for the game.
The last three minutes of each half are dubbed the Gamechanger, where a randomized set of rules dramatically alters the game.
The Gamechanger for the first half can be any of the following:
- The Line - Goals from outside the offside line count as double.
- +1 - The teams get reduced down to 1v1 for the rest of the half, with the goal-scoring team getting to add players to their team in increments.
- Three Play - Roster reduced to 3v3 for 30 seconds with the option to remove one's goalkeeper.
The Gamechanger for the second half can be any of the following:
- 1v1 - 15 seconds to score in a 1v1 from own half with playground rules and no hands.
- Fast Forward: Teams crossing into the opposition half cannot turn back. If they do, the opposition gets awarded a free kick.
- Fairplay - Committing a foul gets players sent off.
- Last Man Standing - Sudden death penalty shootout with the last man standing getting an extra point for their team.
Team composition
The UK edition of the Baller League is set to kick off in March 2025. It's important to note that while many football legends and internet celebrities have been drafted as coaches, the teams will primarily consist of players of smaller stature.
Trials will be held in Manchester and London before the tournament. They will reportedly be open to former and current academy players, professional footballers, street futsal players, and free agents, allowing managers to draft from a diverse pool of talent.
Managers can use two wild card entries per week to draft players from professional leagues. Additionally, each night, the MVP gets to select a "legend" player for their next game, ensuring that a famous footballer is always in play on all match days.
The trial locations for the US edition of the Baller League have not been announced yet.
The Baller League sets up a content creator vs. football legend series, with coaches either being former icons of the beautiful game or YouTube and internet celebrities.
Beyond the excitement from football fans eager to see former stars showcase their managerial skills, fans of popular internet stars are also expected to boost the Baller League's viewership in both the UK and the US.
