What are Defensive Contributions in FPL? How Does it Work?

Defensive contributions in Fantasy Premier League are a special addition for the FPL 2025/26 season. The FPL defensive contributions will surely play a crucial role in the new FPL season, and the reasons have been discussed below. In the previous FPL seasons, defensive points were rare for a player, as the goalkeeper and defenders could earn four points by maintaining a clean sheet and bonus points, while goals and assists points were mostly rare for them.

Meanwhile, with every two goals conceded in a match, the defender or goalkeeper loses one point, which makes the defensive selections very difficult for a Fantasy manager. But following changes in FPL rules, defensive contributions are set to change the mindset of the selection process.

What are Defensive Contributions in Fantasy Premier League?

Defensive contributions are crucial for every outfield player to generate additional FPL points, as each player’s combined effective defensive performances will produce valuable points for the player. The rules for the defensive contributions will be followed differently for a defender and a midfielder/forward.

For a defender, the points from defensive contributions in FPL are in addition to their clean sheet successes that earn four valuable points for the effective goalkeeper and defenders of a team (a player must stay on the field for a minimum of 60 minutes to count as a clean sheet).

With a minimum of 10 CBIT, a defender earns two FPL points. Below, we discuss CBIT in detail.

What is CBIT in the FPL Defensive Contributions?

CBIT is the key valuation marker for the defensive contributions in FPL. It has four key defensive elements, which are clearances, blocks, interceptions, and tackles. A defensive player has to record at least 10 times a combination of the CBIT elements—clearances, blocks, interceptions, and tackles—to earn two FPL points.

It is similar to the one extra point for the goalkeepers to make three saves in a match. However, unlike the unlimited extra points opportunities for a goalkeeper, the defensive contributions can bring only a maximum of two points for a defender in a match. So, if a defender records 20 or more CBIT in a match, he can still earn only two FPL points rather than four or more points.

The Previous Problems and Modern Solutions

As the fate of the clean sheet is very risky, the Fantasy managers generally prefer offensive full-backs and higher goal-scoring ability centre-backs in the defender positions.

As the clean sheet brings only one point for the effective midfielders, the Fantasy managers generally ignored defensive midfielders till the last FPL season, who generally have a lack of goal-scoring ability. However, this scenario is surely going to be changed from the FPL 2025-26 season, as the midfielders and forwards will be awarded for their CBIRT performances, and the details of it have been clarified below.

What is CBIRT in the defensive contributions in FPL?

CBIRT in the FPL defensive contributions is the same as CBIT with the additional element of “ball recoveries.” So, for the midfielders and forwards, the defensive contributions in FPL elements are:

• Clearances

• Blocks

• Interceptions

• Tackles

• Ball recoveries

The ball recoveries for the midfielders and forwards will be counted for providing the first controlled pass after winning the battle for a ball, starting a counter-attack, etc.

Differences between CBIT and CBIRT valuations for FPL points

Unlike a defender, who can earn two points for recording 10 CBIT in a match, a midfielder or forward can earn two FPL points for recording 12 CBIRT in a match. However, just like a defender, a midfielder, or a forward can’t earn more than two FPL points in a game from defensive contributions. So, if a midfielder or a forward scores 24 CBIRT in a match, the player can’t earn four points from defensive contributions in FPL, as the player can only earn a maximum of two FPL points.

Importance of Defensive Contributions in FPL

Due to the presence of defensive contributions in FPL, the defensive midfielders and non-goal-scoring centre-backs will also earn significant importance. The FPL has brought a scenario of the defensive contribution points from last season’s data, where top performers were centre-backs and defensive midfielders.