League of Champions Rule Book: Updated August 12, 2009.
Mission Statement
The League of Champions is a "Best of the Best" League consisting of Champions from various internet leagues and Total Points League Qualifiers. Some will return each year, others will get the boot if they can't hang. Amateurs or casual players need not apply!
History of The League of Champions
The League of Champions was created in 2002 and is an idea originating back to a league called The Put Up or Shut Up Fantasy Football League better known as PUSUFFL. The PUSUFFL was created in 2000 after a series of Mock Drafts on the AOL fantasy football message board, now known as Mock Qualifier Leagues. There was a lot of trash talking going on about who had the best draft and after a series of subjective mock rankings by AOL board members, the first twelve were chosen to participate in the first ever PUSUFFL. The 2000 champion was Dave Torreano and the 2001 champion was Second Eye. Champions earned bragging rights until a new champion was crowned.
Past LOC Champions
2003 - We kicked off the inaugural season of the main LOC league in 2003. Dave Stagg and the Montreal Alouettes (127.0 pts) defeated Donny Terminiello and D Terminator's (85.5 pts). Click here to check out the results of the championship game. Both Dave and Donny automatically qualify as 2004 LOC participants.
2004 - Another Dave claimed the LOC title in the 2nd season. This time it was Dave Torreano and Bone Crushers holding off the sharks, literally, edging out FantasySharks.com owners Tony Holm and Doug Coutts and the Flash Champion 113.9 - 103.2. Click here to check out the results of the championship game. Both Dave and Tony/Doug automatically qualify for the 2005 main LOC league.
2005 - Scott Goddard and Reservoir Dogs defeated Dave Torreano and Bone Crushers 111-85. Click here to check out the results of the championship game. Both Scott and Dave qualify for the 2006 main LOC league.
2006 - Eric Hopper and River Ace defeated Dave Torreano and Kill 'em All 113-90. Click here to check out the results of the championship game. Both Eric and Dave qualify for the 2007 main LOC league.
2007 - Mark Moyer and Follow Me defeated Dave Stagg and Montreal Alouettes 132-92. Click here to check out the results of the championship game. Both Scott and Dave qualify for the 2008 main LOC league.
2008 - Brian Prescott and Sky's the Limit Me defeated Fantasy Football Index owner Ian Allan and Pale Force 143-132. Click here to check out the results of the championship game. Both Brian and Ian qualify for the 2009 main LOC league.
II. League of Champions Operation:
The main League of Champions will be operated and scored as shown below:
Teams:
There will be 12 teams with three divisions of four.
The 2008 League of Champions playoff participants who make the finals will automatically qualify for the 2009 League of Champions. The other owners who will recieve invites are the four LOC Qualifier Champions, the 2007 LOC Champion, the UFFL Ultimate Champion, the VFFL Champion, the Bluff Champion, the Flash Champion, and the Sin City Fantasy Champion. The other two playoff owners who made the semifinals, the head to head winners from the four Qualifier Leagues, and any past LOC Champions (in this order) will act as alternates in case owners decide not to accept invites.
Head to Head competition.
Traditional Head to Head competition will be played through week 13. Playoffs will occur in week 14 with the Championship game (Fantasy Bowl) played in week 16. Teams will be seeded for the playoffs based on record. The 3 division winners will be awarded the top 3 seeds and the 3 wildcard teams will fill the # 4 - # 6 spots. The # 1 and # 2 seeds will receive byes the first round of the playoffs (week 14). The # 3 seed will play the # 6 seed and the # 4 seed will play the #5 seed After week 14’s games are completed, the seeding’s will be recalculated, so that the # 1 seed will play # 4 and # 2 -vs- # 3. In the event of any ties, each team’s “TOTAL POINTS” after 13 weeks of play, will be used to break any ties.
LOC Auction
Owners will build their teams with an auction draft as described below: Unless otherwise agreed to by a majority of league owners, the auction will start on Thursday, August 20, 2009. Owners will nominate two players each day from 6 AM - 10 PM. The Commish will make nominations for any owners who fail to nominate by 10 PM. Each Owner is allotted $200 as a salary cap for building his team and MUST successfully bid on 18 NFL players/defensive teams*. The minimum bid is $1 and all increases to that bid have to be in whole numbers (i.e $2 or $3).
Position eligibility.
The final say on all roster eligibility will be what position the player is listed as at NFL.com. In the event that a player is listed in multiple positions, the player is available to be inserted in the starting lineup at any of the positions listed. In the event that a player changes positions during the season, he may qualify to be inserted in the starting lineup at that new position once the Commissioner has determined the player has at least 5 "successes" at that position. A "success" will be defined as a passing completion (QB), rushing attempt (RB), pass reception (WR, TE) or field goal/extra point attempt (K).
Starting Lineups
Starting lineups will consist of the following: 1 quarterback, 2 running backs, 3 wide receivers, 1 tight end, 1 defense/special teams and 1 place kicker.
Scoring
Official scoring is as follows:
TD Pass = 4 points
TD Rush = 6 points
TD Rec =6 points
Every 20 yards pass = 1 point
Every 10 yards rush =1 point
Every 10 yards rec = 1 point
Each Reception (RB) = 0.4 points
Each Reception (WR) = 0.7 points
Each Reception (TE) = 1 point
All rush/rec 2 pt conv = 2 points
Passing 2 pt conv = 1 point
Field Goal = 3 points
PAT Pass = 1 point
PAT Rush = 2 points
PAT Rec = 2 points
PAT Kicking = 1 point
Defensive/Special Team Scoring
Interception = 2 points
Safety = 2 points
Fumble recovery = 2 points
QB Sack = 1 point
0 points allowed: 10 points
1-6 pts allowed: 5 pts
7-12 pts allowed: 3 pts
< 225 total yards: 5 pts
226-275 yards: 3 pts
Punt Return TDs = 6 points
Kickoff Return TDs = 6 points
Defensive Fumble Recovery TDs = 6 points
Interception Return TDs = 6 points
MFL.com will be used to resolve any scoring disputes. The MFL.com scoring will be official and final. This will determine the winner in the Head to Head match-ups as well as provide the weekly score for the Total Overall Points race. The Commissioner can over-ride any mistakes made by the stats provider, if given sufficient proof of the error. Scores are official prior to the start of the next weeks games'.
Tie Breakers
Total points scored
This leagues scoring system makes it virtually impossible for two teams to have the same amount of total points, but in the unlikely event that it does happen, Head to Head will be the 2nd tie breaker and division record will be the 3rd tie breaker.
Transactions
Trades
No trades are allowed after week 12. Trades made during the season must maintain the league's minimum/maximum roster limits at the conclusion of trading. Trades must be fair. Collusion and player dumping will not be tolerated. The Commissioner reserves the right to nullify any trade. The Commissioner's nullification can be repealed by a vote of the Executive Committee.
Free Agents
A team may claim a maximum of three free agents per week. Free agent requests can be made at the MFL.com site between 10:00 PM ET Monday and 10:00 PM ET Thursday (Wednesday for those weeks with Thursday games). Free agents will be automatically awarded at that time. Free agents will be awarded via blind bidding. The maximum amount each owner can spend during the season on blind bid waivers is $100.00. If teams bid the same amount on a player, the player will be awarded to the team with the lower win perecentage followed by the team with the lower point total. The minimum/maximum roster limits must enforced, so if claiming a free agent would put a team over the maximum roster limit, the team must also waive a player from their roster (see add/drop screen). Players waived from a team will not be available for another team to claim until the following week. Blind bidding waivers will be conducted from September 7 to December 23.
Injured Reserve
There is no injured reserve.
Commissioner
Or "Da Commish" as he's apt to be called. Our goal is to have a very strong, yet fair Commissioner. The Commissioner is sworn to act at all times in the Best Interest of the League and has the following powers and responsibilities:
Interpret the rules as he sees just and fit. Settle all position eligibility issues. Approve team names. Preside over the draft and settle draft disputes. Distribute free agents. Approve all trades and transactions.
Be responsible for submitting and counting ballots concerning items requiring membership votes. The Commissioner for the 2009 League of Champions is Mark Edgar and the Assistant Commissioner is Dave Torreano (Karch222@aol.com; Torreano@aol.com).
Executive Committee
There will be an Executive Committee (XC) consisting of three (3) Owners and will serve renewable one (1) year terms. The XC members will be determined by the Commish. The members of the XC are to be selected prior to the season beginning. The XC will serve several functions: To serve as an appeal board for an Owner who feels that the Commissioner has decided an issue unfairly. Each Owner will have the opportunity to appeal one (1) Commissioner's decision to the XC. To serve as a steering committee for the league. Decisions affecting the league will often begin with the XC.
Committee of the Whole
The league owners will function as the Committee of the Whole (CW) which is made up of all league members, each with an equal vote. The CW reserves the right to veto any decision made by the Executive Committee with a 2/3 majority vote (with at least 2/3 of all current Owners casting a vote). Each member of the CW will be charged with the responsibility of acting in the Best Interests of the League.
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.
Extraordinary Situations
The following are serious situations and should be treated as such:
Appealing a Commissioner's decision. ONLY 1 APPEAL WILL BE ALLOWED PER SEASON. NO EXCEPTIONS. Once an Owner has appealed one (1) decision, all further Commissioner decisions involving that Owner will be final with no appeal possible. Appealing the decision of the Commissioner is a very serious action and is expected to be a rare occurrence. The process for appeal is as follows. Owner notifies the Commissioner he is appealing the decision. Commissioner notifies the Executive Committee. Owner and Commissioner present their positions to the XC via email (preferred) or chat room. XC members discuss the issue and deliver a final ruling. An Owner who willfully refuses to follow the rules of the league may be removed from league membership by a vote of the XC. The removed Owner's team will be administered by the Commissioner until such time as a replacement Owner can be found.
Entry Fee
The 2009 entry fee is $50 (unless majority of owners vote otherwise), but I think everybody in this league would agree that money isn't the motivation here. Entry fees are due prior to August 13, 2009. The Commish and / or the Executive Committee have the right to remove any owner who is delinquent with their league fee.
Pay-out
Each division winner will be awarded $40
The Total Points winner through week 13 will be awarded $50
The Fantasy Bowl winner (Week 16) will be awarded $250
The Fantasy Bowl loser (2nd place) will be awarded $100
The Consolation Game winner (3rd place) will be awarded $50
About MFL.com
MFL.com provides each owner with the ability to run their own team from their own location within the site. There is no deadline in which you have to get your line-ups in by. MFL.com locks the "Line-up" portion of the site @ 5 minutes prior to each week's 1st kick-off, so nobody can make any changes. One would hope you would have an idea this close to kick-off as to who you plan to start. I suggest you log-on earlier than that, just in case you have problems trying to get on line. All trade and free agent requests are made by you at the site. Each owner has their own password, preventing anybody from coming in and changing your line-ups or rosters. The best feature they provide ... LIVE SCORING !! This feature is updated constantly as the games are in progress. The site shows "you -vs- your opponent" for that week on one screen with an up to the minute tabulation of how you're doing. You can even click on other league match-ups to see how they are doing as well.