FAQ — FTG Sports Football
Answers to the top questions about FTG Sports Football: is it free, how it compares to Madden Franchise, and how the sim engine, salary cap, draft, and trades all work.
Is FTG Sports Football free?
Yes. Free during the public beta, no ads, no microtransactions, no paywalled features. If that ever changes it will be announced up front, not slipped in.
Do I need to download anything?
No. The game runs in any modern desktop, tablet, or phone browser: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge. There is no app store version and none is planned.
How is this different from Madden Franchise?
No on-field gameplay. FTG Sports Football is pure management: draft, cap, contracts, coaching, chemistry, trades, and free agency. The sim engine runs every play in the background. You never call one.
Are these real NFL teams?
No. FTG Sports Football uses a fictional 32-team league with two conferences and eight four-team divisions. No NFL team names, logos, or marks. You can customize your franchise's name, colors, and division alignment.
Are the players real NFL players?
No. Player identities are anonymized. The ratings follow real historical NFL production, but every player is fictional.
Do I need an account?
Yes, but you can start as a guest in one click and attach an email later to carry your progress across devices. Guest leagues persist as long as you keep the same browser.
Can I play with friends?
Yes. Create a private league and share the join link. Run solo against 31 AI GMs, drop into a 10-human league, or fill all 32 seats with friends.
How long does a season take?
It depends on the cadence. Daily auto-advance plays one week per day, then moves through one offseason stage per day, so a full season plus offseason lasts roughly six to eight weeks of real time. Manual pace goes as fast as you can click.
How does the salary cap work?
A hard cap around $224.8M per team. Contracts count while a player is Active or on Injured Reserve. The practice squad is off-cap. Signing bonuses prorate over the contract length up to five years and accelerate if the player is cut.
How does the draft work?
Seven rounds, snake or standard depending on the league. Your scouting board shows each prospect's grade and a scouted potential range. Better talent-evaluation coaches give you tighter, more accurate reads. Auto-pick fires on the clock if you're away.
How does trading work?
Open the trade builder, add pieces on both sides, and a cap-impact preview shows the hit to each team. Personality matters. A rebuilding GM shops veterans. A contender protects its starters.
How does free agency work?
The FA market opens in the offseason across five bid rounds. You put an offer on a player, AI GMs counter, and the player picks based on money, role, and personality. Prima donnas chase dollars and stardom. Loyal players may take less to stay home.
How does the sim engine work?
Every game is a play-by-play simulation. Position ratings drive matchups, coaching adjusts strategy, chemistry compounds over a winning run, and injuries hit weekly. Box scores, per-play events, and a written recap all come out of the same engine.
What about injuries?
Weekly. Most are short-term. A few are season-enders. A rare one is career-ending. Major injuries can lower a player's ceiling. The hole shows up on the depth chart and the cap sheet.
Where's my save data?
In our database, tied to your account. Guest leagues persist to your browser session. Attach an email to carry them across devices. There's no local save file to back up.
Who makes FTG Sports Football?
FTG Sports is an indie sports-sim project. FTG Sports also makes FTG Sports Baseball, its sibling baseball GM sim.