SNARL 2008 Rules and Options

Option Settings

Penalties - Yes
Player Overusage - No
QB End Run Limits - Yes
QB Overusage - No
Running Back Fatigue - Yes
Home Field Advantage - No
Linebacker Run Containment - Yes
Use Individualized Fumble Ratings - No
Do not allow exceeding longest run - Yes
Do not allow exceeding longest reception - No
Dumpoff Rule - Yes
Updated Sack Rule - Yes
In-Game Rest System - No
Emphasize 6-rated LBs - Yes
Great Player Impact Rule - No
Looser Substitution Restrictions - No
Empty Flat Pass=Guessed Wrong – Yes
Use Variable FG Rule - Yes
Injuries - None
Use Home Team Rules

Game Options

Auto Save After Each Play: Required
Show "Other Highlites" on Box Score: Required

Prohibited Offensive Moves

The QB who starts a drive must finish it. No shuttling QBs on the same drive.

No flanker or split end may be slotted as the third or fourth wide receiver unless he is rated at both positions.
The starting TE must be on the right side in any multiple-TE formation.

No altering the #1 and #2 kick and punt returners in any way

Prohibited Defensive Moves

The starting FS (and other starting DBs) may not play as extra defensive backs. This is to prevent cherry-picking the matchups (as are the restrictions on moving starting receivers).

Safety Blitzes

The safety blitz is now unlimited.

3-3-5 and 4-2-5 Limitations

3-3-5 and 4-2-5 can only be used when the offense is in a formation with three or more WRs and only one RB, or on any 3rd or 4th down, or during the last five minutes of each half. There is no restriction in overtime.

Overusage Provisions

The QB and RB with the most attempts will have no limits. The others will be limited to 133% of their actual attempts or carries. This is a seasonal limit, not weekly or game-by-game. For example, a running back who is permitted 32 carries could use them all in one game - he is not limited to 2 carries per game. Backup QBs with less than 50 attempts will be limited to 50 attempts, or 133% of their total attempts, whichever is greater. In the playoffs, backup QBs with over 100 passes in real life can play no more than either the first half or the second half of the game. Other backup QBs may not play at all. The Commissioner may also impose additional playoff limits on certain backup running backs, in his discretion.

Backup QB Usage Rule

Any backup QB with 120 or more passes must start at least two games. Any backup QB with 75 or more passes must start at least one game. The coach can pick which games. No other QBs can play in these special games.

Playoffs

The playoffs will follow the actual NFL arrangements for the 2008 season

Click here to see the tiebreakers

Overdue Games and Substitute Coaches

It is up to you coaches to get your games in on time. Any game not handed in by the posted deadline is overdue. It’s your responsibility to find a substitute and let me know as soon as you know that you can’t play on time. Besides ticking off everyone in the league, there will be penalties for repeated instances of unexcused blown deadlines. If there are chronic problems with unplayed games, I will be forced to create a duty roster and everyone will have to cover all the unplayed games according to a schedule.

Important Rules

I want everyone to email his opponents as soon as each weekly schedule is posted on the forum. Don't wait to start talking about scheduling. I expect everyone to try hard to get the games in on time. Answer your emails and other communications promptly, and don't leave anyone hanging. Keep in mind that this is a replay league - it will be much more fun if the games are played on a regular weekly schedule so we can all follow the season as it unfolds. It will also allow me to post the stats on a regular basis.
If you make an appointment to play and can't keep it, e-mail your opponent with as much advance notice as you can. If you miss a game without giving notice, send an explanation and apology as soon as you can. We are all busy, and have many other responsibilities. Treat your fellow coaches with respect, because everyone's time is valuable.
Do not quit on your opponent or ask for autoplay in the middle of a game. I consider this a very serious offense. Make an honest effort on both offense and defense, even when you are getting blown out.
Do not air your grievances against another coach on the forum. If you can't resolve the problem between yourselves, bring it to me, and I will resolve it. I don't want any griping on the forum about other coaches, even if you don't name names.
If you have repeated problems with no-shows, or any other persistent problems with another coach, please tell me about it privately.
If you have a connection or computer problem, or are facing an extended absence from communicating or playing, get word to me somehow and keep me posted regularly regarding your expected return. Communicating is huge when you're having problems. If you let it slide, you will be messing things upfor everyone.

Box Scores & File Handling

All games will be played locally, without pregame or postgame files. Both coaches should make sure the options are set correctly before kickoff.
The home coach must email the box score to me (unzipped) as soon as he exits the game. Please don't send the boxscore anywhere other than to my main yahoo address. I don't need possession charts or any other files. An email to me can be generated by clicking the red “Post Box Score” link on the main SNARL page. The subject line of the email message MUST say “2008 – Week # - Teams – Score”. That way I don't have to cross-reference each boxscore to lists of games for different seasons and weeks.
You must make sure that the option settings in your email program do not imbed the html boxscore file as part of the message body. This is because I need the boxscores as separate files for my statkeeping system. If I have ever asked you to zip before sending, please zip the files every time - the box score will come in the body of the message otherwise and we will have to exchange more emails until it's right.
Each coach must keep copies of all of his box scores until the end of the season
The box scores are located in the "leagues/local/Week0/reports" folder in the SOM or Strat directory on your hard drive

Playing Ahead

You are always welcome to play ahead - anything that helps us stay up to date is a good thing. Just don't report the game on the forum until I post the schedule for that week in the forum. If you do play ahead, you should still email the boxscore to me. If your upcoming real-life schedule looks like it will keep you from playing, try hard to play ahead.

Other suggestions

· PLEASE do not complain about your bad luck (or your opponent's good luck) during a game. This is extremely annoying to most coaches, and often leads to hard feelings because it's the equivalent of not giving the other coach any credit for beating you. Suck it up, don’t whine, and be gracious - or just keep quiet. If you’re not careful with your comments during games, you will end up with an unwanted reputation for being a jerk.

· Be careful about piling on points late in the 4th quarter. This is always a judgment call, but be aware that point differential is NOT a tie-breaker element in this league.

· Make an effort to do a writeup after the game, even if it's delayed a day or two, especially when it was a close or exciting game. This will make the league come alive for all of us.The score and a few words is fine for a blowout. Unless otherwise agreed, the winning coach should do the writeup. If you play ahead, please don't post a writeup until I post the weekly schedule for that game. If anyone wants the box score reporting program that I made, let me know.

· Please remember that we are doing this for fun, not for glory. No one should feel like they have to prove anything here, so please try not to get too wound up about anything. Winning should take a back seat to having a good time and being a good league member. No matter how much you win, you’re not going to get hired by the NFL. Think of the league as a group effort to replay a season, or maybe even like a play where each of us is playing a certain part. I don't want to run a cut-throat "winning is all that matters" kind of league. If you act that way and you alienate other coaches, you might be asked to leave.

Team assignments

For SNARL 2008, which is a keeper league, I am handling team assignments differently than in the retro SNARL seasons. The majority of us already have our favorite teams – only a handful of people do not - mostly Cowboy fans :). I’m hopeful that we will have very few changes in team ownership, because I think that will definitely help make the league more successful in the long run. After thinking it over, I decided not to use a “mechanical” rule for teams that become available. I don’t want 12 teams to change owners every time there’s an open team. Each of you will give me the names of your two favorite teams and I‘ll use that as a guideline for discussions with the people involved about potential changes when teams become available. In some cases, I will upgrade people who are stuck with bad teams that they don’t want, depending on what teams are open, but I am always going to try to do what I think is best for the league. I want to keep ownership changes to a minimum, and my main goal will be to maintain the character of the league, which is grounded on each coach having a strong connection to his team.

The main thing about SNARL 2008 is that I want all coaches in the league to be coaching their favorite team every year, and that's whether it's 15-1 or 1-15. When we eventually reach perfection, every franchise will be like that. It's definitely not about constantly switching to better teams, because there isn't a lot of movement each year. And even if you don't have your favorite you are expected to be ready to stick with the same team every year. Whatever movement we have is typically just to try to get people situated with the right teams. If you're one of those people that thinks he has a god-given right to a playoff team every year and doesn't want to play unless he does, then this is not the league for you. Accepting the way that I assign teams, playing your games on time, and not whining or being a jerk during games are the three main things I want our league members to do.

You are all encouraged to lend your team to another coach for a year so everyone can get a chance to play his favorite once or twice.