FMFFL Rule Book

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THE OFFICIAL

FLATMOUNTAINS

FANTASY FOOTBALL LEAGUE

RULES AND REGULATIONS

ISSUE 22

2023-24

The exact yards, yardage, and description of every score is taken from the box scores from NFL.com

(unless there is compelling evidence that there is a typo on the site)

It seems that every year we have at least one or two plays which are scored by very unorthodox methods and don't fit any of the above scoring methods. If the NFL.com box score on this play just doesn't make sense then we will go with the following: When such a play occurs, points/yardage will be awarded based on the players ACTUAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE PLAY. Example: Culpepper throws to Moss for 34 yards,he fumbles and the ball is recovered by Marcus Robinson, who runs the ball 17 yards before he laterals the ball back to Moss who runs another 20 yards for the score. Scoring on this play would be: Culpepper 34 yards passing, Robinson 17 yd's. rushing Moss 34 yards receiving, and 20 yards rushing, and he is rewarded 18 points for a 20 yd. rushing touchdown. Whenever possible, all scoring disputes will be settled by answering one question - What was the players actual contribution to the play? Any scoring disputes which arise that cannot be decided by using the above method will be brought to league vote by all owners who don't have an invested interest in the play. Majority wins.

FlatMountains is a Dynasty league.

An owner starts the off-season with the same players that they had at the end of the previous season (minus trades).

The draft will be a rookie & free agent draft that is eight rounds long.

The draft date will be agreed upon by the owners.

Each Draft Pick will be based on the inverse order of the previous year results, with the team finishing last the previous year picking first and the team finishing first the previous year drafting last.

Draft selections will be timed. (For rounds 1 and 2, owners will have 3 minutes to select/trade the pick, In rounds 3-4, owners will have four minutes to select/trade the pick, and five minutes to select/trade the pick in rounds 5-8.

When a pick is traded, the new owner of the pick will be allotted the full amount of time.

At the beginning of the draft, each owner will be allotted a seven minute "FREEZE" for prolonged trade talks, etc.

There will be a 10 minute break at the end of Round four. (this is supject to change)

The draft can also be stopped for a short break at any time it is agreed on by ALL owners.

The players taken in the draft may be at any position and may be traded at any time during the trade periods mentioned above. But, by the drop day deadline every team must be at full regulation size as stated in the rules above.

The only time the draft order or number of rounds will be adjusted is when a new franchise is added.

Each owner has two Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) & one Injured Reserve (IR) slot.

The PUP list is for injured players who according to a reputable source (ie..NFL.com, ESPN, etc.) likely will be out of competition for a minimum of 2 weeks.

Once a player on PUP is shown to be active for an NFL game according to NFL.com, the owner only has until the beginning of the following week's games to put the player on his active roster or release him.

A player cannot be put onto IR unless he is also on IR in the NFL.

Once a player is put on IR he cannot be taken off at any time during the season unless he is also taken off of IR by the NFL.

When an owner puts a player on PUP or IR during the regular season, he must use a Free Agent pick to replace the injured player unless they replace this player with a taxi squad or developmental squad player of the same position.

If a player on PUP or IR is traded, the new owner has the option to place the injured player directly on his PUP or IR as long as the owner has an open PUP or IR slot.

A player may also be picked up with a Free Agent and put directly on PUP or IR and not on to the active roster.

Each owner has 2 Special Teams slots (Spt).

A special team is considered to be on the field whenever a ball is kicked.

To be considered a Special Teams play the ball must be punted or kicked by a player. If the ball does not touch the foot of said players, it is NOT considered a Spt play, but rather defense.

A special team scores if it returns a punt/kickoff or blocked punt/field goal for a touchdown or safety.

Every special team score is worth 15 points regardless of touchdown or safety and no matter what the distance of the score was.

Specific players that score on special teams are NOT considered to have personally scored because they are part of the special teams unit at that time.

A special team will score 5 points by gaining 100-199 total combined yards in punt and kickoff returns. 10 points by gaining 200+

Each owner will have 2 Developmental Player spots:

ONLY Rookies may be placed on the Developmental Squad (DS from here on).

To place a player on DS it will cost you a Free Agent pick (Except**below)

An owner can place a player on DS anytime after the drop date until the Thanksgiving eve free agent deadline.

(**) An owner is allowed to put two players on DS at no cost before the drop date each season.

An owner may leave the player on the DS for their first two seasons. At the end of their second season that player will automatically be placed on to an owners active roster.

An owner is allowed to take a player off of DS at ANYTIME during the season, even after the Thanksgiving deadline and including the playoffs.

Trades involving DS players are like taking them off the DS so the other owner must use a Free Agent if he wishes to put the player on his DS and if the trade is made anytime after Thanksgiving of his rookie year then the player is not allowed to go back on to DS as he is no longer a rookie.

Each owner will have 1 Taxi squad (veteran developmental):

Taxi Squad is one open spot that is like the DS above but is non-rookie players ONLY. An owner can place a DEF or SPT on taxi.

No rookie is allowed to be placed on TS.

To place a player on the TS it will cost a Free Agent pick (even if you place him on at the cut deadline)

An owner can put a player on TS anytime after the drop date until the Thanksgiving eve free agent deadline.

There is no time limit for how long a player may stay on the TS as long as he's a non-rookie and is in the NFL he may be on your taxi squad.

An owner may put a player on TS at anytime until the Thanksgiving eve free agent deadline.

An owner is allowed to take a player off TS at anytime, even after the Thanksgiving eve deadline but you will be required to drop an existing player (or put an injured player on PUP/IR) in order to put a TS player on your active roster.

Trades involving TS players are like taking them off the taxi so the other owner must use a free agent pick if he wishes to put the player on his Taxi squad.

The Waiver Wire is a mini draft that will be made up of all the player/positions that have been dropped at the drop day deadline.

The Waiver Wire will begin via text/email approximately 30 minutes after the drop deadline cuts have been made.

The draft will consist of one FREE round of all dropped players. There will also be a second round that consists ONLY of the players cut from the first round. This second round will cost an owner a FA pick to make a selection.

An expansion owner would have the 1st pick.

A waiver wire pick cannot be traded.

The waiver wire will NOT cost a free agent to make a selection except for the added free agents in the 2nd rd.

An owner may pass on their pick in either round.

If an owner makes a selection the owner must then drop a player at the same position unless they choose to put the player on Dev/Taxi/PUP/IR.

There will be no free agent movement or trades allowed from the drop time until the waiver wire is completed.

You are allowed to play all of your players that make the Pro Bowl regardless of how many players you may have at each position.

Scoring is the same as during the regular season

Defensive and Spt's points will be added. Each sack will count as one point as will each turnover recovered by a player from an owners defense. Spt scores are the same as regular season.

The winner of the Pro Bowl will receive an extra pick after the last non expansion pick of the draft. Should there be a tie, both owners will receive an extra pick with a coin toss determining the order.

The current owners have first right over their team's unless they are not meeting payment deadlines and a unanimous vote by the other owners to take rule over that team occurs. At any time an owner may sell their franchise to a new owner that is approved by a majority of current team owners (not including the selling owner). If a team is put up for sale, the first bid will start at whatever the team owner owes to the League and proceeds from there. The new owner must pay what is owed by the franchise to the league within a week of taking over the team. When a team is taken over by a new owner, the players that are on the team at that time are frozen four Regular Season Games. If a team is taken over by a current owner, this freeze will not occur. A freeze can also be avoided if all owners unanimously agree for it not to occur.

New Franchise:

March 1st will be the deadline each season to invite a new expansion owner into the league.

Only ONE new owner per year with a maximum of TEN owners unless we have a majority vote to decide otherwise. If we have a fall out and lose more than one current owner during a season we can allow the same amount of new owners as owners lost but no new expansion teams that year.

Below applies only if there is an expansion team:

When there is a new expansion team owner, each existing owner must leave 1Qb, 2Rb's, & 2Wr's unprotected.

The expansion owner will then pick one player from each current team owner's list.

No owner will be allowed to lose more than one player and the unprotected players not chosen will remain on the original owner's roster.

The owners may leave IR / PUP and/or Dev / Taxi squad players unprotected if they wish.

The expansion owner may choose to put an unprotected Dev squad directly on to his Dev squad with out costing a free agent.

The expansion owner may select any combo from the unprotected players.

Each owner that loses a player to the expansion owner will have a chance to be compensated at the next years FFL Draft.

If the player you lost is a top 20 player at his position at the end of the upcoming season you will receive an extra pick at the end of the 3rd round.

If the lost player is ranked from 21-30 you will receive an extra pick at the end of the 4th round.

The player does not have to be on the expansion owners roster for the compensation.

If there is more than one owner in either round the owner that lost the highest ranked player will pick first.

Once the expansion draft is complete the new owner has until one month before the FFL draft to pick the following from the non-rookie free agents: 1Qb, 2Rb, 3Wr, 1Te, 1Kicker, 1Def, 1Spt.

The expansion team then receives an additional four players at any position that they wish.

The expansion owner picks last in odd rounds and first in even rounds.

The expansion owner is given seven additional picks at the end of the draft (after the Pro Bowl pick)

The expansion owner is allowed to have 10 Free Agent selections but must be down to 7 Free Agents by 5:00 PM the Tuesday after the 4th regular season weekend.

The expansion owner has the first pick in the waiver wire.

The expansion owner will not vote on rule changes during their first year (Unless we have a majority vote deciding otherwise).

Defunct Franchise:

If a team owner doesn't meet their financial obligations or just quits, and a new team owner cannot be found, the defunct team is frozen until the waiver wire, unless we have a majority vote to do otherwise.

The draft picks of said team will no longer be in the draft. If an owner has acquired one of the defunct picks during the course of a normal trade they will be allowed to keep that pick.

If a team owner makes off-season trades then quits before the season starts, then all of those off-season trades will be voided, unless we have a majority vote saying otherwise.

A majority vote will decide what to do with the defunct team. Some options: 1) Have a Supplemental draft. 2) Freeze the team for the entire season and/or until a new owner is found.

Points for Touchdowns

QB Pass

RB Run

RB Recovers Fumble

WR/TE Receive

QB Run/Receive

RB Receive/Pass

WR/TE Run/Pass

WR/QB/TE Recovers Fumble

Kicker Run/Receive/Pass

Field Goal Points

Kicker

PAT

0-39 yds

Points for Yardage

RB Run

WR Receive

TE Receive

QB Pass

40-69 yards

0-9 yards

10-39 yards

70+ yards

40-49 yds

50-59 yds

60+ yards

400

450

500

WR Run/Pass

TE Run/Pass

QB Run/Receive

Kicker Run/Receive/Throw

RB Receive/Pass

YARDAGE PT'S

TOUCHDOWN PT'S

KICKER PT'S

DEFENSE PT'S

Points for Yardage

Safety

Turnover Recovery

Sacks

Shutout

Allow 2-3 pt's

Allow 4-6 pt's / Allow 7-9 pt's

2-pt conversion return score

12 points

1 point per turnover

1 pt per sack

15 points

9 points

6 points / 3 points

6 points

SPECIAL TEAM PT'S

Any Special Team TD

Special Team Yards

Safety

2 pt coversion return score

15 points

100-199 combined punt/kickoff return yds=5 pt's, 200+ yds=10pts

15 points

6 points

OTHER PT'S

TE Reception

2 pt conversion

1 point per reception

2 pt's for run/pass/catch

Scoring of Non-Traditional Plays

Expansion Owner: March 1st will be the deadline to invite an expansion owner into the league for the upcoming season.

Trades: (There are two trading seasons)

Off-Season: Trades can be made from the end of the current season thru the drop day deadline of the following season.

Regular season: Trades can be made from the end of the Waiver Wire thru the Tuesday before Thanksgiving at 11:59 pm

Cut Day:

The last Wednesday by 8 PM (mountain time), before the start of the regular season.

Waiver Wire:

Begins Thursday after cuts have been 8 PM via text/email.

No trading or free agent pick up's will be allowed from the drop deadline until the waiver wire is complete.

FMFFL Draft:

TBD, We have been shooting for the 3rd Thursday in August. This is subject to change.

Location and time: TBD (online may be the new norm)

If the date, time, or location changes the owners will be notified in a timely manner so schedules can be adjusted.

Free Agent Usage: (FA=Free Agent)

FA picks can be used from the end of the FFL Draft thru the Tuesday before Thanksgiving at 11:59 PM. with the exception of one playoff FA to be used only during the playoffs if you so decide to keep one FA for this purpose.

FA picks can be traded at any time with the exception of the playoff pick.

Deadlines for Weekly teams and Players to be turned in:

*An owner is now allowed to leave a phone message, text, or email for a FA pick up to the Commish, the first verified time will receive the FA regardless of how they chose to let the Commish know. (email is still the preferred method however)

1. Weeks with all Sunday games:

Every owner must have full team in by Saturday night before Midnight or they will be assigned the same team they had the prior week. This rule is NOT written in stone, if an owner starts a player that is a no-go on Sunday morning the owner may change the starter as long as it is before the games start.

2. Weeks with Saturday & Sunday games:

Every owner must have full team in one hour before kickoff of the first Saturday game, or they will be assigned the same team they had the prior week.

3. Weeks with Thursday & Sunday games:

If an owner has a player they want to play in a Thursday game they need to report the player(s) before kickoff of the first game. The rest of their teams may be reported according to the deadlines of 1. and 2. above. If a player doesn't report a player for a Thursday game, but had them on their roster the week before, without notification to the Commish, this player will be assumed to NOT be played in the Thurs. game.

The only exception will be during the playoffs when a team does not have any extra players at a certain position (such as only 1 QB). But, if a team has an extra active player (even if that player may be injured) the team must notify the commissioner as to which player they are starting.

A player who is in the starting line-up for a team can not be dropped or traded until the game is over. If a team owner elects to drop/trade said player before the game or during the game, the owner will not receive any points from the player for that week.

This must be paid before you draft in order to field a team. If an owner cannot pay the complete fee at the time of the draft the following will be enforced:

If a non-paid owner wins a week the owner will forfeit their winnings to the winner of the year UNLESS they pay what they owe in whole by the following Friday.

If an owner has not paid by week four the owner will not be allowed to field a team until payment is received in full.

Free Agents (FA):

Each owner will have seven Free Agents per year to be used from the time the FFL draft ends until the Tuesday before Thanksgiving deadline.

You are allowed to keep one FA pick after the Thanksgiving deadline to be used at any time during the NFL playoffs, you may use this pick any time after week 17 up until the Super Bowl BUT this pick must be used to pick up only current playoff players/positions and you must drop a player from this same position unless the player is injured and is put on PUP or IR. This pick CANNOT be traded after the Thanksgiving deadline & cannot be used for Taxi or Developmental Squad positions.

Keeping this pick after Thanksgiving is not required and if you choose to keep one FA to use for the playoffs and decide not to use this pick then it will be lost and will not carry over into the next season.

An owner can trade a current or future free agent pick at any time with the exception of the Playoff FA pick..

If an owner does not use a free agent pick (with the exception of the playoff FA) by the Tuesday before Thanksgiving deadline that pick(s) is/are void & may not be carried over till the next season.

Trades:

Trades can be made throughout the year except for the following:

No trades will be allowed from the end of drop day until the end of the waiver wire.

No trades will be allowed from the Tuesday before Thanksgiving (11:59 p.m.) deadline until the end of the current season.

Fees & Winnings

Team Lineup's

Options

Deadlines & Important Dates

Scoring

Draft Guidelines

Team Owners & Franchises

Injured Reserve (IR)

Special Teams

Developmental Squad

Taxi Squad

Waiver Wire

Rule Proposals

Pro Bowl

Released Player Waiver Wire

I. Fees & Winnings

Weekly Winner:

1st Place:

Runner Up:

3rd Place:

Website Cost:

$20 ($440)

$460

$200

$140

$160

Payout's

In case of ties, above will be split evenly.

Total Dues:

$140

Fees

II. Team Lineup's

Complete Roster: This consists of the following: 3 Qb's, 6 RB's, 6 Wr's, 2 Te's, 2 Kickers, 2 Def's, & 2 Spt's. You may also have 2 players on PUP, 1 player on IR, 2 players on Developmental Squad, and 1 player on Taxi Squad.

Weekly Starters: This consists of the following: 1 Qb, 2 Rb's, 3 Wr's, 1 Te, 1 Kicker, 1 Def, & 1 Spt.

During the regular season, a team must never drop below or go above the regulation size. When a trade is announced during the regular season, each team will need to be at full strength and each team involved in the trade needs to know all of the transactions involved to make it complete. Free Agents, draft picks, developmental and taxi players, and injured reserve and PUP players may be added to a trade. If there is a trade involving multiple owners it is considered one transaction, but, just like above, every owner's team must be at regulation size for the trade to be legal during the regular season.

Any off-season trade (a trade made after the end of the current season until the next year's waiver wire deadline) may be of any position and amount of players and include Draft picks, IR or PUP players, Dev Squad, and Taxi Squad players, and/or FA picks.

*Any Trade that is deemed one-sided or unfair may be voided by a vote by the team owners that are not included in the trade. This is to protect new owners and to allow current team owners some recourse for a team quitting the league and giving away their players to one or more persons. Before a vote is taken each owner will be able to defend himself, and current stats of all the players will be made available to every team owner*

III. Options

IV. Deadlines & Important Dates (all times are mountain time zone)

V. Scoring

100

125

150

175

200

225

250

225

300

350

VI. Draft Guidelines

VII. Team Owners & Franchise's

VIII. Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) & Injured Reserve (IR)

IX. Special Teams (Spt)

X. Developmental Squad (DS)

XI. Taxi Squad (TS)

XII. Waiver Wire

XIV. Pro Bowl

Any existing rule needs at least 75% vote to change or overturn the rule.

(6 teams= 5 votes, 7 teams= 5 votes, 8 teams= 6 votes, 9 teams= 7 votes, 10 teams= 8 votes).

New rules only need a majority to pass.

XV. Rule Proposals

Points for Yardage

Any player released by an owner will be on waivers for 24 hours from the time the transaction is posted on the website.

The waiver wire order will be determined from the previous weeks scores with the worst score receiving the first option to pick up the released player and the top score having the final opportunity to pick up said player

The owner that cut the player will not be allowed to pick up the dropped player

After the 24 hour period has ended and if the player has not been selected by any owner that player is considered to be just another free agent and is thrown back into the pool of all players not on any owners roster

The owner that cut the player is then allowed to pick the released player back up if he so chooses

It will cost a free agent to select any released player

XIII. Regular Season Released Player Waiver Wire

Points for Touchdowns

40-69 yards

0-9 yards

10-39 yards

70+ yards

Points for Yardage

100

125

150

175

200

225

250

225

300

350

An owner may use a Covid Opt out roster slot for a player currently on their roster that chose to opt out of the NFL season. This roster slot will cost a FA. An owner cannot draft a player that has chosen to opt out and put them on the Covid Opt Out slot.

Owners will have one roster slot dedicated to Covid PUP that may be used for a player that has been diagnosed with Covid-19. They may be kept on this list as long as they are ruled out because of Covid.

Past Rules: XVI. Covid Rules-for 2020 season only.