DYNABOWL FANTASY FOOTBALL DYNASTY LEAGUE RULES
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INDEX
8.4. Blind Bidding and Waivers
15. OWNERS’ ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1.1. During the NFL season, the minimum roster size is 40 players and the maximum is 50 players.
1.2. In addition, each team may place up to 10 players onto the injured reserve (IR) list during the NFL season.
1.2.1. A player may only be put in IR if they are listed as IR by MFL
1.2.2. The salary of all players on the IR will count towards the salary cap
1.2.3. In the off-season, these players will return to the standard roster
1.2.4. The IR will open again on August 1st, and players may be moved to the IR as soon as they are desginated as ‘IR’ on MFL.
1.3. In addition, each team will have a 5-man taxi squad
1.3.1. The taxi squad is open to rookie players with a maximum salary of $3 who were acquired before the beginning of the NFL season
1.3.2. The taxi squad will open from August 1st. Players may be added to the taxi squad until midnight on the Tuesday before the first regular season game. Players may not be added to the taxi squad during the season.
1.3.3. While players remain on the taxi squad their salaries will not count towards the salary cap.
1.3.4. Players on a taxi squad may be claimed by a rival team at any time during the NFL season (i.e. any time after the kick off of the first game of the NFL regular season). In order to not surrender the player to the rival, the team which owns the player may choose to activate the player to their own roster instead. If they do not activate the player within 24 hours, he will transfer to the rival. The rival must place the player on their own active roster.
1.3.4.1 In order to claim a player from an opponent’s taxi squad, a GM must post a claim on the Taxi Squad forum and notify the current owner and the Commissioner
1.3.5. In the off-season, all taxi-squad players will be returned to the main roster
1.3.6. The taxi squad will re-open for usage from August 1st of the following year.
1.4. In the off-season the maximum roster size is increased to 99 players and must be reduced to 50 (or fewer) players according to the following schedule:
| Before… | Max Players On Roster | Notes |
| Pre-Season Game 1 | 75 Active Players | (exc Taxi Squad, IR) |
| Pre-Season Game 2 | 65 Active Players | (exc Taxi Squad, IR) |
| Pre-Season Game 3 | 60 Active Players | (exc Taxi Squad, IR) |
| Pre-Season Game 4 | 55 Active Players | (exc Taxi Squad, IR) |
| August 31st | 50 Active Players (soft limit to allow for taxi squad additions) | (exc Taxi Squad, IR, must meet Salary Cap) |
1.4.1. If a squad is found to be over these limits, the Commissioner is within his rights to remove players to meet the limits. This will be done by releasing players on the smallest, shortest contracts first. Where contracts are equal in size and value the players will be released alphabetically.
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2.1. A team’s weekly starting line-up consists of 22 players, broken down as follows:
Offense (11 players total):
1 x Quarterback (QB)
2-3 x Running Back (RB)
3-4 x Wide Receiver (WR)
1-2 x Tight End (TE)
1 x Place Kicker (PK)
1 x Punter (PN)
Defense (11 players total):
1-2 x Defensive Tackle (DT)
2 x Defensive End (DE)
3-4 x Linebacker (LB)
2 x Cornerback (CB)
2 x Safety (S)
2.1.1. Each team must submit it’s strongest possible line-up each week. While this is subjective, obvious attempts to submit under strength line-ups for the purpose of losing games to improve draft position is punishable by the commissioner by any means at his disposal, up to and including expulsion from the league (see Section 12).
2.2. The starting line-up will be reviewed every season and may be adjusted according to the following rules:
2.2.1. Changes to the starting line-up will only be made with the approval of at least 66% of GMs
2.2.2. Changes will be agreed and announced at least 12 months before they are implemented unless there is 100% consensus within the league that they should be brought in sooner
2.3. In the playoffs, except the final, the team seeded highest will have ‘Home Flex Advantage’. This means that the higher seed will determine the starting line-up requirements by designating the positions of the three flex spots (two offensive, one defensive).
2.3.1. The higher seed should announce on the league message boards the roles to be played in the flex spots prior to the first game of the week. Both teams must adhere to this line-up regardless of any injuries subsequently revealed.
2.3.2. MFL doesn’t police this rule so owners are responsible for ensuring they submit a legal line-up
2.3.3. Any breach of this rule must be brought to the attention of the commissioner by the opponent of the team breaching the rule before the start of the next game week. The commissioner will then dock the team in breach the number of points scored by the illegally fielded player(s).
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3.1. Full details of the scoring can be found on the My Fantasy League website
3.2. Scoring will be reviewed every off season and may be adjusted
3.2.1. Changes to the scoring will only be made with a minimum 66% approval from GMs
3.2.2. Changes will be agreed and announced at least 12 months in advance of the season which they are to affect unless there is a 100% consensus within the league that the changes should be brought in sooner
3.3. In the event of a regular season match finishing as a tie there will be no tie-break
3.4. In the event of a playoff game finishing as a tie, the playoff decider will be highest scoring bench player
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4.1. At the start of season 1 an auction will take place to determine the initial rosters.
4.2. Each team will have $500 to spend on their 50 man roster.
4.3. If a team purchases fewer than 50 players at auction, they must have at least $1 remaining in their budget for each player they have not purchased – i.e. if a player has bought 35 players they must have at least $15 left from their $500 budget.
4.4. At the auction, GMs will take it in turns to nominate players for auction. The order will be determined by a draw on the day. By nominating a player, a GM is registering a bid of $1
4.5. The auctioneer will invite bids. The minimum bid increment will be $1, however, with premium players, the auctioneer will raise the bid in larger increments to keep things moving.
4.6. The highest bid will take the player (subject to the team’s budget having room for the player). The cost of the player will also be the player’s salary.
4.7. After the auction the Commissioner will circulate a spreadsheet to each GM with their roster and contract values. The GMs will need to return these spreadsheets within 2 weeks indicating the length of each player’s contract and the structure of the contracts.
4.7.1. The total number of contract years a team may offer after auction will be not more than 125. This limit will not be applied going forward, just after the initial auction.
4.7.2. Teams will be granted a total of $600 salary cap and can restructure their contracts as long as they fit under this total
4.7.3. If a manager fails to provide details of contract length and structure, the commissioner will assign contract lengths on a semi-random basis and all contracts will be evenly structured.
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5.1. A rookie draft consisting of 7 rounds will take place every year after the NFL draft has taken place and before the end of June.
5.2. All rookies who have been taken by an NFL team, or have declared, will be eligible for drafting. This includes players who may be joining the NFL from outside the college/draft system – for example players moving from the CFL. However, if a player has declared for a draft previously, even if they went undrafted, they will not be considered a rookie. In the case of any disputes, a player is considered a rookie if My Fantasy League considers him a rookie.
5.3. The first 6 picks will be taken by the teams who did not make the playoffs the previous season, in an order determined by regular season record, with the worst performer getting the highest pick and so on.
5.4. The last 4 picks will go to the teams which made the post season, with the last pick going to the DynaBowl champion and the second to last pick going to the runner-up
5.5. Where a team’s position is tied with another, the regular season result(s) between the two teams will provide the tie-breaker.
5.6. The draft will be a slow draft. This is a draft that takes place over a period of days or weeks and allows for trading of draft picks during the draft. The proposed rules for the draft are as follows (though may change before the event takes place):
5.6.1. Each team will have a 24 hour period to make each pick.
5.6.2. When a team makes a pick the clock will start for the next team.
5.6.3. Either in advance or when a team is ‘on the clock’ (OTC), they may trade their pick to other teams
5.6.3.1. If a trade is agreed for a pick that is OTC, the team moving up in the draft to the current spot OTC will NOT get a restarted clock. They will have to take their pick before the currently ongoing time elapses.
5.6.4. If a team fails to make a pick in time they will still be able to take their pick. However, the following team(s) OTC may take their picks first. MFL can be set to auto-pick to prevent this eventuality.
5.6.4.1. If a team fails to make a pick within their draft slot they will still be responsible for the salary associated with the pick they should have taken. Any team that overtakes them in these circumstances will also only pay the salary associated with their draft slot.
5.6.5. Teams may intentionally forfeit a draft pick if they do not wish to take a player for either talent or salary reasons.
5.6.6. If a team forfeits a draft pick they may still take a pick in a later spot, assuming they have a pick remaining (or trade to get a pick).
5.7. Rookie players picked in the draft will be given contracts according to the rookie scale outlined in section 6.6.
5.8. Draft picks can be included in trades for the next 2 drafts – ie in a trade in 2014, picks can be traded in the 2015 and 2016 drafts
5.9. Compensatory picks may not be traded. For more information on compensatory picks, see Restricted Free Agency – section 8.2.
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6.1. A proportion of any contract will be guaranteed. The team supplying the contract will be responsible for paying this money even if the player leaves their roster. The only exception is if the player is traded to another team, in which case the new team becomes responsible for the value of the contract, including the guaranteed money.
6.2. The proportion of the contract that is guaranteed and the maximum length of the contract are determined by the rules in the following table:
|
Contract Type |
Contract Value |
Maximum Length |
Guaranteed Money (rounded up) |
| Standard |
$1-$3 |
3 years |
0% |
| Rookie |
$4+ |
See Rookie Contracts (Section 6.6) |
25% |
| 1 Year Only |
$4+ |
1 year |
25% |
| Standard |
$4-$12 |
4 years |
25% |
| Standard |
$13-$25 |
5 years |
40% |
| Standard |
$26-$50 |
5 years |
60% |
| Standard |
$51+ |
5 years |
75% |
| Waiver Wire 1 Year |
$1 |
1 year |
0% |
| Waiver Wire 2 Year |
$5 |
2 years |
25% |
6.3.1. A contract may be front or back loaded. This means that the guaranteed money can be distributed across the contract as the team sees fit. For example:
6.3.1.1. A player is signed for $50 at auction and is given a 5 year contract. $30 of that contract, per year, is guaranteed – a total of $150 in guaranteed money. However, the team may distribute that money across the years however they choose. This may be evenly – $30 per year – or be stacked with larger amounts some years than others.
6.3.1.2 In the above example, the remaining $20 of the contract is the annual salary. This is paid every year that the player remains on the roster and cannot be restructured. However, if the player is dropped, this portion of the contract is no longer due.
6.3.2. After the auction, teams must confirm the structure of all contracts within 2 weeks of the commissioner distributing the player contract rosters to each team. Any players who have not had their contract structured by that point will have their contract evenly distributed.
6.3.3. Any player signed in the off-season (not at auction) must have their contract structure confirmed within 2 weeks or before the first week of the season, whichever comes first. If this is not received, their contract will be evenly distributed.
6.3.4. Any player signed during the season must have their contract structured before the start of the next game week. If this is not received, their contract will be evenly distributed.
6.4.1. A player on a 4- or 5-year contract may have the remains of their contract restructured in the off-season, before the pre-season games begin, after two contract years have been completed.
6.4.2. A player on a 3-year contract may have their contract restructured in the off-season, before the pre-season games begin, after one contract year has been completed.
6.4.3. Players on a 1- or 2-year contract may not have their contracts restructured
6.4.4. A contract may also be restructured if an extension is made (See 6.5).
6.4.5. A contract may also be restructured directly after a player has been traded, or in the off-season after the trade has been completed.
6.4.6. Contracts may not be restructured once the pre-season games have begun.
6.5.1. A contract may only be extended in the off-season when a player has 1 year left on his current contract. All extensions must be submitted by midnight July 31st to the Commissioner.
6.5.2. If a player reaches August 1st with only 1 year left on his contract he will become either a restricted free agent (RFA) or unrestricted free agent (UFA) at the end of the season (see Section 8 – Free Agency)
6.5.3. A contract may be extended to a maximum of 5 years, adding 4 years to the length of the contract, in line with the maximum contract lengths listed in rule 6.2.
6.5.4. To extend a contract, a GM must notify the commissioner that this is his intention, specifying the length of the extension.
6.5.5. The cost of the extension will be based on the following scale:
|
Best Position Rank in Previous 3 Seasons |
Average Contract Value of Players |
Extension Fee |
| 1-5 (1-3 for QBs, TEs, Ps, Ks, DTs, DEs) | Top 5 highest paid players at position (1-3 for QBs, TEs, Ps, Ks, DTs, DEs) |
15% rounded up |
| 6-10 (4-8 for QBs, TEs, Ps, Ks, DTs, DEs) | 6th-10th highest paid players at position (4-8 for QBs, TEs, Ps, Ks, DTs, DEs) | 10% rounded up |
| 11-20 (9-15 for QBs, TEs, Ps, Ks, DTs, DEs) | 11th-20th highest paid players at position (9-15 for QBs, TEs, Ps, Ks, DTs, DEs) | 7% rounded up |
| 21-40 (16-25 for QBs, TEs, Ps, Ks, DTs, DEs) | 21st-40th highest paid players at position (16-25 for QBs, TEs, Ps, Ks, DTs, DEs) | 5% rounded up |
| 41+ (26+ for QBs, TEs, Ps, Ks, DTs, DEs) | 41st+ highest paid players at position (26+ for QBs, TEs, Ps, Ks, DTs, DEs) |
3% rounded up |
NB – Highest paid players calculation is based on annual average contract value not contract structure.
6.5.6. The guaranteed money will mirror that laid out in 6.2, with the exception that a 1 year extension does not automatically get only 25% guaranteed.
6.5.7. The value of the extension will only be valid for the additional years of the contract, not the remaining years on the current contract.
6.5.8. After an extension has been agreed, all guaranteed money, from both the original contract and the extension, may be restructured.
6.5.9. GMs may appeal a contract extension value by making a case on a league message board. The commissioner will give a ruling on the matter in a timely fashion on the message board.
6.5.10. A top tier player will not accept a reduced contract. If the extension cost based on the rules set out in 6.5.5. is lower than the player’s current contract, the extension will be at a cost equal to the player’s current contract.
6.5.11. The extension costs will be calculated at the end of the previous season, based on the players’ positions for the previous season and the salaries of players for the upcoming season. If a player changes position according to MFL, this will not alter the extension costs.
6.6.1. The value and length of a rookie contract is determined by the position they are taken in the draft, according to the following table:
| Pick | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 5 | Rounds 6&7 |
| 1 | $20, 4 years | $10, 3-4 years | $6, 2-3 years | $3, 1-3 years | $2, 1-3 years | $1, 1-2 years |
| 2 | $19, 4 years | $10, 3-4 years | $6, 2-3 years | $3, 1-3 years | $2, 1-3 years | $1, 1-2 years |
| 3 | $18, 4 years | $10, 3-4 years | $6, 2-3 years | $3, 1-3 years | $2, 1-3 years | $1, 1-2 years |
| 4 | $17, 4 years | $10, 3-4 years | $6, 2-3 years | $3, 1-3 years | $2, 1-3 years | $1, 1-2 years |
| 5 | $16, 4 years | $9, 3-4 years | $5, 2-3 years | $3, 1-3 years | $2, 1-3 years | $1, 1-2 years |
| 6 | $15, 4 years | $9, 3-4 years | $5, 2-3 years | $3, 1-3 years | $2, 1-3 years | $1, 1-2 years |
| 7 | $14, 4 years | $9, 3-4 years | $5, 2-3 years | $3, 1-3 years | $2, 1-3 years | $1, 1-2 years |
| 8 | $13, 4 years | $8, 3-4 years | $5, 2-3 years | $3, 1-3 years | $2, 1-3 years | $1, 1-2 years |
| 9 | $12, 4 years | $8, 3-4 years | $4, 2-3 years | $3, 1-3 years | $2, 1-3 years | $1, 1-2 years |
| 10 | $11, 4 years | $7, 3-4 years | $4, 2-3 years | $3, 1-3 years | $2, 1-3 years | $1, 1-2 years |
| 11 | $11, 4 years | $7, 3-4 years | $4, 2-3 years | $3, 1-3 years | $2, 1-3 years | $1, 1-2 years |
| 12 | $11, 4 years | $7, 3-4 years | $4, 2-3 years | $3, 1-3 years | $2, 1-3 years | $1, 1-2 years |
NB – values in red are valid in event of league expansion to 12 teams or for compensatory picks slotted in to the end of a round
6.6.2. All rookie contracts have 25% guaranteed, except those valued at $1-$3 which will have $0 guaranteed.
6.6.3. A rookie taken in the draft may be dropped before the NFL season begins without the team being penalised guaranteed money.
6.6.4. If a rookie taken in the draft is dropped before the NFL season begins and is then picked up again by the same team, again prior to the start of the season, the terms of the original contract will apply.
6.6.5. The values of rookie contracts may be adjusted if the number of rookies picked is likely to be significantly lower or higher, or if the salary cap is increased.
6.6.6. When drafting rookies, the structure and length of the contract should be communicated to the Commissioner by email within 2 weeks of the end of the draft or July 31st, whichever comes sooner. If this is not done the contract will be structured evenly and will be of the minimum length required by the draft slot.
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7.1. Each team will have a total salary cap of $600, though they may only spend a maximum of $500 at auction
7.2. If a team has fewer than 50 players (excluding taxi squad but including injured reserve), it must have at least $1 available within its budget for each player fewer than 50 it has.
7.3. The salary cap is a soft cap which means it can be breached but there will be penalties in future seasons for breaching it.
7.4. In the event of breaching the salary cap a team will have at least 1 season spent with a hard cap and will also have their salary cap reduced according to the following table:
| Offence Number | Cap Reduction | Hard Cap Period |
| Offense #1 | 1 x Overspend | 1 Year |
| Offense #2 | 1.5 x Overspend | 1 Year |
| Offense #3 | 2 x Overspend | 1 Year |
| Offense #4 | 3 x Overspend | 1 year |
| Offense #5 | 3 x Overspend | 2 Year |
| Offense #6 | Penalty according to result of league debate – maximum penalty possible expulsion from league | |
7.5. One year spent within the soft cap limit will reset a team’s Offense # to zero.
7.6. Penalties may be reduced in extenuating circumstances. A GM may petition the Commissioner if he feels he has a case for reducing the penalty given to his team. The Commissioner’s decision will be final.
7.7. A team may breach its salary cap midweek, between the end of the Monday night game and the start of the Thursday night game, and in the off-season without penalty. They must be within the cap limit on all game weekends. Or will be subject to the above penalties.
7.8. MFL cannot monitor salaries in the way that the league requires. Therefore all contract and salary cap information will be recorded in an Excel spreadsheet available via league website, and through a GoogleDoc shared via the league website. The Excel spreadsheet will be the definitive record of salary cap information. It is up to the individual GMs to ensure the Commissioner has all of the information he needs to keep this information up-to-date and correct.
7.9. Guaranteed money owed to a player who is cut will remain on a team’s payroll and count against the cap as dead money, even if they are subsequently picked up as a free agent by another team (or the same team).
7.10. If a player retires with years left on his contract, the only dead money the team is responsible for is money that had been ‘backloaded’ on his contract over and above the average guaranteed money per year figure.
7.10.1. For example, a player on a $40 contract ($24 per year guaranteed) had his contract structured so that he was owed $30 guaranteed in each of his final 2 years, when he retires. In this case, the team who owned him would be responsible for $6 in dead money per year.
7.10.2. This dead money can be consolidated into the first year or left as an annual payment for each remaining year on the contract. It may not be restructured in any other way.
7.11. If a player pulls a ‘Favre’ and comes out of retirement, if he has been dropped he is a free agent and may be bid upon. If he has not been dropped, he remains at the team on the previous contract
7.12. A retired player may only be dropped, he may not be moved between squads – ie he cannot be moved from the main roster to the IR list
7.13. In the event of a team exceeding a hard cap limit, the commissioner will remove a player or players until the team meets the cap limit.
7.13.1. The commissioner will attempt to release the fewest number of players possible in order to make the team hit the cap
7.13.1.1. For example – a team is exceeding the hard cap limit by $30. The commissioner will attempt to release one player with a cap hit of $30, rather than several players with cap hits of smaller amounts. In the event of no player contributing a cap hit of the precise amount required, the commissioner will release a player with a greater cap hit, if possible.
7.13.2. If the player to be released has guaranteed money, that money will still count towards the cap.
7.12.2.1. For example – a team exceeding the hard cap limit by $15 has a (rookie) player with a cap hit of $22, $6 guaranteed and a player with a cap hit of $25, $10 guaranteed. In this case, the $25 player would be released as the space freed is exactly $15
7.13.3. If the commissioner has to release more than one player, it will be down to his discretion which player combination should be released, while minimising the number of players to be released.
7.13.4. The commissioner does not have to notify a manager in advance of making a hard cap player release.
7.13.5. Players released due to a hard cap violation will be available in a blind bidding auction with a minimum bid equal to the previous contract. If no bids are made, the player will become available via standard free agent procedure (See Section 8 – Free Agency)
7.13.6. The previous owner may bid for the player, as long as they create the cap space to fit the player onto their roster.
7.13.7. If a team breaches the hard cap they will have a second consecutive season with a hard cap.
7.13.8. Basically, make sure you don’t exceed a hard cap limit
7.14. If a player is dropped from an NFL roster during the off season or regular season but does not retire, he must be without a team for 4 consecutive game weeks before he can be dropped from the team’s squad with no guaranteed money penalty (barring that outlined for retired players in 7.9)
7.14.1. The four consecutive games can be pre-season or regular season, but not post-season.
7.14.2. If a player is dropped before the 4 consecutive weeks have completed the team will take a salary cap penalty as per section 6.5.1
7.14.3. If the player is signed by another NFL team the same rules apply as with a retiring player (see section 7.10)
7.15. The salary cap may be increased between seasons, depending on development of the league
7.16. All salary cap details will be available to all teams at all times
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8.1. If a player has 1 year remaining on his contract on August 1st of any season, he will become either an Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA) or a Restricted Free Agent (RFA) at the end of the season. Any player given a 1 year contract during the season will become a UFA.
8.2.1. To qualify as an RFA a player’s previous contract (including extension, if applicable) must have been at least 3 years in length (he can have been traded during that contract) and he must have been in the starting line-up for at least 10 fantasy games in the most recent season
8.2.1.1. A GM may petition the commissioner to classify a player as an RFA if a player has been injured or missed games for any other reason. The Commissioner’s decision will be final.
8.2.2. At the end of the regular season the Commissioner will open message board threads for all RFAs stating the level of opening bid. GMs may then bid on the RFAs until 10pm (GMT) on February 28 (Feb 29 in leap years)
8.2.2.1. The opening bid should be equal to or greater than a 1 year contract at the player’s current salary + $1,
8.2.2.2. Bids should specify both salary and contract years offered. A GM may increase the bid for the player by offering either more money or a longer contract (to the maximum length contract allowed based on salary as per rule 6.2)
8.2.2.3. A player will always take the highest $ contract. The length of the contract will be a secondary consideration – ie $35/1 year > $34/5 years > $34/3 years
8.2.3. Between March 1 and March 7, the outgoing owner of the player may choose to match the highest bid to retain the player. They may increase the length of the contract, but not decrease it.
8.2.3.1. In the event of a GM not being available due to holiday commitments etc, an extension on this time may be requested in advance.
8.2.4. If the outgoing owner declines to match the highest bid, the player signs for the new team but the outgoing owner receives a compensation pick in the upcoming rookie draft.
8.2.4.1. For each player a team gains during RFA they lose a compensatory pick, to a minimum of zero picks.
8.2.4.2. If the value of the contract is $51+ the pick will come between rounds 2 and 3 of the rookie draft. If the contract is worth $21-$50 it will come between rounds 3 and 4. If it is worth $20 or less the compensatory pick will come between the 4th and 5th rounds.
8.2.4.3. Compensatory picks may not be traded.
8.2.4.4. Contracts for compensatory picks will be commensurate with the preceding pick in the draft.
8.2.4.5. The Commissioner will announce the compensatory picks by the end of March each season.
8.2.5. If no one bids on the player in RFA, the player will become a UFA when free agency opens and no compensatory pick will be awarded.
8.3.1. The first period of bidding on UFAs will begin on March 8 and will end at 10pm (current UK time) on the Sunday before the NFL draft. Any player not on a DynaBowl roster and not part of the rookie draft is eligible for nomination and bidding.
8.3.2. To open bidding, a GM must place a bid on the league message board stating both value and contract years on offer
8.3.2.1. A GM may increase the bid for the player by offering either more money or a longer contract (to a maximum of 5 years)
8.3.2.2. A player will always take the highest $ contract. The length of the contract will be a secondary consideration – ie $35/1 year > $34/5 years > $34/3 years
8.3.3. Bidding on a player will close when no higher bid is placed for 5 days (120 hours) or at the end of the first period of UFA bidding, whichever comes first.
8.3.3.1. In the event that a GM is unavailable for a period during UFA bidding, he may register proxy bids with either a) the Commissioner or b) a Deputy Commissioner. This person will then log incremental bids up to the maximum specified.
8.3.4. It is the responsibility of each GM to ensure they are up to date with all free agent bidding. A GM does not need to publicise a bid beyond registering it on the message board.
8.3.4.1. The Commissioner will not accept complaints of “But I didn’t realise that player was being bid on”. Everyone will have 5 days from the previous bid to catch-up and lodge their own bid. Ignorance is no defence.
8.3.5. A second period of free agent bidding will run from two weeks after the completion of the DynaBowl rookie draft until July 31st at 10pm (BST) with the same rules in place.
8.4. Blind Bidding and Waivers
8.4.1. Starting from 8pm (GMT) on the first Saturday after August 1st, the weekly free agent schedule will begin.
| Day | Time | Event |
| Saturday | 8pm (GMT) | Previous blind bidding period ends, new blind bidding period opens |
| Sunday | All day | Blind bidding continues |
| Monday | All day | Blind bidding continues |
| Tuesday | All day | Blind bidding continues |
| Wednesday | 8pm | Previous blind bidding period ends, new blind bidding period opens |
| Thursday | All day | Blind bidding continues |
| Friday | All day | Blind bidding continues |
8.4.2. This will all be run via the MFL website and will occur automatically. This does not allow for contract years to be included as part of the bid.
8.4.3. In the event of two equal bids being highest, the earliest submitted bid will win the player.
8.4.4. Within 24 hours of winning a player via blind bidding the GM must tell the Commissioner the length of the contract. If no contract length is submitted the default of 1 year will be applied. The maximum length of a contract is detailed in section 6.2.
8.4.5. Blind bidding and waivers will end at 8pm (GMT) on the Saturday of week 16 of the NFL season – the final week of the DynaBowl season.
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9.1. The trading season will open on March 8th.
9.2. Trades may be made any time up to 8pm (GMT) on the Thursday of week 11 of the NFL season.
9.3. Any player registered to a team may be traded, including those on the taxi squad or IR list. However, a traded player may not be moved into the taxi squad during the fantasy season.
9.4. The team receiving the player takes on the remaining contract of a player.
9.5. If a team trades for a player with 1 year left on their contract and the season is under way, the contract may not be extended.
9.6. My Fantasy League does not cater for three-(or more)-way trades. Should teams wish to conduct a three-(or more)-way trade, the teams should reach an agreement and alert the commissioner. The commissioner will make the moves or instruct the parties how to proceed.
9.7. Trades may include future draft picks in up to 2 future drafts (ie a trade taking place after the 2015 draft may include picks in the 2016 and 2017 rookie drafts)
9.7.1. When conducting a trade involving draft picks in a future draft (ie not a trade involving picks in a currently ongoing draft), the team losing the draft pick(s) must pay league dues for each year in which draft picks have been traded. This is to avoid a situation where an owner trades away draft picks and then abandons a team, leaving an undesirable orphan. In this situation, the paid dues would enable a new manager to takeover the team for free.
9.8. Trades may have conditions placed on them based on elements such as (but not limited to) total player points or team performance in the current or future seasons (eg a 2nd round pick in the next draft will also be traded ONLY if player X scores >150 points this season or ONLY if the team receiving player X reaches the DynaBowl Final)
9.9. All trades involving any conditional element MUST be posted on a league message board and MUST include all conditions associated with the trade. The trade will only be signed off and allowed through when both teams have commented on the message board that they are happy for it to go ahead.
9.9.1. It is desirable, but not essential, that all trades are signed off in this manner.
9.10. All trades will be allowed, except in exceptional circumstances (‘The Ingram Precedent’), or where an owner contacts the Commissioner in a timely fashion to alert him to the fact that he accepted the trade in error. In either of these circumstances, the Commissioner has the right to veto and undo the trade.
9.10.1. If a trade is protested by at least 3 league members it shall be reviewed by the commissioner.
9.10.2. The commissioner will notify all league members the trade is subject to review and will deliver a verdict within 2 days (where possible/relevant this should occur before the kick off of the first game of the week)
9.10.3. If the trade involves the commissioner, another league manager will be appointed as an independent review body and will deliver the verdict.
9.10.4. If the trade is deemed to be collusive or to be so one-sided as to unfairly affect the competitive balance of the league, the players will be returned to the previous owners and any stats accrued for the new teams will be nullified and applied retroactively to the previous team, if necessary.
9.10.5. If any owner is found guilty of two or more collusive trades in a season, that owner will be subject to sanctions and could be removed from the league (see section 12).
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10.1. If there are 10 teams in the league:
10.1.1. They will be split into 2 Divisions, Peter and Tim.
10.1.2. Divisional alignment will be arranged by random draw, to be posted on youtube by the Commissioner
10.1.3. Each team will play the 4 other teams in their division twice and the 5 teams in the opposing division once.
10.1.4. The top 4 teams will go into the playoffs with a single week semi-final and a 2 week final.
10.1.4.1. The top 4 teams will be the two division winners and the two teams with the best records, regardless of division
10.1.4.2. Head to head record will be the first tie breaker
10.1.4.3. Divisional record will be the second tie breaker
10.1.4.4. All-play record will be the third tie breaker
10.1.4.5. Total points scored will be the fourth tie breaker
10.1.5. The two Division winners will be seeded 1 and 2
10.1.6. Seed 4 will play seed 1, seed 3 will play seed 2
10.1.7. The bottom 6 teams will contest a loser ladder, with draft picks available at the end of rounds 2-5.
10.1.7.1. The allocation of draft picks for teams on the loser ladder will be determined by the Commissioner, taking into account factors such as regular season record, total points scored and performance in loser ladder games.
10.1.7.2. The Commissioner’s decision in awarding these draft picks is final. The Commissioner is under no obligation to divulge the methodology used to determine the awards of these draft picks.
10.1.7.3. Loser Ladder draft picks may not be traded.
10.2. If/When the league expands to 12 teams:
10.2.1. They will either be split into 2 Divisions of 6, Peter and Tim, or 4 divisions of 3, Peter, Tim, Adam and A.N. Other.
10.2.2. In the case of a 2×6 format, the two expansion teams will be allocated to their Divisions by random draw. In the case of a 4×3 format a full draw will take place for Divisions.
10.2.3. (2×6) Each team will play the 5 other teams in their division twice and three of the teams in the opposing division once. (4×3) Each team will play the 2 teams in their Division twice and every other team once.
10.2.3.1. (2×6) The three teams will be selected based on record the previous season, with the top three teams playing each other and the bottom three teams playing each other.
10.2.4. (2×6) The top 6 teams will go into the playoffs with a single week wild card round (the two division winners will get byes), single week semi-final and single week final. (4×3) The 4 Division winners will qualify for the playoffs along with two wildcards. The top two seeds will get byes.
10.2.5. Highest seed will always play lowest remaining seed, regardless of Divisional affiliation
10.2.5.1. (2×6) The two Division winners will be seeded 1 and 2.
10.2.6. The bottom 6 teams will contest a loser ladder, with draft picks available at the end of rounds 2-5.
10.2.6.1 The allocation of draft picks for teams on the loser ladder will be determined by the Commissioner, taking into account factors such as regular season record, total points scored and performance in loser ladder games.
10.2.6.2. The Commissioner’s decision in awarding these draft picks is final. The Commissioner is under no obligation to divulge the methodology used to determine the awards of these draft picks.
10.2.6.3. Loser Ladder draft picks may not be traded.
What follows is a proposed methodology for expansion. Methodology will be debated and finalised as and when expansion is agreed.
11.1. In the event of a two team expansion, from 10 to 12 teams, each existing team will give up 8 players from their roster to be spread across the new teams.
11.1.1. The new teams will pick 40 players each from the existing teams to join their rosters.
11.1.2. Existing teams may designate 2 players untouchable. These players may not be moved to the new franchises.
11.1.3. Existing teams will designate 12 players ‘Tier 1’. Of these 120 players, the new franchises may select 20 players, 10 each, totaling exactly 2 from each existing franchise. These two players may not be from the same position.
11.1.4. Existing teams will designate 12 players ‘Tier 2’. Of these 120 players, the new franchises may select 20 further players, 10 each, totaling exactly 2 from each existing franchise. These two players may not be from the same position.
11.1.5. Existing teams will designate 12 players ‘Tier 3’. Of these 120 players, the new franchises may select 20 further players, 10 each, totaling exactly 2 from each existing franchise. These two players may not be from the same position.
11.1.6. All remaining players on existing teams’ rosters will be designated ‘Tier 4’ players. Of these remaining players, the new franchises may select 20 further players, 10 each, totaling exactly 2 from each existing franchise. These two players may not be from the same position.
11.1.7. Players on the IR and taxi squad should also be assigned a tier. If a player on IR or the taxi squad has not been placed on one of the Tiers they will be deemed a Tier 4 player.
11.1.8. A team may only lose a maximum of two players of the same position (eg 2 WRs) during this process. The two players may not come from the same tier.
11.1.9. All players chosen will have their contract transferred to the new team. When selecting players, new managers must take into account the salary cap and may not spend more than $500 in assembling their 40 man roster.
11.1.10. A coin toss will determine which new franchise gets first choice of players from existing rosters
11.1.10.1. Picks will follow a snake draft format in each tier for the two new franchises. – ie Pick 1 – Team A, Pick 2, Team B, P3 – B, P4 – A etc
11.1.10.2. If Team A gets first pick in ‘Tier 1’ then Team B will get first pick in ‘Tier 2’, Team A in ‘Tier 3’ and Team B in ‘Tier 4’.
11.1.11. This process will give each new team a 40 man roster. The rosters will be completed from the rookie draft and free agency.
11.2. At the rookie draft, the team that loses the toss in rule 11.1.10. will have first pick in round 1 (Team B in this case), and Team A will pick second. The remaining picks in round 1 will be allocated as per the standard mechanism for all existing franchises.
11.2.1. In round 2 Team A would have the first pick and Team B the second. Order will continue to swap in each round of the draft.
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12.1. Poor sportsmanship or breaching of rules can, at the discretion of the commissioner, be punished by any of the following, or any other punishment deemed appropriate: salary cap fine; prospective point penalty; retrospective point penalty; forced player release; removal of draft pick(s) in the future draft(s); being ejected from the league.
12.2. For more minor offences, suspended penalties may be brought in with the threat that a repeat (or different) offence will activate the penalty.
| Start Date | End Date (if applicable) | Event |
| End of Fantasy Football Season | 28/29 February – 10pm (GMT) | League fees due; Restricted Free Agency |
| 1 March | 7 March | Window for outgoing owners to match RFA bids |
| 8 March | Week 11 NFL Season | Trade window opens |
| 8 March | Sunday before NFL Draft – 10pm | Free Agent Open Bidding |
| Mid May – 2nd Saturday after the NFL Draft | DynaBowl Rookie Draft | |
| 2 Weeks after DynaBowl Rookie Draft | 31 July – 10pm (BST) | Free Agent Open Bidding |
| 1 August | Reduction of Roster size (see 1.4) Opening of IR and taxi squads |
|
| First Saturday after 1 August | Week 16 of NFL Season – Saturday 8pm (GMT) | Free Agent Blind Bidding weekly calendar |
| August 31, 10pm (BST) | July 31 | Taxi squad closes for additions |
| Week 11 of NFL Season – Thursday 8pm (GMT) | 1 January | Trading Window Closed |
| End of Week 13 | Beginning of Week 14 | COTY voting etc |
| Week 16 | DynaBowl Final Awards Winners Announced |
|
| 1 Jan | Closing of IR and taxi squads, all players returned to main squad. Increase roster size to 99 players |
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14.1. Each owner should submit a Franchise Name. This name will be permanent during their ownership and will be the name inscribed on the trophy, should the team win in any given year. This allows for continuity should a team win multiple titles.
14.1.1. In an ideal world, each team will have/develop a logo that is, in some way, based on their Franchise Name.
14.2. A team may also, each year, submit a Team Name. This team name will be used on the site, but will not be engraved on the trophy.
14.2.1. A team does not need to submit a Team Name – it may use the Franchise Name – but it will need a Franchise Name.
15. OWNERS’ ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
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15.1 It is the responsibility of all owners to know the rules and the calendar.
15.1.1 All rules are listed here on a freely available website. Owners may ask the Commissioner for clarifications, but the Commissioner is not bound to answer those which he deems ‘stupid’ or ‘more than adequately explained in this rule set’.
15.1.2 The league will provide adequate notification of all events via the league’s G+ huddle as well as timetabling them on this rules page and, where possible, in the calendar on this website. If GMs miss league events because they are unaware of the dates of these events, that will be deemed unfortunate and the GM will be permitted to have a sad. However, events will not be rolled back just because they don’t know their months of the year yet.
15.2 All GMs will be expected to be able to operate the MFL website. It’s not difficult and there’s an extensive help section as well as a mechanism to ask specific questions. I’ve asked specific (and stupid) questions of their team before. I am sure you are capable of doing this too. It is not the Commissioner’s job to make sure you can operate a website.
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These rules are not expected to be exhaustive of all potential situations encountered across the seasons. The Commissioner may make any changes to the league that are in the league’s best interests without agreement from, or notification of, league members. The commissioner can adjust rules or add additional rules or sub-rules to clarify situations as they are encountered, should a member find an ‘exploit’. Teams will not be punished for finding exploits, although if they continue to use them after a direct league ruling against the exploit, sanctions can be made.
All times quoted are either GMT or BST, dependent on which is in operation in the UK at the time of the event.