How it works
Your squad. Your calls.
Real results.
Grassroots Fantasy is simple to start and rewarding to master. Here's the full journey — from signup to the top of the ladder, plus the cards you'll collect and answers to the big questions.
Register your team
Sign up online with your email and a team name. If you play in the competition, your access comes bundled with your Association registration. Everyone else — supporters, family, mates — registers free on the spot.
Got a club code from your Team Manager or Club? Enter it at signup — it locks in your club allegiance for the Club Champion race and earns you a bonus pack.
Open your Starter Pack
The moment you register, your first tranche lands — 12 player cards, including your two-way players, elites, and the backbone of your squad. This is the only place the rarest cards are dealt… or is it?
And here's the good part: your starting lineup is auto-assigned instantly. You could register on Friday and score points that weekend without touching a thing. The squad is yours to fine-tune whenever you're ready.
Set your lineup, your way
Your squad has starters, bench, and reserves. Starters score full points. Bench players score at a reduced rate and step up automatically if a starter doesn't take the field. Reserves wait in the wings.
Every position matters — pitchers, catchers, infield, outfield, and the specialist slots that reward smart selections. Chase steals with a designated runner. Stack your batting order. Back a two-way star to dominate both sides of the game.
Lineups open after each round's results and lock before the weekend's games. Make your calls, then watch them play out for real.
New cards, all season
Packs keep dropping throughout the season — a free pack every week, a pre-season tranche to complete your squad, club code bonuses, a mid-season drop, and a Finals Challenge with its own packs and its own champion.
You never miss out. Open your Weekly Pack yourself for the full reveal — or if the round rolls over before you get to it, those cards are dealt straight into your collection automatically. The cards are always yours.
Score points. Chase titles.
Every hit, run, steal, strikeout, and win in the real competition drives your fantasy score. Provisional scores land after the games; confirmed scores follow once the official stats are reviewed.
There's more than one way to win: the season-long ladder, weekly head-to-head matchups, the Weekly High Score, your club's Club Champion campaign, and the Finals Challenge. Late joiners always have something to play for.
The Cards
Play along with your favourite players.
Every player in the competition has a card. Your teammates. Your club legends. The young gun hitting ninth.
One platform. Every sport.
Each sport gets its own card design, its own stats, and its own stars.
Live now — the NFS Premier Softball League.
Built for hoops — points, boards, and steals.
Built for football — goals, assists, clean sheets.
Three tiers. Earned on the field.
Every league runs the same tier system — and each competition adds its own special Rares. In softball, that's the two-way players.
The game-changers, dealt only in Starter Packs.
The proven performers. Silver treatment, serious points.
The backbone of every squad — championships are won with great Commons.
See the NFS Premier Softball League tiers — including the two-way Rares — inside the league.
Every card tells a career.
Club colours
Every card wears its club, front and centre.
Live stats
This season, last season, and career — updated as games are played.
Longevity badges
Career milestones recognised on the card, forever.
Positions
Where they play is what they score.
Specialist marks
Elite skills carry a mark smart managers hunt for.
Award recognition
Season awards build a card's story — and its value.
FAQ
Good questions.
Platform-wide answers. Each league's page carries its own specifics — packs, point tables, and season dates.
The basics
What is Grassroots Fantasy?+
A fantasy sports platform built for grassroots competitions — the leagues you actually play in and watch from the sideline. Real players from real local competitions become collectable cards, and their real weekend performances score points for your fantasy team.
Which sports and competitions are covered?+
Grassroots Fantasy is built to host any sport, one league at a time. Each league is its own edition with its own cards, scoring, and season. Head to the Leagues page to see what’s live and what’s coming.
How do I join?+
Register with your email, name your team, and enter a club code. Codes come through your club or competition — and every league has a general code so supporters without a club connection can play too.
What is a club code?+
A code your club or competition shares that connects your fantasy team to them. It gets you your starter pack and counts your points toward your club’s campaign on the club leaderboards.
Playing the game
How do teams and cards work?+
You build a squad of player cards — starters who score in full, a bench that scores reduced and covers absences, and reserves for depth. Cards arrive through packs: a starter pack when you register, a pre-season pack, and free packs through the season.
What if I don’t open my Weekly Pack in time?+
You keep the cards either way. Open it yourself and you get the full reveal, card by card. If the next round starts before you get to it, those two cards are dealt straight into your collection automatically — you just miss the reveal, never the players.
How does scoring work?+
Every point comes from real events in real games — official stats only, never fan voting. Each league publishes its own point table on its league page, so you always know exactly what everything is worth.
What if one of my players doesn’t play?+
Your bench steps in automatically at full value, and your reserves back-fill the bench. Depth in the positions that matter is part of the craft — squads that plan for absences ride them out best.
When do I set my lineup?+
Lineups open after each round’s results are confirmed and lock before the next round starts. Set your card, order your lineup, and back your reads.
How many ways are there to win?+
Several — a season-long ladder, head-to-head matchups, weekly high score, club champion, and finals competitions. One bad month doesn’t end your season; there’s always something to play for.
I’m joining mid-season. Is it too late?+
No. Head-to-head records start fresh from your first round, weekly prizes reset every week, and finals competitions start everyone level. The season ladder rewards the long haul, but plenty doesn’t.
Trust & the platform
How are the real players protected?+
Scoring reflects only what happens on the field, cards celebrate rather than rank personalities, and any player can opt out of appearing, with removal honoured within 48 hours. Fantasy scoring must never influence how anyone plays — players play for their teams, coaches make the calls, we just keep score.
Who runs Grassroots Fantasy?+
Grassroots Fantasy is built and operated by Black Diamond Labs, an Auckland-based technology company building platforms for grassroots sport and community organisations.
How do I get my competition on Grassroots Fantasy?+
Get in touch — every edition starts with a conversation with the competition it covers. Email info@grassrootsfantasy.co.nz.