Rules

Rules and Regulations - August 26, 2006

Section 1. Draft Meeting
All owners and team representatives shall assemble at an agreed upon time and place for the annual player draft meeting. Each team must have a representative present. If not, the league will appoint a representative or award the team to another prospective owner.

Section 2. Draft Order and Roster Size
The draft shall be randomly determined, and the order shall be reversed for the even numbered rounds. Each team shall have two minutes to make their selection. If a team has two draft selections in a row, they will be allowed four minutes to make both selections. If a team does not make their selection within the allotted time, they will forfeit that turn, but will get a chance to make their selection after the team below them in the drafting sequence.

Each team shall select a maximum of 12 players from the following categories: quarterbacks, running backs (includes fullbacks), receivers (includes tight ends) and kickers. Teams may draft as many players as they want at any position as long as the total does not exceed 12 and they have at least one player for each starting position. Teams must maintain at least one player for each starting position on their roster throughout the season. Players and their respective positions will be as designated at ESPN online. In the week prior to the first game, an additional player will be added to each roster via the waiver wire in accordance with the Claiming Procedures outlined in Section 5. From that point on, team rosters will consist of a maximum of thirteen players. See Section 5 for additional info on free agent transaction procedures and Section 3 for info on transaction nights.

Section 3. Starting Lineups
During the season, each team shall submit a weekly starting lineup online at the BTFFL at ESPN website prior to the start of the first game on Sunday. (If problems are encountered, members may contact the League Manager, the League Commissioner, or one of the Assistant League Managers via e-mail or phone and provide them with their lineup. The LM will then enter the lineup online for that team.) If there are Thursday, Friday, or Saturday games, players can be entered in lineups for each of those specific games, prior to their start. The balance of the players for the Sunday and Monday games may then be entered prior to the start of the first Sunday game. No lineup changes will be allowed after the start of the first Sunday game. Teams choose one quarterback, two running backs, three receivers and one kicker. If no lineup is submitted during any week of the season, the previous week's lineup will be used, regardless of who is injured or not playing. If no lineup is submitted prior to the first week of play, the League Commissioner and League Manager will invoke the "Lonnie Rea Rule" and designate a team's starting lineup using their draft order by position regardless of who is injured or not playing.

Section 4. Scoring
Teams score points when their starters score in NFL games. Rushing and receiving touchdowns are worth six points, return touchdowns (kickoff, punt, fumble, etc.) are worth six points, touchdown passes are worth four points, field goals are worth three points, extra point kicks are worth one point, extra point passes are worth one point, extra point receptions are worth one point, and all other extra points such as runs, fumbles, etc. are worth two points. Safeties are not counted. All scores, except for return touchdowns, from fifty or more yards shall be doubled in value. Two points are awarded to players who reach or exceed 300 yards passing in a game. Two additional points are awarded to players who reach or exceed 400 yards passing in a game. One point is awarded to players for each 25 yards rushing and/or each 25 yards receiving. Three points for home field advantage will be given to the home team in all games except the Super Bowl, which will be played at a neutral site. All teams will have the same number of home games during regular season play. Home teams for playoff games will be determined as outlined in Section 8.

Official scoring will come from ESPN League Manager at our BTFFL at ESPN website. Official final score may not come until the Saturday after games are completed. This time will be allowed to view official scoring of NFL games from Elias Sports Bureau, the official stats provider for the NFL and ESPN.

Section 5. Free Agent Players and Claiming Procedures
If a player is not on a BTFFL team, he is considered a free agent and is available on the waiver wire. Teams may obtain a player off the waiver wire by submitting a claim for that player at the BTFFL at ESPN website under conditions described below. (If problems are encountered, members may contact the League Manager, League Commissioner, or one of the Assistant League Managers via e-mail or phone and give them the info. The LM will then make the transaction request for the team.)

A team will be awarded a maximum of one free agent per week regardless of how many players are on your team. There will be a period when free agent claims will be based on "worst record". In other words, if more than one team claims the same free agent, he will be awarded to the claiming team with the worst league win/loss record. Claiming order will be determined and set by the League Manager by Tuesday Noon following the previous week's games (see next paragraph for more info). The "worst record" claiming period will start after Noon on Tuesdays and run until Midnight on Friday nights. There is an exception for weeks with games on a Thursday night. For weeks with Thursday night games, the "worst record" claiming period ends at Midnight on Wednesday night (see Transaction Night List furnished to each team at draft for those dates). Claims will be made at the BTFFL at ESPN website. A team may put in a claim for as many as 4 free agents during this period. At the end of the "worst record" claiming period, teams will be awarded their highest choice not claimed by a team with a worse record during that period. Starting on Saturday mornings, free agents will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. A team can log in on the BTFFL at ESPN website and select any player available at that time and add him to their roster.

For the first week prior to the start of a season, the reverse order of the first round of that year's draft will be used to determine claiming order. Current win/loss records will prevail during regular season play once the season has started. The team with the best record will be determined first and placed in the lowest position of the claiming order and will continue until the team with the worst record is left for the highest position. Tie-breaking procedures for identical records will be as outlined in Section 9. Claiming order for the playoffs will be determined by seeding the teams one through six based on the last regular season game claiming order. Playoff teams will retain their seed number throughout the playoffs with seed number one being the team at the bottom of the claiming order and seed number six being the team at the top. This applies to the six teams playing for the Duper Bowl also.

In the week prior to the first game, a free agent may be claimed, and no one need be dropped from your roster. After that, for each free agent player claimed off the waiver wire, a player may need to be released from your roster to maintain the maximum roster of 13. Released players will not be eligible as free agents until the following week after they are released. Teams may make their first free agent transaction in the week prior to the first NFL game.

Section 6. Player Trade Procedures
If two or more teams wish to trade players, they may do so by going to the BTFFL at ESPN page and clicking on the "League Roster" button in the Trade Center column. You may then click on the "Propose Trade" button under the team name with which you wish to trade. (If you encounter problems or do not feel comfortable with this procedure, you may contact the League Commissioner or League Manager with the trade info.) If two or more players are traded for one, other players may need to be waived in order not to exceed the maximum roster of 13. The rule allowing only one free agent pickup per week is still in effect, so if you trade off more players than you receive, you may have to play short a player for a week. A team will be allowed only two player trade transactions per year. Trades of draft choices will not count as one of a team's two trades for the year. No trades shall be permitted after conclusion of the claiming period of the ninth week of the season.

Section 7. Team Trades
There shall be no trading or consolidating of teams.

Section 8. Schedules, Division Alignments, and Play-offs
There will be three divisions with four teams in each division. They will be the Bat Masterson Division, the Doc Holliday Division and the Wyatt Earp Division. Division alignments will be determined by a random drawing conducted by the League Commissioner and League Manager at the beginning of each season.

The NFL regular season consists of 17 weeks. The BTFFL shall play a 14 week regular season with the final 3 weeks of the NFL season reserved for a single elimination playoff tournament. The head-to-head schedule shall be prepared by the League Commissioner and League Manager. The same number of home games will be scheduled for all teams.

Six teams shall advance to the playoffs; three division champions as determined by the best overall league win/loss record within their division, and three wildcard teams with the next best overall league win/loss records regardless of division. The other six teams will move to a playoff for the Duper Bowl.

NFL week 15 will start the first round of playoffs known as the Quarterfinals. The two division champions with the best league win/loss record will draw byes. The third division champion will host the wildcard team with the worst league win/loss record. The wildcard team with the best league win/loss record will host the other wildcard team. The six teams playing for the Duper Bowl will be seeded 1 through 6 based on their win/loss record and the tiebreaking procedures in Section 9. Seed 1 and seed 2 will draw byes. Seed 3 will host seed 6, and seed 4 will host seed 5 regardless of division alignment.

NFL week 16 will start the second round of playoffs known as the Semifinals. The division champion with the best league win/loss record that drew a bye in the previous week will host the Quarterfinals champion wildcard team with the worst league win/loss record. The second division champion that drew a bye the previous week will host the other Quarterfinals winner. The four teams vying for the Duper Bowl will continue with the highest seed hosting the lowest seed and the next highest seed hosting the next lowest seed.

The Semifinals champions will play for the league championship in the BSA-BTFFL Super Bowl at a neutral site in NFL week 17. The two teams playing for the Duper Bowl Championship will also play at a neutral site.

Section 9. Win/Loss Record Tiebreakers
Should two teams have identical win/loss records, the tiebreaking procedures are as follows:

For two teams in the same division:
1) Records head-to-head.
2) Best division record.
3) Most points scored in league regular season play.
4) Most offensive yardage accumulated in league regular season play. (Return yardage is not included.)
5) Coin flip.

For two teams from different divisions:
1) Records head-to-head.
2) Most points scored in league regular season play.
3) Most offensive yardage accumulated in league regular season play. (Return yardage is not included.)
4) Coin flip.

Should three or more teams have identical records, the same tiebreaking procedures used for two teams will apply. Head-to-head sweep is applicable only if one team has defeated or lost to each of the other teams. If one team wins multiple team tiebreaker and advances, the remaining teams revert to step 1 of applicable two team format. If two teams in a multiple team tie are tied with superior marks in a tiebreaking step, this pair of teams revert to step 1 of applicable two team format. One of these teams advances while the other returns to original group and step 1 of applicable tiebreaker. Apply the division tiebreaker among teams from the same division and eliminate all but the top team in that division prior to proceeding to step 1 for two teams from different divisions. The original seeding within a division upon application of the division tiebreaker remains the same for all subsequent applications of the tiebreaking procedures.

Section 10. Game Tiebreakers
There shall be no game ties. If any game ends in a tie, the team with the most running back points will be declared the winner. If additional tiebreakers are needed, they are as follows:

1) Total team yardage of starting players (does not include return yardage).
2) Total rushing yardage of starting players.
2) Total receiving yardage of starting players.
3) Total passing yardage of starting players.
4) Coin flip.

Section 11. Questions and Disputes
The League Commissioner and League Manager will be the final authority in the settlement of questions and disputes.

Section 12. Reports
All schedules, game results, division standings, and transactions will be maintained online at BTFFL at ESPN. Additional reports will still be maintained Duke's Corner.

Section 13. Team Names
Team names shall be preceded by team's home city, suburb, or subdivision. Total length of team name should not exceed 20 characters because of report space constraints.

Section 14. Entry Fee
There will be an entry fee per team per year as determined prior to the draft. This entry fee will be used to cover expenses incurred in purchasing awards, publishing and distributing the league web page, newsletter and other league reports, and other expenses as agreed upon by team owners.

Section 15. Rules Revisions
Rules may be revised, deleted or added during the off-season with a two-thirds majority approval of league teams. Each team gets one vote. In order to get on the Revision Ballot, all suggested revisions should be sent in writing to the League Commissioner or Secretary after the Super Bowl and prior to August 1st.