TitleTown Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 Our league has held our draft online for the past three years and now we feel ready to hold a live draft, probably meeting up a local sports bar for a few hours to eat wings and hassle each other over picks in person. Some of the owners question how efficient the draft will run though, so I need advice, anything you can tell me to help our first in-person draft go smoothly. For example, is allowing trades of picks a good idea or not? And how should we decide draft order? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big John Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 For draft order, assuming this is a redraft league, do a random draft order such as using a deck of cards or drawing numbers out of a hat. If this is a keeper or dynasty, then go by reverse order of last year's finish. Trading could be done there, but my experience were that trades usually did not occur after the drafting had started in a live draft like that and would make the draft less time-efficient if you wanted a time limit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furd Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 (edited) I agree with Big John. I would not allow trades of picks on draft day. If you want to allow it, set a deadline days or weeks before the draft. Somebody should be ready to run the show, and not be afraid to get a little assertive if necessary. If you have serious guys, you probably don't need to set a time limit for each pick, but you may want to. You should also make your rules clear. I've seen some drafts where an owner is allowed to make another pick if he drafts a player that is out for the year with an injury. In leagues that I'm in, once you anounce a pick, its yours, even if the guy died in a plane crash the night before. One other thing. I have been involved in a casual league in which there was a lot of chatter between picks, with owners asking questions to other owners like "Is so and so the starter in Houston?" If you don't want that kind of stuff, make it clear before the draft starts. Edited August 21, 2008 by Furd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loaf Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 and don't pick a bar where you can't hear each other talk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajncajn Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 Depending on the limits of your league software I find it best to input the draft picks at the time of the draft, so it would be a good idea to make sure the location you pick has a wireless connection. This also helps if you have one or two owners who cannot make it to the draft so that they still have the means to draft remotely. Time limit is also a must IMO at a live draft if you want things to run efficiently, but be sure the commish also has ample time to input the players and not hold the owners up waiting on him. Draft trades can be allowed, but owners should still have to work within their time limits just like the NFL does. Trades can be worked on the side & then announced only when the picks come up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TitleTown Posted August 21, 2008 Author Share Posted August 21, 2008 Thanks guys, all good advice. I think we'll draw for picks tomorrow (it is redraft) and allow trading until before the actual draft. I'm unsure if a time limit is a good idea or not, I guess we can see how it goes and institute one if it seems necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weebo Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 The live Draft is the highlight of and FF season.. its where you can actually look at someone in the face and make fun of their pick.. Time limits are a good idea, however like it was said before if you have serious guys in there it should be fine... a quite bar is a good place, or have the commish host it in their living room...but it should be thought of being fun and a social gathering... and oh yeah don't forget the ridicule... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 My guess is that you'll actually go faster this way than you would on-line. Because we're not hardcore in either of my leagues, the time limit is not firm. Basically, you have a minute to make a pick. As you start approaching that time, people start heckling you and or throwing things at you or smacking you around. If you're the guy that continually takes 59 secs to make his pick, guys will start reminding you what a putz you are a few picks ahead of time and that you might want to start thinking about who you want before your pick comes up. It tends to work well enough. As has been mentioned, it doesn't hurt to have a computer logged into your site as the commish, so all the picks can be made for all the teams without screwing around with logging in and out. This makes it impossible to draft someone who was taken. At my draft on Saturday, to avoid all possible conflict, that computer will be set on a table and each league member will go up and select the player at the computer. Live or not, I don't think there should be any do-overs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yipcabbage Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 We've been holding live drafts for the past 4 yrs now. I would suggest an owner's basement or back porch as apposed to a bar (unless you are reserving a separate room at bar). Either way, the bar thing can be loud and pricey. We set a time for everyone to show, allow Q&A before draft. Once draft starts we allow 1 minute per pick for first 3-4 rounds, then 2 min per pick after (adjust this depending on how many rounds and the knowledge of your owners). Everyone brings something food wise to the draft (chilli, wings, whatever) and all the "drinkers" pitch in $$ for keg. This year we acutally have several ladies who have volunteered to work the draft board and I am told there are "outfits" that will be worn!!! Just a great time! After draft ends, we all talk the usual about how my team is better than yours, blah, blah, blah. We have our draft boards from all previous years dlsplayed. Then it's horseshoes and cards!!! I'm countin the minutes till Aug 30th! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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