Article I. Introduction
Here at <>, we aspire to give all members the most enjoyable fantasy gaming experience possible. With the idea of mutual respect in mind we set out to create a league with a mature membership to help create, evolve and continue to evolve year after year. This is a league created by its owners for its owners.
All team owners are strongly encouraged to provide suggestions that may improve the league during and after each season. All franchise owners must keep a sportsman-like attitude at all times. Please remember that this league is for fun and friendly competition among hardcore owners. It's normal to be competitive; it's not fair to be cut-throat. All franchise owners must try to maintain a competitive team. It's not fair to "tank" or sell off your players because you're not doing as well as you hoped for. The commissioner reserves the right to step in to stop this if he feels an owner has mismanaged his team to the point of non-competitiveness.
Article II. League Fees
Annual League Fees will be $100 payable to commish via Venmo or Cash. The league will pay approximately $89.95 for a league website.
- The moment the league has enough funds to pay the site fee the commissioner will make the payment. (Approximate $99.95 for league website)
- At the conclusion of each season, winnings will be paid via “Payouts” (See Article IV)
- Any remaining funds leftover will be designated for Dynasty Jackpot (See Article V)
Article III. Divisions and Schedule
Divisions in this league are meant to bring out the most in competition as well as strategy. Each team will play their division rivals twice each year while playing the rest of the teams in the league once. There will be a “Double-Header” game in week 3. If the NFL has a team on a bye in week 3, then the “Double-Header” game will be the first week in which the NFL has no teams on a bye. .
Once the draft order is picked via the Start-up Draft (see Article VI), the division placements will be determined.
Division 1 1.01, 1.04, 1.07, 1.10
Division 2 1.02, 1.05, 1.08, 1.11
Division 3 1.03, 1.06, 1.09, 1.12
Division names will be determined later, hopefully by consensus of the teams involved.
Article IV.Payouts
First Place: $500
Second Place: $220
Third Place: $100
Division Winners: $50/ea (x3)
Charity Bowl Champ: $50
The league commissioner is responsible for distributing league winnings at the end of the season. The commissioner allocates funds from the league to owners who have placed during the league’s season.
Article V. Dynasty Jackpot
After the buy-in fee is allocated for the “Payouts and website fee, the remaining money will be pooled to the Dynasty Jackpot. The Dynasty Jackpot will accumulate each season and will be paid in full when a team manages to win the Championship in two consecutive seasons.
In the event a team wins the Championship in three (or more) consecutive seasons the Dynasty Jackpot will continue to be paid out each season.
Article VI.Replacing an Owner
The intent of the league is to never have to replace anyone. Realistically however; that time will come and an owner or two will need to be replaced.
- If the league needs to replace only one owner, the commissioner will reach out publically to seek a potential replacement. The incoming owner will take over the previous owner’s team as is and pick up where they left off.
- If more than one owner needs to be replaced prior to any one season, the rosters of all open teams will be dumped prior to the league’s rookie draft. The new owners will then be able to select new teams from the entire free agent pool. New owners will be randomly assigned a draft order.
Article VII. Playoffs
Section 7.01 Championship Bracket
- The league playoff (Championship Bracket) will begin on week 14 and carry through week 16.
- The three division champions will qualify for the Championship Bracket.
- The top two division champions will qualify for the first two seeds in the Championship Bracket and earn themselves a first round bye.
- The division champion who does not earn a first round bye will received the 3rd seed.
- Seeds 4 through 6 will be determined by best overall record.
- The schedule for the playoffs will be as follows:
Week 14
Game 1: Seed 6 vs Seed 3
Game 2: Seed 5 vs Seed 4
Week 15
Game 3: Lowest Remaining Seed vs Seed 1
Game 4: Second Lowest Remaining Seed vs Seed 2
Week 16
Game 5: Third-Place Game
Game 6: Championship Game
(a) Tie-breakers
Tiebreakers for division and wild-card races will be:
- 3 teams or more tied (note: If after a tie-breaker the number of teams involved is 2, revert to tie-breaker rules pertaining to 2 teams)
- Best record among games between all teams tied
- Best record within division (does not apply for wild-card spots)
- Most points
- Most points in games between all teams tied
- Draw name from a hat
- 2 teams tied
- Best record head-to-head
- Best record within division (does not apply for wild-card spots)
- Most points in all games
- Coin-flip
Section 7.02 Charity Bowl Bracket
The Charity Bowl is designed to keep incentive for teams on the outside of the playoff race from losing interest. This additional league event has been developed to make a mediocre team a little bit better by giving them an extra avenue that could result in a team making the Championship Bracket in the future.
- The Charity Bowl will begin on week 15 and carry through week 16
- The Charity Bowl will consist of the top two teams that failed to make the Championship Bracket and the two teams that lost during the first round of the Championship Bracket (losers of Game 1 and Game 2)
- The two teams that failed to qualify for the Championship Bracket will be seeded CB#3 and CB#4 based on who was higher at the end of the regular season.
- The CB#3 will play the lowest seeded Championship Bracket team that lost during round 1. CB #4 will play the other losing team from round 1.
- The schedule for the Charity Bowl will be as follows:
Week 15
Game 1: CB#4 vs CB#1
Game 2: CB#3 vs CB#2
Week 16
Game 3: Charity Bowl
- The winner of the Charity Bowl earns a bonus pick in round 2 of the rookie draft (pick 2.13) and a modest payout.
- Outside of the winner earning pick 2.13, the results of the Charity Bowl games will have NO effect on the following year’s rookie draft order.
Section 7.03 Toilet Bowl Bracket
The Toilet Bowl is designed to keep incentive for teams on the outside of the playoff race from losing interest. This additional league event has been developed to make a mediocre team a little bit better by giving them an extra avenue that could result in a team making the Championship Bracket in the future.
- The Toilet Bowl will begin on week 14 and carry through week 15
- The bottom four teams in the league (regardless of division) will qualify for the Toilet Bowl and be seeded by record.
- The schedule for the Toilet Bowl will be as follows:
Week 14
Game 1: TB#4 vs TB#1
Game 2: TB#3 vs TB#2
Week 15
Game 3: Toilet Bowl
- The winner of the Toilet Bowl earns a bonus pick in round 1 of the rookie draft (pick 1.13).
- Outside of the winner earning pick 1.13, the results of the Toilet Bowl games will have NO effect on the following year’s rookie draft order.
Article VIII. Draft
Section 8.01 Start-up Draft
The start-up Draft will begin in June 2014. The start-up draft will be the event where all charter teams will take turns picking players to fill their rosters. The draft will begin 1 week after the order is determined.
- The draft order will be determined at random
- Draft pick trading is highly encouraged prior to the start of the start-up draft
- League owners will have at least one week to offer/consider/accept trades prior to the start of the start-up draft.
- The league start-up draft is a 30 round draft consisting of both rookie and veteran players.
- This draft is a slow draft. Each owner will have a maximum of eight hours per pick. The draft clock will be suspended from 12am-8am CST.
- During the draft, owners will need to be active while they are “On the clock” (OTC). By active, we mean that owners are encouraged to respond to trade offers.
- Though you have eight hours to pick, the majority will not need to use the full eight hours. Be ready to be OTC at any time.
- If you know you will be away for an extended period of time, please take advantage of the pre-selection rankings tool that the website uses.
- If an OTC owner is working on a trade, please make an attempt to inform the draft room via the chat window so the league knows you are active.
- If necessary, the commissioner may do a “time check” at the end of June to determine if the league is on pace to conclude the draft by the middle of August. The commissioner will have the discretion to modify the maximum number of time between draft picks.
Section 8.02 Rookie Draft
The league’s rookie draft is designed to keep a flow of younger players into the league.
- Beginning in 2015, the league rookie draft will take place each year after the NFL draft.
- Picks 1.01-1.06 in the rookie draft order will be determined by the reverse order of the previous year’s SEASON STANDINGS
- Picks 1.07-1.12 in the rookie draft order will be determined by the reverse order of the previous year’s CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET results. (League champ will receive 1.12, runner-up will receive 1.11, 3rd place 1.10, 4th place 1.09. Tie-breakers based on seed will apply for teams losing in 1st round)
- The Toilet Bowl standings have no determination of picks 1.01-1.06 in the rookie draft.
- An extra rookie pick (1.13) will be reserved each year for the winner of the Toilet Bowl.
- An extra rookie pick (2.13) will be reserved each year for the winner of the Charity Bowl.
- This draft will consist of five rounds.
- Veteran free agents will also be included in this draft.
- Teams with more picks than five will have to make room for incoming players or forfeit their picks starting from back to front.
Article IX.Rosters & Injured Reserve
- The maximum roster size of each team DURING the season is 25 and the maximum roster size of each team in the OFF season is 30. If a team has acquired more picks than five for the rookie draft, that team will need to create enough roster space to accommodate incoming players via the draft or the picks will be removed starting from the last pick to the first pick.
- Teams will have to trim their rosters down to 25 by the mandatory cut date (Monday 12:00 CST before the start of the regular season). If a team fails to do this, the commissioner will be forced to trim that team’s roster for them.
- There are no positional limits in the league.
- There will be two Injured Reserve slots on each team. These slots will not affect your maximum roster size during the season. These players will automatically be sent back to the owners main roster the Tuesday after the league championship. Remember, if this happens, the owner of the team would need to cut players accordingly to make room for incoming draft picks.
- Any player listed on “IR” by the Official NFL Injury Report may be placed on Injured Reserve.
- Players listed as PROBABLE, QUESTIONABLE, DOUBTFUL, OUT or PUP may not be placed on Injured Reserve.
- Once placed on IR that player must remain there until he is removed from IR or the end of the season, whichever comes first.
- Players placed on a team’s IR cannot be cut until the end of the season.
Article X. Trading
- A trade is the exchange of players and/or draft picks by two or more owners.
- Loaning a player (one week trades) is prohibited.
- Trades are strongly encouraged. An owner can try and build his team through the draft/waiver wires; however trades are usually the more logical approach.
- The commissioner has a right to veto trades but will only exercise this right in extreme circumstances. There is an expectation that people are making trades in the best interest of their team and for no other reason.
- Trades will not be allowed from 12:00AM o the Tuesday following the Week 13 games until 12:00AM on the Tuesday following the conclusion of the season.
- If draft picks for years other than the current year are to be traded, the team owner trading the picks away must pay half of that year’s league fee ($25) upon completion of the trade. This is to prevent Owners who sabotaged their future drafts from leaving the league. Owners will have a one week grace period if the trade was made in the offseason. Failure to make this payment will result in the trade being void and all players and/or picks being returned to their previous owner.
- There is no offseason in a dynasty league. Owners should always be looking for ways to improve their team.
Article XI.Owner Responsibilities
- Owners are responsible for verifying the scores and the legality of lineups of both their own team and their competition. Owners are responsible for notifying the commissioner/website of stat changes should they occur.
- Any scoring conflicts will be resolved through the official NFL website.
- Every owner must try to field their best team each week. Players in starting lineups that are on byes or knowingly injured will not be allowed. If a team fails to submit a lineup AND a starting player is on a bye AND there is only 1 possible active backup THEN the commissioner may substitute the player on a bye.
- Each owner will be responsible for responding to trade attempts and their earliest convenience.
- Owners are responsible for maintaining a professional sportsman-like attitude at all times.
Article XII. Rule Changes & Bylaw Amendments
Please understand that on a yearly basis there are always situations that seem to fall between the cracks of our documented rules. In such cases, an amendment to the bylaws will be thought up based on two key fundamentals, the betterment of the league and consistency. Once the amendment is presented, the league commissioner officially polls the league. If the amendment passes, it will immediately be placed in the league bylaws.
- During the start-up portion of the league, a simple majority vote (7/12) to make changes to the PROPOSED bylaws will rule.
- The bylaws will be in effect once 9/12 owners have voted to ratify.
- During the offseason, a ¾ majority vote (9/12) will be needed to make an amendment to the league by laws.
- In the event something happens during the season and an amendment is needed to be made, a unanimous vote (12/12) would be required to make the change. This will only be used in the event of a critical issue.
- Every attempt to change rules or amend these bylaws must be made during the offseason whenever possible.
- In cases where a rule is ambiguous or not defined the commissioner shall make a ruling.
- Losing intentionally (tanking a game) to better your draft pick for the next season is prohibited.
- Losing intentionally to help out or hurt another owner’s chance of making the playoffs is prohibited.
- The purpose of this league is to have fun. Failing to field your best team undermines the integrity of the league. Every owner must try to field his best team each week. Failing to get a lineup changed in time does happen sometimes, but intentionally losing a game for any reason, including aiding another team, or trying to improve draft positions the following year, goes against the league rules and is not permitted.
- If, following an investigation by the commissioner, an instance of tanking has been confirmed, the owner in question will be removed from the league immediately and without refund.
- Collusion is not permitted. Each owner will try to win through the efforts of their own. Collusion is demonstrated by any transaction or series of transactions that works to the exclusive benefit of one team and the detriment of the other, or any series of transactions that amount to two or more teams pooling their rosters.
- Any transaction a team participates in should be of benefit to the team’s game time efforts. A transaction done solely to aid another team who plays a rival does not count as showing a benefit and is a clear-cut example of collusion.
- Borrowing players (two owners make a trade and then those players are traded back to the original owners at another time) is a form of collusion and is prohibited.
- Obviously the above rules and ethics provide a very wide gray area in most cases. Extremely blatant and obvious behavior to undermine any of the Ethics rules above will be investigated by the league commissioner and will be dealt with swiftly if the team is found in violation.
Article XIII. Ethics
Article XIV. Scoring
- There will be 10 starters in each line up consisting of:
QB: 1 player
RB: 2-3 players
WR: 2-4 players
TE: 1-3 players
K: 1 player
D: 1 team defense
- The point system for games shall be as follows:
QB/RB/WR/TE/K
Passing 6 pts
Rushing/Receiving TD 6 pts
Punt Return/Kick Return TD 6 pts
Passing Yards 0.1 pt per every 5 yards
Rushing/Receiving Yards 0.1 pt per every 2 yards
2pt Pass/Rush/Receiving 2 pts
Passing INT -3 pts
Fumble Lost -2 pts
Field Goal (0-49 yds) 3 pts
Field Goal (50+ yds) 4 pts
Extra Point Kick 1 pt
Defensive Scoring
Defensive Fumble/INT TD 6 pts
Defensive INT 3 pts
Defensive Fumble Recovery 2 pts
Defensive Safety 2 pts
Defensive Sack 1 pt
Points Allowed: 0-6 10 pts
Points Allowed: 7-13 7 points
Points Allowed: 14-20 5 points
Points Allowed: 21-27 3 points
Points Allowed: 28-34 1 point
Note: Punt/Kick return TD’s are credited to the player only, not the defense. Defensive points are awarded to the team defense only, not an offensive player who happens to be playing defense at the time.
- In case of a scoring tie in the regular season the game will be declared a tie. In the case of a scoring tie in the Championship Bracket, Charity Bowl Bracket or Toilet Bowl Bracket the tie will be broken by most bench points.
Article XV. Waiver Wire
The league waiver process will be handled via Blind Bidding with a short First Come First Serve (FCFS) period after the Blind Bidding period has ended each week during the season. There will be no FCFS period during the off season with the only exception being right before the NFL's first game of the season and after the final off season Blind Bidding period.
- Blind Bidding Budgets will be set at $100 per year.
- Budgets will be replenished as soon as the waiver wire opens each year.
- The waiver wire will open each year 24 hours after the league Rookie/FA draft.
- During the off season the waiver wire blind bidding process will take place between Thursday 12:00AM CST until the following Wednesday 11:00PM CST all the way until NFL week one begins. The final week of this process will mark the official end the off season.
- During the season (beginning week 2) the blind bidding process will take place between Tuesday 2:00AM CST until Wednesday 11:00PM CST.
- There will be no First Come First Serve acquisitions during the off season.
- In season, there will be a FCFS time frame each week after the scheduled blind bidding period has ended until the end of those weeks games. (Keep in mind, players will be locked when their respective games begin)
- Any disputes in regards to bidding should be presented to the commissioner immediately for review. If an owner should fail to request a review within 48 hours of the last waiver wire blind bidding period, all transactions will be upheld.
- The waiver wire Blind Bidding period may be paused or temporarily stopped by the commissioner to rectify disputes if one should arise. Though the commissioner has this authority, he will exercise this right only in extreme cases.'
- The waiver wire dates may change depending on NFL scheduling each year or in the event of reasons out of the NFL's control (i.e. Natural Disasters, Terrorist attacks, etc.). The league commissioner will email league members of any such changes.
