Kings League - what is it, rules, tournaments

Find out what the Kings League, created by former Barcelona player Gerard Piqué, is all about. Learn about the format, rules, teams, and check where to watch Kings League match streams!

Kings League – what is it?

Kings League is a seven-a-side football format created in 2022 by former footballer Gerard Piqué. Originally launched in Spain, Kings League is characterized by rules that differ significantly from traditional football regulations.

Since 2025, Kings League has expanded with leagues in countries and regions such as:

• Italy
• Brazil
• France
• Germany
• USA (planned launch in 2026)
• Latin America (Kings League Américas / Kings Cup Americas)
• Middle East (MENA region, including Saudi Arabia)

Kings League – competition format

Kings League is divided into two splits: Winter and Summer. Each split features its own league phase and playoffs. In the league phase, it's a round-robin (everyone plays everyone). Standings are determined by wins and goal difference.

A win in regular time gives 3 points. A win in a penalty shootout gives 2 points. A loss in a penalty shootout awards 1 point. A loss in regular time gives 0 points.

In a 12-team league, after all matches and the final table update, the team in 1st place advances directly to the semi-finals. Teams in 2nd–4th place advance to the second playoff round. Teams in 5th–10th place enter the first playoff round. Playoffs follow a traditional knockout format.

With the league's expansion to more countries, the Kings World Cup has been established, bringing together the best teams from around the world. It features winners of each split as well as top-placed teams from the leagues.

Kings League – rules

Regarding squad and team format: each team has a 12-player roster that remains unchanged throughout the entire split. In the early editions of Kings and Queens League worldwide, a draft system and trades were used. Players could apply and were selected in a draft process based on skill evaluation.

A Kings League match involves 7 players. Matches are played on a pitch with recommended dimensions of 55 m × 35 m. The goalposts are slightly smaller than standard ones. Matches consist of two halves of 20 minutes each. During the match, the referee calls two breaks: one after 20 minutes of the first half and one before the 39th minute of the game.

There are no draws in Kings League—if the match ends level, the winner is decided by penalty shootouts. Each matchday takes place on the same day, with games played back-to-back at the same venue.

Rules for a given split are decided by fan voting on social media, where supporters choose the best options. Here are some examples:

• Penalty shootouts – The player starts from the halfway line and plays a 1v1 action against the opposing goalkeeper. The action must be completed within five seconds. If the goalkeeper saves the shot or the ball hits the post after touching the keeper, the penalty is considered missed.
• Cards / punishments – Yellow cards result in a 2-minute exclusion from the pitch. A red card leads to a 1-minute exclusion until a substitute enters.
• Double goals – From the 39th minute onward, every goal scored before the final whistle counts as double. In the Kings Cup, if the score is tied after 38 minutes, the game switches to "golden goal" format. In all other non-tie scenarios, the double-goal rule still applies.

Special rules

During a match, teams can use so-called secret cards, each available once per game per team. Here are some of the most popular ones:

• Double goal – The team that plays this card doubles the number of goals scored for the next 4 minutes.
• Suspension – The team playing this card can remove an opponent from the pitch for 4 minutes.
• Star – Similar to a captain's armband, the team can designate a player as the "star." All goals scored by that player count double until the 39th minute.
• Joker – The team can activate any other card, or cancel / steal an opponent's card.
• Dice – In the 18th minute, a giant die is rolled onto the pitch. The result applies to the last two minutes of the first half. The die can change the match to 3v3, 2v2, or even 1v1 with goalkeepers only.

These rules are designed to create new possibilities and dramatically increase the pace of play. This also leads to extremely high-scoring games, unlike typical football matches.

Kings League – where to watch?

Kings League matches are available for free via live streams on the league's official channels on Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok, as well as on the individual teams' channels.