Fake Pigball – The Rules 2003

Table of Contents:

1. Objective          
2. Money
3. Teams
4. Draft
5. Divisions
6. Rosters
7. Line-Up Submissions
8. Roster Moves  (Drop/Add, Trades, Waivers)
9. Scoring
10. Determining a Team’s Ranking
11. Playoffs
12. Strike ?
13. Drug Policy
14. The League Office
15. Conclusion

1. Objective

Another season is amongst us in Fake Pigball. The objective is simple: Destroy your opponent, and smile while you are doing it. All owners should be active, competitive, and involved. Each week your team will be matched up with another team. The ultimate goal is to win the Fake Pig Bowl (week 16). The winner will be awarded with the coveted hand-crafted Fake Pig Bowl trophy.

2. Money

This year's fees will be $35 per person ($25 for the commish). That breaks down like this: $25 each to the first & second place teams (regular season).  $15 each to the third & fourth place teams.  $30 to the (regular season) Scoring Champion.  $50 to the Fake Pig Bowl runner-up.  $110 to the Fake Pig Bowl Champion.  Fees are do be paid on DRAFT DAY AUGUST 16, 2003!

3. Teams

Each owner will have a unique team name.

4. Draft

Year 2003 is not  a start-over year and so the draft will begin with any trades from last year's rosters.  After that, all coaches will declare the 3 franchise players they are keeping from 2002 for the 2003 season.

The draft shall last 15 rounds (18 rounds in “start-over” years.)  The draft order will be determined by the final rankings of the previous season (except in “start-over years”.)  The order shall be reversed for the even rounds.  The composition of each team’s roster is entirely up to each individual owner.  Defenses shall be drafted at any point

5. Divisions

Since the Fake Pigball – Yahoo merger, separate divisions are no longer possible. 

6. Rosters

Each team’s roster should consist of 18 positions.  Those positions (QB, RB, WR, K, Def.) can be filled in any manner the owner so chooses.  However, it is WISE to keep 2 or more in each position (except, perhaps the DEF position).

7. Lineup Submissions

Each week owners are to submit their weekly lineup (online if possible) to the commissioner.  That lineup shall consist of (1) QB, (2) RB, (2) WR, (1) RB/WR, (1) kicker, & (1) Def., for a total of (7) players and (1) Def.  Note that there are NO TE's used in this league.

All owners will be required to submit a lineup EVERY week. Failure to submit a lineup no later than 5 minutes before kickoff of the first game of the week will result in the owner's lineup from the previous week being used.  Actually, now you can change a player up to 5 minutes before that PLAYER’S start time.

In the event of a Thursday or Saturday game, you must submit any player playing on that day by Thursday or Saturday (5 minutes before kick-off).  If no lineup is submitted by the deadline, then the owner’s lineup will default to the previous week’s lineup. It is up to YOU to plan for bye weeks, etc.

8. Roster Moves

If a player/defense isn’t on a team, he is considered to be a free agent.  At any point, an owner may make a claim to pick up that player – immediately (unless he hasn’t cleared waivers).  Remember, an owner may have only (18) on his roster, so it ‘s usually necessary to drop a player to pick a new player. 

Unlike trades, claims are allowed throughout the season and into the playoffs - but not after the season is over.  Only the teams that are in the playoffs shall be allowed to make claims during the playoffs.  Each team shall be allowed to make (15) claims during the season.  Unlike previous seasons, you can make as many claims in a weeks as you desire – keeping in mind that 15 is the maximum for the season.

If  (2) or more owners wish to make a trade, they may do so.  However, all trades must go through the commissioner.  No trade is final until the commissioner approves it.  The commissioner must consider trades fair and each team must gain from the trade.  No trade shall be allowed if its purpose is to strengthen one team while hurting another. 

A trade consists of one coach exchanging a player or players with another coach.  Trades may consist of different possibilities…  Ex.: E. James for T. Holt and 1^st round pick next year.  Trades for future draft picks CAN NOT include “start over” years.  EX: 2005 will be a “start over” year.  In 2004, you could not trade a 2005 draft pick.  This is to keep “start over” years completely fresh.  Also you may not trade a pick 2 years in the future.

During the season, if an un-even player trade is made (i.e. Culpepper for T. Holt & D2 Staley), the maximum player difference is 1.  You can trade 1 for 2, 2 for 3, etc.  You can not trade 1 for 3.

To propose a trade, go to your team page and select Propose Trade, which allows you to select the team and player(s) you wish to trade. An email will be sent to the other coach offering your proposed trade. That coach can then go to his/her team page to view the proposal, accept it, decline it or make a counter offer. There must be consent from both coaches for a trade to be completed. If no action is taken in 10 days, the offer will automatically be canceled.

If your trade is rejected, you will receive an email notifying you of that result.  If a counter offer is made, you will receive an email detailing the new proposal.  If the offer is accepted, the commissioner must then accept it to make the trade final.  Until the commissioner accepts them, trades are marked as pending. Once the trade has been accepted, the trade will be processed (this can take up to 24 hours) and its results reflected on each team's roster and shown in the transaction log. Then the entire league will be notified.

The same player MAY be offered to a number of teams.  But that player can only be involved in one pending transaction at a time. So, once any one of the offered trades has been accepted, no other teams can accept a deal containing the same player.

At no time will any coach be allowed to have more than five pending trades per league.

 

WAIVERS: 

All players dropped from a team's roster are immediately placed on waivers. During this waiver period (three days) -- anyone in the league can claim the player.

So, if a player is dropped on a Tuesday afternoon, all coaches can claim him until Friday at 11:59 pm PT. The player will then be assigned to their new team roughly 4-8 hours after the claim deadline.

If more than one coach claims the same player, the team that is highest on the Waiver Priority List is given the rights to the player. The priority list is initially set based on the reverse of the draft order. However, each time you add a waived player to your roster, you are pushed to the back of the list, so the team with the lowest waiver priority will always be the team that completed the last successful waiver claim. This "rolling" list stays in effect for the entire season.

To find your current position in the waiver priority list, go to the Coaches List via your League Overview page.

If nobody claims a player during the waiver period, he becomes a free agent.

If you place a player on waivers, you cannot reclaim that player until after the waiver period has expired. If, however, you decide that you do not wish to waive the player, you can cancel the transaction -- provided it has not yet been processed -- by viewing it from your team page and clicking on the Cancel button.

If you place a claim on more than one waived player at a time, each pending transaction will appear on your Team Page along with its current position in your waiver order. All new claims get appended to the end of the list, but you can alter this priority by viewing each pending claim and changing its priority in the box provided.

The trade deadline is Friday after week 12’s games.  No trades shall be allowed after this.  Also, no trades shall be officially allowed in the off-season until August 1^st at noon.   If you work out trade details with someone in the off-season, it becomes official on August 1^st.  Off-season trades before August 1^st, can be voided by either party until August 1^st at noon.

9. Scoring

QB’s now get bonus points for rushing yards (1 point / 50 yards.)  This is NOT added to his passing yards – it is separate.

If you have a player (EX: WR)  that also returns kicks, and he has a return for a TD (and you’re playing him), you get the points.  SPECIAL TEAMS are not included in with the TEAM DEFENSE since the Yahoo - Fake Pigball merger.

Only an interception return, fumble return, [blocked punt or kick (returned or recovered for a TD) I don't know yet], or safeties count for DEF.

If Kicker scores a TD or a 2-pointer, he does NOT get credit.  Kickers can only get FG’s & extra points. <--  I don't know if this statement is true for 2002.

If a QB RB or WR is the emergency Kicker, and kicks a FG or extra point, they do not get credit.  Those positions can only score TD’s or 2-pointers.  <--  I don't know if this statement is true for 2002.

10. Determining a Team’s Ranking

The Rankings will be determined in the following order: 

11. Playoffs

The regular season is 14 weeks long.  Round 1 of the playoffs will be held in Week 15.  The regular season #1 team will play the regular season #4 team, and the regular season #2 team will play the regular season #3 team.  IN ADDITION, the 7^th and 8^th place teams play each other for the Toilet Bowl.  The winner of the Toilet Bowl gets the first pick in the next year’s draft.  Week 16 shall be Fake Pig Bowl week.  The winners of week 15 shall play each other for the title. 

If a tie occurs in a playoff game, the tie is broken using the following system:

12. Strike?

In the unlikely event of an NFL strike, if 6 or less weeks are complete, the season is called off, and each owner’s fees will be returned.  If 7 or more weeks are complete, then payout will be as shown below:

The league does not condone the use of illegal drugs. The use of illegal drugs may result in your incarceration. If you are incarcerated, you may have to use your one phone call to call in your lineup.

14. The League Office

The league is run online using Yahoo.  The site can be reached by going to the Commissioner’s site www.spindlenet.com/pigball  Official scoring will be determined by the online web league.  Any Gross scoring errors (TD’s) can & should be challenged by team owners.  The commissioner will correct any verifiable TD omissions.

15. Conclusion

Every effort has been made to cover every eventuality in these rules. Should an area of conflict or confusion come up, the Commissioner has full authority to make a judgment and subsequent addendum to these rules to address the situation. The Commissioner is a fair person and will act reasonably (I know him personally). If an owner still feels his problem has not been properly addressed, he may call for a three-owner commission of his choosing (not including himself) to look into the complaint.

Pappa Hobson

7/10/2003http://pigball.spindlenet.com/ ©Hobson's choice Inc., and Fake Pigball