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Getting Started

Managing Your Team

Set a strong lineup, pick a Key Legislator, and improve your roster as the session unfolds.

3 min read

Meet Lex, the FG Academy owl. Lex will walk you through managing your team — keeping a strong active lineup, picking a Key Legislator, and improving your roster as the session unfolds.

Setting your lineup An owl guide shows a roster of fifteen, then ten starters with five benched, then starters earning points on game day. Your roster: 15 Start 10 · bench 5 128 points +5 +8 +3 They score! Only starters earn points
Draft 15, start 10, bench 5 — only your starters score each week.

Your roster at a glance

Fifteen legislators: 10 active, 5 on the bench. Your active lineup must always keep at least 3 Senators and 5 Representatives.

Roster structure Ten active legislators that score — three Senate, five House, two flex — above five bench reserves that do not score. Active lineup — 10 these score each week Sen Sen Sen Rep Rep Rep Rep Rep Any Any Bench — 5 reserves, ready to swap in — don’t score Senate (min 3) House (min 5) Flex (any chamber)
Active legislators score each week; the bench is your reserve.

Set your lineup

  1. 1

    Open your team

    Go to your team page in the league you want to manage.

  2. 2

    Swap active and bench

    Move a legislator between your active lineup and the bench.

  3. 3

    Save before the lock

    Save ahead of the scoring lock so the change counts this week.

Your team page (placeholder)A mock of the team page: a save button, an active lineup of ten with one Key Legislator, and a bench of five.My TeamSave lineupActive (10)2×Bench (5)
Placeholder — your live team page will appear here.

Pick your Key Legislator

Each week, designate one legislator as your Key Legislator. Every point they earn that week is multiplied by 2×. A member with a busy floor schedule is usually a good pick — and so is a committee chair the week their committee reports a bill out.

Key LegislatorOne legislator with a two-times badge scores double for the week, with Lex the owl alongside.2×points ×2Pick one weeklyKey Legislator — points count double
Your Key Legislator scores double for the week.

Watch the calendar

The congressional calendarActivity clusters in session weeks and slows during recess, shown as a busy week and a quiet week with Lex.+++z z zIn session: points flowRecess: things slow
In session, points flow; in recess, things slow.

Congress does not work at a steady pace. Activity clusters in session weeks and slows during recess, so set your lineup — and your Key Legislator — with the calendar in mind.

Add, drop, and trade

Add, drop, and tradeAdding one legislator while dropping another, and trading chips between two managers, with Lex alongside.Add one, drop oneYouThemOr trade with a manager
Add one and drop one, or trade with another manager.

Any legislator not on a roster is available. Add one by dropping someone to make room. In standard leagues you can also trade directly with another manager — they have to accept.

Your weekly routine

  1. Check the calendar for the week ahead.
  2. Set your lineup — keep 3 Senators and 5 Representatives.
  3. Pick your Key Legislator for the 2× boost.
  4. Scan available legislators for someone to add.
  5. Propose a trade if it strengthens your roster.