Moneyball Heroes Dynasty Rulebook

A. League Integrity

• All owners are expected to act with integrity and sportsmanship.
• Collusion, tanking, or any other form of cheating will not be tolerated.
• Waiver churning is defined as the practice of repeatedly picking up and dropping players, or dropping players with the intent of manipulating the free agent pool, to prevent other teams from acquiring them or to direct players to specific teams. Waiver churning is prohibited. This includes picking up and dropping players to prevent other teams from acquiring them, as well as dropping players with the intent of manipulating free agents into specific teams' hands.
• Owners may not share login credentials or access other teams' accounts. Each owner is responsible for maintaining the security of their own account.
• Exploiting technical glitches or system errors for competitive advantage is prohibited. Owners should report any issues to the Commissioner immediately.

B. Owner Conduct

• Owners are expected to be active and engaged in the league. This includes participating in drafts and auctions, responding to trade offers in a timely manner, responding to league votes and polls, and regularly checking MFL and Discord for league communications.
• Constructive discussion and commentary about ideas, rosters, and moves are encouraged. However, keep commentary focused on the game and avoid making personal attacks or disparaging remarks about other owners. Read the room—if someone doesn't want to engage in discussion, respect their boundaries and don't continue pressing them.
• Disrespectful or abusive language towards other owners or the commissioner will not be tolerated.
• Excessive messaging, spamming, or disruptive behavior in league communication channels is prohibited.
• Banned owners violating the Code of Conduct through other channels receive an additional offense.

C. Penalties for Violations

Violations of the Code of Conduct will be determined by a vote of the Leadership Committee and the Commissioner. Confirmed violations will result in penalties based on a three-strike system:

• First Offense: A one-week ban from all league chat platforms and message boards.
• Second Offense: A ban from all league chat platforms and message boards for the remainder of the season.
• Third Offense: Permanent removal from the league.

Process for In-Season Removal

In the event of an in-season removal, the Leadership Committee will determine whether to find an immediate replacement owner or to manage the team for the remainder of the season. Owners who are removed from the league are not eligible to return in the future.

Financial Forfeiture

A removed owner forfeits all claims to reimbursement of paid league fees. Any playoff earnings or other prizes won by their team during that season will be forfeited and redistributed into the end-of-season prize pool. Forfeited league fees will be allocated to the New Owners Incentive Fund (see Section 3 for fund details).

A. Purpose & Responsibilities

A four-person Leadership Committee, consisting of four elected owners, works with the Commissioner to assist in league operations, provide tie-breaking votes in leadership decisions, and ensure the league's long-term health. The committee is responsible for:

• Rule Interpretation: Clarifying rules and resolving disputes.
• League Initiatives: Proposing and developing new ideas to improve the league experience, based on member feedback and expert insights.
• Owner Vetting: Assisting in the process of finding and approving new franchise owners.
• Trade Reviews: Reviewing all first-offseason trades by new owners to ensure they understand contractual and salary cap implications before finalization.
• Upholding Standards: Acting in the best interest of the league at all times, prioritizing fairness and integrity over personal benefit.

B. Composition & Eligibility

• The committee consists of the Commissioner and four (4) elected owners. Note: For the inaugural season, committee members are appointed by the Commissioner rather than elected (see Section 23.B for details).
• To be eligible, an owner must be in good standing and have been a league member for at least one full season (this requirement is waived for the league's inaugural year).
• To encourage a diversity of opinions, close friends or family members of a current committee member should refrain from seeking a committee position.

C. Elections & Term Limits

• Leadership Cycle: The standard term for the committee is three (3) years, aligned with the league's "Superpot" cycle. At the beginning of each cycle, an election will be held for all four member positions. For the inaugural season, the Commissioner will appoint committee members to assist with league setup and establishment.
• Election Process: The Commissioner will initiate an election via a message board post or other voting platform (e.g., Discord). Interested candidates, including incumbent members, may nominate themselves by replying with their qualifications and vision for the league. If there are more candidates than open positions, a league-wide vote will be held.
• Ad Hoc Elections: If a committee member steps down or is removed, a special "ad hoc" election will be held to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term, following the same process as a cycle election.

D. Member Conduct & Removal

• Expectations: Committee members are held to a high standard. They are expected to be highly responsive in committee discussions and to actively contribute to league management.
• Removal: A committee member may be removed for a violation of the Code of Conduct. Removal requires a majority vote by the remaining committee members and the Commissioner.

A. Fees & Payment

• The league fees will be $250 a year.
• Initial Pay-In for New Owners: All new owners must pay an initial amount of $325, which consists of the $250 annual league fee plus a $75 deposit that applies to the following year's fees. This policy discourages teams from joining and leaving after just one year.
• New Owner Deposit Fund: The $75 deposit from each new owner creates a variable fund pool that fluctuates based on the number of new owners joining the league each year. If a new owner chooses not to return for their second year, their $75 deposit is forfeited and allocated to the New Owners Incentive Fund.
• New Owners Incentive Fund: A pool of money collected from forfeited league fees and non-returning new owner deposits ($75). This fund provides incentives or discounts for incoming replacement owners taking over orphaned teams, helping to offset the costs of taking over less desirable teams.
• Inaugural Year Process: For the inaugural season, franchise spots are filled on a first-come-first-served (FCFS) basis. The first 32 owners who complete payment into Leaguesafe will secure ownership. Spots are not reserved - payment must be completed in full before the commissioner will grant ownership.
• Subsequent Years: After the inaugural season, fees are due by 11:59 PM ET on March 31st (April 1st deadline) each year as defined in the league calendar. Upon requesting a franchise, payment into Leaguesafe is required in full before the commissioner will grant ownership.

B. Deadlines & Consequences

• For seasons after the inaugural year, failure to meet the April 1st payment deadline (11:59 PM ET on March 31st) will result in the franchise being declared orphaned and a new owner being sought.
• Any concerns about not being able to meet the payment deadline should be communicated to the commissioner before the deadline. The Commissioner's decision in all circumstances will be considered final.
• Owners who abandon their team are not permitted to rejoin the league as an orphan owner the following year. Owners must wait at least one full season before being eligible to rejoin the league.

C. Prize Pool Distribution

• Payouts are based on the total prize pool ($8,000) minus approximately $150 for league expenses like MFL hosting. The final distributable amount is adjusted for the Super Pot cycle (see Section 3.D). Any unused expense funds will be returned to the prize pool at year's end.
• Any team making the playoffs will earn a prize. Dollar amounts shown are listed as (Standard Year Payout / Super Pot Year Payout). Percentages are calculated based on the available prize pool after the $250 top scoring team payment is removed (Standard Year: $6,000, Super Pot Year: $10,800).
  • Super Bowl Winner = $2,667 / $4,800 (44%)
  • Super Bowl Runner Up = $1,466 / $2,640 (24%)
  • Championship Game Losers (2 teams) = $333.50 each / $600 each (6%)
  • All 2nd Rd Playoff Game Losers (4 teams) = $200 each / $360 each (3%)
  • All 1st Round / Wildcard Round Losers (4 teams) = $100 each / $180 each (2%)
  • Top Scoring Team During Regular Season = $250 - this $250 payout is in addition to any playoff earnings the team may receive

D. Super Pot Cycle

• The league operates on a recurring three-year Super Pot cycle to create a larger prize pool every third season. This structure is designed to improve owner retention by encouraging both short-term competition and long-term strategy. It also aids in new owner acquisition, as incoming members in years two or three of a cycle can benefit from a Super Pot they didn't fully contribute to.
• Years 1 & 2: In the first two years of a cycle, 20% of the total prize pool is withheld and contributed to the Super Pot. The remaining 80% is paid out according to the distribution amounts shown above.
• Year 3: In the third year, the entire accumulated Super Pot from the previous two years is added to the Year 3 prize pool. The total amount (Year 3 pool + Super Pot) is then paid out.
• The cycle resets every three years (e.g., Years 1-3, Years 4-6, etc.).

E. Funds Management

• League funds will be managed through Leaguesafe, a third-party funds management site available primarily to owners in the USA and Canada. Owners in Europe may use Leaguesafe, but payout options are limited to a mailed check.
• A custom detailed ledger of league fund activity will be maintained and managed by at least two owners for league transparency.
• Playoff winnings will be dispersed shortly after the conclusion of the playoffs, subject to a league majority vote. Funds earmarked for the following year or Super Pot cycle will roll over at that time to the next year.
• The fund ledger will be transparent and available for viewing within the League's Discord Server.

A. League Structure

• The league will consist of 32 teams divided into 4 divisions with 8 teams in each division.

B. Ownership Selection & Transition

• The commissioner, at their discretion, will grant ownership to the 32 most qualified GMs expressing interest in owning a franchise.
• While it is preferred for owners to return year to year, if an owner chooses not to return, the commissioner will find a replacement GM using any means necessary to maintain league stability.
• When ownership changes:
  • The new GM may rename the team (within league guidelines).
  • The new owner retains all players held by the previous owner and keeps the previous owner's draft position.

C. Team Identity & Branding

• Each owner can name their team as they see fit and select their own graphics for their banner and logo.

D. Division Realignment

• Division realignment occurs each season on a promotion and relegation basis to assist in league parity.
• The league will have 4 divisions of 8 teams. Divisions are realigned each season based on the final regular season standings from the previous year. The ranking methodology is the same as that used for determining the rookie draft order, with the exception that the Super Bowl winner and loser are locked in as the #1 and #2 teams, respectively. The alignment is as follows:
  • Division 1: Teams 1, 8, 9, 16, 17, 24, 25, 32
  • Division 2: Teams 2, 7, 10, 15, 18, 23, 26, 31
  • Division 3: Teams 3, 6, 11, 14, 19, 22, 27, 30
  • Division 4: Teams 4, 5, 12, 13, 20, 21, 28, 29
• Divisions are used to structure the regular season schedule and to guarantee the top four playoff seeds to the division winners.

A. Active & Taxi Squads

• Up to 45 players will make up an active roster (45 players is not required).
• Taxi Squad and Injured Reserve detailed in Sections 7 and 6 respectively.

B. Position Restrictions & Roster Requirements

• Each franchise may only own 1 team QB, PK, and PN at any given time.
• Roster must fulfill starting lineup requirements (Section 5.C).

C. Starting Lineup (21 players)

• 1. Team QB × 1
• 2. RB × 2
• 3. WR × 3
• 4. TE × 1
• 5. Flex (RB/WR/TE) × 1
• 6. Team PK × 1
• 7. Team PN × 1
• 8. DE × 2
• 9. DT × 1
• 10. LB × 2
• 11. S × 2
• 12. CB × 2
• 13. Flex (DE/DT/LB/S/CB) × 2

D. Best-Ball Scoring & Lineup Submission

• This is a best-ball scoring league. Owners are not required to submit a starting lineup each week.
• At the conclusion of each week's games, the MFL system automatically optimizes each team's lineup to produce the highest possible score based on the required starting positions.

E. Acquisition of Team Positions

• Team QB, Team PK & Team PN can be acquired via trade or selected during the free agent auction (Section 16).
• These positions are ineligible for the rookie draft and Taxi Squad (Section 7).

F. Bye-Week Scoring Adjustments

• MFL system calculates scoring for Team QB, PK & PN all weeks except when the NFL team is on bye.
• During bye weeks, owners receive the weekly league-average point total for that position across all playing teams.
• Commissioners apply bye-week adjustments after Monday Night Football.

A. IR Slots

• Each team will have 20 injured reserve positions on their rosters.

B. Eligibility

• Only MFL IR-designated players and MFL suspended-designated players are eligible for IR unless the commissioner moves a player to IR for a team due to a salary cap infraction.
• Team positions (QB, PK, PN) can never be on IR.

C. Duration & Activation

• Players can remain on IR as long as they maintain their MFL IR designation. If a player loses their IR designation in MFL (e.g., they are activated from IR in real life), the player becomes ineligible for IR and must be either activated to the active roster or cut by the fantasy team owner. If cut, the team incurs the same cap hit as if the player were on the active roster (see Section 9.D for contract cancellation penalties). Exception: See Section 6.H for the Full-Year IR Lock option, which provides an alternative method for keeping players on IR for the remainder of the season.
• Once activated due to loss of IR designation, the player cannot be returned to IR unless they regain their MFL IR designation.

D. Transactions

• Trading of players placed on the injured reserve list is allowed.
• Owners can place players on IR at any time during the current season by processing the transaction on the league website.

E. Free Agent Replacement

• Once a player is on IR, the team may acquire a free agent to fill the empty spot on the active roster, following standard acquisition rules.

F. Cap Charge

• Once the player is placed on IR, 25% of his salary counts toward the salary cap.

G. Off-Season Clearance

• All players must be removed from IR by 11:59 PM ET on March 31st (April 1st deadline)—either by placement on the active roster or by waiving the player.
• Players not activated by 11:59 PM ET on March 31st (April 1st deadline) will be returned to the free agent pool by the commissioner.
• When the league site rolls over (typically mid-February), all IR players will appear on active rosters, and teams will have until 11:59 PM ET on March 31st (April 1st deadline) to cut down to the roster limit.

H. Full-Year IR Lock (IR Relief)

• If an owner has a player on IR and would prefer to leave them on the IR for the remainder of the year, they may request the commissioner to lock the player on IR for the remainder of the season.
• To execute this, the player will be moved to the 11th Taxi Squad spot in MFL. The owner must post their intent to lock the player on full-year IR in the MFL league chat and/or Discord. The commissioner or a member of the leadership committee will then move the player to the Taxi Squad and add a note that the player is IR locked.
• The locked player must remain on IR for the remainder of the season. While the player can be traded with the IR lock in place, they cannot be activated later that year.
• Teams can trade for a full-year IR locked player even if they've already used their slot on another full-year IR player, as long as they have an available Taxi Squad spot (maximum of 11 spots total).
• This option is limited to one player per team per year. The option itself is not tradeable and does not roll over to the next year.

A. Purpose & Slots

• Owners may designate up to 11 players to the Taxi Squad. The first 10 spots are for rookie players designated for development purposes. The 11th spot may be used for either a taxi squad player or a full-year IR locked player (see Section 6.H).
• Taxi Squad players are in addition to the 45 active roster players.

B. Salary & Contracts

• Taxi Squad players' salaries are determined by their draft position or by free agent auction price.
• Contract length is 3 years for drafted rookies or as specified after winning an auction. Rookies acquired via free agent auction can only be placed on the Taxi Squad if signed to a 3-year contract. Rookies signed to 1, 2, 4, or 5-year contracts must remain on the active roster.
• Salaries increase by 15% each year, and contract years decrease by one each April 1.

C. Cap Charge

• Players on the Taxi Squad count 25% of their salary toward the team's salary cap, enabling roster flexibility.

D. Demotion Rules

• Team owners must demote any drafted rookies or rookie FA acquisitions to the Taxi Squad by August 15th.
• Any player added to the Taxi Squad this year must be on a 3-year contract; players signed to 1, 2, 4, or 5-year contracts are ineligible. Players already on the Taxi Squad from previous years may remain even if their contract years have decreased to 2 or 1 years remaining.
• After this date, no further Taxi Squad demotions are allowed until the following year's draft.
• Players gained via waivers are not eligible for Taxi Squad demotion.
• If an owner acquires a player via trade who is currently on another team's Taxi Squad, the new owner has 48 hours from the trade completion to demote that player to their own Taxi Squad. This demotion must be posted in the league's "Taxi Squad Trade Demotions" thread. If the player is not demoted within 48 hours, they must remain on the active roster.

E. Dropping & Waiver Embargo

• Taxi Squad players may be cut at any time without salary cap penalty.
• Upon being dropped, a one-week embargo applies: the player remains a free agent and cannot be signed via first-come-first-serve waivers.
• After embargo, the player may be acquired only through a Blind Bidding Waivers run, with the original dropping team ineligible for the first run.
• Subsequent trades to re-acquire that player will be scrutinized for collusion.

F. Activation & Return Restrictions

• Once activated from the Taxi Squad to the active roster, a player is ineligible to return to the Taxi Squad under any circumstance (including trades or waivers).

G. Contract Expiry & Poaching

• Taxi Squad players whose contracts expire on April 1st are dropped according to standard free agency rules.
• Other teams may claim ("poach") players from a team's Taxi Squad. The process, compensation, and timing for these claims are detailed in Section 18: Taxi Squad Claims.

H. Extension Rules

• Specific rules governing the extension of Taxi Squad players, including eligibility and timing for both in-season and offseason extensions, are detailed in Section 10-F: Contract Extensions.

A. Vetting & Onboarding

• Interview: All prospective owners will be interviewed by at least one member of the Leadership Committee or the Commissioner. This is to protect the league from undesirable owners and to give the new owner a chance to learn more about the complexities of the league.
• Rulebook Comprehension: Replacement owners must read and understand the rulebook before being accepted. The interview is an opportunity to clarify any questions.
• League Engagement: New owners are encouraged to ask questions to the league via chat and to use message board posts or chat to gather trade offers for players they are looking to trade.

B. Choosing an Orphaned Team

Upon joining, a new owner must choose between two options for acquiring their team:

Option 1: Adopt an Existing Team

• Cost: The standard $250 buy-in plus a $75 premium. This $75 fee contributes to a pool used to offer supplementary payments to owners who adopt a significantly undesirable orphan team.
• Privileges: The owner can begin making trades and managing the roster immediately upon payment.
• Contract Amnesty: The new owner has a 72-hour window to choose one of the following amnesty options:
  1. Keep Roster As-Is: Retain the entire roster and all existing contracts/penalties.
  2. Partial Amnesty: Void up to 3 player contracts or existing salary cap penalties.
  3. Full Amnesty: Drop the entire roster, void all contracts and penalties, and start fresh with the team's draft picks and cap space.

Option 2: Enter the Replacement Owners Draft (ROD)

• Cost: The standard $250 buy-in plus an additional $75 that applies to their next year's fee.
• Process: The owner will participate in a special draft with other new owners to select their team from the pool of players from all available orphaned franchises.
• Restrictions: The new owner can set their team name and graphics but cannot trade players until the conclusion of the ROD.

C. First-Offseason Trade Guidance

To protect new owners from the complexities of the league's contract system, all trades made by a new owner during their first offseason are subject to a mandatory review process:

• Pending Review: Trades are considered "pending" until reviewed by the Leadership Committee.
• Contractual Explanation: A member of the committee will send a completely objective email to both trading parties (with the committee CC'd) detailing the full contractual and salary cap implications of the deal. The email will not offer opinions on player value or who "wins" the trade.
• Confirmation: The trade will only be processed after the new owner replies to the email, confirming they have read and understood the implications. This ensures the new owner can make informed decisions without limiting their autonomy.

A. Initial Cap & Off-Season Exceptions

• Each team has a starting salary cap of $1000.
• At no time during the regular season may a team's total roster salaries exceed the cap. The period from the start of the regular season through Week 17 is referred to as the "hard cap period," during which teams must remain under the salary cap at all times.
• During the off-season (from the end of Week 17 through April 1), team salaries may exceed the salary cap due to off-season activity and pre-season transactions. This allows trading of players given that impending free agents are still on the roster.

B. Annual Adjustments & Free Agents

• On April 1st each year, impending free agents are automatically dropped by the commissioner, and each team must meet salary cap requirements at this date. The salary cap remains at $1000 with no annual increase.

C. Violations & Enforcement

If a team is in violation of the salary cap during the hard cap period, the commissioner may use the following options (decisions final):

1. Pre-Season Cure: If over the cap between April 1st until the season starts, the owner receives a 72-hour warning to get under the cap before penalties apply.
2. In-Season Cure: If over the cap during the season via IR player or trade, the owner has until Sunday 1:00 PM ET kickoff to correct or incur penalties.
3. Weekly Penalties: Each offense incurs a $50 cap penalty for the following season (per week in violation), plus a 20-point scoring penalty during season/playoffs.
4. Playoff Integrity Interference (PII): If the Leadership Committee determines that an over-the-cap lineup issue has affected a playoff race, the offending owner is penalized with a Draft Position Adjustment (DPA) moving the team's pick to the end of each draft round they own. Picks already traded are not subject to penalization.
5. Penalties Impacting New Owners: If an owner abandons their team with existing cap penalties or a Draft Position Adjustment, these penalties are waived for the incoming new owner. The team is restored to good standing to ensure a fair start.

D. Waivers, Cuts & Contract Cancellations

• If a player is waived prior to contract expiration, the team incurs a salary cap penalty split between the current year and the following year based on the player's remaining contract years. The cap impact periods are from April 1 through March 31 for each year.
• By cutting a player, the 15% inflation of wages does NOT occur.

E. Salary Cap Floor

• At the conclusion of the free agent auction, all teams must meet a minimum salary cap floor of 80% of their total cap.
• Failure to comply will result in the removal of a future 2nd round draft pick, conditional on the owner returning for the following year.

A. Dynasty Nature

• This is a full roster dynasty league: teams may keep all players, if qualified, from season to season.

B. Contract Signing

• Once a team acquires a player via the rookie draft or free agent auction, the owner must sign the player to a contract.
• Player contracts range from 1 to 5 years, chosen by the owner for all free agents signed.
• To be eligible for demotion to the Taxi Squad, a rookie free agent must be signed to a 3-year contract.
• Team owners have 1 week from the conclusion of the free agent auction to assign contract lengths.

C. Rookie Contracts

• All rookies acquired during the draft are signed to 3-year contracts, regardless of Taxi Squad status.
• Rookies on the Taxi Squad may remain there for a maximum of 3 years. If activated before their 3-year term is up, they play out their original rookie contract unless an extension is signed.

D. Contract Retention & Expiry

• Owners retain the rights to each player on their roster until the player is released or their contract expires.
• On April 1st of each year, player contracts are reduced by one year. Players whose contracts have expired (i.e., have zero years remaining after the reduction) are dropped and become free agents.

E. Annual Salary Increase

• Player salaries increase by 15% each year on April 1. This applies to all contracts but excludes franchise tags. The increase is compounding.

F. Contract Extensions

A. Franchise Tags

1. Each offseason, an owner may use one (1) Franchise Tag to retain a single pending free agent.
2. The commissioner must be notified of all Franchise Tag recipients by 11:59 PM ET on March 31st (April 1st deadline) via a new message board post visible to all owners.
3. To qualify for the franchise tag:
   • The player must have been on the owner's roster during the season just completed.
   • The player's contract must expire on April 1.
4. To bid on a franchise tagged player, a team must own a current or future 1st-round draft selection.
5. Bidding process:
   • Eligible teams may have one active high bid per 1st-round pick they own.
   • Bids start at the average of last season's top-tier salaries at the tagged position.
     • Top 10: Team QB, TE, DT, Team PK, Team PN
     • Top 15: RB, DE, CB, S
     • Top 20: WR, LB
   • Bidding occurs in a league message board thread and concludes on the date specified in the league calendar (April 8th).
   • Minimum bid increment: $1.
   • Auctions close at the later of:
     a) end of the 7-day window, or
     b) 24 hours from the last bid timestamp on any franchise tag auction.
   • Auctions with no bids for 7 days auto-close; others remain open until all close.
6. Awarding the player:
   • If bids occur, the franchising owner must match the winning bid or decline within 72 hours of auction close.
   • The winning bidder must specify the 1st-round pick offered (current or future) as compensation.
   • If the owner of the franchised player declines to match the winning bid, the owner accepts the first round pick offered by the highest bidder. The commish will then create a trade of the players.
7. Contract terms for franchise players:
   • Year 1: higher of average top-tier salary at position or winning bid.
   • Years 2–3: +15% inflation per league rules.
8. A player may only be franchise tagged once. After the franchise tag period ends, the player can still be transition tagged. Contract extensions are not allowed during or after a franchise tag contract. Make sure to account for this if trading for a player on a franchise tag.

B. Transition Tags

1. Each offseason, an owner may use up to two (2) Transition Tags to retain pending free agents.
2. To qualify:
   • Player must have been on the owner's current roster.
   • Player's contract expires on April 1.
3. Tagged players automatically sign a 1-year agreement and become unrestricted free agents at contract expiry (no extensions).
4. A player acquired via the transition tag cannot be franchise tagged the following season.
5. Salary: higher of average top-tier salary at position or prior year salary ×1.15.
   • Top 20: Team QB, TE, DT, Team PK, Team PN
   • Top 30: RB, DE, CB, S
   • Top 40: WR, LB

C. Exclusive Franchise Tag

1. During the off-season, an owner may retain 1 free agent with an exclusive franchise tag.
2. To qualify:
   • Player must have been on the owner's current-season roster.
   • Player's contract expires on April 1.
3. Tagged players automatically sign a 3-year contract and become unrestricted free agents at expiry. Contract extensions are not allowed during or after an exclusive franchise tag contract, and the player is ineligible for any tag (franchise or transition) after the contract expires.
4. Salary:
   • Year 1: higher of average top-tier salary at position or prior year salary ×1.15.
   • Top 10: QB, TE, DT, PK, PN
   • Top 15: RB, DE, CB, S
   • Top 20: WR, LB

D. Free Agent Extension Exemption

• Each team has the right to extend one in-season free agent pickup per year.
• All normal player extension rules apply (see Section 10F for extension details). Upon signing the extension, the player's salary will either raise to the positional minimum or increase by 15%, whichever is higher.
• This exemption option is not tradeable. However, a team can extend an in-season free agent pickup that was traded to them, using their own exemption for that year.
• The player must be extended by the team by 11:59 PM ET on March 31st (April 1st deadline).

A. Player Holdouts

• Player holdouts occur when a player's on-field performance dramatically exceeds his salary.
• Players on rookie contracts, or those on the first year of a 4-year or extension or first two years of a 5-year extension are ineligible for holdouts.
• Players who meet the following criteria qualify as holdouts: After receiving the standard 15% annual salary increase (applied on April 1st), the player's salary must be below 50% of the average of the top-tier salaries at their position AND the player must have finished within the applicable tier in the previous year's end-of-year fantasy regular season rankings (Weeks 1–17):
  • QB, TE, DT: Top 10
  • RB, DE, CB, S, LB: Top 15
  • WR: Top 20
  • TMPK, TMPN: No holdouts
  Note: The salary threshold is evaluated after the 15% annual increase is applied. For example, if a player's salary is $10 and increases to $11.50 (15% increase), the holdout eligibility check uses $11.50, not $10.
• Important Distinction: Eligibility is determined by scoring performance (finishing in the top tier of scoring at the position). The salary threshold check occurs after the 15% annual salary increase is applied on April 1st. The holdout salary calculation uses a separate, salary-based ranking (the top-paid players at the position). While both use the same tier depth (Top 10/15/20), these are two different groups of players. The "average of the top-tier salaries" refers to the average salary of the top-paid players at each position, not the top-scoring players.
• Holdout Status Duration & Reset: Holdout status applies only during the duration of the player's current contract. If a player becomes a free agent or is franchise/transition tagged, their holdout status is completely removed and starts fresh. This means a player who was previously a Stage 1 or Stage 2 holdout will be treated as a new player for holdout purposes once they reach free agency or are tagged, and any future holdout eligibility will be evaluated as if they had never held out before. All player holdout designations will be announced by the Commissioner by February 1st, as per the league calendar.
• Holdout decisions must be submitted by 11:59 PM ET on March 31st (April 1st deadline) via the designated Holdout post (or the league's chosen communication channel for that season).

B. Stage 1 Holdouts

• Holdout Salary: The player's holdout salary is set to 50% of the average salary of the top-tier salary-ranked players at the position (Top 10 / Top 15 / Top 20, based on the tiers in Section 12.A). This calculation uses the top-paid players ranked by salary, not the top-scoring players. For example, if calculating for a WR, you would take the average salary of the top 20 highest-paid WRs (by salary), not the top 20 highest-scoring WRs. For LB, you would take the average salary of the top 15 highest-paid LBs (by salary).
• Owner Options:
  • Accept: Accept the holdout salary (or optionally set a higher salary). Owners may choose to pay above the holdout salary to reduce the likelihood of a repeat holdout in future years.
  • Release: Release the player into the free agent pool (no salary cap penalty).
  • Reject: Reject the holdout—place the player on the team's Taxi Squad for the full season. See Section 12.D for more details.

C. Stage 2 Holdouts

• Stage 2 applies to repeat holdouts. If a player qualifies as a holdout again in a future season and their salary (after the 15% annual increase) remains below the Stage 1 threshold (i.e., less than 50% of the applicable top-tier average salary), they will enter Stage 2.
• Holdout Salary: At Stage 2, players cannot accept a holdout salary. Owners must choose to franchise/transition tag the player, release them, or place them on the Taxi Squad.
• Owner Options: At Stage 2, the owner must choose one of the following:
  • Franchise or Transition Tag: Use a Franchise Tag or Transition Tag to retain the player (see Section 11 for tag rules and requirements).
    • The player's current contract is voided, and the tag is applied.
    • If the player is traded from another team's Taxi Squad after tag decisions are made, the acquiring team will use one of their respective tag slots for the following year to tag the player.
  • Release: Release the player into the free agent pool (no salary cap penalty).
  • Reject → Taxi Squad: Place the player on the Taxi Squad for the full season. The player may be traded while on the Taxi Squad. See Section 12.D for more details.

D. Taxi Squad Option for Holdouts

• If an owner chooses the Taxi Squad option in Stage 1 or Stage 2, the player will be placed on that team's Taxi Squad for the full season.
• Cap Charge: Players placed on the Taxi Squad due to a holdout count 25% of their current salary toward the salary cap, consistent with standard Taxi Squad rules (see Section 7).
• Salary Increases: The player's salary continues to receive the standard 15% annual increase at the beginning of each year (April 1st), even while on the Taxi Squad.
• Taxi Squad Claims: Holdout players on the Taxi Squad cannot be claimed by other teams through the standard Taxi Squad claims process (see Section 18).
• Trading: The player may be traded while on the Taxi Squad.
  • Stage 1 Holdouts: If a Stage 1 holdout player is traded, the acquiring team has two options: (1) accept the holdout (paying the holdout salary) and move the player to the active roster, or (2) keep the player on the Taxi Squad for the remainder of the season.
  • Stage 2 Holdouts: If a Stage 2 holdout player is traded, the acquiring team has two options: (1) use a Franchise or Transition Tag to retain the player (using one of their tag slots for the following year if traded after tag decisions are made), or (2) keep the player on the Taxi Squad for the remainder of the season.
• Returning from Taxi Squad: Players placed on the Taxi Squad due to holdout rejections may return at the non-holdout rate the following year, subject to two conditions:
  • The player must still have years remaining on their contract.
  • The player did not perform at a holdout level during the year they were holding out.
  If both conditions are met, owners can retain the player at their original contract terms rather than paying the holdout salary.

A. Player Retirements

• Initial Retirement: When a player retires from the NFL, the team owner can drop the player from the roster without salary cap penalty. After dropping the player, add to the player retirement post with a link to the retirement news and the Commissioner will remove the salary hit.
• Rights Retention: If a retired player returns to the NFL, the original team retains rights for the length of the player's original contract.
• Owner Decision Window: The original owner has 1 week from the player's return announcement to either re-acquire the player (same contract terms as before retirement) or relinquish rights.
• Owner Responsibility: Each team owner must monitor their own retired players and notify the commissioner if they wish to reinstate any players.
• Free Agency Process: After the 1-week decision period expires, the un-retired player becomes a free agent. If the player is claimed via waivers before the 1-week period ends, the original owner has 24 hours to notify the Commish to reverse the claim (claiming team receives salary reimbursement).
• Contract Years: Years spent in retirement count toward the original contract length.
• Example: Joe Mixon signs a 4-year contract in 2025, retires later that season, then returns in 2027. The original owner retains rights to him in the 3rd year of his original 4-year contract (2025 was Year 1, 2026 in retirement counts as Year 2, so 2027 is Year 3).

B. Player Death

If a player dies, his contract will be dropped from the team's roster and no salary cap penalty will be assessed.

C. Player Suspensions

If a player is suspended, the owner has two options:

1. Keep the player on the active roster for the duration of his suspension, in which case his full salary will count against the cap.
2. Place the player on the IR list, in which case 25% of his salary will count towards the cap. The player can be activated from the IR list at any time after his suspension has been served. Players suspended for 8 games or more can be dropped from the roster without a salary cap penalty.

A. General Trading Rules

• There is no limit to the number of trades a team can make.
• Both teams involved in a trade must have paid their league fees for the current season in full. If it is the offseason, both teams must have paid for the upcoming season's league fees in full.
• Trading of future year draft picks is allowed, but the team trading away the picks must have paid their league fees for the season corresponding to those picks in full before the trade can be approved.
• The trade window re-opens at the conclusion of the league championship game (following the conclusion of Week 17 games).

B. Specific Trading Rules

• Franchise/Transition Tagged Players: If you trade for a player that is set to be franchise or transition tagged, check the appropriate tag message board post to ensure you agree with the tagging request. You can adjust the status before the deadline (e.g., move a player set to be franchise tagged to transition tagged).
• Holdout Candidates: If you trade for a player that is a holdout candidate, check the appropriate holdout message board post to ensure you agree with the holdout decision. You can adjust the status before the deadline.
• Taxi Squad Players: If you trade for a player that was previously on another team's Taxi Squad, this player is elibile to be moved to your Taxi Squad as a post-trade roster move. This must be done via a message board post request within 48 hours of the trade.

C. Trade Deadline

The trade deadline is the kickoff of the first game of Week 10. No trades will be allowed after this date until the trade window re-opens after the season.

D. Trade Veto System

Trades can be reviewed and overturned through a formal veto process to ensure league fairness. The process is as follows:

Initiating a Veto

• Veto Limit: Each team may initiate one (1) veto per MFL season (April 1st - March 31st). If a veto is successful (i.e., the trade is overturned by the league), the initiating team regains the ability to initiate another veto that season.
• Process: To initiate a veto, a team must create a message board post within 24 hours of the trade's acceptance. The post must include all details of the trade and the rationale for the veto. If this information isn't included, the veto request will not be granted.
• Seconding the Veto: The veto process formally begins only after at least one other team seconds the motion in the message board thread.

Voting Process

• Poll Creation: Once seconded, the Commissioner or a Leadership Committee member will create a formal league-wide poll that will be up for a total of 48 hours. A league-wide email will be sent to notify league members once the poll is created and the voting is live. This brings awareness to the poll while limiting the duration of the actual voting process.
• Majority Vote: A trade is overturned if a majority of the paid league (ex. 17 or more teams in-season) votes in favor of the veto. Abstaining from a vote is equivalent to voting against the veto.
• Owner Response: The teams involved in the trade may post their rationale on the message board during the voting period. This is optional.
• Code of Conduct: All discussions must remain respectful. Personal attacks will be handled as outlined in the Code of Conduct. Further, campaigning for a veto based on the owners involved, rather than the trade's merits, may lead to the veto request being invalidated by the Leadership Committee. The veto process is a tool for league fairness, not a competitive weapon against specific owners.

Trade Management During a Veto

• Pending Trades: If any players involved in a vetoed trade are part of subsequent trades, those subsequent trades will be held in a pending state until the original veto vote is finalized. Players within these pending trades may be used in games, but owners should state the backup plans in a message board post prior to the game starting in case the pending trade needs to be reversed.
• Contingency Plans: If a trade is vetoed near a key deadline (e.g., before a game), the involved teams should post contingency plans for their lineups in a message board post.

Special Conditions

• Self-Veto: A team involved in a trade may initiate a veto on their own trade. If the veto does not pass, the initiating team will not lose their ability to veto for the season.
• Trade Adjustments: If the involved teams adjust the trade during the voting period, the initiating and seconding teams must confirm if they wish to proceed with the veto. If they do, the voting process restarts with a new message board post.

A. Draft Format

• The rookie draft will begin on May 15th and will consist of 6 rounds.
• The draft is a "slow draft" conducted on the MFL league website with a 4-hour pick clock. Key timing rules are as follows:
  • Overnight Pause: The draft clock is paused daily from 12:01 AM to 10:00 AM EST. Selections can still be made during this pause.
  • Traded Picks: If a draft pick is traded, the new owner inherits the remaining time on the clock. Owners should be cautious when trading for a pick with little time remaining.
• If an owner fails to make a selection before the 4-hour clock expires, their pick is skipped, and the draft proceeds to the next owner. The owner of the skipped pick must follow this procedure to make their selection:
  • Manual Selection: The owner must post their pick on the official message board thread and email the commissioner and leadership committee.
  • Risk of Being "Sniped": If another team drafts the same player before the leadership team can manually process the skipped pick, the player is awarded to the on-time team. The owner of the skipped pick must then select a different player.

B. Draft Order

• Playoff Teams: The draft order for the 12 playoff teams is determined by the reverse order of their finish. Teams that exit the playoffs in the same week are ranked by their playoff seed, with higher seeds (worse regular season record) receiving better draft picks. For example, if two teams are eliminated in the same round, the team with the higher seed (e.g., Seed 8) receives a better draft pick than the team with the lower seed (e.g., Seed 5).
• Non-Playoff Teams: The draft order for the 20 non-playoff teams is determined by end of year finish with compensatory draft picks assigned based on Toilet Bowl and Mid Bowl outcomes:
  • Base Draft Order: The draft order is determined by end of year finish (regular season standings), with the worst-performing teams receiving the highest picks.
  • Toilet Bowl: The winner of the Toilet Bowl tournament (bottom 8 teams, ranks 25-32) receives the 1.33 pick as a compensatory pick in addition to their regular draft position.
  • Mid Bowl: The winner of the Mid Bowl tournament (middle 12 teams, ranks 13-24) receives the 2.33 pick as a compensatory pick in addition to their regular draft position.
  • Draft Lottery: A draft lottery will determine the draft ranking of teams in the Toilet Bowl and Mid Bowl. Lottery odds are based on total points scored. The worst-performing team will receive 20 "balls" in the lottery, while the best-performing team among these groups will receive 1 "ball" in the lottery. The lottery will be conducted by an independent draft lottery site (e.g., fantasyleaguelottery.com).
• Inaugural Season: For the inaugural season only, draft positions will be determined through an auction where owners bid on draft pick slots (e.g., 2nd pick slot, 3rd pick slot, etc.). The bid amount for each draft slot becomes dead cap in Year 1 and does not carry over to Year 2. See Section 23 for more details on the inaugural year process.

C. Rookie Contracts & Salaries

• All rookies selected in the draft will receive a 3-year contract.
• The salary for each rookie is determined by a pre-set scale based on their draft position, as follows:

D. Roster Considerations

• Owners are encouraged to manage their rosters throughout the draft, including moving eligible rookies to their Taxi Squad to create space.
• Following the final pick of the draft, all team rosters must be compliant with the league limits: 45 active players, 20 IR players, and 11 Taxi Squad players.
• If a drafted player causes a team to exceed any roster limit, the owner is responsible for making the necessary cuts to become compliant. If the owner fails to do so within 48 hours, a member of the Leadership Committee will cut the most recently drafted player(s) from the roster until it meets the legal limits.

A. Process

• An unrestricted free agent auction will be held each year for all players who are not currently under contract. This includes players whose contracts have expired, players who were released from their contracts, and any rookies who were not selected in the rookie draft.
• The auction will be a slow auction conducted on the league website. Each bid will live for 12 hours unless there is a bid higher than the current max bid. Once there is a new highest bid from a different owner, the clock will reset by 12 more hours.
• This auction uses a special proxy bidding system. Here's how it works:
  • Public Bid: The current price shown to all owners.
  • Max Bid: Your secret maximum price. The system uses this to keep you as the high bidder.
  When a new bid is placed, the Public Bid simply updates to that amount, while the system uses the secret Max Bids to determine the true leader. The price calculation changes only when the lead is overtaken. At that point, the new Public Bid is automatically set to $1 more than the previous leader's max bid.
  
  Bidding Example:
  1. Initial Situation: Team X has the highest Max Bid on Rhamondre Stevenson at $100. The current Public Bid is $10, with Team X shown as the leader.
  2. Scenario 1 (A smaller bid is placed): Team Z places a new max bid of $15. Since this is less than Team X's $100 max bid, Team X remains the high bidder. The new Public Bid becomes $15, but Team X is still listed as the leader.
  3. Scenario 2 (A higher bid is placed): Team Z then places a new max bid of $110. This is higher than Team X's $100 max bid, so Team Z becomes the new leader. The new Public Bid now jumps to $101 (Team X's old $100 max bid + $1), and the 12-hour auction clock resets.
• Each team will have a certain amount of funds to bid on players. This is limited to your budget remaining, however you will need to save $1 for every open roster spot you have available in order to nominate a new player.

B. Contracts & Salary Cap

• Players won in the auction can be signed to contracts of 1-5 years in length. The team owner must designate the length of the contract within one week of the conclusion of the auction.
• At the conclusion of the free agent auction, all teams must have a total team salary that is at least 80% of the salary cap. If not, the owner is subject to punishment outlined in the salary cap section of this rulebook.

C. Participation

• Auction Activity: Participation is optional, but the auction is a core component of building a competitive roster. All owners are expected to nominate players to maintain a healthy auction pool.
• Nomination Requirement: Owners must maintain 2-3 active player nominations. When one of your nominated players is won by a team, you are expected to nominate a replacement promptly.
• Penalty for Bidding Without Nominating: To ensure fairness, bidding is strictly tied to nomination activity. If an owner places a bid while having fewer than two active nominations (with three or more roster spots available on top of the existing bids), the following process will be initiated:
  1. Initial Grace Period: The owner has 24 hours from the time of their bid to nominate at least two players.
  2. Formal Warning: If no nominations are made after 24 hours, a formal 12-hour warning will be issued.
  3. Disqualification: Failure to meet the nomination requirement within the 12-hour warning period will result in disqualification from all further auction activity for the year. The only exception is for bidding on required positions (QB, Kicker, Punter) if the team's roster is deficient.
• Fair Play & Anti-Sniping: Last-minute auction "sniping" is discouraged. If a repeated pattern of this behavior is noticeable, especially targeting a specific owner, it will be considered a Code of Conduct violation and subject to penalties.

A. Availability & Bidding

• All players not on a roster after the conclusion of the Unrestricted Free Agent Auction will be available to be acquired through blind bidding waivers.
• Blind bidding waivers begin prior to the August 31st extension deadline. Players picked up in the earliest waivers have the opportunity to be extended before the deadline. Extension minimums will apply (see Section 10 for extension rules).
• Each week, teams will have their remaining salary cap space to bid on available free agents.
• The team with the highest bid at the end of the waiver period will be awarded the player.

B. Contracts & Tie-Breakers

• Players acquired through blind bidding waivers will automatically receive a 1-year contract, unless extended prior to the August 31st extension deadline (see Section 17.A for details on early waiver extensions).
• In the case of a tie bid, the player will be awarded to the team with the worse record. If the teams have the same record, the player will be awarded to the team with the lower amount of total points scored.

A. Compensation

• The cost to claim a Taxi Squad player is two future draft picks paid to the original owner: one pick from the same round the player was originally drafted, and one pick from the round higher.
• 1st-Round Players: Cost is two 1st-round picks.
• Undrafted/FA Players: Treated as if drafted in the last round of the rookie draft for compensation purposes.
• Pick Availability: If an owner lacks the exact required picks, they must use earlier-round picks as substitutes. Only picks from the next upcoming draft are eligible.

B. Claiming Process

• Owners can claim a player from another team's Taxi Squad by posting a formal claim within a league message board post. The post must clearly list the teams, player, and draft picks involved. The claiming team should then send a trade offer to the team with the draft compensation for the claimed player on the taxi squad.
• The claimed player is immediately placed in a "pending" status and cannot be moved or claimed by another team until the commissioner processes the claim.
• The commissioner will execute valid claims if all requirements (picks are available, fees have been paid, roster reamins within limits post-claim) are met. Invalid claims will be voided.
• Once processed, the player is moved directly to the new team's active roster. The player is ineligible to be moved to the new team's Taxi Squad.

C. Timing & Restrictions

Taxi Squad claims are open year-round, except for a blackout period that runs from the start of the trade window closing (week 10) through August 15th of the next offseason.

Note: The inaugural year will have a separate schedule.

Off-Season

• Feb 1: Tag/Holdout Designations Announced
• Apr 1: Payment Deadline for Existing Owners
• Apr 1: Switch over to new MFL year
• Apr 1: Salary Cap Adjusted
• Apr 1: Expired Contracts Cut
• Apr 1: Salary Hard Cap Applied
• Apr 1: Deadline for Tag Offers & Holdouts; Tag Bidding Begins
• April 8: Franchise and Transition Tag Bidding Concludes
• May 15: Rookie Draft
• June 1: Free Agent Auction Opens
• June 8: Free Agent Auction Nominations Closed
• June 15: Free Agent Auction Contract Lengths Due
• Aug 15: Taxi Squad Locked / Taxi Squad Claims Open
• Aug 23: Blind Bidding Waivers Begin
• Aug 30: Final Year Extension Deadline

Regular Season

• Week 1: Regular Season Begins
• Week 10: Trade Deadline
• Week 14: Playoffs Begin
• Week 10: Taxi Squad Claims Closed
• Week 18: Trading Re-opens
• Week 18: salary hard cap removed
• Week 18: Blind Bidding Waivers End

A. Schedule

• The league regular season will run from Weeks 1-13.
• Each team plays every other team in their division once (7 games).
• The remaining 6 matchups are randomly generated.

B. Extensions

• If the NFL regular season is ever extended, additional fantasy weeks shall be added such that the last playoff game ends one week before the conclusion of the NFL regular season.

A. Schedule & Format

• The league playoffs will take place during weeks 14–17.
• There are 12 playoff spots in the bracket.

B. Seeding & Byes

• Division winners (based on win‑loss record) receive the 1st–4th seeds and a first-round bye.

C. Wildcard & Tie-Breakers

• Seeds 5-11 are filled by teams with the next best win‑loss records (after the 4 division winners).
• Tie‑breakers for seeds 5-11 are determined in this order:
  1. Total points scored
  2. Fewest points against
  3. Digital coin flip managed by the leadership committee
• Seed 12: The 12th and final playoff spot is awarded to the team with the highest total points scored during the regular season, regardless of win‑loss record. If multiple teams are tied for highest points, the tie‑breaker is fewest points against, followed by a digital coin flip managed by the leadership committee.

D. Bracket Reseeding

• After each round, brackets reseed so that the highest-seeded team plays the lowest-seeded team.
• Bracket placement remains within the original bracket structure, but reseeding ensures top seeds face lower seeds.

E. Mid Bowl & Toilet Bowl Tournaments

• The 20 teams that do not qualify for the playoffs will be automatically entered into consolation tournaments that run parallel to the championship playoffs.
• Mid Bowl: The middle 12 teams (ranked 13-24) compete in the Mid Bowl tournament. The winner receives the 2.33 draft pick in the following year's rookie draft.
• Toilet Bowl: The bottom 8 teams (ranked 25-32) compete in the Toilet Bowl tournament. The winner receives the 1.33 draft pick in the following year's rookie draft.
• Both tournaments are seeded based on the final regular season standings and use the same bracket reseeding rules as the championship playoffs.
• Purpose: These tournaments are designed to keep teams engaged throughout the season and bring more immediate and future competitiveness to teams outside the playoffs.

F. Example Brackets

The following diagrams illustrate the structure of the Championship, Mid Bowl, and Toilet Bowl tournaments. Note that brackets are re-seeded after each round, so the highest remaining seed will always play the lowest remaining seed.

Championship Playoff Bracket (12 Teams)

Mid Bowl Bracket (12 Teams - Seeds 13-24)

Toilet Bowl Bracket (8 Teams - Seeds 25-32)

A. Inaugural Auctions & Draft

• To establish initial rosters, the league will conduct multiple auctions followed by a rookie draft for all 32 teams.
• Draft Pick Slotting Auction: Owners will bid on draft pick slots for the Rookie Draft (e.g., the 2nd pick slot, 3rd pick slot, etc.). Winning a pick slot grants the owner that position in every round of the Rookie Draft (e.g., winning the 2nd pick slot gives you picks 1.02, 2.02, 3.02, 4.02, 5.02, and 6.02). Important: The bid amount for each draft slot becomes dead cap during Year 1 (no carryover to Year 2). Owners are bidding dead cap in the current year for the right to specific draft slot packages.
• Veteran Player Auctions: All available NFL veteran players will be auctioned in separate, broken-up auctions. The specific grouping, timing, and structure for these auctions will be announced by the Commissioner prior to the start. Contract Length Determination: Upon conclusion of each auction, owners will have 2 weeks to determine and assign the contract length (1-5 years) for each player they acquired during that auction.
• Rookie Draft: Following the auctions, a separate rookie draft will be conducted using the draft positions determined in the slotting auction.

B. Founding Leadership Committee

• As all owners are new in the inaugural year, the first Leadership Committee will be formed from volunteers within this founding group.
• These members will play a crucial role in shaping the league from the ground floor, working with the Commissioner to solidify procedures and address any initial challenges.
• The standard election process, as outlined in Section 2, will commence at the beginning of the next 3-year Super Pot cycle.

C. Inaugural Season Buy-In

• The total buy-in for the inaugural season is $325 per owner.
• This amount consists of the standard $250 annual league fee plus a one-time $75 retention deposit.
• Retention Credit: If an owner remains in the league for Year 2, the $75 deposit will be automatically credited towards their second-year league fees, reducing their payment to $175.
• Forfeiture: If an owner chooses to leave the league after the inaugural season, the $75 deposit is forfeited. These funds will be used to create an incentive or discount for the incoming replacement owner.

This section outlines the decision-making processes used to govern the league, including how rules are clarified, changed, and enforced. The league uses two distinct voting mechanisms depending on the nature and urgency of the decision.

A. Leadership Committee Votes (Majority Wins)

The Leadership Committee has authority to make decisions by majority vote in the following circumstances:

• Rule Language Clarification: When the rulebook language is ambiguous or unclear, the Leadership Committee may vote to provide clarification. These clarifications do not change the intent of existing rules but help ensure consistent interpretation and application.
• Rule Changes Prior to First Season: Before the inaugural season begins, the Leadership Committee may vote to modify or establish rules. For significant changes, the committee will gather feedback from all league members before finalizing the decision. This ensures the league starts with a solid foundation while allowing for input from the full membership.
• Last-Minute Emergency Decisions: When unforeseen circumstances arise that require immediate action (e.g., a game is canceled, a player is unexpectedly ruled out, technical issues with the platform), the Leadership Committee may vote to determine the appropriate resolution. These decisions are made quickly to maintain league operations and fairness.
• Code of Conduct Violations: All violations of the Code of Conduct (Section 1) are reviewed and decided upon by the Leadership Committee through majority vote. This includes determining appropriate penalties and, if necessary, removal from the league.

B. Commissioner Override Authority

The Commissioner retains the authority to override any Leadership Committee decision, but only in extraordinary circumstances where the Commissioner believes a decision threatens the continuation or integrity of the league. This power is intended as a safeguard and is not expected to be used regularly. The Commissioner may exercise this authority if new leadership is elected that the Commissioner believes is not acting in the best interest of the league.

This override authority is documented here as a protective measure, though it is not anticipated to be necessary given the quality and commitment of the league's ownership group.

C. Full League Votes (All Paying Members)

All paying league members participate in votes for the following types of decisions:

• Rule Changes After First Year: Any proposed rule changes after the inaugural season must be voted on by all paying members when time allows (1+ week to allow for discussion and vote). This ensures transparency and gives all members an opportunity to voice their opinions before a decision is finalized.