1. Organization - Membership and Teams
Requirements for membership - members must own the latest version of the Action game and the season's data disk.
24 teams, two conferences, four divisions of 6 teams each.
Playoffs - Division winners and four wild cards from each conference (four best records).
The APFL Championship Game will be played in one of three stadiums on a rotating basis: LA Coliseum, New Orleans Superdome, and the Orange Bowl.
The Home team for Super Bowl will rotate - NFC in even years, AFC in odd years.
Tiebreakers: we use the official NFL Tie-breaker System
Members are not permitted to own more than one team.
Vacant Teams - The commissioner will handle the draft and general manager duties for vacant teams. Their home games will be auto played by the commissioner. A designee of the commissioner will coach vacant teams during the playoffs.
2. Schedule and Method of Play
Schedule is 16 games. Breakdown for 16 game schedule:
a. 10 games in division (5 home, 5 away)
b. 1 game each vs. teams in the other three divisions. Teams to be determined randomly by the game scheduler (total of six games).
Method of play - one game per week. Internet/face-to-face play allowed but not required for regular season games and playoffs. League championship game must be played H2H.
Weekly deadlines:
a. Monday evening results are distributed
b. Tuesday evening coach's files are due
c. Wednesday evening play game files are distributed
d. Sunday evening results files are due
e. Games not reported by Sunday evening will be auto played by commissioner or his designee
3. Rosters, Trades, and Drafts
Player usage - Injuries, game and season fatigue will dictate player usage. Home field advantage will not be used.
Skill position players will be required to achieve 1/3 their actual usage in the following categories: QB - pass attempts; RB - rush and pass attempts; WR/TE - receptions.
Failure to meet the 1/3 minimum usage requirement results in free agency for the player. Such players go into the next season's free agent draft.
The home coach is permitted to override very ridiculous injury replacements when playing against the computer.
Examples of such would be using a DB on the DL, especially when another DL was available.
Roster size - 60 players that may consist of both rated and unrated players. Teams are required to maintain a 53 man rated, active roster and carry a backup at every position except kicker and punter.
Trades may include players and draft picks for the year in progress plus one year. Retention rights may not be traded and all trades are final. All trades must be approved by the commissioner. Trading begins as soon as the Super Bowl is completed and ends when final rosters are due. Rosters are also frozen during the annual drafts although picks may be traded.
Teams are required to move players from their inactive roster to their active roster when they have no eligible starter and/or backup at any position. A player must be released from the active roster to make room for the replacement player.
General Draft Guidelines - A lottery draft for the six worst teams (25% of the league) for the 1st round of the annual draft went into effect for our 2003 drafts and continues through the current draft. This serves as a deterrent for any coach to tank his season because there is no guarantee he will end up with the #1 overall pick in the draft.
The non-lottery teams will draft in inverse order of finish for the remainder of the first round of the annual draft. All teams will draft in inverse order of finish for all rounds other than round one of the annual draft.
Annual Draft - 10 rounds, inverse order of finish except as noted above.
The draft will be conducted either live or via chat room or email.
Draft lists are encouraged in order to move the draft along and ensure that teams are not passed over when it is their turn to draft.
Once the ten rounds are over, teams still under 60 players have an opportunity via draft order to fill their roster up to 60 players. Then all teams may resume trading and claiming free agents providing teams do not exceed the 60-man roster limit.
4. Rule Changes, Disk Changes, and Miscellaneous
Suggestions for rule changes may be made to the commissioner anytime during the year. These suggestions will be screened by the commissioner, and if approved submitted to the league for discussion. Discussion of rule proposals will be held during the off-season. Following discussion, a vote among league members will be held. Each member receives one vote; a 2/3rd's vote is required to make changes to the league rules. The commissioner reserves the right to institute a rule change without league approval or banish a member from the APFL if it is perceived that undue harm is being done to the APFL without these changes. These actions by the commissioner will be communicated to the league and objections to the changes will be recognized followed by a reasonable discussion period. If more than 50% of the league objects to the commissioner's actions, then the commissioner is barred from taking action.
Any topics not covered by league rules will be addressed by the commissioner as needed. It should not be assumed that a lack of a rule against a practice permits its usage.
If Dave Koch issues a season disk correction, we will use that revision up until the start of the season.
Each coach must provide the commissioner with any address changes (home & email) and preferences for their team's name, colors, and helmet. Failure to do so will result in no changes to the modify team menu for that team.
All teams must select and announce to the commissioner which stadium they will be using for that season. Teams are not allowed to change their stadium during the course of the stadium. To do so could alter the competitive balance of the league and will result in the commissioner auto-replaying the game.
The commissioner is solely responsible for all membership issues. The commissioner reserves the right to investigate and rule on any perceived or reported indiscretions by members and rule accordingly with or without the assistance or approval of the rest of the league.
4. Rule Changes, Disk Changes, and Miscellaneous
Suggestions for rule changes may be made to the commissioner anytime during the year. These suggestions will be screened by the commissioner, and if approved submitted to the league for discussion. Discussion of rule proposals will be held during the off-season. Following discussion, a vote among league members will be held. Each member receives one vote; a 2/3rd's vote is required to make changes to the league rules. The commissioner reserves the right to institute a rule change without league approval or banish a member from the APFL if it is perceived that undue harm is being done to the APFL without these changes. These actions by the commissioner will be communicated to the league and objections to the changes will be recognized followed by a reasonable discussion period. If more than 50% of the league objects to the commissioner's actions, then the commissioner is barred from taking action.
Any topics not covered by league rules will be addressed by the commissioner as needed. It should not be assumed that a lack of a rule against a practice permits its usage.
If Dave Koch issues a season disk correction, we will use that revision up until the start of the season.
Each coach must provide the commissioner with any address changes (home & email) and preferences for their team's name, colors, and helmet. Failure to do so will result in no changes to the modify team menu for that team.
All teams must select and announce to the commissioner which stadium they will be using for that season. Teams are not allowed to change their stadium during the course of the stadium. To do so could alter the competitive balance of the league and will result in the commissioner auto-replaying the game.
The commissioner is solely responsible for all membership issues. The commissioner reserves the right to investigate and rule on any perceived or reported indiscretions by members and rule accordingly with or without the assistance or approval of the rest of the league.
