0 INTRODUCTION

0.1 Following are the rules and policies governing the fantasy football league as run by the Sports Fantasy League in Omaha, Nebraska (established in 1991). These rules shall be updated as needed and approved annually by the league ownership. In all instances, the use of "he", "him", or "his" (in reference to a league owner and/or manager) is intended to be non-gender specific.

1 FORMING OF TEAMS/MANAGER RESPONSIBILITIES

1.1 All team managers will participate in a Pre-Season Draft to form their SFL teams. Real players from NFL teams (and an OFF and DEF) will be picked to simulate a fantasy football team. The Draft order will initially be random. See "WINTER SEASON RULES" for draft order for following seasons.

1.1.1 The draft rounds will follow a serpentine rotation with the first round repeated once. First round will be 16 (last place from previous year), 16, 14 ... 3, 2, 1. Second round will be the same. Third round will be 1, 2, 3 ... 17, 18. With all following even rounds the same as the second, and all following odd rounds the same as the third.

1.1.2 Players eligible to be drafted shall be defined as players on current NFL rosters (under contract), those recently drafted (current year) from college, players who were on NFL rosters from the year before.

1.2 A complete team consists of 2 QB, 4 WR, 3 RB, 2 TE, 2 K, 2 OFF, 2 DEF.

1.2.1 Player position eligibility for the pre-season draft shall be determined by the player being listed (by a reliable information source) as slotted in that position. In cases where an SFL team wishes to draft a player at a position considered unusual or unexpected (i.e. a running back as a wide receiver) then the SFL management must provide documented proof that the player is eligible in that position. Commissioner decision will decide if the documented reference is too vague or insufficient.

1.3 For PRE-SEASON drafts after the 1st year - when players may be protected (see section WINTER SEASON RULES) - all Managers will deliver their protected rosters in a sealed envelope. All protected rosters shall be collected before any are revealed. No changes may be made to a protected roster once it is revealed. Errors made in totaling draft points shall not be corrected. The Commissioner shall remove protected players (with preference given to the lowest point players) until the protected roster is within league rules.

1.4 Expansion Drafts, when necessary, will be handled on a case specific basis as determined by the active Commissioner(s) and approved by the league.

1.5 Approximately 1 month prior to every PRE-SEASON draft, a RULES MEETING will be held to decide on rules, schedules, and other league business.

1.5.1 All managers are encouraged to attend. The meeting will be held and the decisions made regardless of how many managers attend the meeting. Absent managers forfeit their vote on any matters discussed at the meeting. The Commissioners will make every effort to give the league at least 2 weeks notice on the date and time of the RULES MEETING.

1.5.1.1 EXCEPTION: At least 50% of existing managements must be in favor of a motion to change an EXISTING rule. Proxys still not allowed. (I.e. with an 18 team league, at least 9 votes must be in favor to change an existing rule. If less than 9 managements are represented at the Rules meeting then existing rules cannot be changed.)

1.5.2 Expansion Drafts (if necessary) will be done at the end of the RULES MEETING. New team managers may vote on rule changes for the upcoming year. New Managers may not vote on the format of the Expansion draft.

1.5.3 The motion to consider Conference Realignment will automatically be considered every RULES MEETING.

1.5.4 Members of the League Judiciary Committee shall be elected during the RULES MEETING.

1.5.4.1 Four owners shall be elected to the Committee (Two from each conference) by their conference. Two Alternates (one from each conference) shall also be elected.

1.5.4.2 Two owners from the same team (co-owners) shall not both be elected to the Committee (or as Alternate to the Committee).

1.5.4.3 Committee members shall serve approximately a 1 year term (until the next pre-season RULES MEETING).

1.5.4.4 The Commissioner shall not be eligible to be a Committee member.

1.5.5 The motion to elect a new Commissioner shall automatically be considered at every RULES MEETING.

1.6 The team managers shall be responsible for all aspects of their team. Those responsibilities include (but are not limited to) the following: They shall be responsible of not only knowing, but understanding, the rules of the league. They shall be responsible of their league debt and obligation. It shall fall upon the Managers, not the Commissioners, to track the status of players on their teams. Turning in rosters, meeting league deadlines, etc.

2 REPORTING ROSTERS

2.1 All managers are responsible to post their rosters on the league web site. In the event of abnormal web site operations – rosters will be phoned into the commissioner.

2.1.1 A complete roster consists of 1 QB, 1K, 1 OFF, 1 DEF and either 2 RB & 2 WR 1 TE or 1 RB & 3 WR 1 TE or 1 RB 2 WR 2 TE or 1 WR, 2 RB, 2 TE.

2.1.2 If a manager fails to post a line-up (thereby creating a DEFAULT line-up) then that team will be awarded an automatic loss (including applicable conference or division loss) in the standings. The default match-up will count as a “win” for draft order calculation, and the team will pick last with same record teams despite total points.

2.1.2.1 The team that plays the DEFAULT team will have to beat (tie counts as a win) a score that is the rounded average of (1) the league average coming into the week, and (2) the DEFAULT team’s weekly average coming into the week. In the rare event of a week 1 default roster, the competing team will have to beat the league average.

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2.2 Complete rosters are due by kickoff, Sunday, of the first game of the weekend. (Exception below) To avoid problems, turn your rosters in early!!! In the event you feel web site issues (or other) prevented you from posting a roster – you may file a grievence.

2.2.1 For weeks where NFL games are played prior to Sunday (usually Thursday or Saturday), then teams must submit partial lineups for players playing in those games in order to get credit for those points. The partial lineups must be entered prior to kickoff of the early games.

2.3 Players are initially eligible to play at the positions as approved when drafted. However, if the player legitimately plays at another position during the season then he may be played at that new position on his SFL team during the remainder of the season, provided the following apply:

2.3.1 It was an actual change in the NFL teams offensive alignment, as a result of a player change, a regular position possibility for the player, or otherwise deemed valid by the commissioner.

2.3.2 Was not just a one-time alignment, or position played to prevent being removed from the game (i.e. the quarterback moving to wide-receiver to avoid the NFLs Emergency Quarterback rule).

2.3.3 He is moved into that position on the SFL team roster. A player must hold the slot (position) on his team roster in order for him to be played at that position during the season.

2.4 DEADBEAT MANAGER RULE: If a team fails to turn in a roster two (2) times during the season, the Manager(s) shall lose all automatic rights to the ownership of the team and is subject to league action, as determined by the Commissioner(s) which may include (but is not limited to): Being replaced by another Manager, Forfeit of any fees paid for the season, Loss of any claim to any monies won by the team, payment of a fine to maintain ownership, etc. To avoid being perceived as a Deadbeat Manager, teams should call in and report "No change to last week's roster" if they wish to keep the same roster week-to-week.

2.4.1 A team, which has collective Manager Points (for the season) of -30 (or below), shall also be considered a DEADBEAT Manager.

3 TRANSACTIONS/TRADES

3.1 All trades must be reported to a commissioner (posted on the web site). Any trade made after kickoff of the first game of the week becomes effective the following week. Commissioner will validate all trades with either web comment or reporting in league reports.

3.1.1 Transactions made in person at official league functions (Monday night gathers) take precedence over web postings. These moves will be time-dated when made and posted after the gatherings – this is to encourage attendance at official functions.

3.2 When an injured reserve player A becomes active again, the team manager has two weeks from the first confirmation of the reactivation of A to bring him back onto his roster. Otherwise, player A becomes a pool player and player B, who was called up to play while A was injured, becomes the regular roster player.

3.2.1 There shall be a one player per position limit on reserve status; this shall prevent stockpiling multiple players. (I.e. player A gets hurt, the team IRs him and picks up player B. He gets hurt so the team wants to IR player B and pick up player C. The team must decide to release either A or B if it wants to acquire player C).

3.3 When a player is dropped from a roster he may be picked up again that week, at the same draft points, by the team that dropped him (if the situation on that team allows). Otherwise he is declared to be "ON WAIVERS" for one calendar week. He may be claimed to replace any player (including healthy players) by any team at the same draft points. If more than one team claims the player, the team with the lowest ranking will receive preference.

3.3.1 Only during the waiver week will the signing of any player be subject to lowest ranked privilege. If a player completes his waiver week without being signed, he is considered a pool player (FA) and may be picked up by any team for an injured or inactive player.

3.3.1.1 After games are completed of the last week of SFL regular season, waiver pick-up priority shall be by lottery for non-playoff teams, and by lowest team priority for playoff teams.

3.3.2 A team may pick up more than one waiver player per week. However, a team only has lowest-ranking priority for its first waiver pick-up.

3.3.3 After completion of games on week #10, players picked up off the waiver wire shall be considered a free agent (FA) pick-up and awarded 5 draft points.

3.3.4 If a player, who was not an eligible NFL player at the pre-season draft, becomes eligible during the season (comes out of retirement, signs, etc) then all SFL teams have approximately 48 hours from the official announcement (ESPN, etc) to make a claim (48 hour window subject to nearest-midnight). The lowest ranked team at the time of the players return, who makes a claim, shall be able to pick up the player as a waiver claim player valued as a 1st round pick of the current season. After the 48 grace period claim priority shall be on a first come basis and the player shall be valued as a free agent waiver claim.

3.4 Transaction fees are as follows:

$20 Roster fee per team per season.

$ 1 For any trade, no matter how many players involved. Cost is divided between the two teams involved.

$ 3 To drop an inactive* player from your roster and replace him with a pool player. (* an Inactive player is one which has not appeared with a stat for two consecutive weeks which his team has played.)

$ 3 To drop any player and pick up a player on waivers (up thru kickoff of week #10).

$ 5 To drop any player and pick up a player on waivers (after kickoff of week #10).

$ 1 To drop an injured/non-SFL eligible player and pick up a pool player.

$ 2 To reserve an injured player and pick up a pool player.

$ 1 To reactivate a reserved player and drop a replacement player or to drop the reserved player and keep the replacement player as a regular roster player.