General
1. Schedule: Advances will happen three times a week on fixed days and times every week. Advance times are 11pm Eastern time on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It will always be on those days at that time unless you are otherwise notified on the forums and/or GroupMe.
2). Communication: You are solely responsible for playing your games. Everyone must either play their game or send myself and their opponent a message telling me explaining that they are unable to do so by 10pm Eastern time the night before advance. If you couldn't get a hold of your opponent, I will put them on auto at that time so you can play against the CPU. You must have made every attempt to contact the other party, including sending them a message and friend request.
3. Forums: All members MUST register on the forums. You don't have to post anything (Though it's encouraged) but I post league update posts every 1-2 advances. You must visit the forums and read them. I post them on the forums so that I'm not filling up your inbox with 5-10 news messages every advance. If something important is posted in an update and you don't read it, it will be your fault when the time comes for me to act on it.
4. Forum Etiquette/Trash Talk: You're all adults, so you should already know what is and isn't acceptable to post on the forums. But just in case, there should be no posts made that directly accuse or insult another player. If you have a problem with someone, bring it to me and let me deal with it. Trash talk on the forums is allowed between teams, but it should be done in good taste and on friendly terms. You can talk trash about a team without making it personal or against the other owner. No one here should be your enemy. Keep it civil or don't speak at all. Abusing the forums can get you removed from the league.
5. Gameplay: If you don't see it done during a regular NFL game, don't do it. Don't go for it every 4th down. Don't run the hurry-up the entire game. Don't run up the score when you've already won. Don't accept a lopsided traded just because the other owner clearly doesn't know what he's doing. If I hear of anyone repeatedly breaking or bending this rule, I'll find someone to replace them. We should all have a mutual respect for each other, no matter what our skill level is in the game.
6. Before Leaving: If at some point you decide this league isn't the place for you, don't just drop out. Talk to me first. Maybe there's something I can do to help you. If not, at least you're giving me the courtesy of letting me know you'll be leaving. Respect me and I will respect you.
7. GroupMe: Everyone in the league must have and use GroupMe. It will be our main means of communication and how you will schedule games. Anyone not on GroupMe will be removed from the league.
General Gameplay Rules
1. Offensive and Defensive Plays: The Rule of 10
You must run at least 10 running plays and 10 passing plays on offense each and every game you play. QB runs do not count toward your total 10. It must be a HB or FB run. The same goes for man defense and zone defense, 10 each. This is to prevent people from running the same plays all the time and also to help give a more realistic feel to the game.
2. Special Teams – Return Game
- A. You may not get a “running start” when returning a kick. When returning a kick, you may not try to catch the ball in stride so as to get a speed burst when returning a kick.
- B. You may not manually pull back blockers from the line and move them closer to your returner. In other words you may not move any player pre-snap aside from the returner on any kick return.
3. Specifically Banned Plays
In general, avoid calling money plays. Money plays are those that abuse a glitch or exploit AI. Using any of these will result in an immediate and permanent ban.
4. Preseason Games
- A. No leaving in starters at any position after the CPU takes them out during a preseason game. It's not sim and you're just taking a chance of getting your players hurt anyway.
- B. If you only have one starter at any position during the preseason (Ex 1 QB) you MUST sign a backup before any games are played. You are not allowed to leave players in under any circumstances. If you can't afford to sign a backup, you must make cap room. There are no exceptions to this rule.
5. Missed Games
- A. A 'missed' game means you didn't play your game, set yourself on auto, contact your opponent or let me know about it. If you completely failed to take any action on your game, it was missed. (Telling me afterward that you sent your opponent a message and they just never replied is NOT an excuse to miss your game.)
- B. If you have a missed game, you will be warned. If you miss a second game, I'll consider removing you. No one that misses a third game will remain in the league.
- C. My cell phone number is 740-296-9679. You may use this number to text me in case you can't get to a computer or your XBox, when you have no other option to let people know you can't play your game. Only text me from inside the U.S. please.
- D. You have no excuse for missing a game. You have multiple options when it comes to contacting league members in case you can't be here. If your opponent doesn't show up, it's as easy as letting me know the day before advance so that I can allow you to play the CPU.
- E. If you don't contact your opponent during a game week and don't have a posted absence notice you will be penalized. You will be forced to auto your team the following week and let your opponent play the CPU, missing the opportunity to play. This will happen for the first and second offense. Upon failing to communicate a third time you will be removed from the league. You may be removed sooner at the discretion of the commissioner.
6. Dropped/Quit Games
- A. If your game disconnects, please do not automatically jump down your opponent's throat and assume they quit on you. Even if that's what happened, starting an argument over it solves nothing. Ask what happened, report the problem to me and let it go. I'll deal with it.
- B. I keep track of when someone tells me a game ended in a desync. If I think anyone shows a pattern of desyncing or disconnecting from a game, I will remove them. I'm not going to allow people to manipulate game results.
- C. If you quit a game for any reason that isn't a real life emergency, you will get an automatic boot from the league. This includes whether or not your opponent broke the rules, or sent you insulting messages. Finish the game, then report the problem to me. If you lose your temper and quit the game, you'll be the one leaving the league.
- D. I reserve the right to remove you without notice if I think you are disconnecting from games. I won't consult anyone about it, I'll just boot you and ask questions later. It means you're cheating and I won't put up with it.
- E. When a game gets disconnected after the first half of play both players must try and repeat the same game as before. It's not fair to the person that was winning if their opponent outscores them and wins during the replay.
- F. When a game gets disconnected in the 4th quarter and there was a clear winner, the winner may play the autopilot and repeat the game with the SAME STATS AS BEFORE if agreed upon by both owners or given permission by the commissioner.
7. Autopilot
- A. Owners will only set themselves to autopilot when absolutely necessary. No one should ever set themselves to auto because they don't feel like playing a game. We play all of our games in this league.
- B. No owner shall exceed a maximum of 3 weeks (20% of their games) on autopilot during a season. Emergency exceptions can be made if I am contacted before you exceed 3 autos, not after. I will replace owners who can't meet this quota. It's not fair to the rest of the league to have the CPU playing games for you.
- C. If anyone is caught setting themselves to auto while they're online and could have played their game they will be removed. I'm serious about keeping this an active, 32-man league.
8. Cutting/Resigning Players
- A. If you cut a player from your team you may not pick that player back up until the offseason. This may not be used to 'restructure' your players contract or give you more cap room. It's unrealistic and I shouldn't even have to have a rule here to tell you not to do it.
- B. If you are caught dropping and picking back up players on your team you will forfeit all rights to that player. You will not have the chance to resign him at the end of the year and he will go to free agency. You will effectively end his time on your team. I may also take further action depending on how badly this rule has been broken, including a possible suspension for that player.
- C. You MAY NOT cut a player that results in giving your team a cap penalty of greater than $500k without first consulting a league administrator. This is to prevent anyone from accidentally damaging their team for anyone who might own it down the road. Remember, this league will still be here next summer. Please let us know BEFORE you cut any players above this amount!
Subject: General Rules 
Mon Oct 06, 2014 8:53 pm
