League Rules

The following rules govern the Yarmouth Fantasy Football League and are maintained by the commissioner’s office. A winter meeting will be conducted after each season to review the rules and make any necessary changes.

Any issue not covered by these rules will be mediated and resolved by the commissioner. If the commissioner is directly involved or unavailable, the deputy commissioner will serve as acting commissioner.

The league will conduct a draft before each NFL regular season. Any non-rostered NFL player is eligible. Players still in college are not eligible.

Draft picks may be exchanged as part of a trade.

Draft Order

The regular season consists of 13 games, with each team playing once per week. The following three weeks are reserved for the playoffs. The final week of the NFL regular season is not used.

The deputy commissioner is responsible for compiling the schedule.

Offseason Cuts

One week before the scheduled start of the draft, rosters are reduced to 12 players. Additional players may be retained only when those players were acquired during the offseason in exchange for draft picks in that year’s draft.

There are no positional restrictions on offseason keeper rosters.

Regular-Season Rosters

A team above the limit must release players or place eligible players on Injured Reserve. A team below 16 players may add players without using one of its three regular-season roster moves, although the additions remain subject to the waiver system.

After the draft, teams may make unlimited transactions until the start of the season. If multiple teams claim the same player, original draft order determines priority.

Weekly Waiver Wire

After Week 1, a transaction is defined as claiming a free agent while releasing a player from the current roster. Weekly claim order is determined first by transaction count and then by reverse points scored.

The final week to make transactions is the final week of the regular season. Claims remain hidden until processing is complete Thursday afternoon. The commissioner will notify owners when a higher-priority claim affects a previously submitted request - the “Jermaine Wiggins Clause.”

Injured Reserve

• Each team has three IR spots.
• Any player may be placed on IR.
• Players on IR cannot be used in a starting lineup.
• Placing a player on IR allows the team to add a replacement.
• After three weeks, the player may return to the active roster.
• IR moves may occur during the playoffs.
• Initial IR placement is available after Week 1 through the end of the regular season.

Trades

Trades between teams controlled by the same owner are prohibited. A player may not be traded back to the same team during the same season - the “Michael Vick Amendment.” The commissioner may review and act on any trade.

COVID-19 Exempt List

A player placed on the NFL’s COVID-19 exempt list may be moved to a COVID spot and replaced through the normal waiver system. There is no limit on COVID spots. When the player returns, the player must immediately be activated or released.

If the positive test occurs after Thursday’s noon waiver deadline, the replacement may be added on a first-come, first-served basis.

Each lineup contains eight players. A player must be inserted before the start of that player’s NFL game. Once the game begins, the player cannot be added, removed, or moved to another lineup slot.

Allowed Formation

Only players in the starting lineup contribute to the team’s weekly score.

Wins, Losses, and Ties

Starting-lineup points determine the result of each matchup. The higher-scoring team receives a win, the lower-scoring team receives a loss, and equal totals produce a tie.

Conference and Division Alignment

Super Bowl Playoffs

• Each division winner earns a playoff berth.
• Each conference receives one Wild Card berth.
• The Wild Card goes to the best non-division-winning record in the conference.
• Points For breaks division and Wild Card ties.
• The best overall record in each conference receives a first-round bye.
• The remaining division winner hosts the Wild Card team.
• Conference championship winners meet in the Super Bowl.

Stupor Bowl Playoffs

The six teams with the worst records qualify, with Points For serving as the tiebreaker. The two worst teams receive first-round byes. The winner receives the first pick in each round of the following draft. The tournament does not alter picks 2-6.

Pro Bowl

The leading scorers at each position from both conferences meet during Super Bowl week. The commissioner assembles both lineups using standard lineup rules. Injured selections may be replaced, and both the original selection and replacement receive Pro Bowl credit.

Playoff Tiebreakers

1. Total touchdowns by starters
2. Combined quarterback and kicker points by starters
3. Total touchdowns by bench players

Regular-season awards are voted on by owners and general managers during the playoffs and announced during Super Bowl week. The commissioner assembles nominees and asks voters to rank their top three choices.

Campaigning for candidates is allowed during the nominating process.

Most Valuable Player

Awarded to the player who was most valuable to his team during the regular season.

Rookie of the Year

Awarded to the most impressive first-year NFL player. Only NFL rookies are eligible.

Macor Misa Award

Awarded to the player who came “out of nowhere” to make a meaningful regular-season impact.

Owner of the Year

Awarded to the owner who guided his teams to the strongest regular-season accomplishments.