Rules for Fantasy Football

Points 

• Competition will be head to head, and the league will be arranged into 3 divisions of 4 teams.  Teams will change division based on previous year’s standings.  Those divisions will be called the NFL (top division), CFL (middle division), and XFL (bottom division).
• The schedule will be 2 games against teams in your division and 1 game against each other team.  The season will open with 2 divisional games, 8 inter-divisional games, and finish with 4 divisional games.  There are an equal number of home & away games.
• Each week, a team may start:
• 1 QB
• 2 RBs
• 3 WRs
• 1 TE
• 1 K
• 1 Team Defense
• Points are awarded as follows:

Offense:

• 1 point per 50 yards passing
• 3 points per TD thrown
• 1 point per 20 yards rushing or receiving
• 6 points per rushing, receiving, or special teams touchdown
• -2 points per individual fumble
• -1 point for each interception thrown
• 2 points for any part in a two point conversion (throw, run, catch)

Kickers

• 3 points per field goal (+1 if over 40 yards)
• 1 point per point after

Team Defense

• 2 points per team defense takeaway (int. or fumble)
• 1 point per sack
• Defense allowed points:
• 0 points allowed = 10 points
• 1-6 points allowed = 7 points
• 7-13 points allowed = 4 points
• 14-20 points allowed = 1 point
• 21-27 points allowed = 0 points
• 28-34 points allowed = -1 point
• 35+ points allowed = -4 points
• Blocked Kick, Blocked Punt or Safety = 2 points

• Head to head points are compared for the two teams each week, and the team with the most points wins, the other team loses.  In the event of a tie, the home team will be awarded the win.
• The regular season will be 14 weeks.
• Final standings will be based on win/loss totals. If there is a tie in the standings, the tiebreakers will be overall record (first), then total points scored, then divisional record, then head-to-head performance, then total points scored by bench players (while on a team’s roster), then a coin toss.

Playoffs 

• There will be 3 brackets of playoffs with teams competing for various “rewards”:
• The divisional champions and the wildcard team (the team that scored the most points that was not a divisional champion) will compete for the championship and runner up prizes.
• In the first round, the divisional champion of the NFL will play against the team with the lowest points scored; the other two teams will play each other.
• In the second round, the two winners of the first round will play for the championship prize and the “runner up” prize.  The champion will have the #12 draft pick while the runner up will have the #11 pick.  The winner of the consolation game will be awarded the #9 pick while the loser of that game will receive the #10 pick
• The next 4 teams will compete for draft picks #5-8
• The first round will place the team with the best record vs. the team that has scored the fewest points in the bracket.  The other two teams will play against each other.
• The winner of the second round “championship” game will get the #5 pick; the loser will receive the #6 pick.  The winner of the consolation game will get the #7 pick, while the loser will get the #8 pick.
• The bottom 4 teams will compete for ballots for the first 4 picks.
• The first round will place the team with the best record vs. the team that has scored the fewest points.  The other two teams will play against each other.
• The winner of the second round “championship” game will get 4 ballots for the #1 pick; the loser will receive 3 ballots.  The winner of the consolation game will get the 2 ballots and the loser will get 1 ballot.

 Roster Management & Drafts

 Rosters 

• Rosters will consist of 15 positions plus two “IR” slots
• IR slots can be used to store injured players until they are capable of playing.  To qualify for the IR slot, a player must be “Out” or “Doubtful” (as defined by the NFL injury report).
• Injured players can be activated at any time, but MUST be activated following the first game they play in.  Players that have lost their starting status while recovering from the injury must be activated as soon as their injury status is better than Questionable.
• Teams that start an ineligible player (starting a player on IR) will have a penalty of the points of highest scoring player on their team removed from their weekly total.
• Your roster will always have a maximum of 15 players/positions (plus up to 2 IR positions) and must finish the draft and begin the off-season under the $100 salary cap.  The salary cap in-season will increase to $120 to facilitate player acquisitions and trades.

 In-season Roster Management (NFL Week 1-16) 

• Teams must be maintained in a competitive spirit.  Any team not maintaining this spirit (setting lineups, manage injured/unproductive players) over a period will be given a waning.  If the owner still fails to maintain the team, the commissioner reserves the right to find another owner immediately.  Prizes will still go to the owner that paid the fee, but that owner will not be invited back next year.

• During the season, teams will be allowed unlimited “free agent acquisitions”. Every week owners must submit a free agent request (due Tuesdays by 5:00 PM).  The list must include a specific Add/Drop as well as a salary amount you want to pay for the acquired player (if no salary is specified, it is assumed to be a $1 offer).  The auction will be “sealed bid” format, which means the player will be awarded to the highest bidder with no recourse given to any other bidders.

• It is not necessary to provide alternates if you do not wish.

• All requests will be processed Tuesday evening.  The free agent will go to the player with the highest bid.  If bids are tied, then the player will be awarded to the team with the worst record; if records are tied, it goes to the team that has scored the fewest points.

• Once a team has a request processed this way, the player will be on the team’s roster at the bid amount, signed to a 1-year deal.
• Players released through this process will be placed on waivers for 2 days.  This means that other teams may place a claim on the player, and at the end of the waiver period the player will be awarded to the team with the highest waiver priority.  The team that released the player may not place a claim on the waived player until the waiver period has expired.
• Players released will leave a penalty of half their value of their contract (rounded up) for the current season (and the following season if the player is released after the start of the playoffs).  For example, if I release a $12 player in week 4, I will have $6 applied to my salary cap until the playoffs are complete.  If I release a $12 player after the playoffs begin (and before the rookie draft) I will have a $6 penalty applied from that date until after the following year’s playoffs.
• If you run out of cap because of drops, you will not be allowed to sign additional players (this is unlikely to happen because only half the value of the contract will be charged).
• All requests must be sent via e-mail to the commissioner.
• Following the Tuesday award of free agents, all free agents will be available. Teams will be allowed to acquire free agents based on a first come – first serve basis until the day before the weeks’ games start (Thursday, Saturday, or Sunday).  Players released in the bid process will be on waivers and will have to go through waiver priority first.  Any free agent acquired this way cost $1, and will be signed to 1-year contracts. All transactions will be implemented prior to the start of the games that week.  Players released the day before the week’s games (e.g. released on Friday when NFL games start on Sunday) will be allowed to be added to teams rosters on Saturday (the waiver period drops to 1 day in that case).
• Teams will be allowed unlimited trades until the 10th week of the regular season (i.e. the last week to trade will be prior to the games in week 10). Players traded this way retain current dollar value and contract duration.
• The last day to add players is the day prior to the start of games for NFL week 16 (the week we have our championship game).

 Post-Season Roster Management

If a team decides they do not want to continue in the pool, you should notify the commissioner so a new owner can be found prior to the rookie draft.

Between NFL week 16 – the rookie draft 

• Following the finals (one week after the Superbowl), all teams must cut their rosters down to a maximum of 15 players (including Restricted Free Agents) and must ensure that they have enough money to sign players to increase their roster size to 15 AND be under the $100 salary cap.
• Players may be dropped any time between the NFL week 16 until the day before the NFL rookie draft.  Players released this way go onto waivers and can be claimed by teams according to post-season waiver priority.  Players claimed this way would go onto rosters as a Restricted Free Agent.  Any player released will go through this waiver process.  However, no unrestricted free agents are allowed to be claimed this way.
• Trades may still take place throughout the off-season (including trades of draft picks).


• Draft
• Around two weeks after the NFL holds the rookie draft, we will have a draft.
• The draft order will be determined by the previous season’s post-season performances as outlined in the section above entitled “playoffs”.  Basically:
• Picks 1-4 will be by ballot based on the combination of post-season performance of the bottom four teams and final regular season standings (for example - the team that finishes last in the regular season and finishes 2nd last in the post-season would get 4+2 = 6 ballots).
• Picks 5-8 will be awarded to the teams based on the middle bracket (winner will receive the #5 pick, down to the consolation loser being awarded the #8 pick)
• Picks 9-12 will be awarded to the teams in the championship bracket.
• With each pick, teams may select a rookie drafted in the NFL rookie draft (not unrestricted free agents).
• Rookies selected will be valued at $1 and signed to 3-year contracts.
• The draft will last 1 round.  Teams may trade their pick and skip picks if they wish.
• Players from the draft may be traded but bring their values with them.
• After the draft, all remaining rookies go into the unrestricted free agent pool.
• All players acquired during the draft must be placed in active slots, and you may have a maximum of 15 active players (not including Restricted Free Agents).

Between the rookie draft & the start of the NFL season 

• No further drops may be made until the conclusion of the Auction (exception - players that have been cut by their NFL team or players that retire maybe cut during a specific 2 week period prior to the auction).
• Auction
• Approximately 2 weeks prior to the Auction, teams will be given the opportunity to release players that are currently not signed by an NFL club.  Players that have elected to retire may be released at any time. There will be no cap penalty applied to players released under these rules.
• Approximately 2 weeks prior to the start of the regular season, we will conduct an auction.
• Starting with the top team, each owner will nominate a player for auction. 
• The opening bid for the player nominated must be at least $1
• Owners will bid on players and the player will be awarded to the highest bidder unless the player is a restricted free agent.
• If the player being auctioned is a restricted free agent, the owner of the “rights” to that player has the option of matching the highest bid, or losing the player to the highest bidder.
• Players cannot be released into the free agent pool during the auction.
• At the end of the auction, you must
• Have 15 players on your roster
• Be within the $100 cap
• Have at least one starting player at each required position.
• Pre-Season (Post-Draft)
• Salary Cap will increase to $120 for the remainder of the year (until after the playoffs).
• The Tuesday Free Agent auction will begin the first Tuesday after the draft, but this process will happen on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday until the start of the regular season.
• Players dropped during this time will not subject to only half the normal penalty.
• There will be no opportunity to sign free agents on a first come-first until after the first week of the regular season.
• Start the New Season!!!

 Awards and Honors

• Based on a 12 team league and a $20/person annual pot:
• Top team in each division = $20 (X3)
• Wild Card team = $10
• Championship Winner = $80
• Championship Runner Up = $50
• Best Record (regular season): $20
• Most Points (total season including playoffs) = $20

Based on this system, the maximum prize would be $140, while the minimum prize for a playoff team would be $10.  Teams that don’t make the playoffs will not be able to win under this system.

• I will track things like:
• Team MVP year over year
• Team BVP (Best Value Player) year over year
• Team standings and performances, season & lifetime
• Salary Cap available
• Schedules & results
• League Standings