Rules

Playoff positioning:

1. Win-loss record.
2. Head-to-head record (in the case of 3 or more teams being tied with the same win-loss record, look at the winning percentage of the combined head-to-head records of the 3 teams versus each other; in the case of 3 teams having the same win-loss record with 2 having the same winning percentage and the third having an inferior head-to-head record, the 2 tied teams move on to the next tie-breaking procedure and the team with the inferior record doesn't make the playoffs).
3. Division record (for draft purposes, even if in different divisions)
4. Point difference in head-to-head games
5. Point difference in all games
6. In the case of 2 teams still being tied, a one-game playoff game will be played. If more than 2 teams are tied, numbers will be drawn out of a hat with the highest number going to the playoffs.

Draft Order:

The draft order is done the opposite way as the playoff order with the team having the worst win-loss record, head-to-head record, etc. obtaining the higher draft choice. All rounds will have the same order except for traded draft choices.

Draft Eligibility:

To be drafted, a player must be both eligible for the draft and added to the draft list before the draft list deadline. Rookies are only eligible to be drafted if they have ratings for the season in question. If a player has already played in either the NFL/NBA/ABA, then they can be drafted even if they don't have a rating for the season in question (they still must be added to the draft list before the deadline).

All players that are eligible for the draft list must be added to the draft list before the deadline that is given during the off season in order to be draftable. This ensures that players are not added to the draft at the last minute, giving the other coaches little or no time to research the player. The deadline to add players to the draft is 36 hours before the draft. Any player not added by the deadline will only be able to be drafted as a free agent, which means even if you take the player in the regular rounds (1-8 for football), you can only keep him for one season.

Draft Time Limit:

Unless someone else wants to be the timer, I will do it since we have a couple of timers at home. After 3 minutes, a 1-minute warning will be given. If you want to be the timer, let me know. Obviously, someone other than the normal timer should be the timer when the timer is drafting.

Just like in the NFL, if someone misses the time limit, they don't lose their pick. But the next coach to draft can go ahead and choose a player (their time limit starts like normal). So it is in the coaches interest to be prepared and ready to take a player. This will also help speed up the drafts.

If a pick is traded during the draft, the coach receiving the pick does not get extra time to choose. If they are trading for the pick, then chances are they already know who they want. Plus giving extra time would just lengthen the draft, which is exactly what we don't want to happen.

This should rarely if ever happen, but just in case: if the time limit is passed and the tardy coach and the next coach suddenly type in the same player, then whomever typed it first will get the pick. Since the chat software has a time lag, it may look like you typed the player name first when you actually didn't, so if there is any dispute, we will use the computer screen of the last coach to take a player within the time limit to decide who typed the player's name first. For example, coach A makes his selection within the time limit. Coach B then goes over the time limit, so Coach C is given the go-ahead to draft if he is ready. Coach B and Coach C both type in the same player name close to the same time. On coach C's computer, it looks like he typed the name in first (due to the time lag in the chat software). Coach B in reality typed the name first, and disputes Coach C's claim of being first. Since there is a dispute, a screenshot of Coach A's computer will determine who was first. Again, this should never happen, especially if coaches are prepared and don't run over the time limit.

Voting for the time limit in the summer of 2005: Knowles, Olinger, Bublak, Rex. Voting against: Shawn. Not voting either way: Hammett.

Cut Deadlines:

FB: if the deadline for cutting players is missed, the coach missing the deadline loses a 4th round draft choice for the next draft (if the coach has already traded that pick, then the pick becomes a 3rd round pick, etc. If all picks have been traded away, then picks are taken from the next draft). If the coach hasn't turned in the cuts by 24 hours after the deadline (i.e. is more than 24 hours late), then the lost draft choice moves up a round (e.g. the 4th round pick is now a 3rd round pick). This continues for each 24 hour period until a 1st round draft choice is lost. If the coach still hasn't cut players by the start of the next week's NFL games after the deadline, then the cuts are made for the coach, in this order: the team's last player drafted from the latest draft is cut, going in reverse order until the roster limit is made. For example, cuts may be due on a Sunday night, September 17. If cuts aren't made by the coach by the start of the next week's games on September 24, then cuts are made for the coach.

Hoops: same as FB except that if cuts aren't made by 48 hours after the deadline, then cuts are made for the team, in the same reverse draft order used for FB. Also, the first draft choice lost is a 2nd round pick, not a 4th round pick.

Lineup Deadlines:

If the deadline for submitting lineups is missed, the Commissioner can either have the computer decide the lineups for those that missed the deadline or the Commissioner can hold off on playing games until lineups are submitted.

Division Order:

Personnel:

Trades:

Trades cannot occur between teams of the same owner. A year must pass before a coach can get a player or draft picks back (for either of that coach's team) after trading them. This will avoid:

-any perception of favoring one's own teams in trades,
-the perception of stacking one team by removing starters from the other team and giving them to the stronger team,
-the situation in which a trade proposition is only offered to that same coach's other team. In real professional leagues, the trade would also be offered to other coaches, in the hopes of getting an even better deal.


Trade deadlines: for football, no trades can occur after week 6. For basketball, no trades can occur after game 53. Our trade deadlines coincide with the NFL's and NBA's deadlines. After that, trades cannot occur involving active teams during the rest of the regular season or playoffs. For example, in 2002, the NFL trade deadline was October 15. That puts the deadline at 6 games into the season. Therefore no trades can take place in our football league after week 6.

Trades are left to the discretion of the coaches, however, if the commissioner deems a trade to be severely one-sided, he retains the right to void the trade and/or offer alternative solutions to make the trade more equitable. This should only happen in very rare occasions, and most likely will never occur. These leagues have existed for many years and we cannot allow any one coach to destroy the balance of the league by taking advantage of another coach in an unfair trade.

Trades must be announced (at the latest) immediately prior to the first game that will be affected by the roster changes; they do not have to be announced before that.

The temporary "loaning" of players has been banned as of December, 2002. This includes housing a player for a team that does not have enough roster spots.

Similarly, trades including players or picks to be named later are not allowed as this has the same effect of "housing" a player for a team that does not have enough roster spots.

When you make a trade, you need to let the Commissioner and database data-entry person know:

1) all the trade conditions and information, including:

• team names of the teams involved
• player first name
• player last name
• player position(s)
• player ratings (for hoops: offense and defense; for fb: overall rating, e.g. 10)
• player ages at time of trade (not needed for retro)

Trades can't become official until the above information is provided to the commissioner. Whenever there is a trade, there are 10 processes that have to be done; if we don't have all the info on the trade, it holds things up.

With that in mind, the commissioner gets tired of having to make lineup decisions for coaches, so to give coaches an incentive to turn in their lineups ASAP after a trade, if you don't send a lineup at the time of your announcing the trade, the players will not be able to play for the coach that neglects to send in a new lineup. For example, Coach A and Coach B make a trade. Coach A turns in his lineup, but Coach B does not. Coach A's new players can play right away. Coach B's new players cannot play until a new lineup is sent in for Coach B's team.

Furthermore, the commissioner gets tired of having to wait for coaches to announce who they are cutting, so the following rule is made to give coaches an incentive to make any necessary cuts: if the trade would put you over the roster limit and you do not tell us who you are cutting, then the trade can be reversed by the opposing coach until such time as the negligent coach makes the trade. For example, Coach A trades 3 players to Coach B for 2 players. Coach B needs to cut a player, but doesn't say who he is cutting. Until he makes the necessary cut, Coach A can back out of the trade. To avoid this, merely make your cuts at the time of the trade. You should know who you are cutting even before you start trade negotiations.

So the bottom line is, when you do a trade, you need to also tell us who you are cutting and what your new lineup will be. If you haven't figured that out, then don't announce the trade.

This next rule applies to the basketball leagues only, not football:

First round picks in basketball can only be traded away for the next season. First round picks further into the future cannot be traded. For example, team ABC wants to trade their first round pick for the 2025 draft, but they cannot trade it away until the 2024 draft is completed.

As a reminder, the above rule change was voted for (on 3/31/03) by Bublak, Hammett, and Knowles. Allen and Shawn voted to not implement any rules change. Rex voted to not allow any trade of first round picks until it was known where in the first round that pick fell.

Banning of trades involving trades in which the players of one team end up on the other team of the same coach via an intermediary trade: as of 8/9/07, for future trades in all of our leagues, we'll be requiring that a year passes before a coach can get a player or draft picks back (for either team) after trading them. This will avoid:

-any perception of favoring one's own teams in trades occurring between two teams coached by the same person,
-the perception of stacking one team by removing starters from the other team and giving them to the stronger team,
-the situation in which a trade proposition is only offered to that coach's other team. In real professional leagues, the trade would also be offered to other coaches, in the hopes of getting an even better deal.

Miscellaneous:

The football game software requires that a blocking RB (defined as having a run-block rating of 2 or higher) start in the basic formation, therefore you roster and basic offensive lineup must include one.

Injuries for the basketball leagues will be determined by our own injury program during the regular season. The basketball game will determine injuries during the playoffs. It is possible for players who played all 82 games to have multi-game injuries in the playoffs. Injuries from the regular season will carry over to the playoffs.

Coaches are not allowed to purposely lose games in order to obtain a better draft choice. This includes purposely playing inferior players over superior players.

Free agents can be picked up at any point of the season and post season.

If one of your players mistakenly turns up in our draft (this is more likely to happen in the fb league), you need to notify us before the draft. Remember, it's your responsibility to know your players well enough that if one accidentally makes it into the draft, that should be an obvious red flag for you. If you tell us about it after the draft, it will be too late and whomever drafted the player will have rights to that player.

Football rosters are expanded now 45 players (used to be 44). Change made by vote on 8/25/03.

Position changes in hoops:

If NBA.com has a different position than the one you want for one of your players, at your discretion, I can change it. For instance, if the game software has Jermaine O'Neal as a forward and NBA.com has him as a center, I can change him to FC in the game. Most coaches won't have any changes to make. Only go by NBA.com.....not ESPN.com, etc. Occasionally, NBA.com won't list a position for a player, so we'll have to use the one in the game. NBA.com may change the positions once the NBA season starts, so you need to let me know which players to change within 2 weeks of me sending your ratings to you. That should give you plenty of time. Besides, we should use the position ratings on the site for the season just completed, not the upcoming season. This also prevents me from the hassle of changing stuff once the league is set up for the new season (7/5/2006)

These rules are constantly being modified to maintain a fun and fair league.

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