How 38-0-0 player ratings work
Every player in 38-0-0 has an overall rating and six attributes. Here is what those numbers mean, where they come from, and how they decide your season.
Where the numbers come from
Ratings are based on a public football dataset that scores players across multiple Premier League seasons. Each club and season in the game uses the real squad from that year, so a player can look very different from one season to the next as they rise, peak and fade. That is why drawing a club at the right time matters as much as drawing the right club.
The overall rating
The overall is the single headline number you see on each card, usually somewhere between the low sixties and the mid nineties. It is the quickest way to compare two players. In Classic mode the overall is shown while you draft. In Expert mode it is hidden until the end, so you have to judge a player on name and position alone.
The six attributes
Under the overall, every outfield player is rated on six attributes:
- Pace. Speed and acceleration.
- Shooting. Finishing and goal threat.
- Passing. Range and accuracy of distribution.
- Dribbling. Control and ability to beat a player.
- Defending. Tackling, marking and reading the game.
- Physical. Strength and stamina.
Goalkeepers are rated as keepers rather than on the outfield six. The attributes are there to give each player a feel, but the overall is what drives your projected season.
Position fit
A player only counts at their best when they are in a position they actually play. You cannot drop a striker into central defence, and the game will not let you place a player in a slot they do not cover. Full backs and wing backs share a family, so a left back can fill a left wing back role, and the reverse is true on the right. Building a balanced team in real positions is part of the challenge.
From squad rating to a season
When your XI is complete, the game takes the average overall of your eleven players. That squad rating maps to a projected record across a 38 game season. A higher rating means more wins, fewer draws and fewer losses. The relationship is set so that a perfect 38-0-0 only comes from a near flawless team, while a solid mid table side still puts together a respectable points haul.
Why a perfect season is so rare
To go 38-0-0 you need a top rated player in almost every position at once, which means drawing strong clubs at their peak across the whole draft. The maths is tuned so this happens only a small fraction of the time, even for skilled players. That is the point. A perfect season should feel like a real achievement, which is why so many people share it when it happens.