What is Baller League UK? Everything you need to know

T20 cricket. Bonsai trees. The ukulele. All smaller versions of bigger things that give us just as much pleasure as the originals – if not more sometimes. The day someone realised this could be applied to football was a great day. Welcome to Baller League UK.

This innovative football league has given the traditional format a few exciting twists and added in a sprinkling of hugely popular personalities from the sport, as well as the worlds of music, fashion and online influencers.

The result? A fast-paced, thrilling and unpredictable version of football that’s been pulling in the audiences in its first season. As Baller League UK heads towards its big finale, taking place on Thursday 12 June at The O2 in London, here’s what you need to know about this entertaining new sports competition.

Baller League UK is a dynamic six-a-side indoor football competition that blends traditional football with innovative rules and entertainment. Launched on Monday 24 March 2025 at the Copper Box Arena in London, the league features 12 teams managed by a mix of football legends, celebs and influencers. Each team features a 12-player squad selected through a draft system with matches broadcast live on Sky Sports.

The first Baller League was created in Germany by entrepreneur Felix Starck with input from German international footballers Mats Hummels and Lukas Podolski and its first season in 2024 was so successful that it was launched in the UK within a year (a US version is in the works too).

As well as nonstop action, Baller League UK aims to show off prodigious football skills, which means the teams are packed with experienced pros, futsal players and former academy prospects who bring the magic of the beautiful game to the Copper Box Arena every week.

It has various rule changes that make it stand out from other football competitions, including a 30-second shot clock; no corners, with a penalty if the defending team put the ball behind three times; coach’s challenges to refereeing decisions; and a wild card for the final three minutes of each 15-minute half, which could be making it three against three, banning keepers from using their hands or long-range goals counting as double.

There are six games on each gameday, which take place on Monday nights.

If you’re a fan of US sports, then you probably know a little bit about draft systems, like in the NFL where each of the 32 NFL teams take it in turns to select the best college prospects. Think of it like picking teams at school during your lunch break (actually, don’t – that brings back too many painful memories of being picked last…).

The Baller League UK draft system isn’t so different. The 2025 season draft took place on Monday 10 March 2025 with more than 160 players available for selection in the player pool, with just 144 players making it into the final squads.

Each player in that player pool was scouted, rated and ranked, with the managers using those stats to help them decide who should make it in their team.

But who picked first? Each manager answered 12 rounds of number-based questions, with the closest guess getting to pick first, and the furthest away picking last, adding a strategic element to the selection process.

There are 12 teams, each with a 12-player squad, and each is coached by a famous name or names.

Former England and Chelsea captain John Terry is in charge of 26ers, for example, while current women’s international stars Chloe Kelly and Alisha Lehmann are among the coaches, as are rapper Dave and influencers Angryginge and Miniminter. Rapper, entrepreneur and influencer KSI is the president of Baller League UK.

Some well-known players taking to the pitch include:

• Adrian Mariappa (ex-Crystal Palace and Watford)

• Ciaran Clark (ex-Newcastle, Aston Villa and Republic of Ireland)

• Henri Lansbury (ex-Arsenal and Nottingham Forest)

• Jordon Ibe (ex-Liverpool and Bournemouth)

• Marvin Sordell (ex-Bolton Wanderers and Charlton Athletic)

There are also a number of talented players released from pro clubs and academies, for whom Baller League UK could represent a chance of returning to the pro game. For those guys, it’s all to play for.

Angryginge’s Yanited hit the top of the table early on, winning their first five matches, but then they lost to Trebol FC and it’s been a really tight race to get into the top four since. There have been positive results for Deportrio FC, Santan FC and MVPs United, who all have a good chance of getting to the Final Four.

Trebol’s Amin Belaid, Yanited’s Tyler Winters and Florian Kastrati of VZN FC are among those hitting double figures for goals. And although N5 FC have remained near the foot of the table, their forward Bryan Ly (who’s been playing for sixth-tier Bury this season) has streaked ahead as the league’s top scorer.

The final regular-season gameday is on Monday 2 June at the Copper Box Arena and then it’s on to the Final Four on Thursday 12 June at The O2, which is expected to be packed with thousands of fans for a fantastic night of Baller League football.

You can see live coverage of each Monday gameday on Sky Sports Mix HD (CH 510), which is available to all Virgin TV customers at no extra cost. If you’re not yet a TV customer, check out our latest Broadband and TV deals. Check your Virgin TV channel guide for all the channels available as part of your TV subscription.

Brandon Smith is the lead commentator for all Baller League UK matches, while YouTuber and influencer Chunkz and presenter Olivia Buzaglo host the coverage.

If you’re looking to watch the action in person, whether that’s a gameday at the Copper Box Arena or the Final Four night at The O2 – tickets are available here.

Tickets are £15 per person although you can take under-sixes free of charge.

Gameday 11 of Baller League UK is on Monday 2 June and you can watch live on Sky Sports Mix HD (CH 510) or find tickets here. Baller League UK’s Final Four at The O2 takes place on Thursday 12 June and is also live on Sky Sports Mix HD (CH 510) – find tickets here. for more about Baller League UK, including clips of the exciting action, visit the Baller League website.

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