Proposed Rule changes for 1998

Two things are driving the 1998 rule change proposals:

In 1997, parity and complacency ruled the BRFL. The league champion was a very low seed that made very few moves. Revenues were down. As a result, may of the proposals are made in the spirit of raising competiveness and active participation.

Realignment

With 12 teams, something must be done to realign the league. Please vote on each of these four proposals in this fashion: Co-owners vote 2-1-0 (half votes). The reason this is tabulated this way is so that the chosen allignment proposal is one that achieves the consensus of all owners.

Proposal 1: Three Divisions and Wildcard play off in week 16

Realign the 12 teams into divisions Play a 14 week regular season: Week 15, three divsions and the second place team (wildcard) with the best record play off. The team with the best record plays wild card. Week 16 Championship.

Money
The following get money

Advantages: Teams with best record assured money. Regular season games more meaningful. Division rivalries add intensity.

Disadvantages: Teams lose interest late in the season, spend less money.

Comment:
This stark, "back to the future" proposal is driven by a need to intensify and validate the regular season. True that teams might lose interest late in the year, but that happened in the 14 team league. However, what is a loss of interest? Lost revenue? Maybe, but this format funnels more money to the winners. Payouts became too diluted under the old format. Winner share may actually increase.

If there truly was a loss of interest, you really have a league whose average tenure is 9 seasons and whose new members are in their fourth seasons?

Proposal 2: First Round Rotisserie

If you're looking for a radical way to get the championship game into week 16 with 14 teams, consider this:
  • Week 14 (round 1): Teams 1 - 2 get byes....everyone else is rotisserie style, with tiebreaker
    as it is now (wherever you are seeded). Only the top 2 teams advance
    to the semifinals.
  • Week 15(semis): Seed teams according to standings...1 vs lowest seed, 2 vs highest seed.
  • Week 16(finals): Voila!

    Advantages This method still keeps the incentive to make your team as powerful as possible by the end of the season, but keeps the championship game away from the dreaded week 17.

    Disadvantages Rostisserie style as a playoff decider goes against long held BRFL tradition of winning head to head.

    Proposal 3: 4 divisions

    4 divisions of 3 teams each. Play your division twice (2*2=4 games), play outside the division once (9 games) = 13 total. Advantages More teams in the playoff hunt results in higher interest. Division games increases intensity of regular season. High point scorers rewarded.

    DisadvantagesThree team division increases chance of lends itself to rewarding mediocrity and tiebreaker problems with only four divison games. Rewarding high scorers as playoff teams adds rostisserie element bending slightly the BRFL head to head tradition.

    Proposal 4: Keep the same format

    The same format will be kept with playoffs starting in week 13. The regular season will be 12 games. 11 vs rest of league with week 12 either Advantages Everyone makes playoffs, season long interest.

    Disadvantages Potential tie-break headaches due to unbalanced schedule. Shorter Season.

    Proposal 12: Same as number 1 with 8 playoff teams

    THREE 4-team divisions. Play everyone in the division twice, outside the division once (total of 14 games in our 12-team league). I like your idea of 8 playoff teams (playoffs starting week 15 and running through week 17). For those who don't like the "stars sitting down for the playoffs" in week 17.

    As for the playoff entrants, I'd say 1st and 2nd place from each division, plus the 2 best records after that. For seeding, the division winners get seeds 1-3 (and they're ordered based on record first, then head-to-head match-up, then points scored, ..., and coin flip or drawing cards, if necessary!). The rest are then seeded 4-8, based on record, then head-to-head, points scored, etc. Even though I've always been on the wrong end of the "re-seed for the next round so the highest plays the lowest left, etc.", I like that format, and suggest keeping it. It rewards the division winners.

    Now, for the league revenue/pay-out, reward the eight playoff entrants, plus a little extra for the division winners, and, of course, reward teams for progressing through the playoffs.

    Advantages More Playoff Teams Disadvantages Playoffs extend into week 17.

    Proposal 1 ___________ 4/2/0

    Proposal 2 ___________ 4/2/0

    Proposal 3 ___________ 4/2/0

    Proposal 4 ___________ 4/2/0

    Proposal 12 ___________ 4/2/0

    Roster Size Proposals

    Vote for one or none of the following three proposals. A non vote keeps rosters and special reserve what it is today.

    Proposal 5: Reduce Permanent Roster to 12, increase special reserve

    Player movement was flat in 1997. Possibily due to a dilution of available talent. 52 more players will be available under this plan.

    It maybe the nature of some otherwise active owners to play it closer to the vest with a squad of 12. As a result, it is being proposed that we add two season long special reserve slots to allow owners to add players each week for strategy or development purposes. This is in addition to the two bye week slots we currently have.

    Additionally any special reserve player may be added to the permanent roster on claim day. The owner special reserving this player has the right of first refusal on Tuesday only. A permanent roster drop must be made to accomodate this player. This is the way it was when we first used special reserve.

    The philosophy being we don't want to stifle the strategy of active owners.

    Proposal 6: Keep rosters at 14, Add increased special reserve

    Same as above but with 14 man rosters. Rationale being the big spenders will drive revenue, not the stand pat owners forced to make a move.

    Proposal 13: 12 Man Roster with one IR slot

    Reduce the permanent roster size to 12 to make it harder to do without special reserves, and have one injured reserve slot ($1 to reserve, $1 to get back off) that has some form of requirements (like injury status of at least QUESTIONABLE on a given day of the week, like Thursday AM ... that way, it can't be so easily used to just hide a player, and, once the status is better than questionable, the owner(s) MUST either drop that player, for $1, or spend $1 to reinstate that player and another $1 to drop someone else).

    Proposal 5 __________ Proposal 6___________ Proposal 13 _______ Neither _________

    Miscelleanous Proposals

    Vote Yes or no on the following:

    Proposal 7: Increase dues to 25 dollars.

    To make up the shortfall of losing two teams, increase the initial dues to 25 dollars. Reduce the escrow amount by 5 dollars. Still collect 80 dollars at the draft.

    YES_________ NO___________

    Proposal 8: Award High Scorer with Money prize

    The luck of the schedule sometimes plays a part in the head to head match-ups. Sometimes a great team might miss out. Award the highest scorer a monetary prize at the end of the regular season. Amount will be determined by realignment proposal selected.

    YES_________ NO___________

    Proposal 9: Bonus Points for Game Winning Kicks

    If a kicker's field goal decides a game in the final two minutes of regulation or overtime, then that kicker will be awarded 2x the value of that field goal.

    YES_________ NO___________

    Proposal 10: Player Total Yards Tiebreaker

    Submit only if proposal 4 passes

    Eliminate ties by totalling all the rushing and receiving yards from the five RB/WRS in your starting line-up.

    YES_________ NO___________

    Proposal 11: Eliminate Losers Tournament

    The Losers tournament takes away money from playoff participants and holds little interest for its participants.

    YES_________ NO___________

    Proposal 14 Lineup Submission Deadline

    Starting line-ups must be submitted by Friday at 6PM or be subject to a two dollar late fee. Line-ups can be submitted by phone or email or two Calvin or Tom if your opponent cannot be reached.

    YES_________ NO___________

    Proposal 15 Lower Yardage Bonus

    Start awarding Yardage Bonus points at 50 yard rather than 100 yards. This would be combined rushing and recieveing. Bonus increments stay at 50 yards:

    YES_________ NO___________

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