2. 2008 UFFL Auction:   An auction style draft will be conducted on Sunday, August 24, 2008 at 7:00 PM Eastern. Nomination Order is determined by a random dice roll in an AOL chat room. The UFFL Champion will be allowed to select his nomination slot for the following season. All procedural or preparatory events for the draft will be publicized at least twenty-four hours in advance. All such events will be conducted by a league official, with an owner at large from the league serving as an impartial observer. Logs of these events will be forwarded to all owners as the results are announced. Failure to follow any of these guidelines will be grounds for invalidation of those results.

The auction will be held in a private AOL Chat Room, "UFFL Auction". Non-AOL users can download AOL Instant Messenger, a free service, and IM me in order to be invited into the room. The alternate chat room for the auction will be the league chat room which can be accessed from the home page. Any combination of positions is allowed. Owners must not go over the $200 salary cap during the 2008 auction. Each owner will successfully bid on 14 players for a final roster size of 18 players to include at least one defensive team. Specific auction rules can be found at the draft page.

3. Rosters:   A team roster consists of the following players:

• 18 players in any positional combination of QB, RB, WR, TE, PK, and Def.

Note: Player positions determined by the NFL at NFL.com.

4. Schedule and Divisions:   Divisional placement will be determined by a dice roll during the offseason. Each week you will play another team head to head according to the fantasy schedule (All teams will play each team in its own division twice during the regular season and each non-division team once except for one random team. They will play within their division weeks 1-3 and 11-13 of the regular season with non-division games weeks 4-10).

5. Wins and Losses:   The team with the highest score wins. Your team score will be determined by adding up your players' points and your defensive team's points using the scoring system. In case of a tie, the game ends in a tie (see scoring system). Scores are considered official, final and unchangable at kickoff of the first game of the following week (usually 1:00 Sunday, but sometimes Thursday or Saturday). This gives all owners a predefined time frame in which to search for scoring errors or for stats sources, NFL.com. After scores become official they will not change for any reason.

6. Scoring:  

6A. Scoring for offensive players (QBs, RBs, WRs, and TEs) is calculated as follows:

• Each passing TD = 6 points
• Each rushing or receiving TD = 6 points
• Every 1 yards passing = 0.04 points
• Every 1 yards rushing = 0.1 points
• Every 1 yards receiving = 0.1 points
• Each pass reception (RB) = 0.7 points
• Each pass reception (WR) = 1 point
• Each pass reception (TE) = 1.3 points
• Each rushing or receiving 2 point conversion = 2 points
• Each passing 2 point conversion = 1 point
• Each interceptions thrown = minus 1 point
• Each fumble lost = minus 1 point

6B. Scoring for place kickers is calculated as follows:

• Each Extra Point = 1 point
• Each Field Goal = 3 points
• Every 1 yards rushing = 0.1 point
• Every 1 yards receiving = 0.1 point
• Every 1 yards passing = 0.04 point
• Each rushing or receiving TD = 6 points
• Each passing TD = 6 points
• Each rushing or receiving 2 point conversion = 2 points
• Each passing 2 point conversion = 1 point
• Each interceptions thrown = minus 0.5 points
• Each fumble lost = minus 0.5 points

Note: Scoring is carried out to two decimals. For example, if a player rushes for 78 yards, he will score 7.8 points. Negative yardage is also scored. For example, if a player rushes for a negative 14 yards, he will score -1.4 points.

6C. Scoring for defensive teams is calculated as follows:

• Each quarterback sack = 1 point
• Each fumble recovery = 2 points
• Each safety = 2 points
• Each interception = 2 points
• Each fumble or interception returned for TD = 6 points
• 0-6 total pts allowed = 5 pts
• 7-12 total pts allowed = 3 pts
• 0-225 total net yards allowed = 5 pts
• 226-275 total net yards allowed = 3 pts

Note: Sacks, safeties, fumble recoveries, and TDs resulting from fumbles on Special Teams count towards defensive scoring. However, TDs scored on any kick return, by the receiving team, will not count toward DT scoring.

7. Starting Lineups:   The deadline for setting a lineup is 1:00 PM EST.

7A. Early Games: If there are early games on Thursday-Saturday then partial lineups are allowed. Owners can submit a full lineup if they choose and any players that aren't involved in the Thursday or Saturday games may still be changed until the final deadline on Sunday. If a player is involved in an early game Thursday-Saturday then changes can be made up until kickoff of the first game on the day the player is playing. If an owner neglects to submit a lineup or proper portion thereof for the early games, the commissioner will assume that said owner has actively chosen to not start anyone in the early game(s). In this instance, an owner may submit as much of a lineup as possible using the remainder of his/her roster for the week in question.

7B. Failure to Submit Lineup: If a valid lineup is not turned in prior to the deadline, then the entire lineup from the previous week will be used or two weeks prior if the run -n- shoot or wish bone was used the previous week. For weeks with early games, if a valid lineup is not turned in prior to the Sunday deadline, then the lineup from the previous week will be used or two weeks prior if the run -n- shoot or wish bone was used the previous week. However, if this default lineup contains players who played in early games, they will be removed from the lineup. No substitutions and no exceptions! If an owner fails to submit a starting lineup for week 1, starters will be selected based on total points scored last season. The highest scoring players (curently on an NFL roster) on the posted league's top players report will be used. The Commish may also find a replacement owner. If an owner fails to submit a starting lineup for three weeks in a row (unless Commissioner is notified beforehand), the team and entry fee will be forfeited. Late lineups are not allowed.

7C. Lineup Formations: You have a choice between three different styles of offense...Pro Set, Wish Bone, & Run -n- Shoot:

The run -n- shoot and the wish bone formations cannot be used for consecutive weeks, i.e., if you use the run -n- shoot in week 3, you cannot use the run -n- shoot in week 4. But the pro set which consists of starting 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, etc, can be used anytime. Again, you must set a legitimate lineup by the final deadline or a previous lineup will be used.

8. Transactions:   Transactions consist of Free Agent Signings and Trades. They are instrumental to the success of your team. It is very important that you remain active and up to date on all information regarding your players. Note: Only owners who have paid their entry fees are allowed to make transactions, unless they have taken over a team within seven days of the transaction.

8A. Free Agency:   Free agency signings will be conducted every week until the end of the regular season. Last day of free agency is November 28, 2008. Any player not currently on an UFFL roster, but either already signed to an NFL contract or eligible to be signed to an NFL contract may be picked up during the UFFL Free Agency process except for those on IR for the season.

Preseason Free Agency: Free agency will begin two weeks prior to the start of the NFL season. Owners have two free agent transactions during the preseason, one for each week, Aug 26-29; Sep 2-5. Preseason free agency will be conducted Mon-Thur. You must include a player to drop when requesting a free agent. The position of the player dropped need not be the same as the player added. The order of the 1st free agency period will be according to the standings from the previous year, with the "Cream of the Crap Loser" picking first, etc. The 2nd free agent period will be reverse order of the 1st FA period. Free agency moves will be processed at midnight on Thursdays.

Season Free Agency: During the season owners may make up to two free agent transactions per week. Waiver requests can be submitted at the site between Monday (11:45 PM Eastern) and Thursday (10:00 PM Eastern) and between Thursday (11:00 PM Eastern) and Friday (10:00 PM Eastern) . The first waiver period will be via Blind Bidding. Each owner will receive $100 blind bidding dollars to use during the regular season. The bids must be in whole dollar amounts, i.e., $4. If two owners requests the same player, the player will go to the owner who made the highest bid. If owners requests the same player and the bids are the same, the free agent will go to the team with the least amount of points scored. There is no limit to the number of free agents owners can bid on. Once an owner spends his $100, he will no longer be able to participate in the FA bidding period. Priority for the second waiver move is based on won loss record FIRST and then total points. The team with the worst record will have first priority, etc. If two or more teams with identical records claim the same free agent, the team with the lower amount of points will be awarded the free agent. If teams have the same amount of points, the free agent will go to the team that had the least amount of points the week before. Players from teams involved in any Thursday night games cannot be picked up during free agency that week. Free agents will cost $7.00 of the salary cap. The salary of free agents acquired by their former owner will revert to their salary purchased during the auction. Team rosters, transactions page, and the free agent list will be updated after each free agency period.

8B. Trades:   The trade deadline is the Friday after week 10. In addition, any teams that are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs will not be allowed to trade during the season. Trading will resume during the offseason but only for teams that have paid their entry fees for the upcoming season. Trades are made on a one-to-one basis, i.e., equal # of players are involved in the trade. Owners cannot trade players for more cap money or FA bid money. Once trades are proposed and accepted, the Commish or Asst Commish will approve or disaaprove the trade. Trades are official once they are processed. Trades will not be processed Sun-Mon. Owners may challenge a trade by e-mailing the Commish within 48 hours of the trade being sent. The trade will then be forwarded to the Executive Committee (EC) for a decision in the following manner:

1) The trade is official.
2) The trade is challenged.
3) The challenge is NOT announced to the league.
3A)The challenge is announced to the owners involved in the trade. The owners have the option to submit to the Commish a e-mail (50 words or less) why he believes the trade improves or maintains his team's competitiveness. Owners have 48 hours to send this e-mail at which time the Commish will forward the challenging e-mail to the EC along with any of these e-mails.
4) The case is sent to the EC in private.
5) The EC's decision is then announced.
6) Trade is either upheld or overturned.

The fairness of all trades will be judged solely on the impact of the trade for the franchises directly involved. A trade should be deemed fair, in the view of the judging person(s), when both franchises, within reasonable judgement, have maintained or improved their respective franchise's competitive status for EITHER the current season OR the following season. Note: Lobbying is not permitted beyond the e-mails permitted in 3A). If there is evidence of lobbying, the guilty owner will forfeit any remaining FABs.

Owners have three challenges per year and the Executive Committee will handle challenges for all four leagues. Their decision will be e-mailed to the league within 72 hours and is final. The Commish also reserves the right to immediately disapprove any trade deemed lopsided and against the competitiveness of the league while the Asst. Commish has the authority to overturn any trades made by the Commish, within 48 hours and under the same guidelines.

Collusion is not permitted and will be strictly enforced. Collusion is defined as two or more teams conspiring to do something to the detriment of the league or a different team. An example of collusion is trading your stud players to your buddy's team so he has a better shot at the championship, while getting lesser players in return or a share of the prize money.

8C. Injured Reserve (IR): There is no Injured Reserve for the 2008 season.

9. Playoffs:   The playoffs occur weeks 14-16. Six teams (3 division winners and 3 wild card teams) qualify for the playoffs. The playoff seeding and matchups are outlined below in 4A.

The Wild Card Game will be played during week 14 and is a head to head matchup between the 3 wildcard teams. During the wildcard game the #4 seeded team will receive 10 points, the #5 seeded team will receive 5 points, and the #6 seeded team will receive 0 points. The team that scores the most points is the wildcard winner and advances to the Semifinals.

The Semifinals will be played during week 15. For each game during the semifinals, the higher seeded team will have home field advantage and receive an additional seven points. The winners will advance to the Championship Game while the losers will play in the Consolation Game.

The Championship Game will be played during week 16. The Consolation Game will be played during week 16. There is no home field advantage for the Championship Game and the Consolation Game during week 16.

9A. Playoff Seeding: The seeding for all playoff games is based on record first and total points scored in case of a tie. After division winners are determined, seeding for playoff teams will be as follows:

Week 14 seeding:

#1 seed is division winner with best record (receives bye)
#2 seed is division winner with 2nd best record (receives bye)
#3 seed is division winner with 3rd best record (receives bye)
#4 seed is wildcard team with the best record
#5 seed is wildcard team with the 2nd best record
#6 seed is wildcard team with the 3rd best record

Note: The Regular Season Champion is not necessarily the #1 seed.

After the wildcard game, the #1 seed will play the winner of the wildcard game and the #2 seed will play the #3 seed.

9B. Cream of the Crap Tournament:The four teams with the worst record will play during weeks 15 and 16 in the Cream of the Crap Tournament. The team with the best record will play the team with the worst record and the other two teams will play each other during week 15. The losers will advance to the Toilet Bowl and play each other during week 16. Homefield advantage (5 pts) still applies for all Cream of the Crap games.

9C. The Ultimate Championship:The winners from the four UFFL leagues will play in the Ultimate Championship during week 17. The starting lineup requirement is the same as UFFL II and UFFL III. The scoring system is the same as the UFFL scoring system. The winner (team with the most points) will be declared "The Ultimate Fantasy Football League Champion" and receive the Greystone Trophy (shown below) from Affordable Sports as well as an invite to the 2005 League of Champions.

10. Tiebreakers:   During the regular season, a no tie-breaker method will be used to determine winners in the event of a tie. In the event a team ends a game in a tie, the tie game will reflect as one-half of a win and one-half of a loss. During the playoffs, in the event of a tie, the winner will be the team whose offensive starters (QB, RB, WR, WR, Flex 1, Flex 2 and TE) scored the most touchdowns (thrown + caught + run = total). In the event this does not settle the tie, the fantasy team who started the highest fantasy scoring player/DT involved in that game will win. Should a tie exist after this tie-breaker, the 2nd highest fantasy scoring player/DT will be used and so on until the tie is broken and a winner is declared. In the event that after all 10 possible tiebreakers have been used and a tie still exists, the home team will be awarded the win.

Ties involving Division Titles will be broken in the following manner:

1. Comparison of head to head records (except three or more way ties).
2. Best division record.
3. Total points scored.

Ties involving Regular Season Championship and Wild Card Teams will be broken in the following manner:

1. Comparison of head to head records (except three or more way ties).
2. Total points scored.
3. Best division record.

Note: The Regular Season Champion must be a division winner.

Ties involving COC Teams will be broken in the following manner:

1. Total points scored.

11. Salary Cap:   The salary cap for the 2008 season is $200.

12. Keeper Rules:   Owners will keep four players from their previous year's roster. The deadline for announcing your keeper players is Thursday, August 14, 2008 at 12:01 PM EDT. Until that date, you are free to trade any of the 18 players that were on your roster last year for another team's players. After the 14th, the other remaining players on your roster will be considered released and you will no longer be able to trade them. You may, however, still trade any of your keeper players. Salaries will remain with players acquired via trades. For example, you trade Ronnie Brown ($30) for Andre Johnson ($10). You will now have $20 more to spend than you did prior to the trade and the owner who acquired Brown will have $20 less to spend at the auction. Note: If an owner misses the keeper deadline, his top two scoring players (regardless of position) will be automatically named as RFAs and the next four highest scoring players will be automatically named keeper players.

The longest period of time an NFL player may be protected from the auction process is three years. Example: Kevin Jones is acquired by “Jax Wolverines” in the 2004 auction process. K. Jones may be kept for the 2005, 2006, and 2007 season and will be automatically entered into the open auction process for the auction directly preceding the 2008 season.

Number of people voting -- outcomes:

1 - proposal is defeated
2 - proposal is defeated
3 - proposal is defeated
4 - proposal is defeated
5 - proposal is adopted if the vote is 5-0
6 - proposal is adopted if the vote is 6-0 or 5-1
7 - proposal is adopted if the vote is 7-0, 6-1 or 5-2
8 - proposal is adopted if the vote is 8-0, 7-1, 6-2 or 5-3
9 - proposal is adopted if the vote is 9-0, 8-1, 7-2 or 6-3
10 - proposal is adopted if the vote is 10-0, 9-1, 8-2, 7-3, or 6-4
11 - proposal is adopted if the vote is 11-0, 10-1, 9-2, 8-3, 7-4, 6-5
12 - proposal is adopted if the vote is 12-0, 11-1, 10-2, 9-3, 8-4, 7-5

Rule proposals/changes can only be made during the offseason. During the season, the Commish will handle any rules interpretation matters. The EC can review any Commish decision if 3/4 of the owner requests it. Any changes to the rules (wording) will then be made following the season. Proposals that take away from the uniqueness that makes UFFL, UFFL, i.e., changing the rules formation or homefield advantage, may be considered "unreasonable". Proposals cannot be submitted on a rule for at least two years after a previous proposal has been voted on the same rule.

Note: The Commissioner does not have the authority to change league rules, with the exceptions of 1) making changes to address typographical errors on the league web site, 2) software programming issues or 3) setting league draft dates. Any proposals submitted by the Commissioner are subject to the same voting criteria as those submitted by any other owner.

13A.Rule Re-Evaluation:  From time to time, a situation may arise in which the rules, as written, may lend themselves to harming the position of a team in a way for which they were not meant to do when written. If such a situation arises, the league Commissioner has the right to re-evaluate the league rules to determine whether the situation at hand is such that the intent of the rules when they were written can not be upheld because the literal interpretation would lend itself to the contrary. If so, the Commissioner can forego the rules, as written, in favor of the rule's intent.
   If the commissioner comes to such a decision, he must inform the other league owners by email; explaining the situation, the decision to forego the rule in question, and the reasoning for making such a decision. League owners who believe that the situation in question does not warrant a reevaluation of the league rules must inform the commissioner within 24 hours. If three (3) league owners independently send a message to the Commissioner stating that they do not believe the rule should be forgone, the Commissioner's decision will be overruled. If not, the Commissioner's decision will be final.

13B.Rulebook Gaps:  In the event that a situation should arise in which no effective solution can be found due to amibiguities in the league rules, the league Commissioner has the right to use his own discretion to resolve the issue. That decision must then be followed consistently for any situation of significant similarity for the remainder of the season.

14. Governance:  

14A. Commissioners' Duties: The Commissioner is responsible for league setup, running the auction, loading rosters, processing transactions, approving trades, and statistic changes.

14B. Assistant Commissioners' Duties: The Assistant Commissioner (AC) will be nominated and elected during the offseason. He will serve one year unless re-elected. The powers of the AC include assuming the duties of the Commissioner if need be, serving on the Executive Committee, making recommendations on improving the league site, and giving advice to the Commissioner if league issues arise and a decision is required. The UFFL AC for the 2008 season is Mike Obstgarten.

14C. Executive Committee:  The Executive Committee (EC) has the authority to handle trade challenges and disciplinary issues. The UFFL EC consists of the five Assistant Commissioners. The 2008 members are Mike Obstgarten (UFFL), Thorsten Muelhausen (UFFL II), Brian Thorne (UFFL III), Rob Obstgarten (UFFL IV), and Larry Stier (UFFL V). If an AC has a conflict of interest (determined by the Commish) in the particular issue being voted on, he will not participate in the vote. Their decision will be e-mailed to the league within 72 hours and is final. The Commish can remove any AC from the EC for failure to vote or conduct detrimental to the league.

14D. League Disputes: Any disputes will be sent directly to the Commissioner who will then either make a decision which will be final or forward said complaint to the league for a democratic vote. The overall good of the league as a whole will be greater then the benefit to any sum of its constituents.

15. Expected Owner Conduct:  

Owners will be expected to conduct themselves in a manner that will not disparage the league, Commisssioner, league officers, nor its owners in any way, shape, or form.

1. While bragging is always a part of some owner's personality and is to be expected, insults, personal attacks, and inflammatory or taunting acts will not be tolerated. The Commissioner will have total authority in drawing the line between trash talking and the above mentioned acts. This will be strictly enforced.

2. Any correspondence attacking the Commissioner to other owners or to public message boards violates the Owner Code of Conduct.

3. Removing an Owner. If an owner is considered by the Commissioner to be conducting himself in a manner not in the Best Interest of the League or DETRIMENTAL to the league, the owner may be removed. If an owner feels it is necessay to attack the league or any of its' owners in any form, then it is in their best interest to find a different league. A refund of the entry fee will be determined by the league and any refund will affect the prize money.

4. Whining: NO WHINING, BICKERING, CRYING, BELLY ACHING, ETC, ALLOWED! The Commish will be the sole determinor of any owner guilty of violating the "Whining Clause". Punishment ranges from forfeiture of future auction money to forfeiture of free agency privileges. The Commish reserves the right to issue one warning. My advice is to do a whine check before clicking send in e-mails and IMs. The league was created to have fun. Let's keep it that way.

16. Entry Fee:  

Since UFFL is a keeper league, I expect owners to remain with the league for many years. To deter owners from leaving after one year, each owner will pay an intitial franchise fee of $10. Franchise fees are not refundable if an owner leaves the league after their first year. If an owner decides to leave the league after their 2nd year, he will be refunded the $10. New owners will pay the franchise fee their first year. Owners in UFFL who join UFFL IV will not have to pay the additional franchise fee and vice versa.
The entry fee for the 2008 season is $60.00 and due by August 1, 2008. And the total entry fee for new owners is $70.00. Any forfeited fees will go towards the cost of maintaining the league and an increase in prize money. Again, franchise fees are not refundable. However, there may be rare cases that will go to the Executive Committee for review.

Mail checks to:

David Torreano
3000 S. Randolph St.
Apt 432
Arlington, VA 22206

17. Prize Money:  

Ultimate Championship Trophy