Post by Ed on Aug 31, 2010 0:03:11 GMT -5
I. FAIR GAME PLAY AND RESPECT
ABOVE ALL ELSE, fair game play and respect is vital to this league. This is the NUMBER ONE RULE in this league. The league will NOT tolerate any disrespectful play or attempts by any owners to circumvent the rules. If you do not agree with our rules and cannot adjust your game play style to fit within the rules, simply find another league. Because if you chose to not follow the rules set-out for the entire ownership group, you will be finding another league soon enough anyways. Fair game play and respect are essential. We will be very strict in this aspect because it defines our essence as a league.
- ARGUMENTS AND DISPUTES- will be handled in a PRIVATE manner between the two coaches, their conference commissioner and, if necessary, a league administrator. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT publicly disrespect your opponent or file a complaint on the message boards, in the scouting report or in the game recap. If you do, THE MESSAGE WILL BE REMOVED and, if necessary, the OWNER WILL BE REMOVED also. **THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT RULE and there will be little tolerance for those who chose not to acknowledge it.
-SCOUTING REPORTS-Scouting reports will be due on your last user opponent within 24 hours of the advance, you are not helping any, if you wait until their next game.
- PLAY WITHIN THE SPIRIT OF THE GAME-
Running the same play 15 times again and again, while stoppable for most good coaches, IS NOT what we are looking for. You MUST open up your playbook. Use different plays this will make the game, in the long run, more enjoyable for you and ESPECIALLY for your opponent. Going for it on 4 and 37 in the first quarter is not realistic football. Five onside kicks a game is not realistic football. We think you get the point. If you are going to be a coach in this league it is important to remember that there is more than one way to skin a cat. Be imaginative. No one is saying you can't do your "money play"...just mix it up with the other 200 plays in your book. Do not abuse “money plays” that take advantage of an AI flaw in the game. This league is looking for realism, spread the playbook around. If you are using your favorite team, run that type of offense. Do not abuse the game's AI.
II. Game Setup
THE BASICS:
DIFFICULTY – All American
LENGTH OF GAME – 7 Minute Quarters
PLAYBOOKS - You may use ANY playbook offered online or you may create your custom playbook!!
.
SUBSTITUTIONS and POSITION CHANGES:
***NEW AS OF 7/14/09***
As far as position changes go, we aren't here to limit the fun that goes into creating mismatches but at the same time we want it to be at least mildly realistic. Changing a 5'10 HB to DE is probably not ever going to happen in real life just because hes fast as the dickens.
no moving WR's CB's Safeties and HB's to DE. (unless they have the size)
if an athlete is DE size and has adequate strength then you can move him to DE, but don't recruit a 99 speed athlete that is 6 foot 200 to play at DE
Linebackers can be converted to DE Safeties and corners can be swapped
wide receivers and running backs can switch sides of the ball to play DB
switching a WR to TE there is a gray area, if the WR is small and weak he is not going to be playing on the los
so if the WR is 6'4 240 then switching him to TE is legitimate but if hes 6'0 185 hes never going to play tight end so try to keep those switches reasonable
QB: QB, you can use any QB on your roster...just make sure to not run around with him to take advantage of the AI. Designed rollouts are fine, but scrambling around just waiting for someone to get open is not.
QB: *only QB unless there is a formation in your playbook that lets you swap
HB: HB, FB, *WR if the formation is in your playbook
FB: FB, HB, TE
WR: WR, CB, S
TE: TE, FB
OL: OL, DL
DL: DL, LB
LB: LB, DL, S
CB: CB, S
S: S, CB, LB
SCHEDULING
- If you set up a game with your opponent in advance, and then you do not show up with no advanced warning, you will get a warning. If it happens on multiple occasions, you will get penalized.
- ALL OWNERS MUST BE ACTIVE ON THE MESSAGE BOARDS-
If you are not active in this league, you will be removed. Being active in the league is one of the biggest things.
III. GAME PLAY RULES
**NEW 07**AS A REMINDER OVERALL... no "gimmick" play that takes advantage of the AI is EVER acceptable, this includes such tricks as "Nano-Blitzing", "Delay Bumping" and odd-ball plays like WR Direct. If you want to play like this, you don't belong here. If you have any questions on what is acceptable, ask BEFORE YOU PLAY.
A. Kickoffs
Onside kickoffs are allowed in applicable situations. They are NOT to be abused. An owner is allowed to attempt to catch his opponent off guard once in a while, but again are NOT to be abused. If you wish to kick an onside kick you MUST use an onside kick formation. ONSIDE KICKS from standard kickoff formations ARE NOT ALLOWED. The ball must travel at least 30 yards for the kicking team to recover an onside out of a standard formation.
***New as of 11-21-09****
If you attempt a onside kick and the glitch occurs where the ball goes out of bounds, but the kicking team gets the ball, the kicking team must punt the ball away to their opponent, the opponent can return the ball, but must keep it around midfield!!!!
B. Offense
It is best for all parties to just remember that we’re looking for realistic game play in our league. Because “realism” is debatable there is a bit of room for dispute, but if your opponent is doing something questionable it is best to pause the game and discuss the situation with your opponent IN A CIVIL MANNER. We are all adults here, and we expect you to act like one. If your opponent pauses the game, DO NOT PRESS TRIANGLE TO START THE COUNTDOWN CLOCK. They may be trying to type or make changes. Wait until they exit the pause screen before exiting yourself.
QB PLAY -- QB's are only allowed to drop back 7-10 yards during pass plays (except when under extreme duress by the defense). This rule is in place to prevent the popular tactic of dropping your QB 10-20 yards deep to allow your WR's time to break free from defensive coverage. QB Roll-outs are deemed legal. However, be careful that you are not dropping the QB too far back from the line of scrimmage. The 7-10 yard rule still applies to Roll Out plays. Please do not abuse the Roll Out. Mobile QB's are a part of the game, but do not call pass plays with the sole intention of taking advantage of defensive AI flaws, this is acceptable once or twice a game, but there are designed QB run plays for a reason. Excessive use of this as a type of offense is strictly prohibited.
NO HUDDLE -- You MUST huddle on any play where the result is the clock stopped (i.e. Incomplete Pass, Out of Bounds etc…) you may no huddle on out of bounds plays when the clock does not stop, the clock stops the last 2 minutes of each half!!!
4-TH DOWN -- Because the game favors offense to defense it is much easier to achieve success on 4th down in the game as opposed to in real life. For this reason we restrict 4th down to realistic situations. In that in between are at your opponent’s 30-45 yard line is acceptable to go for it on 4th and 1. 4th and 1 or less from your opponent's 20 to your opponents goal line is acceptable, just don't make a habit of doing it every time!!! 4th down from the 5 and inside is acceptable. A 4th down hail mary at the end of the half is also acceptable. If you are leading by more than 14 points you must kick or punt the ball. Fakes are allowed within reason. Use good judgement. 4th and 13 from your own 35 in the 1st half is NOT acceptable to go for it or to fake. ***New as of 8-19-11*** If you are trailing by 2 possessions or more with 2 minutes to go in the 3rd, you may go for it on 4th no matter the distance!!!
Use judgement here, depending on the game situation. If you are winning by a large margin, of course you don't go for it. If you are down by quite a bit and the game lets you go for it, by all means do so. If its a grey area, just use your best judgement. If your opponent is 2 scores ahead with 2 minutes left in 3rd quarter, and his offense eats clock, and u wanna risk it go for it.
Pausing-- If you need to pause the game for an extenuating circumstance (i.e. someone ran into your car, or nature calls) pause the game and explain your situation. But do make sure you are courteous to your opponent. As mentioned before, wait for the person who paused to exit before starting the countdown.
AUDIBLES -- Do not abuse audibles. 1 audible per play is sufficient. Excessive audibles are not allowed. Also you must wait until your opponent’s team is set before snapping the ball. Hot-Routes are acceptable, however, do not call a play and hot route ALL of your receivers. That isn't realistic, but use your best judgment.
CLOCK MANAGEMENT --****NEW FOR NCAA 10**** You may only use chew the clock in the 4th quarter with under 2 minutes to go. I understand that ball control is part of "real life" football, but unless you guys wanna go to 15 minute quarters, that's the rule. As the game is supposed to be "fun" please be respectful of your opponent and choose your plays in a timely manner. Inside 2 minutes you can run the clock down to finish out. DO NOT let the clock run down on your own, I understand sometimes it takes a bit to find that perfect play, but don't make it a habit, games are short enough as it is!!!
PUNTING -- You may not punt the ball almost directly up into the air and short, making the AI almost always drop the ball. You may not line drive a punt short in hopes the AI will fumble or bounce off them. You can not abuse any AI mechanics on kicks period, to your advantage. You may also do fake punts in moderation to catch your opponent off guard, mind you 3 times a game isn't what I consider moderation!!!
C. Defense
Run Commit Feature!!!!
***New for NCAA 13*** Run Commit has been officially banned, You may use Pass Commit at any time!!!!
It is best for all parties to just remember that we’re looking for realistic game play in our league. Because “realism” is debatable there is a bit of room for dispute, but if your opponent is doing something questionable it is best to pause the game and discuss the situation with your opponent IN A CIVIL MANNER. We are all adults here, and we expect you to act like one.
MOVEMENT --
Absolutely DO NOT move players to take advantage of AI flaws.
Defensive Line: the defensive line is to ONLY be moved within the AUTOMATIC SHIFTS provided in the game NO MANUAL MOVEMENT of D-line. You are not allowed to move any DL-man, either laterally or vertically, manually before the snap. After the snap feel free to move him back into coverage. (On Special Teams, you are ALLOWED to move one defensive lineman off the line to prevent against a fake after the snap). Even the shifts are in moderation, kinda same thing as bumping, you shouldn't be doing this over half the time (ie spreading the D line every play to exploit the AI blocking for sacks)
You may move all other personnel as you see fit, just do not manually move your Defensive Lineman before the snap!!
AUDIBLING -- Audibling "down" from a Dime to a 44 (for instance) to take advantage of match up changes is not acceptable as a form of defense. This can happen once or twice "accidentally" or getting "caught with your pants down" in a game, but basing your defense on this strategy is unacceptable. However, you are allowed to stem your defense. Stemming is the term used for a team that calls a base defense in the huddle and audibles to another play based on the formation and motion the offense uses. However, do not take advantage of personnel match ups. Again, use your best judgment.
GOAL LINE -- Goal Line Formation is for Goal Line (inside YOUR OWN or YOUR OPPONENT’s 10 yard line) and for SHORT YARDAGE (3rd/4th down and 3 or less) ONLY. Special teams formations may not be used as a defense.
D. Mercy Rule and Sportsmanship
If at any point you go over 42 point lead against a human opponent in the 4th quarter, REMOVE your specialist starters (QB, RB, WR's) and play a conservative style of offense. With the difference in talent of teams and coaches, there is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON why you would need to roll up a win over your opponent. The coaches in this league who control “lesser” teams are the BACKBONE of the league and should not be made to suffer horrible defeats so guys can prove whatever it is they prove with a 50 point win. THIS IS THE EPITOME OF BAD SPORTSMANSHIP and will be dealt with quickly and severely. What’s the difference between a 35 point win and a 50 point win? Bad sportsmanship. ** I don't want to, and shouldn't have to tell you to try not to score. But if you need someone to tell you, then consider this me telling you. However, I am not telling players to take a dive with nothing but open field in front of them. If you call a run and it breaks, score the touchdown, you earned it. When leading by 28 in the 4th, you can ONLY pass the ball on 3rd down and 5 or more. That is it.
*****NEW as of 11/20/08******
If you are losing the game and decide to throw in the towel and just run out the clock, then do just that. If you are still trying to score, then of course the defense is going to try to stop you. Run out the clock. Pause the game and message your opponent if you have to.
E. Miscellaneous
There is sure to be other various situations that arise. Remember these KEY things… its only a video game, its not life and death. If you feel that you need to bend the rules, or maximize any crack, nook or corner of the rules to get ahead to win, this league is NOT FOR YOU. This league is intended for guys who love this video game, like we do, to get together, HAVE FUN and just enjoy it. Be a good sportsman. Play within the spirit of the league and its rules. If you lose, then lose gracefully and admit you got beat. Sometimes Momentum meter can screw you, but sometimes you win due to it as well. Just because you go 2-10, doesn't mean everyone thinks you suck, you just might not play well with the team you have that season. Suck it up, stick it out, and you can switch teams at the end of the year.
Any owner who has two games in a row simulated, will be excused from the league and replaced immediately. This is to prevent inactive users from keeping teams from people who are on the wait list. Please take note, as no warning will be issued once your second game is simulated, you will just be replaced.
ANY COACH WHO DOES NOT FINISH OUT THEIR ENTIRE SCHEDULE WILL NOT BE INVITED BACK FOR THE FOLLOWING SEASON.
DISCONNECTS
If a disconnect occurs, you guys need to decide on how you wanna do it, if the game is almost over and the outcome isn't in doubt, then finish vs the CPU if given the option. If it's close, then replay from the point of disconnect, or replay the whole game. As long as both parties agree, I don't care...if you are having problems coming to an agreement, text me and I'll take care of it!!!!
IV. DISPUTE RESOLUTION
The ABSOLUTE WORST part about running a league is this facet. If this were a perfect world everyone would play “straight” and there wouldn’t be any problems. This isn’t a perfect world. And although I’d love to think this will be the perfect league, there will be problems. Take your complaint to one of the admins or your commish. The admins will discuss your situation and determine whether the infraction warrants a warning, a replay or in certain situations removal of a coach. We will act quickly and attempt to get both sides of the story. ONE THING YOU SHOULD KNOW: we cannot be there to watch your games. We will have to take the information given to us and make a decision off of that. Some people do not feel this is fair, but it is the ONLY way to monitor you. Don’t make us have to be babysitters. We are ALL adults.
If you feel your opponent is “cheating” the first step you should take is PAUSE THE GAME AND TELL YOUR OPPONENT WHAT HE IS DOING WRONG. You will then discuss the decision LIKE MEN. Discuss it like men and come to a resolution. AFTER ALL GAMES, OWNERS ARE REQUIRED TO GIVE POSITIVE FEEDBACK TO YOUR OPPONENT.
One thing to remember: DO NOT QUIT THE GAME. Even if your opponent is the biggest cheater in the book you MUST FINISH THE GAME. If you quit a game or pull your cord, you will be removed from the league... no matter what your reasoning. If your wife is having a baby, your child is sick or your house is burning down... tell your opponent and work out a solution (call 911 first).
DO NOT COUNTER A CHEATER WITH CHEATING. You cannot make a case for yourself after the game if you decide to battle cheating with cheating. Finish the game. File a complaint. And let us take care of the situation. That’s what we’re here for. If you counter a cheater with cheating, you will also be punished. In the event that happens, the game will end in a tie.
Remember: DO NOT file a complaint against another owner in a public forum (message boards, scouting reports, league daddy, whatever). If you do, you will be disciplined also. We want to handle things professionally and as adults.
ABOVE ALL ELSE, fair game play and respect is vital to this league. This is the NUMBER ONE RULE in this league. The league will NOT tolerate any disrespectful play or attempts by any owners to circumvent the rules. If you do not agree with our rules and cannot adjust your game play style to fit within the rules, simply find another league. Because if you chose to not follow the rules set-out for the entire ownership group, you will be finding another league soon enough anyways. Fair game play and respect are essential. We will be very strict in this aspect because it defines our essence as a league.
- ARGUMENTS AND DISPUTES- will be handled in a PRIVATE manner between the two coaches, their conference commissioner and, if necessary, a league administrator. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT publicly disrespect your opponent or file a complaint on the message boards, in the scouting report or in the game recap. If you do, THE MESSAGE WILL BE REMOVED and, if necessary, the OWNER WILL BE REMOVED also. **THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT RULE and there will be little tolerance for those who chose not to acknowledge it.
-SCOUTING REPORTS-Scouting reports will be due on your last user opponent within 24 hours of the advance, you are not helping any, if you wait until their next game.
- PLAY WITHIN THE SPIRIT OF THE GAME-
Running the same play 15 times again and again, while stoppable for most good coaches, IS NOT what we are looking for. You MUST open up your playbook. Use different plays this will make the game, in the long run, more enjoyable for you and ESPECIALLY for your opponent. Going for it on 4 and 37 in the first quarter is not realistic football. Five onside kicks a game is not realistic football. We think you get the point. If you are going to be a coach in this league it is important to remember that there is more than one way to skin a cat. Be imaginative. No one is saying you can't do your "money play"...just mix it up with the other 200 plays in your book. Do not abuse “money plays” that take advantage of an AI flaw in the game. This league is looking for realism, spread the playbook around. If you are using your favorite team, run that type of offense. Do not abuse the game's AI.
II. Game Setup
THE BASICS:
DIFFICULTY – All American
LENGTH OF GAME – 7 Minute Quarters
PLAYBOOKS - You may use ANY playbook offered online or you may create your custom playbook!!
.
SUBSTITUTIONS and POSITION CHANGES:
***NEW AS OF 7/14/09***
As far as position changes go, we aren't here to limit the fun that goes into creating mismatches but at the same time we want it to be at least mildly realistic. Changing a 5'10 HB to DE is probably not ever going to happen in real life just because hes fast as the dickens.
no moving WR's CB's Safeties and HB's to DE. (unless they have the size)
if an athlete is DE size and has adequate strength then you can move him to DE, but don't recruit a 99 speed athlete that is 6 foot 200 to play at DE
Linebackers can be converted to DE Safeties and corners can be swapped
wide receivers and running backs can switch sides of the ball to play DB
switching a WR to TE there is a gray area, if the WR is small and weak he is not going to be playing on the los
so if the WR is 6'4 240 then switching him to TE is legitimate but if hes 6'0 185 hes never going to play tight end so try to keep those switches reasonable
QB: QB, you can use any QB on your roster...just make sure to not run around with him to take advantage of the AI. Designed rollouts are fine, but scrambling around just waiting for someone to get open is not.
QB: *only QB unless there is a formation in your playbook that lets you swap
HB: HB, FB, *WR if the formation is in your playbook
FB: FB, HB, TE
WR: WR, CB, S
TE: TE, FB
OL: OL, DL
DL: DL, LB
LB: LB, DL, S
CB: CB, S
S: S, CB, LB
SCHEDULING
- If you set up a game with your opponent in advance, and then you do not show up with no advanced warning, you will get a warning. If it happens on multiple occasions, you will get penalized.
- ALL OWNERS MUST BE ACTIVE ON THE MESSAGE BOARDS-
If you are not active in this league, you will be removed. Being active in the league is one of the biggest things.
III. GAME PLAY RULES
**NEW 07**AS A REMINDER OVERALL... no "gimmick" play that takes advantage of the AI is EVER acceptable, this includes such tricks as "Nano-Blitzing", "Delay Bumping" and odd-ball plays like WR Direct. If you want to play like this, you don't belong here. If you have any questions on what is acceptable, ask BEFORE YOU PLAY.
A. Kickoffs
Onside kickoffs are allowed in applicable situations. They are NOT to be abused. An owner is allowed to attempt to catch his opponent off guard once in a while, but again are NOT to be abused. If you wish to kick an onside kick you MUST use an onside kick formation. ONSIDE KICKS from standard kickoff formations ARE NOT ALLOWED. The ball must travel at least 30 yards for the kicking team to recover an onside out of a standard formation.
***New as of 11-21-09****
If you attempt a onside kick and the glitch occurs where the ball goes out of bounds, but the kicking team gets the ball, the kicking team must punt the ball away to their opponent, the opponent can return the ball, but must keep it around midfield!!!!
B. Offense
It is best for all parties to just remember that we’re looking for realistic game play in our league. Because “realism” is debatable there is a bit of room for dispute, but if your opponent is doing something questionable it is best to pause the game and discuss the situation with your opponent IN A CIVIL MANNER. We are all adults here, and we expect you to act like one. If your opponent pauses the game, DO NOT PRESS TRIANGLE TO START THE COUNTDOWN CLOCK. They may be trying to type or make changes. Wait until they exit the pause screen before exiting yourself.
QB PLAY -- QB's are only allowed to drop back 7-10 yards during pass plays (except when under extreme duress by the defense). This rule is in place to prevent the popular tactic of dropping your QB 10-20 yards deep to allow your WR's time to break free from defensive coverage. QB Roll-outs are deemed legal. However, be careful that you are not dropping the QB too far back from the line of scrimmage. The 7-10 yard rule still applies to Roll Out plays. Please do not abuse the Roll Out. Mobile QB's are a part of the game, but do not call pass plays with the sole intention of taking advantage of defensive AI flaws, this is acceptable once or twice a game, but there are designed QB run plays for a reason. Excessive use of this as a type of offense is strictly prohibited.
NO HUDDLE -- You MUST huddle on any play where the result is the clock stopped (i.e. Incomplete Pass, Out of Bounds etc…) you may no huddle on out of bounds plays when the clock does not stop, the clock stops the last 2 minutes of each half!!!
4-TH DOWN -- Because the game favors offense to defense it is much easier to achieve success on 4th down in the game as opposed to in real life. For this reason we restrict 4th down to realistic situations. In that in between are at your opponent’s 30-45 yard line is acceptable to go for it on 4th and 1. 4th and 1 or less from your opponent's 20 to your opponents goal line is acceptable, just don't make a habit of doing it every time!!! 4th down from the 5 and inside is acceptable. A 4th down hail mary at the end of the half is also acceptable. If you are leading by more than 14 points you must kick or punt the ball. Fakes are allowed within reason. Use good judgement. 4th and 13 from your own 35 in the 1st half is NOT acceptable to go for it or to fake. ***New as of 8-19-11*** If you are trailing by 2 possessions or more with 2 minutes to go in the 3rd, you may go for it on 4th no matter the distance!!!
Use judgement here, depending on the game situation. If you are winning by a large margin, of course you don't go for it. If you are down by quite a bit and the game lets you go for it, by all means do so. If its a grey area, just use your best judgement. If your opponent is 2 scores ahead with 2 minutes left in 3rd quarter, and his offense eats clock, and u wanna risk it go for it.
Pausing-- If you need to pause the game for an extenuating circumstance (i.e. someone ran into your car, or nature calls) pause the game and explain your situation. But do make sure you are courteous to your opponent. As mentioned before, wait for the person who paused to exit before starting the countdown.
AUDIBLES -- Do not abuse audibles. 1 audible per play is sufficient. Excessive audibles are not allowed. Also you must wait until your opponent’s team is set before snapping the ball. Hot-Routes are acceptable, however, do not call a play and hot route ALL of your receivers. That isn't realistic, but use your best judgment.
CLOCK MANAGEMENT --****NEW FOR NCAA 10**** You may only use chew the clock in the 4th quarter with under 2 minutes to go. I understand that ball control is part of "real life" football, but unless you guys wanna go to 15 minute quarters, that's the rule. As the game is supposed to be "fun" please be respectful of your opponent and choose your plays in a timely manner. Inside 2 minutes you can run the clock down to finish out. DO NOT let the clock run down on your own, I understand sometimes it takes a bit to find that perfect play, but don't make it a habit, games are short enough as it is!!!
PUNTING -- You may not punt the ball almost directly up into the air and short, making the AI almost always drop the ball. You may not line drive a punt short in hopes the AI will fumble or bounce off them. You can not abuse any AI mechanics on kicks period, to your advantage. You may also do fake punts in moderation to catch your opponent off guard, mind you 3 times a game isn't what I consider moderation!!!
C. Defense
Run Commit Feature!!!!
***New for NCAA 13*** Run Commit has been officially banned, You may use Pass Commit at any time!!!!
It is best for all parties to just remember that we’re looking for realistic game play in our league. Because “realism” is debatable there is a bit of room for dispute, but if your opponent is doing something questionable it is best to pause the game and discuss the situation with your opponent IN A CIVIL MANNER. We are all adults here, and we expect you to act like one.
MOVEMENT --
Absolutely DO NOT move players to take advantage of AI flaws.
Defensive Line: the defensive line is to ONLY be moved within the AUTOMATIC SHIFTS provided in the game NO MANUAL MOVEMENT of D-line. You are not allowed to move any DL-man, either laterally or vertically, manually before the snap. After the snap feel free to move him back into coverage. (On Special Teams, you are ALLOWED to move one defensive lineman off the line to prevent against a fake after the snap). Even the shifts are in moderation, kinda same thing as bumping, you shouldn't be doing this over half the time (ie spreading the D line every play to exploit the AI blocking for sacks)
You may move all other personnel as you see fit, just do not manually move your Defensive Lineman before the snap!!
AUDIBLING -- Audibling "down" from a Dime to a 44 (for instance) to take advantage of match up changes is not acceptable as a form of defense. This can happen once or twice "accidentally" or getting "caught with your pants down" in a game, but basing your defense on this strategy is unacceptable. However, you are allowed to stem your defense. Stemming is the term used for a team that calls a base defense in the huddle and audibles to another play based on the formation and motion the offense uses. However, do not take advantage of personnel match ups. Again, use your best judgment.
GOAL LINE -- Goal Line Formation is for Goal Line (inside YOUR OWN or YOUR OPPONENT’s 10 yard line) and for SHORT YARDAGE (3rd/4th down and 3 or less) ONLY. Special teams formations may not be used as a defense.
D. Mercy Rule and Sportsmanship
If at any point you go over 42 point lead against a human opponent in the 4th quarter, REMOVE your specialist starters (QB, RB, WR's) and play a conservative style of offense. With the difference in talent of teams and coaches, there is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON why you would need to roll up a win over your opponent. The coaches in this league who control “lesser” teams are the BACKBONE of the league and should not be made to suffer horrible defeats so guys can prove whatever it is they prove with a 50 point win. THIS IS THE EPITOME OF BAD SPORTSMANSHIP and will be dealt with quickly and severely. What’s the difference between a 35 point win and a 50 point win? Bad sportsmanship. ** I don't want to, and shouldn't have to tell you to try not to score. But if you need someone to tell you, then consider this me telling you. However, I am not telling players to take a dive with nothing but open field in front of them. If you call a run and it breaks, score the touchdown, you earned it. When leading by 28 in the 4th, you can ONLY pass the ball on 3rd down and 5 or more. That is it.
*****NEW as of 11/20/08******
If you are losing the game and decide to throw in the towel and just run out the clock, then do just that. If you are still trying to score, then of course the defense is going to try to stop you. Run out the clock. Pause the game and message your opponent if you have to.
E. Miscellaneous
There is sure to be other various situations that arise. Remember these KEY things… its only a video game, its not life and death. If you feel that you need to bend the rules, or maximize any crack, nook or corner of the rules to get ahead to win, this league is NOT FOR YOU. This league is intended for guys who love this video game, like we do, to get together, HAVE FUN and just enjoy it. Be a good sportsman. Play within the spirit of the league and its rules. If you lose, then lose gracefully and admit you got beat. Sometimes Momentum meter can screw you, but sometimes you win due to it as well. Just because you go 2-10, doesn't mean everyone thinks you suck, you just might not play well with the team you have that season. Suck it up, stick it out, and you can switch teams at the end of the year.
Any owner who has two games in a row simulated, will be excused from the league and replaced immediately. This is to prevent inactive users from keeping teams from people who are on the wait list. Please take note, as no warning will be issued once your second game is simulated, you will just be replaced.
ANY COACH WHO DOES NOT FINISH OUT THEIR ENTIRE SCHEDULE WILL NOT BE INVITED BACK FOR THE FOLLOWING SEASON.
DISCONNECTS
If a disconnect occurs, you guys need to decide on how you wanna do it, if the game is almost over and the outcome isn't in doubt, then finish vs the CPU if given the option. If it's close, then replay from the point of disconnect, or replay the whole game. As long as both parties agree, I don't care...if you are having problems coming to an agreement, text me and I'll take care of it!!!!
IV. DISPUTE RESOLUTION
The ABSOLUTE WORST part about running a league is this facet. If this were a perfect world everyone would play “straight” and there wouldn’t be any problems. This isn’t a perfect world. And although I’d love to think this will be the perfect league, there will be problems. Take your complaint to one of the admins or your commish. The admins will discuss your situation and determine whether the infraction warrants a warning, a replay or in certain situations removal of a coach. We will act quickly and attempt to get both sides of the story. ONE THING YOU SHOULD KNOW: we cannot be there to watch your games. We will have to take the information given to us and make a decision off of that. Some people do not feel this is fair, but it is the ONLY way to monitor you. Don’t make us have to be babysitters. We are ALL adults.
If you feel your opponent is “cheating” the first step you should take is PAUSE THE GAME AND TELL YOUR OPPONENT WHAT HE IS DOING WRONG. You will then discuss the decision LIKE MEN. Discuss it like men and come to a resolution. AFTER ALL GAMES, OWNERS ARE REQUIRED TO GIVE POSITIVE FEEDBACK TO YOUR OPPONENT.
One thing to remember: DO NOT QUIT THE GAME. Even if your opponent is the biggest cheater in the book you MUST FINISH THE GAME. If you quit a game or pull your cord, you will be removed from the league... no matter what your reasoning. If your wife is having a baby, your child is sick or your house is burning down... tell your opponent and work out a solution (call 911 first).
DO NOT COUNTER A CHEATER WITH CHEATING. You cannot make a case for yourself after the game if you decide to battle cheating with cheating. Finish the game. File a complaint. And let us take care of the situation. That’s what we’re here for. If you counter a cheater with cheating, you will also be punished. In the event that happens, the game will end in a tie.
Remember: DO NOT file a complaint against another owner in a public forum (message boards, scouting reports, league daddy, whatever). If you do, you will be disciplined also. We want to handle things professionally and as adults.
