12 MEN IN THE HUDDLE

I. League Format:
A. Teams
1. Number: the league will have twelve teams. Any change in the number of teams requires a 2/3s majority vote of all members.
2. Members: The following people are members of the 2009 ‘12 Men In The Huddle’ league:
Huddle ID – yo mama
Huddle ID – DaFreak
Huddle ID – Piranha
Huddle ID – Perchoutofwater
Huddle ID – Jelap1
Huddle ID – Brewer
Huddle ID – General Itals
Huddle ID – Flypaste
Huddle ID – Eagle2003
Huddle ID – Retrograde Assault
Huddle ID – Trippico
Huddle ID – The Hitter
3. Members’ Personal Information: members’ identities, email addresses, and other personal information shall not be shared with people outside the league, or used for any non-league purpose. Any member violating this policy will not be invited back for subsequent seasons.
4. Cost: teams require a $54.55 league fee for the 2009 season.
a. members cannot own or control more than one team in this league per season. Any member doing so will be disqualified from the league and forfeits all league fees.
b. the commissioner must receive your league fees before the start of the draft on Sunday, August 30th. Failure to comply with this rule will result in a mandatory name change of the offender’s team to “The Cheapass Deadbeats” until dues are received.
c. league fees may be paid in check or money order, made payable to “Jason Hickman,” or via Paypal. Checks or money orders should be mailed to:

Paypal payments should be sent to jhickman74@gmail.com.
d. the commissioner agrees to deposit all league fees in a separate bank account for safe keeping. The commissioner will provide any member a copy of a current bank statement upon request.
5. Roster Size: teams may have up to 15 players – 8 “active” and 7 “bench” players – on its roster.
a. There are no restrictions or requirements on the number of players a team may possess at any position.
b. There is no penalty for having less than 15 players on a team’s roster.
c. However, any team with 16 or more players has an illegal roster. Unless such a team reduces their roster size to 15 or few players BEFORE the start of the first regular season game of the week, that team will receive zero points from their active players that week.
6. Injured Reserve: each team has one injured reserve spot.
a. Only players on "injured reserve" or "physically unable to perform" lists for NFL purpose are eligible to occupy an IR roster spot.
b. Players placed on injured reserve cannot be in a team’s active lineup until they are brought off injured reserve.
c. You MAY: (1) cut; (2) trade; or (3) move an IR player to your active roster at any time.
d. You MUST do one of those three as soon as a player is no longer eligible to occupy the IR roster spot.
B. Keeper League: Each team is permitted to keep 0, 1, 2, or 3 players from its roster. The deadline for communicating your keeper selections to the Commissioner is Sunday, August 16th (i.e., two weeks before the draft).
1. There are no restrictions or requirements on the number of players that may be kept at any position (e.g., you can keep 3 QBs if you want to, but you are not required to keep any).
2. Once a player is designated as a keeper, that player is on your roster. Therefore, they may be cut or traded either prior to or during the draft. For every player kept, a team forfeits a draft pick in the following order of priority:
original 1st round pick;
original 2nd round pick;
original 3rd round pick;
earliest 1st round pick acquired by trade;
earliest 2nd round pick acquired by trade;
earliest 3rd round pick acquired by trade; then
the next earliest pick available.
However, if a keeper is cut or traded prior to the draft, the draft pick initially forfeited to keep that player remains forfeited.
3. Any player on a team’s roster prior to the Sunday, August 16th keeper deadline is eligible to be kept, including players obtained by off-season trades.
4. There is no limit on how many seasons any player may be kept.
5. A team many not enter the draft with more than three (3) keepers on its roster.
C. League Software: MFL.com will be used, which costs $59.95.
1. The commissioner will pre-pay the software costs on behalf of the league.
2. The commissioner shall be reimbursed for the pre-paid software costs as soon as sufficient fees have been collected from league members.
D.Commissioner: the commissioner for the 2009 season is Flypaste. The co-commissioner for the 2009 season is yo mama. In the event the commissioner is at any time unavailable, the co-commissioner has full authority to make and effectuate decisions on any league-related issues.

II. Draft: this will be an on-line, fifteen-round, serpentine, LIVE-draft. YOU WILL NEED INTERNET ACCESS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DRAFT.
A. Date: the draft will begin at 8:00pm EST.
B.Time Limit: each team will have up to four (4) minutes to make their picks during the first four (4) rounds. After that, each team will have three (3) minutes to make each successive pick.
1.A team who fails to make their pick during the time allotted does not lose that pick. They will merely communicate their “make up” pick to the commissioner after the team currently on the clock has made their pick (the draft will be paused to execute the make-up pick) and select any player that is then available.
2.The draft will not be paused for teams to negotiate trades. However, the draft will be paused to announce trades during the draft.
C. Draft Order: the 2009 draft order will be as follows:
1. Perchoutofwater/Fighting Fish
2. yo mama/Yo Mama's Crooked Croupiers
3. The Hitter/Southern Kryptonite
4. Flypaste/Jerks From Nowhere
5. Retrograde Assault/Jimmy's Dipstick
6. General Itals
7. DaFreak/DaFreaks
8. jelap1/JeLaP's Drunkards
9. Piranha/Piranhas
10. Trippico
11. Eagle2003/Showboats
12. Brewer/The Drunken Nameths

1.next season’s draft order will be determined by allowing this year’s last place team (measure by win/loss record, with ties broken in favor of the team with fewer total points during the season) to pick their desired draft position. The second to last team will then pick their desired draft position, and so on.
2. next season’s draft order selection process will being on Monday, June 28 2010, or on any earlier date the league agrees upon.

D. No Position Restrictions: teams are NOT required to draft a minimum number of players at any position. Likewise, there is no maximum number of players that a team may draft at any position.

III. Starting Line Up: each team must start 1 QB; 2 RBs; 3 WR/TE (flex); 1 K, 1 team DEF each week
A. Weekly Deadline: starting line-ups for each position becomes final five (5) minutes before the start of each player’s respective NFL game.
B. Failure To Set Line Up: there is no penalty for failing to fill every position in a weekly starting line up; you just forego potential points at any position you fail to fill.
1. If you forget to set your line up on time, tough luck. The commissioner may not provide retroactive relief to anyone.
2. If you are unable to set your starting line up for any reason, contact the commissioner and/or co-commissioner BEFORE the start of any game for assistance. You should also notify your opponent.

IV. Scoring: this will be a head-to-head, weekly scoring, performance league.
A. OFFENSIVE POINTS SCORED
4 pts: passing TD
6 pts: rushing or receiving TD
6 pts: punt or kick off return TD (to individual player; NOT team DEF)
0.10 pt: 1 yards rushing
0.10 pt: 1 yards receiving
0.05 pt: 1 yards passing
0.05 pt: 1 punt return yards
0.05 pt: 1 kick off return yards
2 pts: two-point conversion (passing, rushing, and receiving)
B. OFFENSIVE POINTS LOST
-2 pts: fumble lost
-2 pts: interception thrown
C. KICKING
3 pts: field goals 0-40 yards
4 pts: field goals 41-50 yards
5 pts: field goals 51-100 yards
1 pt: extra points (no detraction for missed field goals or extra points)
D. TEAM DEFENSE
2 pts: blocked extra point, punt, or field goal
6 pts: defensive TD from interceptions, fumbles recovered, or blocked punts
1 pt: sack
2 pts: fumble recovered or pass intercepted
2 pts: safety
1. Limiting Points scored
8 pts: holding offense to 2 points or less
6 pts: holding offense to 3-9 points
4 pts: holding offense to 10-16 points
2 pts: holding offense to 17-23 points
2. Limiting Yardage
10 pts: holding offense to 1-99 combined yards
8 pts: holding offense to 100-149 combined yards
6 pts: holding offense to 151-199 combined yards
4 pts: holding offense to 201-249 combined yards
2 pts: holding offense to 251-399 combined yards
E. TIES: ties will be permitted in our league’s regular season. Ties during the playoffs and super bowl will be decided in favor of the team who scored the most points during the entire season to date, including the post season.

V. Trading: while trades are technically subject to commissioner approval, all trades are presumed valid and will be approved, subject to the rules below.
A. What Can Be Traded: draft positions, players, and draft picks.
B. What CANNOT Be Traded: cash, property, services, or other resources from outside the league.
C. Deadline: the trade deadline is one week before the league’s playoffs begin. Trade offers that are not proposed AND accepted by this time are invalid.
D. Blocking Trades:
1. a trade between teams with a four or more game disparity in their win/loss records may be vetoed by a vote of 2/3 or more of the league members who vote. Any member may call such a vote, but must do so within 48-hours of the trade being executed. Voting will be left open for a 48-hour period after which time any team not voting loses its right to vote on the disputed trade.
2. The commissioner cannot unilaterally veto a trade, or over-turn a veto.
3. The commissioner shall possess the ability to call an “emergency vote” on any trade where collusion or extreme stupidity is strongly suspected. However, if the commissioner chooses to call such a vote, he or she must abstain from voting and may not attempt to influence the outcome of the emergency vote. Again, a 2/3s majority of those teams voting shall be required to veto the trade.
E. Free Trades: there are no per-trade transaction fees.
F.Disclosure Of Trade Proposals: if you are simultaneously negotiating trades with more than one team, you are NOT required to disclose the existence of other negotiations to either team. (But you can if you want to).
G.Trade Mechanics.
1.Regular Season: There are no special rules regarding regular season trades. However, any trades involving future draft picks must be limited to draft picks in the subsequent season (i.e., you can’t use 2024 draft picks for trades during the 2009 season).
2.Off-season, Before Keepers Are Named:
a.Players obtained in off-season trades are eligible to be kept.
b.If a team trades away draft picks (or any combination of picks, players, or draft positions) in order to obtain a player, the acquiring team must still forfeit a pick if they elect to keep that player (following rule I.B.2. above).
3.Off-season, After Keepers Are Named: the effect on the teams are as follows.
a. Team Trading Keeper Away:
The pick initially forfeited to keep that player remains forfeited;
Any keeper player obtained in exchange merely goes onto the team’s roster without further impacting the team’s remaining draft picks; and
Any picks acquired will require the team to exercise that pick from the same position the team they acquired the pick from would have. (i.e., if you forfeited your 1.1 pick to keep a player, but later obtain another team’s 1.11 pick, you draft from the 1.11 spot. The trade does not operate to give you your 1.1 pick back merely because you are acquiring a first round pick).
b. The Team Acquiring The Keeper:
The keeper player acquired merely goes on to the teams roster without impacting the team’s remaining draft picks;
The team does not need to forfeit an additional draft pick pursuant to rule I.B.2. because the player has already be named as a keeper by another team.
WARNING: teams may only enter the draft no more than three (3) players on their roster that were designated as keepers by ANY TEAM.

VI. Waiver Wire Pick Ups
A. 10 Free Transactions: the first 10 waiver wire pick ups are free. Every pick after that will cost $1 each, the sum total of which is payable at the end of the season.
B. Claim Processing:
1. Waiver claims may be submitted at any time.
2. However, claims are subject to waiting periods to provide a more level playing field for members who cannot access the league during the weekend or early part of the work-week.
3. Claims will be processed automatically according to this schedule:
I. Wednesday at 7:00PM EST
II. First come, first serve waivers begin at 7:15PM EST, Ending Sunday at 1:00PM EST
C. Waiver Priority: waiver claims are awarded based on priority. Priority is based on reverse win/loss record for the season to date. Ties go to the team with the fewest point total to date. Further ties are decided in reverse order of "opponent total points scored."
1. any team awarded a player off waivers moves to the bottom of the waiver priority list.
2. waiver priority will be reset each Tuesday.
D. Multiple Free Agent Claims: teams are free to submit an unlimited number of free agent claims.
E. Dropped Players: dropped players are subject to a 48 hour waiting period before they can be picked up off waivers.

VII. Playoffs & Super Bowl
A. Number of Teams: The eight teams with the best win/loss record go to the playoffs. Ties are broken in favor the team with the higher regular season point total.
B. Playoff Seeding: Teams will be seeded at the end of the league’s regular season. Rankings are in a descending order based on overall win/loss records at the end of our regular season. Ties are broken in favor of the team with the most points scored to date.
1. Matching Seeds: the following playoff brackets will be used to determine the league’s playoff schedule.
Round 1 Round 2 Super Bowl

#1 v. #8 winner
========> v.
#3 v. #6 winner winner
=======================> v.
#2 v. #7 winner winner
========> v.
#4 v. #5 winner
C. Playoff Dates: the league’s regular season will end after week 13 of the NFL. Round 1 of the playoffs will take place during week 14. Round 2 of the playoffs will take place during week 15. The super bowl will take place during week 16. Week 17 will be a 12-team free for all tournament. The team with the highest point total in Week 17 shall be awarded free dues next season.

VIII. Awarding Prize Money: the league’s base payout equals $540.05: $600 ($50 times 12 teams), minus MFL's software expenses of $59.95. However, the total payout shall include supplemental dues collected in connection with each team’s waiver wire pick ups, in excess of the 10 free pick ups each season. The net payout shall be divided as follows:
The winner of the Week 17 free for all tournament will be credited $50 towards next year’s dues, which the commissioner will hold on to and use to prepay MFL's expense in the subsequent season.
50% of the remaining funds go to the winner of the league’s super bowl;
30% of the remaining funds go to the over-all points leader at the end of the league’s regular season; and
20% of the remaining funds go to the loser of the super bowl.