A first look at Baller League - fast-paced & full of flair

YouTuber Angry Ginge's Yanited are top of the table in Baller League UK after bossing teams managed by Arsenal's Invincibles and former Chelsea captain John Terry in the opening two matchdays.

It's all part of the disruptive world of this new six-a-side tournament, where other managers include the likes of Ballon d'Or winner Luis Figo and rapper Dave.

Baller League was set up in Germany by entrepreneur Felix Starck alongside footballers Mats Hummels and Lukas Podolski, and has now come to the UK and US.

KSI, who has 24.8 million YouTube subscribers, is president of the UK version.

There are matches every Monday until 2 June on indoor football pitches at Copper Box Arena, London, with 12 teams competing.

The top four teams will qualify for the play-offs in mid-June, with two semi-finals and a final to decide a champion.

Players are paid £400 per match and the teams are made up of recently retired professionals, futsal players, free agents and released academy players, who all came through trials in London and Manchester.

Played on short indoor pitches in 15-minute halves, with multiple dynamic rule-changes throughout, the format favours flair players, high-scoring and strong tackling.

Each match is streamed live, with YouTuber Chunkz hosting a weekly show where celebrities and other stars from the world of football drop in. In matchday two, Tottenham Hotspur defender Kevin Danso was a pitchside co-commentator.

Innovative rules make the game fast-moving and high-scoring.

There are no corners - if the ball goes behind off the opposition three times, a penalty is awarded to the attacking team. Cue plenty of long shots in matchday two, aiming to either score or get the ball deflected behind.

In the final three minutes of each half different rules are added, including a 3 vs 3 format, long-range goals scored from behind the offside line counting as double and goalkeepers being unable to use their hands.

Under one of the rules, attacking players are given a 30-second limit before they have to shoot.

Coaches can also throw in a white flag to challenge a refereeing decision.

On the coaching side, Baller League have enlisted an impressive roll call of current and ex-professional footballers, as well as YouTubers and celebrities.

Former Arsenal players Jens Lehmann, Freddie Ljungberg and Robert Pires, who all played in Arsene Wenger's 'Invincible' side of 2003-04, manage N5 FC – the name being a reference to North London.

They're bottom of the table after losing their opening two matches - a 7-2 matchday one loss to Yanited and a 7-3 defeat by Deportrio, who are managed by Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards.

Richards was every bit as animated on the touchline after that win as one might imagine.

Former Chelsea and England captain Terry's 26ers are also down at the bottom of the table following two losses, as are Wembley Rangers, managed by Arsenal legend Ian Wright and Lioness Chloe Kelly.

Meanwhile, Angry Ginge's Yanited are top of the table, having scored 14 goals across their first two matches in the tournament.

Squads were assembled including former Premier League players, futsal players, free agents and released academy players.

Manchester United academy graduate Josh Harrop plays for FC RTW, former Liverpool winger Jordon Ibe, who featured in Jurgen Klopp's first game at the club and was once Bournemouth's record signing, now represents Terry's 26ers.

Newcastle academy graduate Michael Ndiweni was in the matchday squad when the Magpies faced Paris St-Germain at the Parc de Princes in the Champions League last season. He shone in matchday one for streetwear icon Clint's FC RTW, scoring twice and doing some impressive defensive work too.

Kurtice Herbert was an academy player at Fulham and Chelsea. After picking up an injury to his knee, he took up futsal and plays for England six-a-side. Herbert was picked to play for Team VZN, who are managed by YouTubers Manny and Tobi Brown.

Josh Rusoke, 23, played with the likes of Bukayo Saka at Arsenal's academy from the age of eight to 16. After being picked by MVPS United in the draft, he got two assists in his first game.

Meanwhile, wildcard drafts mean managers can bring new players into their teams each week - this led to former Newcastle striker Nile Ranger, now at Kettering Town, stepping on to the pitch for Dave's Santan FC in matchday two.

It all adds to a relentless tournament where players, managers and viewers can never rest.