American Football League 12 - Rules And Information   
  AFL12 Rules & Information

Note: The Commissioner requests that you contact him predominately through email or texting regarding your franchise/team. If you must speak directly to me, please do it on my cell phone & before 10 P.M. .

1. Team Setup
2. Roster Management
3. Roster and Schemes Submission
4. Trades and Regular Season Free Agency
5. Rookie Draft
6. Rookie Studs-Procedure
7. Training Camp
8. End Of Season Retirements & Free Agency Signing Period
9. Game Time Scheduling
10. Playoff Rules
11. Playoff Tiebreaker Steps - Also Used For Free Agent Signings
12. How Draft Order Is Determined
13. Special Computer Game Note/Rule
14. Player Position Change
15. The "Code"
16. Game Taping
17. Rule Changes /League Voting

Latest update: 8-17-23

*2b: IR player prior to week 7 change

**3f: New for 2036:  Gatling Gun offensive playbook // Dominator defensive playbook.

***5d: Drafting IR players.

****10a1: American Bowl nuetral site selection.

*****15. Competition committee members.

8.bb: Free Agency - Franchise player

 


1. TEAM SETUP

a. A team's name will not be changed except for when a new owner takes possession of the team.

b. A team's "city name" can be anything, anywhere.....within reason.
c. A team's colors and/or stadium may only be changed between the Championship game at the end of one season and the first preseason game at the beginning of the next season.
d. No team's city name or nickname can be used more than once during the league's existence. If the city name has been used before, it will need to have a numerical digit after it, matching the number of times it has been used. A nickname will not be reused at all, for any team.
e. A team's initials may not match those of a previous team.
f.. Players may only have their names changed in the following circumstances:

1. Rookie selected in rookie draft,


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2. ROSTER MANAGEMENT

a. Team rosters are limited to 53 players. (This does not include players on injured reserve.) 46 players will fill active slots (See minimum list below.) 7 players are inactive reserves and unable to play unless placed in an active slot between games. The following is a list of the minimum number of each position you must have active on your team roster:
        Quarterbacks                    2
        Running Backs      (HB & FB)    3
        Receivers          (WR & TE)    5
        Offensive Linemen  (C, G & T)   6
        Defensive Linemen  (DT & DE)    5
        Linebackers                     5
        Defensive Backs    (CB & S)     7
        Kickers                         1
        Punters                         1


b. If a player is placed on injured reserve, he is unavailable for the rest of the season, including the playoffs. If a computer coach is allowed to make depth chart changes, there is a remote possibility that he may place an injured player on injured reserve. If this happens, you will be required to pick up a free agent to fill the slot left open by that player. At the end of the season, all injured players, except for those with career ending injuries will be completely healed before the next season starts.

NOTE: A player must be injured for 8 weeks or longer(O-8) to be eligible for IR.  Any player with this designation may be placed on IR at anytime during the season.  ***New for 2036*** : Any player placed on IR prior to week #7 is eligible to retain their year of service status for the following season.


c. Although the computer will coach all teams in all games you, as General Manager, are required to edit the depth chart of your team's roster. Any changes you make to your team's depth chart must be in the league commissioner's hands by Thursday evening at 6:00 pm before the next game on that weekend. If no depth chart is turned in then your team's chart will be left as is, including any injured players in the starting lineup (with the exception of the last 4 weeks of the regular season according to the following rule), for the next day's game. The computer will select your depth chart settings at the beginning of each season, but during the season you are responsible to make any changes to your depth chart.
NOTE: You may  request that the computer make your depth chart for you throughout the season unless your team has been mathematically eliminated following the 10th game of the season. If the depth chart changes you submit for your roster are not within the league rules, or cannot be done because of how the game handles the Active, Open Active and Inactive statuses, the entire list of changes will not be accepted by the commissioner's office until you have corrected the changes. All corrections must also be received by the commissioner by 6:00pm Tuesday of that given week. It is your responsibility to make sure changes have been accepted. If you do not receive an email confirmation of your changes from the commissioner by 6:59 pm Tuesday, then contact him by cell phone or your changes may not be put into place for that week's game.


d. During the last 4 weeks of the regular season (& only if your team has become mathematically eliminated), when making changes to your team roster you may move no more than 2 players out of your starting lineup. This does not apply to players in your starting lineup that are injured or to free agents signed and placed in your starting lineup. This also does not apply to players that have just recovered from injuries sustained while they were in the starting lineup. The following list is considered the starting lineup of your team:
Quarterback #1              Center #1                   Linebackers #1, 2 & 3
Halfback #1                 Guards #1 & 2               Cornerbacks #1 & 2
Fullback #1                 Tackles #1 & 2              Safeties #1 & 2
Wide Receivers #1, 2 & 3    Defensive Ends #1 & 2       Kicker #1
Tight End #1                Defensive Tackles #1 & 2    Punter #1
NOTE: If you substitute one position for another in any game, for example: Tackle #3 plays your 2nd Guard position on your offensive line, then he is also considered part of your starting lineup the week following that game.

NOTE: When moving Wide Receivers, the following moves are allowed without counting against your 2 player maximum:
	WR1 to 2, 2 to 3 and 3 to 1
	WR1 to 2, 2 to 1 and 3 stays at 3
	WR1 stays at 1, 2 to 3 and 3 to 2

(Moving WR1 to WR3 or lower will count against your minimum, with the following exception: If WR4 or lower moves into the top 3 wide receivers, you may move WR1 as low as WR4 without it counting as more than one move against your maximum.)

NOTE: Since the trade deadline runs until the 9th week of the season, traded players between the 8th and 9th may be moved into the starting lineup without counting against your 2 starters move restriction.


e. Benching players for the sole purpose of losing a game (to move higher on the list to pick up free agents or a higher draft pick) is not allowed. Please be sportsmanlike when making player moves.
f. At the end of each season, team owners will have the option of letting the computer set their lineup or provide me with a detailed lineup in which he wishes his players to be in before the "end of season" button is pushed.  Many owners believe that an older player not in the #1 slot has a greater chance of retirement if the computer places him there.  You will have the option of placing such players in a higher position if so desired.  You must submit COMPLETE rosters if you wish to exercise this option.  Incomplete rosters will not be accepted & the computer will set your roster in this case. Owners that do not submit complete rosters will be subject to the computer setting their after season lineup.

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3. ROSTER AND SCHEMES SUBMISSION

***DEADLINE IS 6:00 P.M. THURSDAY***(If an owner does not recieve confirmation of roster/scheme submission by the deadline means the Commissioner did not recieve & will be invalid).

*TRADE & FREE AGENT AQUISITION REQUESTS DUE 6:00 THURSDAY*

a. If you make changes to the order or statuses of any players at a certain position you must send a list of all the players at that position, in the order you want them to be.


b. You must send a list of the 7 players/positions on your roster that you wish to be inactive for the coming week's game.
c. When sending in roster changes, do not include players that you have agreed to receive in trades if the trade has not been officially announced to the league by the Commissioner. Instead, in the trade confirmation you send, list again the 7 players that will be inactive after the trade goes through and include lists of all players at all positions (in the order you want them) affected by the trade.
NOTE: When making trades or free agents pickups, make sure to submit lists of all position groups affected by who leaves your team as well as who joins it.

d. You are required to pick an offensive and defensive strategy for your team for each half of each game. As with the depth chart changes, you must submit your offensive and defensive strategies by 7:00 pm each Wednesday before the games. The following strategies are available for use:

 


***1.  2nd half stipulations will not default each week if you do not send any changes.  If you want a 2nd half stipulation, you MUST send a change each week as I will not keep record of them from a week to week basis.

*** 2. Player personnel changes will be handled by the computer coach during the first & second halves.  You may provide a stipulation at half that will allow a personnel change of your choosing. You are limited to ONLY 2  personnel CHANGES & must be specific to circumstances for the change. Please review all 2nd half changes post that weeks games as your roster will have altered to reflect the change. 

You may select any offensive playbook listed below & couple it with any profile listed from the profile page.  Please refer to the profile page for up to date listings.

Defensive playbooks are listed with corresponding profiles.

Playbooks listed below in red are "original" playbooks.  Playbooks in blue were created by other individuals.  

* - Refers to the default offensive & defensive playbook/profiles the AFL12 uses for cpu owned teams or non reporting teams.

f. PLAYBOOKS & PROFILES

**Offensive playbooks listed below have "sister" playbooks with a different punt/punt coverage play included.  They are designated with a (pr) next to the playbook name.

**Defensive playbooks listed below have "brother" playbooks that include a 2 man kick return play included. They are designated with a (2) next to the playbook name.

 

OFFENSIVE PLAY BOOKS DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOKS
AFL AFL W-CREW
AIR RAID BUDDY 4-6
BACK ATTACK *New in 2036* - DOMINATOR
GAME BREAKER GNFL 4-3
*New in 2036* - GATLING GUN 4-3 Classic
GNFL 3-4 Classic
IRON WOLF 33 COBRA
K-GUN 4-3 COVER II
MONSTER BACK 3-4 HYBRID
PISTOL 4-3 MAD DOG
PWR+ 4-3 MAN TO MAN
RED WOLF 3-4 MAN TO MAN
RUN & SHOOT 4-3 DESERT SWARM
SPREAD FUN BUSTER
WEST COAST WOLF KILLER
WFL ZONE BLITZ
   
ALL OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIVE PROFILES ARE AVAILABLE WITH "NO AUDIBLES" - DESIGNATED (na) within the name.
OFFENSIVE PROFILES [regular & (na)] DEFENSIVE PROFILES [regular & (na)]
AFL 'Classic' BALANCED
Classic BALANCED* 'Classic' RUN
Classic RUN 'Classic' PASS
Classic PASS AGGRESSIVE RUN
Classic BALANCED-NO PANIC(NP) CONSERVATIVE RUN
Classic RUN-NO PANIC(NP) MODERATE RUN
Classic PASS-NO PANIC(NP)  
RED WOLF
POWER+
FUN - N - GUN
 

NOTE: If you do not submit an offensive and defensive scheme each week, your team will default to the previously used schemes. In the event you do not submit Week #01 playbooks/profiles, your team does NOT use pre season submissions. Your team as well as computer owned teams will use the GNFL - Balanced attack & GNFL 4-3 run defense.


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4. TRADES AND REGULAR SEASON FREE AGENCY

1.a ***DEADLINE IS BEFORE EACH WEEKS GAME DEADLINE - *** (If you do not receive confirmation of a trade/free agent request submission by this time, you are to proceed with the assumption that the Commissioner did not recieve and the request is invalid).


a. No trades are allowed after the ninth week of the season until after the End Of Season Free Agency Signing Period is completed.  Trading may begin again immediately following the Free Agency Signing Period until after the 9th game of the next regular season.

NOTE: Injured players cannot be traded after the 6th game of the season.


b. When player trades have been finalized between 2 teams, both owners must submit matching deals, by voice or email, to the commissioner or the trade will be disallowed. It is not the commissioner's responsibility to contact a negligent owner in a trade deal. Make sure the owner you make a trade with knows to submit the trade to me, as well as you submitting it to me as well.
c. When submitting completed player trades to the commissioner, you must also submit the depth chart slot where you want your new player(s) to be assigned. If you do not submit a slot for each player acquired, the player(s) will be assigned to the bottom slot at their given position.
d. You may make multiple-player trades, including those with an uneven amount of players, as long as you edit your roster so that you have the required 53 players. The amount of players exchanged between teams may not be so uneven as to cause an owner to sign more than 2 free agents in that week's period to equal the required 53 player roster.
e. Trades may involve statistical clauses such as: "If the player I receive leads the league in reception yardage this year, then you also get my third round draft pick next season." The clause must concern that season's (or the upcoming season's) statistics only and cannot nullify any part of the trade such as "If the player I received does not meet my expectations, you get him back and I get back the player that I traded to you."

All trades involving clauses must have a close date (when the clause takes effect) . Unnamed players may not be accepted as trades unless the Commissioner gives ok.

NOTE: For the close date, you must use a given week of the next season, or the end of that next season if the clause involves a draft pick.

NOTE: If a statistical clause is deemed to be outlandish, or it is judged that the main purpose of the clause is just to delay the movement of a player or players, the trade will be nullified by the commissioner.


f. If a trade clause specifies a certain group of players, by name, and/or specifies one or more of a certain group of draft picks then those players and/or draft picks become un tradable, by the team that has agreed to trade them, until the finalization of the trade that they are bound to. All teams involved in the trade may not back out of it or change it once it has been accepted by the commissioner's office.
g. In reference to the above rule, no trade may be cancelled or reversed for any reason once it has been verified and finalized by the commissioner. 2 teams that agree to a trade may not trade the exact same players and/or picks back to each other unless there is at least one extra player/pick involved in the trade.
h. No trade will be finalized until the commissioner's office has received matching confirmations from both/all owners involved in the trade. When you confirm a trade, you have basically signed a contract committing to that trade. You are locked into that commitment until one of two things happens; either the other owner(s) in your trade verify the trade with a matching confirmation, or the deadline to turn in their confirmation of the trade is reached. Each owner may specify a deadline for their trade to go through before it is void. If no deadline is specified by either, the deadline will be one week from the commissioner's receipt of the first owner's confirmation email.
i. No "gifts" are allowed. All players moving from one roster to another must be named in an officially accepted trade or trade clause between 2 teams.
j. You may trade present and future draft picks for either players or other draft picks from other teams any time after the 'End Of Season Free Agency Signing Period' during the off season until the trade deadline of the next season. This applies to the 6 round Rookie Draft. You may NOT trade draft picks more than 1 season into the future. This includes trade clauses. FREE AGENT PICKS MAY NOT BE TRADED.
k. If any trade is seen by another owner to be unfair or possibly unfair for any reason, it will be taken to a vote by the top 3 people on the following list of 'co-commissioners) who are not involved in the trade. If the commissioner himself sees the vote as unfair he must grant all parties involved a full explanation, but he may overthrow it himself.  Jon Von Achen, Brad Bridgwater & Dave Wegner.
l. Please follow up with the commissioner after making a trade or signing a free agent to make sure that your team's depth chart is correct and the correct players are active for the upcoming game.
m. Free agents may be requested immediately following the draft until Training Camp deadline.  Order is previous seasons finish.  One pick per round, unlimited players may be selected.  After Training Camp no free agent signings are allowed before the first week of the season. During the season, free agents are selected 1 per round, worst to first.
n. There is a 2 player limit to free agent signings per week. Free agent claims & all trades must be made/reported following a weeks games completions and before weekly games played at 6:00 P.M.
o. If you make a claim for a free agent when you already have a full roster of 53 players, you must also submit the name of the player on your current roster that will be released if you are able to sign the free agent. If you do not submit the name of the player to be released, your claim will be invalid.
p. If your team has less than a full roster of 53 players and you are submitting a/some free agent claim(s), please submit a list of multiple free agents in the order you want them picked up to meet the 53 player roster requirement. You need to do this in case another team is granted rights over yours to sign the player you want. If something happens and your 53 player roster is not met by game time, the commissioner will assign one of the worst free agents to your team to fill the roster. (You may release them after the game if you wish.) Also, please inform the commissioner how to set your team's depth chart in regard to a free agent you are signing. Let the commissioner know where you want a signed player to be placed.
q. If more than one team submits a claim for the same free agent, the team with the worst win-loss record (or tiebreaker situation) will be allowed to sign the player. This will be determined by using the tiebreaker list at the bottom of this rules list. All free agent claims will be blind. (You will not be able to see who has been claimed by other teams before you make your claim.)
r. If the commissioner owns a team and wishes to sign a free agent, he must write down his claim(s) before Saturday at 8 am. He may not claim any free agents that have been claimed by another team (or that another team has shown interest in) after that time.
s. Players dropped into the free agent pool are not available for signing until after the current week's games have been played.
t. Players may not be signed to an active roster following the final regular season week.  Playoff teams are limited in signing free agents only if they do not have a healthy player to fill a position.  In other words, if a healthy player is available at a position then a same position player may not be signed.


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5 ROOKIE DRAFT


a. If it is your turn to pick in the rookie draft and you wish to make or entertain a trade offer, you must do so quickly. You will not be given an extended period of time to consider or barter an offer. If you do not make a pick or trade within the short amount of time you are given for your pick, you turn will be skipped.


b. You are responsible for managing your own roster. It is your duty to make sure your roster is filled, but not overfilled and that all needed position players, per the rules, are accounted for on your roster. Any mistakes made by you during the draft will penalize your roster by one of the following means... the commissioner will fill your non-full roster with the worst players in the draft pool at the positions you need (which may include dropping players from your roster in order to fill needed slots), AND/OR the Commissioner will not sign your final number of draft picks that overfill your roster. If this penalty takes place, the Commissioner will give you an explanation of what moves were made, and why, and his decisions will be final.

b1.  Rookie Studs will be announced prior to week #1.  For more info on studs, see below.


c. A random card pull after round #3 of the rookie draft determines which player & team awarded the Diamond in the Rough.  Said player will have equal to #20 actual numbers, SEMI STUD potentials.


d. Each team will have the option of selecting up to but not exceeding 4 players designated for IR.  These players(if kept after seasons end) will remain rookies for the following season. During the draft and after making a pick an owner must either designate IR status, drop a player if full OR designate as an active player.  At seasons end, owners will have to decide whether to keep the IR players or drop them.  If kept, an active player will need to be dropped.  IR players will go through the free agent mini camp, not owner advised camps.


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6. Rookie Studs-Procedure

a. At the beginning of each season prior to week #1's games, the rookie stud utility will be run to determine the upcoming rookie studs. (Kickers & Punters will be omitted from this process).
Two tiers of studs will be created.  One group of 4 studs will be given maximum rated potentials, the other group of 4 studs will have a 5% reduction from the maximium potentials.  Following week #6's games, 1 stud from each group will flop, leaving 3 top studs & 3 5% studs.  To be known as STUDS & SEMI STUDS.

a.1. Beginning with the 2033 Rookie Draft class, studs will slowly be moving towards ranking #15, semi studs #20.  2032 will be final season that studs will equal #10 & semi studs equal #15.  This will be a gradual change.  2033 studs will equal #12, semi studs #17.  2034 studs will equal #14, semi studs #19.  2035 will be the first season that studs will be equal to #15 & semi studs equal to #20.

The three remaining top studs will enter the next seasons draft ranked #15 at their respective positions. The 5% studs will have a ranking of #20 each.    The flopped stud WILL enter the draft & will be ranked no higher than #25 at his position(TE's, FB's,K's & P's will be ranked #10)..  

b. The flopping studs will be determined by a new stud eliminator utility. 

 

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7. TRAINING CAMP

a. Following the rookie draft teams will be allowed to alter the default training camp percentages to tailor fit their teams needs.  Each position can be altered with percentages ranging from no lower than 5% to no higher than 25% per attribute.


b. All attributes per position must add up to a total of 100%, therefore limiting the number of high end %'s(maximum two 25% per position, minimum of 5%).


c.  Submission of owner training camp #'s must be received no later than 7 days following the rookie draft.  Failure to do so will result in using the default training camp numbers used in previous seasons.


d. Incorrect or incomplete training camp submissions will be given a one time warning & allowed to resubmit provided the deadline has not passed.


e. Owners may request the same training camp percentages used by the Commissioner, but may not use identical training camp numbers used by other owners without written permission from said owner. Teams training camp #'s will be kept private between the Commissioner & the team submitting. Any public display must come from individual teams.  The Commissioners personal training camp #'s will be listed each season.  


f.  Training camp #'s are not retained from season to season. 
g. Please refer to the training camp downloadable template located on the AFL12 website.  Fill out the numbers where shown & submit to the commissioner before the 7 day deadline.

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8. END OF SEASON RETIREMENTS & FREE AGENCY SIGNING PERIOD

a. Trading is allowed following retirements & up until protected lists are due.

aa. After retirements have been posted, each team may select 1 retired player of any age & 1 player 3 years or younger to reconsider & rejoin their team.

b. Before the free agency signing period begins, each team will get the chance to protect 14 players on their roster. An additional 8 players may be tagged with developmental player protection tags, but only if they have a 3 or lower in the YR column for experience. This gives each team a potential of 22 total player protections for the FA signing period.

bb. Teams will have the option of selecting 1 additional player from their roster to be a 'FRANCHISE' player.  This player can be picked up in free agency but MUST included a 1st round pick in the upcoming draft.  Negotiating is not allowed during free agency.  Said 'FRANCHISE' player can be negotiated during the season in a trade with no less than a first round pick.

c. For the end of season free agent signing period, the team lowest in the standings (using the AFL12 tiebreaking procedures) will choose 2 unprotected players from the rest of the teams, followed by the next lowest ranked team and so on, until each of the AFL12 teams have had a chance to select players over one round of selections. The following restrictions apply when signing free agents from other teams:

1. You may not sign a player from a team that has already lost 2 free agents.

2. You may not sign a Kicker or Punter from another team during the Free Agency Signing Period if you already have one on your roster at the time of your free agent selection.

3. You may not sign a player that has already been taken from another team during this free agency signing period.

4. When it is your turn, you may sign 1 (at most) unprotected players from your own roster, but only if your team has not already lost 2 players.

5. Players signed during the End Of Season Free Agency Signing Period may not be traded until after the free agency signing period has concluded.

f. Once notified that it is your turn to pick in the Free Agent Signing Period, you must make your selections within 12 hours, spread between 8 am and 10 pm, 7 days a week. (Example: If you are notified at 7pm one evening, you have 3 hours that night and 9 hours the next day, starting at 8am, to make your selection.) If you do not make your selection within the specified 12 hours of notification, the opportunity to select will default to the next team in the draft order. Even if you are late in making your pick, you may submit them at any time after your 12 hour period is up and you will still be allowed to sign them if the player you choose is still available. If a late FA signing, as described here takes place, the team that is currently on the clock will be notified and their 12 hour clock reset.  Notification will be attempted by email and phone(before 6 P.M. via cell phone, email after that). During the Free Agency Signing Period it is your responsibility to keep watch to see when it is your turn to pick AND to verify the Commissioner has received your pick before your signing deadline. It is also your responsibility to let the commissioner know if you are going to be unavailable for for any length of time during the Free Agency process.

g. If you do not make your selection in the allowed 12 hour period or have not submitted a list of players to choose from, you will be skipped until you can make your selection. If you are skipped all the way to the end of the signing period, the remaining teams that have not had players chosen from will be allowed to select the player(s) they will lose & placed on your roster.

NOTE: Both the above rule and the deadline for protected player lists are subject to change, by announcement by the commissioner in any given off-season, due to the possibility of special circumstances.

h. At the end of the End of Season Free Agency Signing Period you must cut any players needed if your free agent signings have moved your team out of compliance with AFL12 roster guidelines.

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9. GAME TIME SCHEDULING

a. The scheduling period for setting up your game time is the same as the period for making player moves: Monday 8am to Wednesday 7 pm, the week of the game. Free agents & trades must be reported prior to a new transaction deadline of 6:00 P.M. Thursday. Any team that has submitted their information prior to this time could be subject to having his game played "early". All other unscheduled games after Wednesday at 7 pm will then be scheduled and played at my convenience. (I will be lenient when someone contacts me after the deadline if their game has not already been scheduled and there is an open time that works for both them and me.)

b. If 2 owners that are playing each other both want to see their game, but can't agree on a scheduled time, the first person that I have heard from within the scheduling period gets to schedule the time.
c. If 2 owners that aren't playing each other wish to schedule their game at the same time, the first person that I have heard from within the scheduling period gets the time they wish.
d. On the "first come, first served rules" (Rules 7b & 7c) I recommend that you contact me by voice, if at all possible.
e. If you schedule a game time, then need to change it for any reason, your opponent automatically gets first choice at a game time, since their schedule may have been compromised by your initial game time request. Only if they do not wish to schedule a time or if both you and your opponent BOTH agree to your new game time request, may you get your new desired time.
f. Games will & can be played nearly anywhere, given my schedule & availability.   You can schedule alternate times/places with me, again if it does not conflict with my schedule.


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10. PLAYOFF RULES, ALIGNMENT & VENUE

a. The Division Winner with the best record in the league will own home field advantage in WILDCARD GAME ONLY.

a1. The American Bowl Championship Game will be held in a nuetral site, determined by a random vote of 5 selected sites.  All of the sites will not be current homes of AFL12 teams. Selection will immediately after the first pre season game.


b. Teams will be seeded 1-5 with the Division winners seeded 1-2-3.  The next best 2 record teams will be the wildcard team. Division winners will always be seeded 1-2-3 regardless of record.
c. The playoff alignment will be as follows:

The winner between #5 & #4 wildcard teams at the highest ranked division winner.
The lowest ranked division winner at the 2nd highest ranked division winner.

UNLESS the wildcard team winner and the highest ranked division winner are from the same division, in which case the playoff alignment will be as follows:

- The wildcard team(either #5 or #4) at the 2nd highest ranked division winner
- The lowest ranked division winner at the highest ranked division winner


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11. PLAYOFF TIE-BREAKER STEPS - ALSO USED FOR FREE AGENT SIGNINGS

NOTE: Division winners are always determined 1st before following tiebreaker steps to determine the wildcard team and places 2 through 6 in division standings. Places 2 through 6 in a division's standings are determined during the entire wildcard tiebreaker process including all teams, not just within the division.

a. Overall win-loss record
b. Head to head record, used only in cases where one team has swept all its games (or been swept in all its games) versus the team(s) with which it is tied.
c. Best record in division
d. Best net points in division games

NOTE: Steps 8c and 8d are used only when determining a division winner. When determining the wildcard teams or when determining places 2 through 4 in division standings, skip from step 8b to step 8e.

e. Power Poll Ranking(strength of victory)
f. Best net points in all games
g. Strength of schedule (Combined record of all opponents faced, with teams in same division counted once only)
h. Total points scored
i. Net touchdowns (Total of touchdowns scored minus touchdowns allowed.)
j. Net yardage (Total yards gained minus yards allowed. Does not include return yardage on kicks, punts, interceptions or fumbles.)
k. Coin Toss

NOTE: Steps 1 through 9 are used to remove the low teams from a group of tied teams, as well as select the top team from a group. For example, if 4 teams are tied and the tiebreaker gets to step 5, and 2 teams have 36 net points, 1 team has 34 net points and 1 team has 13 net points, then the teams with 36 net points each continue to step 6 while the other 2 are eliminated.

Any time a team has been selected as the top team in a group of tied teams by the tiebreaker process, and there are still other teams that are tied, the tiebreaker process reverts back to step 1 to determine the rank of the remaining tied teams.


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12. HOW DRAFT ORDER IS DETERMINED

The following list shows which teams get which pick in each year's rookie and supplemental drafts. The list is determined by each team's win/loss record, as well as the AFL12's tiebreaking procedures.
 

 1. The 12th best team, overall.
 2. The 11th best team, overall.
 3. The 10th best team, overall.
 4.  The 9th best team, overall.
 5.  The 8th best team, overall.
 6. The 7th best team, overall.
 7. The 6th best team, overall.
 8. The 5th best team, overall.
 9. The lowest ranking loser in the semi-final playoff round.
10. The highest ranking loser in the semi-final playoff round.
11. The loser of the AFL12 Championship game.
12. The AFL12 Championship team.

The wildcard teams always ranks below a division winner, even if it has a better win/loss record.


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13. Special Computer Game Note/Rule

Although it is rare, the computer game crashes after a game is finished, but before the results/stats are saved. If this happens, the official rule is that we will restore the league to its state before that game was played, then resimulate the game until the same win/loss result is achieved. Any statistics and/or injuries acquired in the re-simulation by either team are official.

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14. Player Position Change

a. Each season an owner has the option of changing 3 players positions. This may ONLY occur following the free agent signing period & prior to Training Camp.

b. Players may not switch from offense to defense.  Specific changes allowed listed below.

1. HB<>FB

2. C-G-T

3. DT<>DE

4. S<>CB


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15. The "Code"

The AFL12 has reached the level of competitiveness I had envisioned when it was created.  Above all else this league is meant to be fun.  However, when owners fail to stay involved or responsive on issues revolving around the league & their own team it becomes less fun.  The Competition Committee has come up with the following "Code" for all owners to abide by from hence forth.  It is meant to keep the league competitive, active & fun.

Committee members:  RED Division: Holt & Headley.  WHITE: Kansas City & West London. BLUE: Davis

1. EMAIL. All owners MUST have a valid email address. An owner will be permitted to operate his team by phone for up to 6 games without penalty.  This is an online league first & foremost. 

2. TRADING. RE: Trade response turnaround time.  Unless an owner has made his temporary unavailability known to the league or the Commissioner all trades & free agent business will be subject to a 48 business hour response time.   Weekends are excluded from the 48 hour time limit, with exception to the off season free agent signing period.. This applies to owners that do & do not have email.  I must have specific information by the notified of an incident violation. 

1st offense, a warning & every selection will be at the bottom of every round.

2nd offense, all picks are forfeited until everyone has selected. 

3rd offense, the commissioner will select at the conclusion of the draft & the team shall be computer owned until an owner can be found. 

4. COMPETITION - The AFL12 is an ultra competitive league & should remain such through the duration of a season/post season. Owners are required to field the most competitive team possible & are not to bench players to gain a better draft position or effect statistical results. This is left to interpretation of course & is subject to Committee review.


PENALTIES - any "Code" violation shall have the following penalties:

1st penalty:  Warning from the Commissioner. 

2nd penalty:  Written from the Commissioner with copies to the committee. Also loses 2 off season free agent selections.  If non are available, the committee will choose an alternate penalty. 

3rd strike:  ADIOS!

 

*NOTE* - All strikes carry over from season to season.  If an owner goes a full season without acquiring an additional strike, then a strike shall be subtracted from his total.  Negative strikes are not possible.


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16. Game Taping

1. Game taping is available to those that wish to have.  I will only tape one game a week upon request.  You can request game highlights which can be viewed on a play by play basis if you have fbpro installed on your computer.  This is available every week to anyone that wishes to have.

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17. Rule Changes / League Voting

1.  All rule changes must be submitted in writing to the Commissioner for review/approval.  If the Commissioner approves then the change/submission shall be put to a league vote.
2. Rules may not be changed during the season.  In other words, any rule may be voted on during the season or any other time but changes not implemented until seasons end.

3. ANY vote that is rejected may not be put up for a NEW vote unless 1/3 of the league ownership has changed.
a. Exception: If a proposed vote differs in wording or has changed significantly from a proposed vote that was not ratified. 


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