A new rule in 1998 allows two special reserve players to be chosen in any given week, allowing for a maximum of 14 players active on a roster. This is in addition to bye week special reserve.

• Quarterback Team Each roster has to contain at least one quarterback team. One Quarterback Team is in the starting lineup.
• Backs Running backs, Fullbacks and H-backs are designated as running backs. A minimum of one and a maximum of three three running backs may be in the starting lineup.
• Receivers Wide recievers, tight ends and "eligible" tackles are considered recievers. There is no distinction between a receiver and a tight end. A starting lineup has between 2 and 4 receivers. A total of 5 backs and receivers are in the staring lineup.
• Kicker Each team must have at least one place kicker on its roster. One place kicker is in the starting lineup. The kicker is not a team position, and a BRFL team is not credited if a NFL team uses two place kickers. An exception to the individual kicker rule occurs during the draft. It is possible that an NFL team may be carrying two kickers at the time of the BRFL draft. Usually one of these kickers may be cut prior to the first game. Therefore, at the draft, a "team kicker" may drafted. The drafting team must announce the name of the kicker when leaving a line-up for the first game.
• Defense Special/Teams At least one Defense/Special Team must be on a roster. One Defense/Special Team is in the starting lineup. Note that certain defensive players that also see action as QBs, Backs, Recievers or Kickers and score points do not credit the Team Defense with their offensive production. (ex: William Perry, Deion Sanders).

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  Claiming Rules

  No players can be claimed from kickoff Sunday until Tuesday midnight. Tuesday is claim day. An orderly procedure is followed. (see below) From Wednesday until Sunday 1:00, claim process is first come first served. (except for players involved in Thursday or Saturday games as their eligibility expires at kickoff of games they are involved in).

  Call the commissoner (Calvin Jackson), or a person designated as his substitute, with your player claims. Specify who you want and how many players you want. The order presented is the order of preference.

  Claim order is based on record. Teams with the worst record get first choice. This is determined by W-L record and ties are broken by fewest points scored and then by most points given up.

  The claim process works like a (supplemental) draft. We work up the teams selecting one player at a time. If you have first pick and you requested two players, you'll get your first choice, but you'll wait out the rest of the teams before your next choice.

  The person administering the process will submit his choices to another team ASAP on claim day.

  . On Wednesday, the administrator will notify you with the result of your claims. Be prepared to name players you will drop if you have not done so.

  Frozen Player

  A player dropped in one claim period may not be picked up until the next claim period. This player is NOT eligible for special reserve under NORMAL circumstances, but may be used for special reserve if no other players are available in a position to maintain roster integrity.

  Injured Reserve

  Injured Reserve was done away with effective with the 1996 season.

  BYE Week Special Reserve

  The BRFL does not observe "carryover" points for BYE weeks. You have the option of "special reserving" a player for each player on a bye week with a maximum of two. There are no restrictions of who is picked. In other words, you need not reserve position for position. This may become a strategic tool.

  New 1998: Weekly Special Reserve

  Up to two additional players may be selected at any given week during the season. This is in addition to the bye week special reserve.

  Claiming for Special Reserve

  Claiming for special reserve begins on Thursday at 12 AM on a first come first served basis. A timestamped phone mail is the preferred way of claiming a player at this hour!

  Because of the possibility of several players making the same claim for a special reserve player, have a list available with alternate choices. If for some reason, your selection is not confirmed by the commissioner, leave this same selection list for your opponent when you leave your lineup.

  The commissoner should register his special reserve picks with the league statistician to avoid a conflict of interest in dealings with the rest of the league.

  Roster Integrity

  Even a roster depleted by a bye week must preserve "roster integrity". You must be able to start a QB team, the proper combination of backs and receivers, a kicker and a defense/special team. If you are unable to do so through special reserve, you will be required to make personnel moves. Although it may be considered strategic to load up on a single division as to only be impacted once during the bye weeks, you must able to field a starting lineup from your roster and alloted special reserve slots.

  Vacant Position

  If a position cannot be filled to maintain roster integrity through special reserve, or claiming and if all trade possibilities are exhausted, then that position is considered "vacant" for the week.

  Submitting a Lineup

  You must submit your complete lineup by kickoff of the SUNDAY games. This includes players designated for the Monday night game. No lineup changes are permitted for Sunday or Monday night games once the 1:00 EST games have started on Sunday.

  Default Lineup

  The BRFL recognizes that circumstances may arise that not make it possible to submit a lineup in time for the games. A mutual agreement is permitted between opponents, however if a lineup cannot ne agreed upon, the selection of a lineup will revert to a "default lineup". These lineups are designated by owners and must be maintained by owners. Keep in mind that players dropped, traded or injured may result in "vacant" spots in the default lineup. No allowances are made for players in a default lineup on bye weeks. It is recommended that your "default" lineup be published on the web or known by the commissioner.

  Thursday or Saturday Games

  On several occasions during the season there may be Thursday and Saturday games. You will be required to "lock in" your players for those games, but be allowed to choose your the rest of your lineup by Sunday kickoff. If these games are "forgotten" for some reason, you will only be able to negociate insertion of valid players from a default lineup that played on a Thursday or Saturday.

  Illegal Lineups

  As a lineup recipient, it is possible that an opponent has left you a lineup that is not valid. Some examples of this would be missing positions, incorrect number of players, too many players from a particular position, or an illegally claimed player. The first recourse is to work it out by mutual agreement with your opponent. If this cannot be agreed upon, the commissioner will intervene to settle the "game in dispute".

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  Scoring

  Scoring is listed by position.

  Quarterbacks

  Each team starts one quarterback team each week. Points are combined for all quarterbacks used in the game. Player must be a designated roster QB to accumulate points.
  • 6 points for a rushing or receiving touchdown
  • 6 points for throwing a touchdown pass
  • 2 points for a passing, rushing or receiving two point conversion
  • 1 point for 300 yard passing game. An additional point for each additional 100 yards.

  Backs and Receivers

  Five starters each week are backs and receivers. You may start up to three backs or up to four receivers.
  • 6 points for a rushing or receiving touchdown
  • 6 points for throwing a touchdown pass
  • 2 points for a passing, rushing or receiving two point conversion
  • 1 point for a rushing or receiving touchdown 50 yards or more.
  • 1 point for 100 yard combined rushing and receiving (yards from scrimage only, no return yards) in a game. An additional point for each additional 50 yards.

  Kickers

  Each team starts one kicker.
  • 3 Points for a field goal
  • 1 Point for a Point After Touchdown
  • 1 Bonus point for a field goal 45 yards or greater

  Defense - Special Team

  • 6 points for a touchdown scored in any of the following manners
    • Kickoff Return
    • Punt Return
    • Fumble Return
    • Interception Return
    • Return of a blocked kick
    • Touchdown scored from a "special teams" formation. ex fake Punt, field goal. This play may be subject to interpretation.
  • 6 points for a "pure" shutout. The opponent does not score.
  • 3 points for an "defensive" shutout. The opponents offense does not score a touchdown.
  • 2 points for a safety.
  • 1 point for a TD return of 50 yards or more.
  • 1 point for each turnover (fumble, interception) recovered.
  A two point conversion is NOT considered a special teams play and is credited to the players or QB teams scoring or passing.

  Game Outcomes

  If your starting players score more by the above rules than your opponents, then you win your game. You may also tie. There are no tie breakers in effect for the regular season.

  Post-Season ties

  If a game is tied in weeks 14,15 or 16,the higher seed will advance. If there is a tie in the Super Bowl, co-champions will be recognized.

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  The Season

  The BRFL playing season covers the full 17 weeks of the NFL regular season schedule. However, there are enough related activites to fill the entire NFL pre and post season calendar.

  Pre-Season Activity

  In July, when the NFL training camps open, the commissoner submits an invitation to all members of the BRFL in good standing to re-form the league. For a member of the league to be in good standing, he must have paid his debts from the previous season in a timely fashion.

  At this time, the commissoner will solicit rule changes from the league members. These will be compiled for vote that the pre-season luncheon.

  Pre-Season Luncheon

  The Pre-Season Luncheon is held at least two weeks prior to the draft, usually the first Friday in August. At this meeting, the league votes on rule change proposals and draws team numbers.

  Team numbers are drawn by each number present. A team name and a number are drawn separately. That are not to be opened until called upon to do so.

  Selecting Draft Order

  The team with the lowest number begins the draft order selection. Each team has twenty-four hours after mutually acknowledged contact to select a draft location. If not, the are placed in the first available slot. A team selecting draft location is said to be "on the clock".

  The Draft

  The draft is held between the last preseason game and first regular season game. Usually on the Sunday prior to the start of the NFL regular season. Each team selects 14 players. The draft is conducted in "serpentine" fashion. The teams selecting first in odd number rounds will select last in even numbered rounds.

  Time Limit

  Each team is awarded two minutes per selection, with one five minute exception. Team team that has not drafted in two minutes and is not taking his exception is bypassed and the next person can pick. The bypassed person make make his selection at anytime.

  The league urges that teams come prepared to the draft, since the draft is typically held on a work night.

  Draft in Absentia

  If a team member cannot make it to the draft, he may designate another league member to draft for him.

  If a league member desires remote participation in the draft, they are responsible for any phone call charges from the home of the draft host.

  Time limits for enforced for remote participants following a recap of draft picks since his last selection.

  Draft Position Trades

  Trades are permitted for draft positions. They must be balanced so that each team selects 12 players.

  Drafted Players Cut or Out for Season

  Prior to the first game ONLY, if a drafted BRFL player gets cut or placed on season long injured reserve, a team may elect to replace that player. Claiming rules are not applied to replace a drafted player in the first week.

  "Team" kicker

  If a NFL team has not yet chosen a place kicker at the time of the BRFL draft, a BRFL team owner may draft a "NFL team's kicker" pending selection by the NFL team of their starting place kicker. The BRFL team must select the "individual" kicker to place on his roster by opening day even if the NFL team has not decided.

  League Structure

  Effective again with the 1998 season, the BRFL will once again be aligned in divisions commonly referred to as East, Central and West.

  Regular Season

  The regular season runs from week 1 through week 14.

  Division Games

  Division games are played in six weeks during the regular season that there are no NFL teams on byes. In 1998, those weeks will be 1,2,11,12,13 and 14.

  Determining Standings

  Standings are posted each week. The following are used in determining divsion standings and playoff seeds.
  1. Record
  2. Head to head
  3. Division record if in same division
  4. Total points head to head.
  5. Total points
  6. Combined head to head among all teams with the same record.
  7. Individual head to head among ties that remain from above.
  8. Total Points scored. This is what is applyed in the regular season if all tied teams have not yet played each other.
  Your ranking at the end of week 13 is your playoff seed.

  The Playoffs

  The playoffs run from week 15-17.

  Who Makes the Playoffs

  Eight teams make the playoffs (new format for 1998). They are:
  • The three division winners
  • The three second place teams
  • Two of the remaining six teams that have scored the most points.

  Seeding

  The three division winners receive the top three seeds. The seeding order follows the rules listed above for determining standings.

  The remaining 5 seeds, including the two remaining high scorers are seeded by record as above.

  Week 15

  The following are the brackets and pairings:
  Left Bracket:
  • 1 vs 8
  • 4 vs 5
  
  Right Bracket
  
  • 3 vs 6
  • 2 vs 7

  Week 16

  The winners of week 15 play in their brackets.

  Week 17

  The winners of week 16 play for the championship.

  Costs and Awards

  Post Season and Collection

  At the conclusion of BRFL Super Bowl (after New Years) each member of the league will be informed of how much is due the league, or how much will be awarded in either unused costs and/or prize money. The BRFL states as it's goal to settle all debts by the NFL Super Bowl.

  Season Initiation

  Each existing team pays an initiation fee of 25 dollars. A new team plays 30 dollars. A team that skips one or more seasons pays 30 dollars.

  Losses

  The loser of each game pays 6 dollars. This is in effect for all 17 weeks.

  Transactions

  Each player transacted costs 1 dollar. For example an add/drop is 2 dollars total. A special reserve transaction is 1 dollar.

  Trades are permitted at a dollar a player with a cap of 5 dollars per team. For example a one for one swap is two dollars per team.

  Escrow Account

  Each team is required to tender 80 dollars at the draft to cover initiation expenses, plus an amount of money that designated to cover losses and transactions for the season. If this amount of money is not spent by the team, money is refunded. If a team exceeds this amount, it will be required to pay the difference when eliminated from the playoffs.

  Payouts and Special Events

  The money collected by the league is dispursed as follows:

  The Draft and Playoff Party

  The league permits a payment from league funds of 50 dollars maximum to the owners that host the draft and playoff party.

  Regular Season

  40 percent of the remaining money is awarded to the three division winners during the regular season:
  • Top Seed: 50 percent
  • Second Seed: 25 percent
  • Third Seed: 15 percent
  • Fourth Seed: 10 percent

  Playoffs

  The remaining money is awarded to the playoff winners as follows:
  • Super Bowl Winner: 50 percent
  • Super Bowl Loser: 25 percent
  • Semi-Final Loser: 12.5 percent
  • Semi-Final Loser: 12.5 percent

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