GLFFL - Dick Butkus League Rules - Great Lakes Fantasy Football Leagues

GREAT LAKES FANTASY FOOTBALL LEAGUES

GLFFL - Dick Butkus League Rules

Section I - General

1. The Franchise Fee is $100.00.

2. Each of the three (3) divisions will consist of four (4) teams.

3. The draft will be held on-line. Teams will be formed in a draft that will be carried out in 1-12 then 12-1 order (known as 'serpentine' or 'switchback'). Drafts may be done in live draft format (4-6 hours on a chat site) or in email format (over several weeks). The order for all initial drafts is decided randomly.

4. Teams will keep a total of eleven (11) players from year to year, without restriction to specific positions. Cuts must be decided by the owner no later than May 1st of each year. The restocking draft order will be determined by a reverse order of the standings from the previous season. The restocking draft, lasting for 11 rounds, will commence each year on May 15th. There is no restriction as to whether teams use the May draft round for rookies or free agents that became available in the May 1st cuts.

5. Additional rookie and free agent drafting periods will be held on June 15, July 15, and August 31, with the order being serpentine or switchback. Rosters may be expanded to 25 players during the summer months, with each owner being required to cut back to 21 players by Sept. 1. In subsequent years, the teams with the worst regular season records the previous season will have the first opportunity to select rookies and free agents the following off-season.

6. Each draft round will start at 12 noon ET on the respective dates listed above and a 12-hour time limit will be employed. When a pick is missed, that owner has to get in contact with the commissioner ASAP in order to make a replacement pick. The longer he waits, the further down in the round his team will drop. Teams may request a replacement selection for a missed draft pick, provided the current draft round has not been completed. For example, an owner who misses the 5th overall pick in May, can only request a replacement selection up until the time the final pick is made during May's round. Missed draft picks may not be traded, beginning with the 2006 season.

7. All teams must come out of the initial draft, as well as all off-season draft rounds, with the necessary components to field a starting lineup (i.e. teams can't elect to go without a kicker, tight end, defense during the off-season).

8. Any player or future draft pick for the subsequent year may be traded during the off-season. Before trades are approved involving players or picks in the off-season or future picks in the regular season, both owners must pay their full entry fee for the future year to ensure that they will return for the upcoming season. This is to prevent owners from dealing away multiple future picks and then walking away from the franchise, making it nearly impossible to sell off to a new owner.

Section II - Scoring

1. The decimal scoring method will be combined (basic + performance) with points awarded as follows:

RUSHING - .1 point every 1 yard, 6 every touchdown, 2 for conv., 1 point every 10 carries
RECEIVING - .1 point every 1 yard, 6 every touchdown, 2 for conv., 1 point every 5 receptions
PASSING - .05 points every 1 yard, 4 every touchdown, 1 for conv., 1 point every 10 completions
KICKING - 3 points every field goal (0-49 yards), 4 points every field goal (50 yards plus), 1 point every PAT
INDIVIDUAL DEFENSIVE PLAY - 6 points for TD (Fumble, interception, blocked punt, blocked FG return), 2 points for safeties, 2 points for interceptions, 2 points for fumble recoveries, 2 point for sacks, 1 point for tackles, .5 points for assists
NFL TEAM - 6 points for Special Teams or Defensive TDs (Fumble, interception, blocked punt, blocked FG return, missed FG return, punt return, kickoff return), 2 points for safeties, 1 point for interceptions, 1 point for fumble recoveries, 1 point for sacks, 3 points each "team" victory, 10 points each "team" shutout, 8 points for allowing 1 to 6 points, 6 points for allowing 7 to 12 points, 4 points for allowing 13 to 17.

2. Points for kickoff and punt returns for touchdowns will only be awarded to the NFL Team, not individual players.

3. Overtime Games: Tie games will be broken by using reserve players. Tie games will be broken using the same performance point system used by the rest of the players in the starting lineup.

Section III - Trading and Transactions

1. All transaction requests must be submitted via the web site to the commissioner's office no later than 11 p.m. EST on WEDNESDAY night. Free agents will be awarded to teams on a worst-to-first basis (record, total points, power ranking). These requests will be processed and posted to your respective teams immediately after transactions are processed. You can select up to TWO Free Agents to be processed on WEDNESDAY night. If adding a player or players will take you over the roster size limits for this league, you will also need to designate a player to be dropped for each player you are requesting to add. Leaving the dropped player field blank will cause the following to happen - the system will SKIP OVER anyone who would be in violation of the roster size restrictions by adding a player. You could be the first owner on the waiver priority list but you WILL NOT get your player if you fail to designate a drop at the same time.

2. The next two rounds of weekly transactions will take place on SATURDAY at 1 p.m. EST. Free agents will again be awarded to teams on a worst-to-first basis (record, total points, power ranking). Please note-- Players dropped on WEDNESDAY night ARE eligible to be added during the second transaction processing event on SATURDAY afternoon.

3. If a trade is made with an uneven combination of players (2 for 1, 3 for 2, etc.), the team receiving the extra player must immediately notify the commissioner's office regarding who will be dropped to keep the roster size at 21. While teams are permitted to start play with a roster size below 21, they are not allowed to go above that number. Failure to report a drop to the commissioner in this circumstance will result in the trade being voided. All trades must be approved and forwarded to the commissioner's office no later than Saturday evening at 9 p.m. EST in order to ensure that the players involved are available for Sunday's games.

4. Both teams need to give approval and list terms of the trade for it to be confirmed. This must be done through the league's web site. Once approved by the league commissioner, the trade will be official. Trade results will be posted on the web site for each league. As a trade is approved, the team(s) rosters will automatically be updated and a transaction record will be listed.

5. A player cannot be traded back to a team until four (4) games have passed.

6. The league has the ability to call for a trade veto within 48 hours of the trade becoming official during the regular season and 72 hours of the trade becoming official during the off-season. Making a case to call for a veto vote must consist of something more substantial than "I don't agree with the trade and I want to vote against it." The owner calling for the veto should post a rationale on the league message board and send out an email to the commissioner for consideration by the entire league. Once this occurs, the trade will be voted on by a 12-member panel of the GLFFL's Board of Directors, consisting of the owners who have the longest tenure and most representation in the GLFFL. This way, deals can be decided by individuals who are unbiased since they are not a part of the league in question. In the event that members of the Board of Directors are involved in the trade in question, they must abstain from the voting procedure. Trades will be vetoed if 60 percent (seven panelists) vote for a reversal within the 48-72 hour period.

7. During the off-season, you can make as many trades per month as you wish. They also have to be submitted via the web site by both parties to the league commissioner. Upon approval, they will be listed on the web site.

8. Owners are permitted to submit the names of starting players up until the respective player's game time. Once a game has begun, all players participating in that game are either locked in as a starter or as a bench player. Lineups should be submitted through the league's web site.

9. Owners are not permitted to trade transaction slots.

10. You will be responsible for fielding a complete team during bye weeks. No carryover points will be awarded for position players or NFL teams.

11. No trades will be permitted following the kickoff of Week Nine's games. The Thursday after the 12th regular season game is the last week to make drop/add transactions.

Section IV - Playoffs and Payouts

1. In order to determine division championships and playoff seedings, the following tiebreaker system will be used:

1.) Best W/L Record,
2.) Head to Head Competition,
2a.) Best Division Record,
3.) Most Points Scored All Games,
4.) Best Net Points Head to Head,
4a.) Best Net Points Division Games,
5.) Least Points Allowed All Games,
6.) Coin Flip.

2. Division statistics (2a,4a) are used to resolve division ties only. Playoff seedings WILL NOT consider these values. With playoff seedings, once the division winners have been seeded, all other teams will be seeded based on overall record, head-to-head and then total points scored. In the event of a tie involving three or more teams, head-to-head can only be used as the tiebreaker if one team has a definitive advantage over the others (i.e. Team A defeated both Team B and Team C, therefore they earn the higher seed based on head-to-head.) If no definitive advantage can be derived for any one team (teams split season series, some teams involved in the tie did not play), the tiebreaker will automatically be decided using total points scored.

3. Three (3) division champions and three (3) wild-card teams will qualify for the playoffs. The two division winners with the best records will receive a first round bye and the first and second seeds. The other division winner will be the third seed and the wild-card teams will be seeded fourth, fifth and sixth using the tiebreaking formula above. Division Winner (#1 seed) plays #4 and the #2 seed plays #3. Wild-card weekend will be held during week #14 of the NFL season.

4. The winners advance to the conference semi-finals. The lowest seed to advance plays the highest seeded division winner, with each successive seed taking on the lowest advancing seed. This action will take place on week #15 of the NFL season.

5. The winners will square off for the GLFFL Dick Butkus League Championship. This action will take place on week #16 of the NFL season. The champion will receive $500 while the runner-up receives $200. GLFFL is not responsible for the taxes on the prizes of the winner.

6. The six (6) non-playoff teams are entered in a single-elimination consolation tournament that will run through NFL weeks 14, 15 and 16. The seeding will be determined using the formula listed above. The top two seeds will receive a bye during NFL week 14. Seed #3 will play #6 and #4 will play #5 during that week. The winners advance to play the two teams receiving byes during NFL week 15. The winner of the consolation tournament earns a compensatory draft pick in next May's Rookie and Free Agent Draft (the pick will be an extra pick at the end of the first round).

Section V - Miscellaneous Items

1. All lineups must consist of 12 starters: a Quarterback, 1-2 Running Backs, 3-4 Wide Receivers, a Tight End, a Place Kicker, a Defensive Lineman, a Linebacker, a Defensive Back and a Team Defense.

2. Rosters will consist of 21 players. The nine (9) reserves on your roster may consist of any number of quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, kickers, defensive players or NFL teams. It is your responsibility to maintain your roster at all times. If a team goes over the 21 spots (by free agent pickup or trade) the transaction or transactions will not be processed for that week.

3. The act of "throwing games" (losing on purpose by turning in a lineup filled of players that normally would not play) is not tolerated in the Great Lakes Fantasy Football Leagues. We will revert your starting lineup back to a typical lineup for games that are tried to be thrown and further action will also take place (i.e. possible removal from the league without refund).

In every instance where a team has found to intentionally lose a game by submitting a bogus lineup, that owner will immediately be REMOVED from the league in question. When other instances arise, teams will be REMOVED the moment the indiscretions are discovered, whether they happened this year or in a previous year.

The REMOVAL involves the leagues in question only. After one year has passed, the offending owner has the opportunity to apply for reinstatement to that league. Reinstatement can only take place if 60 percent (seven panelists) of the GLFFL's Board of Directors vote for REINSTATEMENT. Other leagues are not impacted, although a meticulous study will begin on those other franchises to see if tanking games occurred at any time in the history of that club.

In addition, the offending owner will be placed on a PERMANENT PROBATIONARY STATUS in all other leagues, meaning any other incident of intentionally throwing games will result in PERMANENT EXPULSION from ALL GLFFL LEAGUES for LIFE.

4. ACTIVE OWNER CLAUSE - If the commissioner has not heard from you (by phone, e-mail or web evidence) or your authorized representative for 3 consecutive weeks (no transactions or lineup changes) you may be declared an inactive owner, banished from the league, and your team repurchased by the league on a pro-rata basis and resold or dissolved. It is unfair to the active owners to have a disinterested owner. This becomes especially critical as the season winds down and you find yourself "out" of the running. You may appoint a designated representative in writing to the commissioner anytime prior to a known absence.

5. Conduct that is deemed detrimental to the league or to the GLFFL will not be tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to, posts and or emails that are harassing in nature and serve no legitimate purpose other than to cause discord within the league or the GLFFL organization. There is a difference between expressing viewpoints or likes/dislikes of a league or format and personal attacks toward fellow owners, the commissioner or the Board of Directors. Failure to comply may result in IMMEDIATE EXPULSION WITHOUT REFUND. In addition, attempts to negatively impact the integrity of the league (i.e. threatening or outright refusal to submit lineups, partaking in bogus trades, etc.) will result in an immediate expulsion, without refund, from the GLFFL.

6. Each season, divisions will be realigned based on performance from the previous season. The Black Division will feature the four teams with the lowest winning percentage through the regular season weeks, with total points being used as the tiebreaker. The Blue Division will feature the 5th through 8th lowest winning percentage through the regular season weeks, with total points being used as the tiebreaker. The White Division will feature the remaining four teams, including both the conference champion and runner-up.

A first round draft pick in 1965, Dick Butkus possessed a desire to excel that few have ever equaled. He played as the Chicago Bears' middle linebacker for nine years with only one goal in mind – to be the best, and from the very start, he was just that. In his rookie season, Butkus was named first-team All-NFL, an honor he would record five more times. Butkus also played in the Pro Bowl following his rookie season and in each of the next seven years.

He even figured in the career statistical columns with 22 interceptions and 27 opponents' fumble recoveries. Butkus had drive, meanness, a consuming desire to pursue, tackle, and manhandle – anything he could do to thwart the enemy on every play. Still he was a clean player, totally devoted to his career, a man who by his own admission played every game as though it were his last one.

Butkus had the speed and agility to make tackles from sideline to sideline and to cover the best tight ends and running backs on pass plays. He had instinct, strength, leadership and, maybe most important of all, anger. “When I went out on the field to warm up, I would manufacture things to make me mad,” he once said. “If someone on the other team was laughing, I'd pretend he was laughing at me or the Bears. It always worked for me." It was inevitable that injuries would eventually come to someone who threw himself so completely into a contact sport such as football. For Butkus, it was a serious right knee injury in 1970 that didn't respond completely to surgery. Three years later, he retired. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979, his first year of eligibility.