Post by BadaBing319 on Aug 14, 2009 0:32:27 GMT -5
West Coast Football League Constitution
Table of Contents[/u][/color]
I. Mission Statement & Membership Requirements
II. Handling Conflicts/Connection Issues
III. Game Settings
IV. Game Scheduling Procedure
V. Playing Rules - Off Field
VI. Playing Rules - Depth Charts, Substitutions & Pre-Game Adjustments
VII. Playing Rules - Offense
VII. Playing Rules - Defense
IX. Playing Rules - Special Teams
X. Player Movement - Spending Caps
XI. Player Movement - Trading
XII. Player Movement - Free Agency
XIII. Player Movement - Free Agent Bidding Process
XIV. Player Movement - Special Rules
I. Mission Statement & Membership Requirements
Our mission is to provide a place for sim-style gamers living on the West Coast (and other late-night players) to play against other gamers with similar schedules.
To be a member of the WCFL, you must meet the following requirements:
A) Be willing/able to check the forums on a daily basis
B) Be a "sim-style" player. The WCFL considers "sim-style" to be a style of play geared towards what you would see in the NFL on Sunday. Punting on fourth down, not blitzing every down and not running up the score are examples of what we consider "sim". We have rules in place to align the style of play in our games to the NFL, however our goal is for the rules to be "no-brainers" for the members of our site. Basically, if you have to conform your style of play to fit our rules, you probably don't fall under our definition of a "sim" player.
C) Schedule and play one "screening" game against an existing member our league to ensure your style fits what we are looking for from our owners.
D) Be available for games most nights between 7:00 pm and 11:00 pm pacific time. Being a West Coast based league, those hours are considered "prime-time" for the majority of the players on our site. Obviously, availability will fluctuate day-to-day and week-to-week, but for the most part, those are the times where most of our members will be available for games.
II. Handling Conflicts / Connection Issues
In-Game Conflicts[/u]- If you feel like your opponent is in violation of any gameplay rules listed below, pause the game and address your concern with your opponent over the headset or via XBL text message. Be sure to be respectful during the discussion surrounding the issue. Often times, a player may be breaking a league rule without even realizing it. Do your best to resolve the situation prior to continuing the game.
If you cannot reach an agreement, the game must be played to completion. Following the game, send a PM to a member of the WCFL staff with your concerns. The staff will discuss the situation with both players involved and come to a decision regarding the game in question.
The league will keep track of all complaints lodged towards league members as well as the disciplinary action taken. If owners repeatedly break league rules or show disrespect to opponents or the league in general, they will be removed from the WCFL.
Forum Conduct[/u]- The forums are not the place to call out other league members regarding their play style, demeanor during games, etc. All conflicts should be handled behind the scenes through private messages between league owners and the WCFL staff. The league reserves the right to discipline owners who make derogatory remarks about other league members or the league in general through the boards. We are all adults here and are expected to conduct ourselves appropriately.
Lag[/u]- League games that experience significant lag should be restarted immediately. When lag exists, the two players involved in the game should talk over the headset and make a determination whether to restart or play through it. Once a decision is made, the game must be played to completion unless the winning team agrees to restart the contest.
Disconnects[/u]- Inevitably, games will occur that will end in a disconnect. Since the Online Franchise system does not allow commissioners to designate a winner when simulating a game, we have come up with the following rules to regulate disconnects in our leagues.
Disconnect Scenarios
If a game is disconnected in any of the situations below:
1) in the third quarter with one team leading by 30 or more points OR
2) in the fourth quarter with one team leading 25 or more points OR
3) in the last two minutes with one team leading by 17 or more points
The winning team has the following options:
A. Finish the game against the CPU (if that option is available)
B. Replay the game in its entirety against the CPU **
C. Reschedule and replay the game in its entirety against the true owner
** - in the case of rule B above, the losing team owner would be temporarily removed from the league in order for the winning team to play the CPU. The owner would be reinstated once the game is played.
In all other scenarios, the losing team has the following options:
A. Replay the game and re-create the score, time, and situation against the true owner.
B. Concede defeat and let the winning team complete the game against the CPU (if that option is available)
C. Concede defeat and let the winning team play the game in its entirety against the CPU
D. Reschedule and replay the game in its entirety against the true owner - ** This option is only available if the winning team also agrees to this.
III. Game Settings
All game settings were tested prior to starting our league to determine what provided the best "sim" feel possible.
League Settings
Difficulty: All-Pro
Quarter Length: 10 minutes (15 sec accelerated clock)
Number of Users: 32
Injuries: ON
Trading: ON
Weather: ON
Fatigue: ON
Game Deadlines: 1 game due every 5 days
- Keeping in line with the "sim" feel of our league, we will have game previews, recaps, players of the week, etc. Some of that loses its luster when the whole goal is to advance the week as quickly as possible. Obviously, if all games are done early, we can advance the week accordingly. However, I'm not trying to finish a season in a month - I want everyone to have ample time to get their games in.
IV. Game Scheduling Procedure
Each week, there will be an individual thread created in the Game Scheduling forum for every game to be played that week. This is where ALL communication should be recorded in terms of scheduling games. Conversations on AIM, YIM, XBox Live, etc are all well and good, but when it comes to simulating games that don't get played on time, the scheduling threads will be the end-all, be-all in determining who gets the win.
When scheduling games, it is best to give your schedule for the entire week. Posts containing things like "when can you play" or "message me on live" don't accomplish much in terms of figuring out a compatible time to play. An example of a good scheduling post would be:
Failure to communicate in the game scheduling threads will be taken seriously. A first offense will more than likely result in a warning and a sim loss. Continued offenses will lead to expulsion from the WCFL.
V. Playing Rules - Off Field
Many of the rules we have are based off having respect for your opponents. We are here as an escape from real life and all want to be able to enjoy playing a football video game without having to worry about being cussed out over the headset.
Headsets- Every owner will be required to have a headset. The requirement is based on the need to communicate regarding issues during the game. You are NOT required to chat with your opponent during the game - just be available to chat in the case that a conflict comes up that needs to be resolved. If you plan on having your headset off during the game, just let your opponent know when acknowledging each other during pre-game.
Trash Talk- Trash talking is a part of online play - however, keeping in line with the goals of respecting your opponents, be sure that any conversations during the game are friendly, harmless communications. Excessive cursing and racial or other types of derogatory comments will NOT be tolerated. Owners who are disrespectful to fellow league members will be removed from the league.
Sportsmanship- All league members will be held to a high standard in terms of sportsmanship. Nobody needs to hear how the game is screwing you, or how "Madden sucks" because they are losing. If you are frustrated with how the game is going, keep it to yourself. Also, refrain from running up the score on your opponents. League members should use common sense during lopsided games.
VI. Playing Rules - Depth Charts, Substitutions and Pre-Game Adjustments
NOTE on Game Play Rules: All the rules we have in place are to ensure league games are played "sim". While there are many rules in place, true "sim-style" players will never have an issue abiding by them.
Depth Chart Adjustments[/u]- Madden '10 allows for depth chart adjustments to be made prior to entering into a game. For the sake of saving time, league members should set their depth charts before connecting to play a league game.
Players are restricted to playing their own positions in the depth chart. Wide receivers cannot play running back, safeties cannot play linebackers, etc. There are a few exceptions to this rule:
Offense
A) Top rated WR cannot be placed #3 or #4 on the depth chart (prevents them from starting every play from the slot)
B) TE can play FB and vice versa
Defense
A) DEs and DTs can play any defensive line positions
B) LBs can play any LB position
C) DBs can play any defensive back position (CB, FS, SS)
Special Teams
A) Punters or kickers can be listed as the kick-off specialist (KOS)
B) Any player on the roster can be used as a PR and/or KR
Play Screen Packages[/u]- On the play calling screen, there are many different packages to choose from (HB swap, HB slot, WR slot, etc.). These packages can be used within reason (i.e. once every set of downs). Players like Reggie Bush and LaDainian Tomlinson will sometimes line up at WR in real life. Use the play screen packages to accomplish this without making illegal adjustments to the depth charts.
Pre-Game Adjustments[/u]- Prior to the game, you must allow your opponent ample time to set defensive matchups, adjust audibles, etc. While this shouldn't be a 10 minue process, show enough respect to your opponent to let him get his team set up.
VII. Playing Rules - Offense
Play Calling[/u]- Being that we are a "sim-style" league, it is imperative that you mix up your play calling. It is not considered "sim" by our standards to run the same play repeatedly. That being said, if you are having success pounding the ball down the defense's throat by running the football, we are not saying you have to pass to be "realistic". We just ask that you mix up which running plays you call.
General Rule - You cannot call the same play more than once per set of downs. If you call the I-Formation, HB Iso play on first down, you are restricted from calling that play again until you pick up a first down or get the ball back after a score, turnover, etc.
Goal Line Formation[/u] (also known as 0 WR formations) - Formations with 0 wide receivers are allowed in the following situations:
A) 3rd OR 4th down and 2 yards or less to go
B) Anytime inside the 5 yard line
4th Downs[/u]- You are allowed to "go for it" on 4th downs in the following situations:
A) Anytime when trailing in the 4th quarter
B) Anytime when losing by 21 or more points
C) Anytime inside your opponent's 5-yard line
D) 4th and 1 or inches in your opponent's territory
E) When you have the ball between your opponents 35 and 45 yard line
In all other 4th down situations, you must either punt or kick a field goal.
Quarterback Play[/u]- There is no rule against rolling out. All quarterbacks have different ratings controlling their accuracy when throwing short, intermediate and long routes, all of which come into play when throwing on the run. The only rule restricting quarterback movement involves dropping back in the pocket. As a general rule, quarterbacks can not drop more than 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage. It doesn't happen in real life - it's not going to happen here.
No Huddle[/u]- Teams will be allowed one series each half to use the no huddle offense at their discretion. Additionally, you can run the no huddle offense in the following situations:
A) Inside the 2 minute warning of each half
B) Inside of 5 minutes left in the game when trailing by 9 - 14 points
C) ANYTIME in the fourth quarter when trailing by more than 14 points
Motion[/u]- You are permitted to manually motion 1 player per play. That player must clear the tackles prior to snapping the ball. Any plays that include "auto-motion" are permitted as well.
Audibles[/u]- When audibling on offense, be sure that you do not violate any of the depth chart/substitution rules listed above. For example, an audible that brings a wide receiver into the backfield as a running back is NOT[/u] allowed. The quick audibles (run, short pass, long pass) can be used in situations where the package and formation you have on the field would violate the substitution rules with your set audibles.
VIII. Playing Rules - Defense
Play Calling[/u]- On offense, you are required to mix up your play calling. However, on defense, many teams in the NFL use a base defense (example Cover 2) that they play the majority of the time. Therefore, you are NOT required to pick a new defensive play every down.
That being said, blitz packages are not considered "base" defense. Blitzing is certainly allowed, but you shouldn't be blitzing on 90% of your defensive play calls. Again, we are trying to simulate what we'd see in the NFL on Sundays.
Goal Line Defense[/u]- The goal line defense can be called in the same situations as the goal line offense. Those are:
A) 3rd OR 4th down and 2 yards or less to go
B) Anytime inside the 5 yard line
Pre-snap Shifts/Movement on Defense[/u]- The following rules govern the movement of players pre-snap on Defense:
A) All package shifts are allowed pre-snap, meaning any way you can shift an entire group (d-line, linebackers, secondary) by pressing a button on the controller is allowed.
B) Defensive Linemen can ONLY be moved by traditional shifts using the LB and RB buttons. Regardless of whether you control them or not, you are not allowed to manually move defensive linemen pre-snap.
C) If you manually move a linebacker or member of the secondary pre-snap, you MUST control that player at the start of the play. By extension, this means that you may only move one player on defense pre-snap.
IX. Playing Rules - Special Teams
2-Point Conversions[/u]- You are permitted to "go for two" when the current score and situation dictates it. You must notify your opponent that you are going for two. Keep in mind - in the NFL, it is obvious when a team is trying for a 2-point conversion since the offense stays on the field and the kicker stays on the sideline. Since we do not see that interaction from the play calling screen, we will require the courtesy of letting your opponent know.
Obvious situations include scoring a touchdown to get within two points or scoring a touchdown to take a 1 point lead. The first scenario would tie the game with a 2-point conversion - the second would give the team a 3 point lead. Teams in the NFL only go for two when there is a strategical advantage.
Here is a 2-point conversion chart that we will use as a guide for when going for two is acceptable. The chart is not a rule per say, but a guideline. If you feel your opponent is going for two in unrealistic situations, please follow the conflict resolution rules in section II of the constitution.
Also on Kick Returns, you are not allowed to motion a player during the Kickoff to put into an unrealistic blocking position.
Onside Kicks[/u]- Onside kicks are only allowed when the current score and situation dictates it. Again, please give your opponent the courtesy of letting them know when you are attempting an onside kick.
Fake Punts/Field Goals[/u]- You may attempt one fake play per game. Not one fake FG AND one fake punt, just one fake play overall.
Punting[/u]- Directional punting is allowed. However, when punting towards the sidelines, you are NOT allowed to lower the trajectory arrow, forcing a low line-drive punt that skips past the return man, or worse, causes the return man to fumble the ball trying to chase down the kick. If you want to avoid the punt from being returned, kick the ball out of bounds.
X. Player Movement - Spending Cap Guidelines
All teams in the WCFL will have a spending cap, which will limit the number of transactions they can make per season. Each team's initial cap will be determined by sliding scale based on overall team rating:
Link to team spending cap forum:
wcflmadden.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=salcap
NOTE: Spending caps carry over from season to season. Any money left over from season 1 will carry over into the off-season and beyond.
Player Acquisitions
All players acquired (via trade or free agency) will count against the team's spending cap. Players that you give up DO NOT add to your spending cap - it is simply a number to track player acquisitions. The cost to acquire a player VIA TRADE is based on that player's overall rating - see chart below:
Draft Pick Acquisitions
Additionally, draft picks acquired via trade will count against the team's spending cap. Only picks in the first three rounds are eligible to be traded. The cost to acquire draft picks is governed by the chart below:
XI. Trading
All trades must be approved by the player movement committee, which will be made up of three GM's overseen by an admin (Smatheny). Majority vote rules.
Player Acquisitions
All players acquired (via trade or free agency) will count against the team's spending cap. Players that you give up DO NOT add to your spending cap - it is simply a number to track player acquisitions. The cost to acquire a player VIA TRADE is based on that player's overall rating - see chart below:
Draft Pick Acquisitions
Additionally, draft picks acquired via trade will count against the team's spending cap. Only picks in the first three rounds are eligible to be traded. The cost to acquire draft picks is governed by the chart below:
Submitting Trades
Trades must be submitted in the Official Trade Submission forum in the following format:
The in-season trading period is from week 1 to week 6. Teams will have the entire off-season to make trades as well. Each team will have a spending cap thread (located here) which will contain all the team caps and will be maintained by the player movement committee. Team GM's are responsible for reviewing their own cap thread following every transaction for accuracy.
IMPORTANT NOTE: During season 1, players rated 90+ OVR are NOT eligible to be traded or released (Jukster rule). This is to prevent superstar players from being traded in season 1, only to have the owner quit and leave his replacement without their stud. Following season 1, the only restriction on trading players will be the spending cap and trade committee review.
XII. Player Movement - Free Agency
Free agency is determined by players age at the start of the season. If a player is 26, 30, or 33 at the beginning of the season, it will be the final year of their contract with a team. At the end of that season, those players will enter free agency and will be made available to the highest bidder during the off-season free agency period.
Franchise Tag
Each team will have one franchise tag to use per off-season. Placing a franchise tag on a player will keep him on that team and prevent him from becoming a free agent. Teams are NOT required to use a franchise tag, but if they choose to, the cost will be either $6M or that player's value, whichever is GREATER.
Example:
- Franchising a 82 OVR player ($4M value) will cost a team $6M against their spending cap
- Franchising a 96 OVR player ($8M value) will cost a team $8M against their spending cap
The franchise tag, just like in the NFL, is a way to keep the best players on your team without allowing them to get offers in the open market.
Transition Tags
Each team will have two transition tags to use per off-season. Placing a transition tag on a player costs the team $2M (non-refundable) and makes that player a restricted free agent. Once again, teams are NOT required to use their transition tags. The original team will have the option to match the offer of the winning bidder in order to retain that player. They also have the option to let the player walk, gain the player's value in spending cap room and receive a compensatory 2nd round draft pick from the team that signs the player.
Example:
- The Dolphins put a transition tag on Mark Duper (OVR 85). He goes on the open market as a restricted free agent and is awarded to the Eagles for $7.5M. The Dolphins can choose to match that offer and keep Duper on their team, or let him walk, gain his value in cap room (85 OVR = $5M value) and get the Eagles' second round pick.
NOTE: In the case where a team signed more than one restricted free agent, the 2nd round pick will be awarded to the team who lost the player with the highest signed contract. Other teams will receive 3rd, 4th round picks respectively. A team cannot sign more than 3 restricted free agents during any off-season period.
Untagged Players
Free agents who are not tagged will enter unrestricted free agency. The team losing those free agents will gain their player value in spending cap room.
Example:
49ers RB Roger Craig (OVR 83) turns 33 and becomes a free agent. San Francisco chooses not to tag him, so he becomes an unrestricted free agent. In return, SF gets his player value (OVR 83 = $4M) added to their spending cap.
Retired Players
Teams who have players retire at the end of the season will gain that players' value added to their spending cap.
Off-Season - Order of Events
1) Free agents are determined based on age
2) Teams choose their franchise and transition players
3) Untagged players player values are calculated and added to teams spending cap (allows teams to free up money to tag players)
4) Teams are charged for their franchise / transition tags
5) Restricted free agency period - at the end, teams caps are adjusted based on results of RFA
6) Unrestricted free agency
7) Rookie Draft
XIII. Player Movement - Free Agent Bidding Process
Rather than conducting a draft to distribute free agents (both preseason and between seasons), we have decided to go the route of bidding on the open market. Every player that is a free agent in the Online Franchise is eligible to be bid on by a WCFL team at any time. During the off-season, the bidding period will last five days, with the final day being a silent auction via PM. In-season, the bidding period will coincide with the weekly advances, with the silent auction occuring on the final day of a given week.
Bidding Guidelines
Placing an Initial Bid
Instead of the admins making a thread for every available free agent, we will leave this up to each team owner. If a team would like to put an initial bid in on a free agent, they simply need to make a post in the free agency bidding forum, titling it with the player's position first, followed by his last name, then his first name. (Example - "RB - Westbrook, Brian"). We'll set up the forum to sort by topic, so that all players playing the same position will appear in the same area of the forum.
In the body of the post, just the team name and the bid amount is required (Dolphins $1.5M). Bids must be made in increments of $.25M - we aren't going to deal with $.01M bids. So, $1.25M, $1.5M, $1.75M are valid bids, but $1.4M, $1.6M are NOT.
The minimum starting bid on a player is $1M less than the players value based on the chart below (players rated 0 - 69, minimum bid is $.5M).
Placing a Counter Bid
Once a team has made an offer to a free agent, all other teams can place a counter bid. A simple reply in the player's thread with the counter offer is all that is needed. All counter bids must be at least $.25M more than the previous bid. (Example - initial bid $1M, minimum counter bid is $1.25M).
Awarding Free Agents
Each bid is open for counter bidding for 24 hours. If 24 hours elapse between the time of the last bid, the player will be awarded to the highest bidder. The Player Movement committee will confirm the winning bid in each thread and lock it.
NOTE: We obviously are not going to monitor these threads at all times. Time stamps will be used to determine whether a counter bid was made in time.
Silent Auction
There will be cases at the end of a live bidding period (4 days off-season, 2 days in-season) that a player will still not be signed. In these cases, a silent auction will be used to determine who signs the free agent. This is to ensure free agency is handled in a timely fashion rather than dragging on.
After the live bidding period, all signed free agents will be moved out of the active free agent forum, leaving the remaining unsigned free agents. Those threads will be locked and bids will only be accepted via PM to Smatheny (or designated player movement committe member). Those bids will be due at 10:00 PM pacific time. One the silent auction closes, the free agents will be awarded to the team that submitted the highest bid.
Roster Limitations
Sometimes, signing a free agent will result in a team being over their roster limit of 54 players. In those cases, once the free agent is signed, the team must notify the player movement committee who they will release to stay within roster limitations.
XIII. Player Movement - Special Rules
Injured Reserve
Any player that incurs an injury that lasts more than 6 consecutive weeks may be placed on an injured reserve list. Any player placed on the IR list will not be able to return during the season (regular season or playoffs) he was placed on IR. The team losing such a player to IR is then allowed to sign a backup at the same position as the injured player without using cap funds to do so. The team has the right to sign any player who was available on the free agent market the previous week and did not receive any bids. At the end of the season, a team with a player on IR must release the injured player or another player at the same position.
In-Season Player Releases
Teams will get two roster exemptions per season where they can release players in-season to add to their cap space. The team releasing a player to free agency will gain the value of that player (less a $1M cap hit) to their available spending money.
Table of Contents[/u][/color]
I. Mission Statement & Membership Requirements
II. Handling Conflicts/Connection Issues
III. Game Settings
IV. Game Scheduling Procedure
V. Playing Rules - Off Field
VI. Playing Rules - Depth Charts, Substitutions & Pre-Game Adjustments
VII. Playing Rules - Offense
VII. Playing Rules - Defense
IX. Playing Rules - Special Teams
X. Player Movement - Spending Caps
XI. Player Movement - Trading
XII. Player Movement - Free Agency
XIII. Player Movement - Free Agent Bidding Process
XIV. Player Movement - Special Rules
I. Mission Statement & Membership Requirements
Our mission is to provide a place for sim-style gamers living on the West Coast (and other late-night players) to play against other gamers with similar schedules.
To be a member of the WCFL, you must meet the following requirements:
A) Be willing/able to check the forums on a daily basis
B) Be a "sim-style" player. The WCFL considers "sim-style" to be a style of play geared towards what you would see in the NFL on Sunday. Punting on fourth down, not blitzing every down and not running up the score are examples of what we consider "sim". We have rules in place to align the style of play in our games to the NFL, however our goal is for the rules to be "no-brainers" for the members of our site. Basically, if you have to conform your style of play to fit our rules, you probably don't fall under our definition of a "sim" player.
C) Schedule and play one "screening" game against an existing member our league to ensure your style fits what we are looking for from our owners.
D) Be available for games most nights between 7:00 pm and 11:00 pm pacific time. Being a West Coast based league, those hours are considered "prime-time" for the majority of the players on our site. Obviously, availability will fluctuate day-to-day and week-to-week, but for the most part, those are the times where most of our members will be available for games.
II. Handling Conflicts / Connection Issues
In-Game Conflicts[/u]- If you feel like your opponent is in violation of any gameplay rules listed below, pause the game and address your concern with your opponent over the headset or via XBL text message. Be sure to be respectful during the discussion surrounding the issue. Often times, a player may be breaking a league rule without even realizing it. Do your best to resolve the situation prior to continuing the game.
If you cannot reach an agreement, the game must be played to completion. Following the game, send a PM to a member of the WCFL staff with your concerns. The staff will discuss the situation with both players involved and come to a decision regarding the game in question.
The league will keep track of all complaints lodged towards league members as well as the disciplinary action taken. If owners repeatedly break league rules or show disrespect to opponents or the league in general, they will be removed from the WCFL.
Forum Conduct[/u]- The forums are not the place to call out other league members regarding their play style, demeanor during games, etc. All conflicts should be handled behind the scenes through private messages between league owners and the WCFL staff. The league reserves the right to discipline owners who make derogatory remarks about other league members or the league in general through the boards. We are all adults here and are expected to conduct ourselves appropriately.
Lag[/u]- League games that experience significant lag should be restarted immediately. When lag exists, the two players involved in the game should talk over the headset and make a determination whether to restart or play through it. Once a decision is made, the game must be played to completion unless the winning team agrees to restart the contest.
Disconnects[/u]- Inevitably, games will occur that will end in a disconnect. Since the Online Franchise system does not allow commissioners to designate a winner when simulating a game, we have come up with the following rules to regulate disconnects in our leagues.
Disconnect Scenarios
If a game is disconnected in any of the situations below:
1) in the third quarter with one team leading by 30 or more points OR
2) in the fourth quarter with one team leading 25 or more points OR
3) in the last two minutes with one team leading by 17 or more points
The winning team has the following options:
A. Finish the game against the CPU (if that option is available)
B. Replay the game in its entirety against the CPU **
C. Reschedule and replay the game in its entirety against the true owner
** - in the case of rule B above, the losing team owner would be temporarily removed from the league in order for the winning team to play the CPU. The owner would be reinstated once the game is played.
In all other scenarios, the losing team has the following options:
A. Replay the game and re-create the score, time, and situation against the true owner.
B. Concede defeat and let the winning team complete the game against the CPU (if that option is available)
C. Concede defeat and let the winning team play the game in its entirety against the CPU
D. Reschedule and replay the game in its entirety against the true owner - ** This option is only available if the winning team also agrees to this.
III. Game Settings
All game settings were tested prior to starting our league to determine what provided the best "sim" feel possible.
League Settings
Difficulty: All-Pro
Quarter Length: 10 minutes (15 sec accelerated clock)
Number of Users: 32
Injuries: ON
Trading: ON
Weather: ON
Fatigue: ON
Game Deadlines: 1 game due every 5 days
- Keeping in line with the "sim" feel of our league, we will have game previews, recaps, players of the week, etc. Some of that loses its luster when the whole goal is to advance the week as quickly as possible. Obviously, if all games are done early, we can advance the week accordingly. However, I'm not trying to finish a season in a month - I want everyone to have ample time to get their games in.
IV. Game Scheduling Procedure
Each week, there will be an individual thread created in the Game Scheduling forum for every game to be played that week. This is where ALL communication should be recorded in terms of scheduling games. Conversations on AIM, YIM, XBox Live, etc are all well and good, but when it comes to simulating games that don't get played on time, the scheduling threads will be the end-all, be-all in determining who gets the win.
When scheduling games, it is best to give your schedule for the entire week. Posts containing things like "when can you play" or "message me on live" don't accomplish much in terms of figuring out a compatible time to play. An example of a good scheduling post would be:
Here's my schedule for the week:
Monday - available from 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm pacific time
Tuesday - not available
Wednesday - available all day until 10:00 pm pacific time
Thursday - available from 5:00 pm until midnight PST
Friday - not available
Saturday - available anytime except between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm
Reply with a time that works for you...
Monday - available from 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm pacific time
Tuesday - not available
Wednesday - available all day until 10:00 pm pacific time
Thursday - available from 5:00 pm until midnight PST
Friday - not available
Saturday - available anytime except between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm
Reply with a time that works for you...
Failure to communicate in the game scheduling threads will be taken seriously. A first offense will more than likely result in a warning and a sim loss. Continued offenses will lead to expulsion from the WCFL.
V. Playing Rules - Off Field
Many of the rules we have are based off having respect for your opponents. We are here as an escape from real life and all want to be able to enjoy playing a football video game without having to worry about being cussed out over the headset.
Headsets- Every owner will be required to have a headset. The requirement is based on the need to communicate regarding issues during the game. You are NOT required to chat with your opponent during the game - just be available to chat in the case that a conflict comes up that needs to be resolved. If you plan on having your headset off during the game, just let your opponent know when acknowledging each other during pre-game.
Trash Talk- Trash talking is a part of online play - however, keeping in line with the goals of respecting your opponents, be sure that any conversations during the game are friendly, harmless communications. Excessive cursing and racial or other types of derogatory comments will NOT be tolerated. Owners who are disrespectful to fellow league members will be removed from the league.
Sportsmanship- All league members will be held to a high standard in terms of sportsmanship. Nobody needs to hear how the game is screwing you, or how "Madden sucks" because they are losing. If you are frustrated with how the game is going, keep it to yourself. Also, refrain from running up the score on your opponents. League members should use common sense during lopsided games.
VI. Playing Rules - Depth Charts, Substitutions and Pre-Game Adjustments
NOTE on Game Play Rules: All the rules we have in place are to ensure league games are played "sim". While there are many rules in place, true "sim-style" players will never have an issue abiding by them.
Depth Chart Adjustments[/u]- Madden '10 allows for depth chart adjustments to be made prior to entering into a game. For the sake of saving time, league members should set their depth charts before connecting to play a league game.
Players are restricted to playing their own positions in the depth chart. Wide receivers cannot play running back, safeties cannot play linebackers, etc. There are a few exceptions to this rule:
Offense
A) Top rated WR cannot be placed #3 or #4 on the depth chart (prevents them from starting every play from the slot)
B) TE can play FB and vice versa
Defense
A) DEs and DTs can play any defensive line positions
B) LBs can play any LB position
C) DBs can play any defensive back position (CB, FS, SS)
Special Teams
A) Punters or kickers can be listed as the kick-off specialist (KOS)
B) Any player on the roster can be used as a PR and/or KR
Play Screen Packages[/u]- On the play calling screen, there are many different packages to choose from (HB swap, HB slot, WR slot, etc.). These packages can be used within reason (i.e. once every set of downs). Players like Reggie Bush and LaDainian Tomlinson will sometimes line up at WR in real life. Use the play screen packages to accomplish this without making illegal adjustments to the depth charts.
Pre-Game Adjustments[/u]- Prior to the game, you must allow your opponent ample time to set defensive matchups, adjust audibles, etc. While this shouldn't be a 10 minue process, show enough respect to your opponent to let him get his team set up.
VII. Playing Rules - Offense
Play Calling[/u]- Being that we are a "sim-style" league, it is imperative that you mix up your play calling. It is not considered "sim" by our standards to run the same play repeatedly. That being said, if you are having success pounding the ball down the defense's throat by running the football, we are not saying you have to pass to be "realistic". We just ask that you mix up which running plays you call.
General Rule - You cannot call the same play more than once per set of downs. If you call the I-Formation, HB Iso play on first down, you are restricted from calling that play again until you pick up a first down or get the ball back after a score, turnover, etc.
Goal Line Formation[/u] (also known as 0 WR formations) - Formations with 0 wide receivers are allowed in the following situations:
A) 3rd OR 4th down and 2 yards or less to go
B) Anytime inside the 5 yard line
4th Downs[/u]- You are allowed to "go for it" on 4th downs in the following situations:
A) Anytime when trailing in the 4th quarter
B) Anytime when losing by 21 or more points
C) Anytime inside your opponent's 5-yard line
D) 4th and 1 or inches in your opponent's territory
E) When you have the ball between your opponents 35 and 45 yard line
In all other 4th down situations, you must either punt or kick a field goal.
Quarterback Play[/u]- There is no rule against rolling out. All quarterbacks have different ratings controlling their accuracy when throwing short, intermediate and long routes, all of which come into play when throwing on the run. The only rule restricting quarterback movement involves dropping back in the pocket. As a general rule, quarterbacks can not drop more than 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage. It doesn't happen in real life - it's not going to happen here.
No Huddle[/u]- Teams will be allowed one series each half to use the no huddle offense at their discretion. Additionally, you can run the no huddle offense in the following situations:
A) Inside the 2 minute warning of each half
B) Inside of 5 minutes left in the game when trailing by 9 - 14 points
C) ANYTIME in the fourth quarter when trailing by more than 14 points
Motion[/u]- You are permitted to manually motion 1 player per play. That player must clear the tackles prior to snapping the ball. Any plays that include "auto-motion" are permitted as well.
Audibles[/u]- When audibling on offense, be sure that you do not violate any of the depth chart/substitution rules listed above. For example, an audible that brings a wide receiver into the backfield as a running back is NOT[/u] allowed. The quick audibles (run, short pass, long pass) can be used in situations where the package and formation you have on the field would violate the substitution rules with your set audibles.
VIII. Playing Rules - Defense
Play Calling[/u]- On offense, you are required to mix up your play calling. However, on defense, many teams in the NFL use a base defense (example Cover 2) that they play the majority of the time. Therefore, you are NOT required to pick a new defensive play every down.
That being said, blitz packages are not considered "base" defense. Blitzing is certainly allowed, but you shouldn't be blitzing on 90% of your defensive play calls. Again, we are trying to simulate what we'd see in the NFL on Sundays.
Goal Line Defense[/u]- The goal line defense can be called in the same situations as the goal line offense. Those are:
A) 3rd OR 4th down and 2 yards or less to go
B) Anytime inside the 5 yard line
Pre-snap Shifts/Movement on Defense[/u]- The following rules govern the movement of players pre-snap on Defense:
A) All package shifts are allowed pre-snap, meaning any way you can shift an entire group (d-line, linebackers, secondary) by pressing a button on the controller is allowed.
B) Defensive Linemen can ONLY be moved by traditional shifts using the LB and RB buttons. Regardless of whether you control them or not, you are not allowed to manually move defensive linemen pre-snap.
C) If you manually move a linebacker or member of the secondary pre-snap, you MUST control that player at the start of the play. By extension, this means that you may only move one player on defense pre-snap.
IX. Playing Rules - Special Teams
2-Point Conversions[/u]- You are permitted to "go for two" when the current score and situation dictates it. You must notify your opponent that you are going for two. Keep in mind - in the NFL, it is obvious when a team is trying for a 2-point conversion since the offense stays on the field and the kicker stays on the sideline. Since we do not see that interaction from the play calling screen, we will require the courtesy of letting your opponent know.
Obvious situations include scoring a touchdown to get within two points or scoring a touchdown to take a 1 point lead. The first scenario would tie the game with a 2-point conversion - the second would give the team a 3 point lead. Teams in the NFL only go for two when there is a strategical advantage.
Here is a 2-point conversion chart that we will use as a guide for when going for two is acceptable. The chart is not a rule per say, but a guideline. If you feel your opponent is going for two in unrealistic situations, please follow the conflict resolution rules in section II of the constitution.
Also on Kick Returns, you are not allowed to motion a player during the Kickoff to put into an unrealistic blocking position.
Onside Kicks[/u]- Onside kicks are only allowed when the current score and situation dictates it. Again, please give your opponent the courtesy of letting them know when you are attempting an onside kick.
Fake Punts/Field Goals[/u]- You may attempt one fake play per game. Not one fake FG AND one fake punt, just one fake play overall.
Punting[/u]- Directional punting is allowed. However, when punting towards the sidelines, you are NOT allowed to lower the trajectory arrow, forcing a low line-drive punt that skips past the return man, or worse, causes the return man to fumble the ball trying to chase down the kick. If you want to avoid the punt from being returned, kick the ball out of bounds.
X. Player Movement - Spending Cap Guidelines
All teams in the WCFL will have a spending cap, which will limit the number of transactions they can make per season. Each team's initial cap will be determined by sliding scale based on overall team rating:
| Team Rating | Initial Spending Cap |
| 66 - 70 | $16 million |
| 71 - 75 | $15 million |
| 76 - 80 | $14 million |
| 81 - 85 | $13 million |
| 86+ | $12 million |
Link to team spending cap forum:
wcflmadden.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=salcap
NOTE: Spending caps carry over from season to season. Any money left over from season 1 will carry over into the off-season and beyond.
Player Acquisitions
All players acquired (via trade or free agency) will count against the team's spending cap. Players that you give up DO NOT add to your spending cap - it is simply a number to track player acquisitions. The cost to acquire a player VIA TRADE is based on that player's overall rating - see chart below:
| Player OVR Rating | Acquisition Cost |
| 0 - 64 | $.5 million |
| 65 - 69 | $1 million |
| 70 - 74 | $2 million |
| 75 - 79 | $3 million |
| 80 - 84 | $4 million |
| 85 - 89 | $5 million |
| 90 - 94 | $7 million |
| 95+ | $8 million |
Draft Pick Acquisitions
Additionally, draft picks acquired via trade will count against the team's spending cap. Only picks in the first three rounds are eligible to be traded. The cost to acquire draft picks is governed by the chart below:
| Draft Pick | Acquisition Cost |
| 1st Round | $3 million |
| 2nd Round | $2 million |
| 3rd Round | $1 million |
XI. Trading
All trades must be approved by the player movement committee, which will be made up of three GM's overseen by an admin (Smatheny). Majority vote rules.
Player Acquisitions
All players acquired (via trade or free agency) will count against the team's spending cap. Players that you give up DO NOT add to your spending cap - it is simply a number to track player acquisitions. The cost to acquire a player VIA TRADE is based on that player's overall rating - see chart below:
| Player OVR Rating | Acquisition Cost |
| 0 - 64 | $.5 million |
| 65 - 69 | $1 million |
| 70 - 74 | $2 million |
| 75 - 79 | $3 million |
| 80 - 84 | $4 million |
| 85 - 89 | $5 million |
| 90 - 94 | $7 million |
| 95+ | $8 million |
Draft Pick Acquisitions
Additionally, draft picks acquired via trade will count against the team's spending cap. Only picks in the first three rounds are eligible to be traded. The cost to acquire draft picks is governed by the chart below:
| Draft Pick | Acquisition Cost |
| 1st Round | $3 million |
| 2nd Round | $2 million |
| 3rd Round | $1 million |
Submitting Trades
Trades must be submitted in the Official Trade Submission forum in the following format:
Name: Joe Smith
Pos: WR
Ovr: 84
Age: 24
Value: 4m
Total value: $7M
Browns send:
Name: Jack Jones
Pos: CB
Ovr: 83
Age: 26
Value: 4m
Pick: 1st Round
Value: 3m
Total value: $7M
The in-season trading period is from week 1 to week 6. Teams will have the entire off-season to make trades as well. Each team will have a spending cap thread (located here) which will contain all the team caps and will be maintained by the player movement committee. Team GM's are responsible for reviewing their own cap thread following every transaction for accuracy.
IMPORTANT NOTE: During season 1, players rated 90+ OVR are NOT eligible to be traded or released (Jukster rule). This is to prevent superstar players from being traded in season 1, only to have the owner quit and leave his replacement without their stud. Following season 1, the only restriction on trading players will be the spending cap and trade committee review.
XII. Player Movement - Free Agency
Free agency is determined by players age at the start of the season. If a player is 26, 30, or 33 at the beginning of the season, it will be the final year of their contract with a team. At the end of that season, those players will enter free agency and will be made available to the highest bidder during the off-season free agency period.
Franchise Tag
Each team will have one franchise tag to use per off-season. Placing a franchise tag on a player will keep him on that team and prevent him from becoming a free agent. Teams are NOT required to use a franchise tag, but if they choose to, the cost will be either $6M or that player's value, whichever is GREATER.
Example:
- Franchising a 82 OVR player ($4M value) will cost a team $6M against their spending cap
- Franchising a 96 OVR player ($8M value) will cost a team $8M against their spending cap
The franchise tag, just like in the NFL, is a way to keep the best players on your team without allowing them to get offers in the open market.
Transition Tags
Each team will have two transition tags to use per off-season. Placing a transition tag on a player costs the team $2M (non-refundable) and makes that player a restricted free agent. Once again, teams are NOT required to use their transition tags. The original team will have the option to match the offer of the winning bidder in order to retain that player. They also have the option to let the player walk, gain the player's value in spending cap room and receive a compensatory 2nd round draft pick from the team that signs the player.
Example:
- The Dolphins put a transition tag on Mark Duper (OVR 85). He goes on the open market as a restricted free agent and is awarded to the Eagles for $7.5M. The Dolphins can choose to match that offer and keep Duper on their team, or let him walk, gain his value in cap room (85 OVR = $5M value) and get the Eagles' second round pick.
NOTE: In the case where a team signed more than one restricted free agent, the 2nd round pick will be awarded to the team who lost the player with the highest signed contract. Other teams will receive 3rd, 4th round picks respectively. A team cannot sign more than 3 restricted free agents during any off-season period.
Untagged Players
Free agents who are not tagged will enter unrestricted free agency. The team losing those free agents will gain their player value in spending cap room.
Example:
49ers RB Roger Craig (OVR 83) turns 33 and becomes a free agent. San Francisco chooses not to tag him, so he becomes an unrestricted free agent. In return, SF gets his player value (OVR 83 = $4M) added to their spending cap.
Retired Players
Teams who have players retire at the end of the season will gain that players' value added to their spending cap.
Off-Season - Order of Events
1) Free agents are determined based on age
2) Teams choose their franchise and transition players
3) Untagged players player values are calculated and added to teams spending cap (allows teams to free up money to tag players)
4) Teams are charged for their franchise / transition tags
5) Restricted free agency period - at the end, teams caps are adjusted based on results of RFA
6) Unrestricted free agency
7) Rookie Draft
XIII. Player Movement - Free Agent Bidding Process
Rather than conducting a draft to distribute free agents (both preseason and between seasons), we have decided to go the route of bidding on the open market. Every player that is a free agent in the Online Franchise is eligible to be bid on by a WCFL team at any time. During the off-season, the bidding period will last five days, with the final day being a silent auction via PM. In-season, the bidding period will coincide with the weekly advances, with the silent auction occuring on the final day of a given week.
Bidding Guidelines
Placing an Initial Bid
Instead of the admins making a thread for every available free agent, we will leave this up to each team owner. If a team would like to put an initial bid in on a free agent, they simply need to make a post in the free agency bidding forum, titling it with the player's position first, followed by his last name, then his first name. (Example - "RB - Westbrook, Brian"). We'll set up the forum to sort by topic, so that all players playing the same position will appear in the same area of the forum.
In the body of the post, just the team name and the bid amount is required (Dolphins $1.5M). Bids must be made in increments of $.25M - we aren't going to deal with $.01M bids. So, $1.25M, $1.5M, $1.75M are valid bids, but $1.4M, $1.6M are NOT.
The minimum starting bid on a player is $1M less than the players value based on the chart below (players rated 0 - 69, minimum bid is $.5M).
| Player OVR Rating | Acquisition Cost |
| 0 - 64 | $.5 million |
| 65 - 69 | $1 million |
| 70 - 74 | $2 million |
| 75 - 79 | $3 million |
| 80 - 84 | $4 million |
| 85 - 89 | $5 million |
| 90 - 94 | $7 million |
| 95+ | $8 million |
Placing a Counter Bid
Once a team has made an offer to a free agent, all other teams can place a counter bid. A simple reply in the player's thread with the counter offer is all that is needed. All counter bids must be at least $.25M more than the previous bid. (Example - initial bid $1M, minimum counter bid is $1.25M).
Awarding Free Agents
Each bid is open for counter bidding for 24 hours. If 24 hours elapse between the time of the last bid, the player will be awarded to the highest bidder. The Player Movement committee will confirm the winning bid in each thread and lock it.
NOTE: We obviously are not going to monitor these threads at all times. Time stamps will be used to determine whether a counter bid was made in time.
Silent Auction
There will be cases at the end of a live bidding period (4 days off-season, 2 days in-season) that a player will still not be signed. In these cases, a silent auction will be used to determine who signs the free agent. This is to ensure free agency is handled in a timely fashion rather than dragging on.
After the live bidding period, all signed free agents will be moved out of the active free agent forum, leaving the remaining unsigned free agents. Those threads will be locked and bids will only be accepted via PM to Smatheny (or designated player movement committe member). Those bids will be due at 10:00 PM pacific time. One the silent auction closes, the free agents will be awarded to the team that submitted the highest bid.
Roster Limitations
Sometimes, signing a free agent will result in a team being over their roster limit of 54 players. In those cases, once the free agent is signed, the team must notify the player movement committee who they will release to stay within roster limitations.
XIII. Player Movement - Special Rules
Injured Reserve
Any player that incurs an injury that lasts more than 6 consecutive weeks may be placed on an injured reserve list. Any player placed on the IR list will not be able to return during the season (regular season or playoffs) he was placed on IR. The team losing such a player to IR is then allowed to sign a backup at the same position as the injured player without using cap funds to do so. The team has the right to sign any player who was available on the free agent market the previous week and did not receive any bids. At the end of the season, a team with a player on IR must release the injured player or another player at the same position.
In-Season Player Releases
Teams will get two roster exemptions per season where they can release players in-season to add to their cap space. The team releasing a player to free agency will gain the value of that player (less a $1M cap hit) to their available spending money.