....Commissioner: Calvin Opheim email = blitzkrieg123 at mail dot com

League Rules
The Paydirt "Action" Football League (PAFL) is a computer football league that uses Action! PC Football (APCFB) by DKS to play all of its games. Teams will play home games in the current home stadium with each stadium having a 3 point home field advantage. No home field advantage will be awarded for the Super Bowl.

What is the Salary Cap?
1) The current salary cap for season is 121,000,000.
2) Teams may not conduct any trade until the team is at or below the salary cap.
3) Teams that fail to meet the salary cap figure by the allotted time (see calendar page) will have players removed from their roster alphabetically by the commissioner so as to meet the salary cap requirements.
4) You are never allowed to exceed the salary cap.

How many players may I have on my team?
1) When the first disk is released for a new season, you are allowed to keep all of your players as long as your team salary is not more than the salary cap.
2) If your team salary exceeds the salary cap, you must release players (date will be provided) until you are at or below the salary cap.

Taxi Squad
1) Each team may have up to two players on an inactive taxi squad.
2) To be eligible, the player must have played in 5 or less regular season NFL games (includes uncarded players).
3) Once a player is named to the taxi squad, he cannot be used the entire season, nor traded. Their salary becomes $1 and they are marked inactive.
4) You cannot designate a player to the taxi squad during FA bidding.
5) Any player that was a signed free agent CANNOT then be designated to the Taxi Squad.
6) Once designated, the player must remain Taxi for the season.


Rookie Draft
1) The rookie draft will be a straight draft 7 rounds in length.
2) Available players will be any players drafted by an NFL team from the most current NFL draft.
3) Once the draft begins, all trading (including draft picks) is frozen. The trade deadline usually takes place a few days before the draft so preparations can be made.
4) No team may trade a drafted player until after the subsequent Super Bowl and the new roster valuations are released.

Free Agent Bidding
At the beginning of Free Agent Bidding, all teams must have
1) No more than 800 pass attempts from all QBs on your roster
2) No more than 540 rushes from all RBs on your roster
3) No more than 600 receptions for your roster
4) No more than 1 kicker with a durability rating of 10 on your roster
5) No more than 1 punter with a durability rating of 10 on your roster
6) No more than 2 total kickers (see item 4) on your roster
7) No more than 2 total punters (see item 5) on your roster
8) No more than 3 total QBs on your active roster
9) No more than 4 total QBs on your total roster (includes Taxi Squad)


To participate in Free Agent Bidding, teams:
1) Must be below the cap and have less than 52 active players.
2) Must also have available cap space to fill out roster to 52 active players when FA bidding ends.


Signing Players during Free Agent Bidding:
You will be awarded any player where you are the high bidder EXCEPT if:
1) It’s a QB that puts you over 800 pass attempts from all QBs on your roster
2) It's a QB that gives you more than 3 on your active roster
3) It's a QB that gives you more than 4 total QBs on your total roster (includes Taxi Squad)
4) It’s a RB that puts you over 540 rushes from all RBs on your roster
5) It’s a RB/WR/TE/HB that puts you over 600 receptions on your roster
6) It’s a Kicker that gives you more than 1 kicker with a durability 10 on your roster
7) It’s a Punter that gives you more than 1 punter with a durability 10 on your roster
8) It’s a Kicker that gives you more than 2 total kickers on your roster
9) It’s a Punter that gives you more than 2 total punters on your roster
10) You already have 52 active players on your roster
11) There is not enough cap space left to fill your roster to 52 active players after FA bidding ends

Free Agent Bidding Rules
Free agency will be conducted by bidding only. Highest bid (24 hours without another bid) gets the player. That player reverts back to his in-game value in subsequent seasons. Free agents cannot be traded in the inaugural season of their signing. You may not drop players to make room for FAs signed during the FA draft.
1) You may not bid lower than their listed salary in the game.
2) You may not bid higher than the amount of available salary your team has.
3) You may not have several bids at one time that when added together, amount to more than what your team has available under the cap.

Note - Using StratDraft ensures items 1- 3 will be automatically managed for you.

4) You may not have more active bids than open roster spots on your active roster (does not include Taxi Squad).
5) Once 24 hours elapses without a new bid on each player, the highest bid wins the player.
6) Only carded players are available in the FA period.
7) You may not drop players during Free Agent bidding
8) FAs signed during bidding process cannot be traded until the conclusion of the season (post-Super Bowl).
9) At the conclusion of Free Agent bidding, all players signed will have their winning bid salary changed to the actual salary that was originally included in the game.

Players signed during Free Agent Bidding
1) FAs signed during bidding process cannot be traded until the conclusion of the season (post-Super Bowl).
2) FAs can be dropped at any time beginning after FA bidding completes through the end of the season. The team that drops them is still responsible for their entire salary. For example, this means when you drop say a player with a $500k salary and then sign another FA for say $400k, the newly signed player’s salary will be increased to $900k.

Position Requirements
1) Quarterbacks - all teams must have a minimum of 2 QBs but no more than 3 quarterbacks on their active roster (does not include quarterbacks on the taxi squad). All teams must have a minimum of 340 attempts but no more than 800 attempts.
2) Running Backs - all teams must have a minimum of 3 RBs. All teams must have a minimum of 255 rushes but no more than 540 rushes from Running Backs. This includes players listed as HB.
3) HB/TEs - all teams must have at least 3.
4) Wide Receivers - all teams must have at least 6.
5) All teams will must a minimum of 170 receptions from WRs/TEs/HBs combined (does not include RBs).
6) Teams must have no more than 600 total receptions (includes all positions)
7) No more than 1 kicker with a durability rating of 10 on your roster
8) No more than 1 punter with a durability rating of 10 on your roster
9) No more than 2 total kickers (see item 7) on your roster
10) No more than 2 total punters (see item 8) on your roster

You must have no more than the above maximum passes, maximum rushes, maximum receptions, and maximum number of QBs (items 1, 2, and 6 immediately above) by the start of Free Agency until the end of the season.

You must be in compliance with the maximum number of punters and kickers (items 7-10) above by the start of Free Agency until the end of the season.

11) Offensive Line - all teams must have a minimum of 8 offensive lineman. In addition each team must have at least 2 centers, 3 guards, and 3 tackles.
12) Defensive Line - all teams must have at least 3 defensive tackles and 3 defensive ends
13) Linebackers - all teams must have at least 2 inside linebackers and 4 outside linebackers
14) Defensive backs - all teams must have a minimum of 8 defensive backs. All teams must have at least 4 cornerbacks and 3 safeties.
15) All teams must have at least 1 Long Snapper.
16) All teams must have at least one Holder.
17) All teams must have at least 7 total kick returns.
18) All teams must have at least 7 total punt returns. This includes fair catches.

The above requirements (items 11 through 18) must be met by the start of the regular season (January 1) until the end of the season.

Players rated at multiple positions as in (G/T ILB/OLB etc.) count toward all positions for which they are rated.

Players rated as a QB-WR, QB-RB etc. will have their pass attempts added to the QB limits, their rush attempts added to the RB limits, and their WR receptions added to the WR limits if they are rated at that position.

Signing Free Agents During the Season
1) Free Agents may be signed during the season.
2) If the FA addition takes you over the 52 active players then you must drop a player to stay legal.
3) Any free agent signed after Free Agent Bidding completes through the regular season will be labeled as a “Free Agent Signed In-Season” and will have an FAI designation on the league file.
4) All FAI designated players MUST be returned to the free agent pool at the conclusion of the season. They will also have an x added before the first letter of their last name for easy identification.


Trading
Trading is allowed in the PAFL with the following restrictions.
1) All teams must be at or under the cap in order to conduct a trade.
2) No trade can ever be conducted if it violates league rules.
3) The trade deadline is Week # 4. This means the time period up and until all week 4 games are played but before the week 5 file is issued during the regular season. No trades may be made after the Week # 5 file has been sent out.
4) No draft picks beyond the next draft may be traded. You may begin trading the following years draft's picks when the current year's draft period has concluded.
5) Any proposed trade can be rejected by the commissioner/trade committee if he/they feel(s) that the trade was not done in good faith. Teams can submit an explanation as to why they feel a rejected trade makes sense. A decision to reject may be reversed if the commissioner/committee feel the explanation reveals a valid reason for reversal.
6) Any player traded by a team may not be re-acquired until a full season has passed.
7) All trades must be finalized in the "Finalized trade forum" so we can keep track of all trade info. One team involved in the trade must post in that forum with the exact details of the trade. The other team must confirm the trade in that trade's forum post. No trade will take effect until both parties have agreed. Do not send your trades via the league group email.
8) If the trade, prior to the start of the regular season and after Free Agent Bidding is completed, takes you below 52 active players, you may sign a Free Agents to become legal. You will not retain the rights to this player after the season is completed.
9) Once the regular season begins, free agent in-season signing rules will be enforced negating the ability to make a trade that takes a team out of compliance and then desires to claim one or more free agents in order to bring that team back into compliance.

Post Season
1) The 3 division winners, plus the 3 non division winners with the best records (the Wild Cards) in each conference will qualify for the playoffs. Teams will be seeded 1-6 and will be bracketed using the method that the NFL currently uses. The higher seeded team for each playoff game will be at home and will get the HFA except for the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl will be played at a neutral site and the HFA will be turned off.
2) All stats will be carried over into the post season. Instead of getting a clean "fatigue" slate for the playoffs, a 10% increase in season fatigue would be added for each additional round of the playoffs.
Weekly Schedule/Procedure
1) The PAFL week starts on Tuesday and ends the following Tuesday at 8 PM ET.
2) The home team is designated the "host" and has the "right" to host the game. If for some reason the home team does want not to, or cannot host the game, the visiting team may host. The team that ends up hosting the game is responsible for sending the commissioner the game file on time.
3) Both teams are responsible for contacting, scheduling, and playing their game with their opponent each week by the deadline.
4) This is a head-to-head league but there are circumstances when guys will be unable to play their game a particular week. Please let your opponent know ASAP if you will not be able to play them head-to-head in a particular week. (Failure to do so more than twice per season is reason for dismissal).
5) A substitute coach may be used if you are unable to coach your game a particular week. If you plan on using a substitute coach please clear it with your opponent and Commish beforehand. Only other members of the PAFL may be used as substitute coaches. Please use this rule sparingly.
6) While an occasional occurrence of "not being able to play" will be accepted, absentee ownership will not. Any team that makes a "practice" of not playing their games head to head will be subject to removal from the league by the commissioner. No owner will be removed from the league for this reason without a written warning first. Emergencies come up and certain situations arise that are beyond our control. That's not what this is referring to. Rule of thumb, after your third miss, expect to hear from the commissioner.

Schedule
All PAFL teams will play a 17 game (8/9 at home & 8/9 on the road) regular season schedule. Teams will play all other teams in their own division twice (once at home and once on the road). The schedule will be determined using the same formula the NFL used when it had 28 teams. The PAFL is a winter league playing from early January until early May.

Game Playing Procedures
1) Each team must play at least 12 games in a year Head to head AND meet the requirements of contacting fellow owners for games or they will be removed from the league.
2) The accepted way of scheduling your game each week is via the league's Game Scheduling Forum. This way the Commissioner can clearly see who is properly scheduling their games or not in case of dispute. He can also foresee a problem before it becomes an issue and has to issue a simmed game. The home team is responsible for posting first and must post by no later than Thursday at 6PM ET of each week giving a variety of times when you can play the games, although you can and are encouraged to post sooner. Each visiting team must reply to the home team's forum post and either choose one of those times or announce he cannot meet any of those times and make new suggestions by Friday. All Games must be completed and reported to the Commissioner before Tuesday at 10PM ET. (Exception to the forum scheduling is if you cannot gain access to the forums for some reason. In that case, you must privately email your opponent with a CC to the Commissioner).
3) Please DO NOT use the league group email to schedule games or chat with another owner. Keep those e-mails private so we don't all get spammed.

Penalties
Are there penalties for breaking the max player limits? (maximum carries, receptions or passes)
Yes. In cases where it is caught in time to reverse, the deal that caused the infraction is reversed and offending player loses his "latest" round pick in the upcoming rookie draft. *(if your latest pick has been traded, the next to latest will be forfeited). If reversing the deal harms the unoffending party because of other trades conducted based on this one, the carded player is suspended for the season and counts toward the team's salary cap and 54/52 limits and loss of latest draft* pick in upcoming rookie draft.

Salary Cap Infractions
Due to a trade....
1) Suspension of most valuable player in trade for season. Of course, teams are allowed to make drops as part of a trade, if needed, but must remain in the 54/52 limit and all other roster carry/reception limits. FAs can only be signed after a trade if trade places them under the 54/52 limit. All FA signings in this case must be filler players and of same position as players lost due to trade. (filler players are players with no real future increases in worth in the foreseeable future and not salaried at more than 350K).
2) Trade infractions may not be caught until one of the other teams involved in the trade have made other trades. This could cause a snowball effect, resulting in the cancellation of several trades spanning several teams. This of course can cause pandemonium. With suspensions, we avoid opening that can of worms. This rule also places responsibility for making a legal trade fully on the shoulders of the team owner.
3) Suspended players may not be traded and their salary counts toward the team cap for the season.
4) Please notify the Commissioner if a rule is not clear, incorrect, or missing.
5) Any rule that is not 100% clear may be amended by the Commissioner to better reflect the intent of the rule.
6) The Commissioner may add a new rule at anytime but that rule will still be at the mercy of a league veto, if desired. A rule can be vetoed with a 60% vote "against."


New Rule Proposals
New rules may be suggested by team owners to the Commissioner at any time.
New rules suggested by team owners can be put up for vote and voted into action with a 60% vote "In favor of."

Rookie Draft Lottery
A lottery will be held to determine the rookie draft order for the first three picks of the first round. The teams with the 4 worse records from the previous season (including ties) will participate in the lottery. All teams in the lottery will have the same chance of being selected. The lottery will be determined using a confirmable source, such as a published lottery result as the basis for determining the draft order. Teams not selected are placed in reverse order of finish after the lottery teams.