Rules Changes 2018

We had a slew of new rules changes last season -- take a look -- and we had a few more this year. Take a look at the voting if you like.

1) Prohibit the trading of keeper slots (7/2 "yes" votes - Pass)
Keeper slots cannot be traded, and you can't hold a keeper for another team, even through another year. Any attempt to circumvent these rules will be

2) Update DST scoring (9/1 "yes" votes, albeit with two wanting new proposed or comments - Pass)
We're revamping DST scoring to be both less overall and fewer negative games. For our initial thinking, we are using this Reddit guide as a baseline: "You Deserve Better D/ST Scoring (2018 Preseason Edition)"

• DSTs start at 0 (not 10)
• Defensive TDs of any kind are worth 6 points. Counts for INT and FR.
• Increase Punt/Kick return TDs to 8 points. Give a boost for return TDs because they are momentum shifters and won't receive a natural bonus from turnover points.
• Increase safeties to 4 points. Not only is it 2 points on the scoreboard, but it's also a turnover. So it's 4 points total because math.
• 2-PT Conversion Returns are worth 4 points. They put 2 points on the board for the team and prevent 2 points from the opposing team: a 4-point swing in theory. They can shift the momentum of a game just a much as a Safety, if not more so.
• Increase blocked kicks to 3 points.  Not only are they in many ways like a turnover (worth 2 points) but they're also a momentum shifter, which should hold value. "Kicks" applies to punts and field goals.
• -2 points per 100 yards allowed after 400 yards allowed.
• -2 per 10 PA after 2 PA.

FAILED
1) WR/TE designations are simply now TE (1/8 "yes" votes - Fail)
Currently we have three WR/TE slots, which means a team can start four TEs. The measure didn't pass so the weirdness of four TE lineups lives on.


Rules not voted on but mentioned/discussed:
• Extending keeper slots from five to more
• Expansion and/or reset
• Eliminated DEF or K positions altogether
• Two starting QBs
• Re-think playoff seeding
• Re-shuffle divisions
• Re-name divisions

How Will FAAB Work?

So with the advent of the new FAAB system upon CTDB, let’s discuss how it’ll work. First, be clear that there are two kinds of FAAB: standard and continuous. Under “standard,” only players actually on waivers are subject to the FAAB system. Players cut from other teams, and all players after the weekend’s teams, are on waivers until Wednesday. This was the old system. But we’re not doing that.

Instead, we’ll be doing FAAB Continuous. “Players remain on waivers continuously and thus are always subject to bidding.” What that means is everyone is on waivers, always. There are no free agents in the traditional sense. FAAB will run every day from Wednesday through Sunday, with 12PM EST set as the run time. That means you submit your bids and then by 12PM the next day, the system will dole out players based on who won each individual player.

Does this change an owner’s ability to react to pre-game changes? Yes it kind of does. Instead of being able to go to the free agent pile to grab a FA right before game time, you’d have to plan ahead some. For example, if you need a kicker going into Sunday but am afraid you’ll lose out on your bids by Sunday’s game time, you have to either a) bid on a whole lot of kickers and/or b) just make sure you have another kicker on hand before Sunday. That is mostly the main difference between last year’s system and this year’s.

We could adjust settings as we go, to dial in exactly what we like (one owner has already vehemently expressed their opinion about “how stupid this is...”) but for now it’s going to be FAAB Continuous and run on Wed-Sun, with a cut off time of 12PM EST the next day. Let's explore this new setup together and we can shape it into what we want it to be. Pull out your fake wallets!

• How to use ESPN's new FAAB feature (2012)
• What is the difference between FAAB and FAAB Continuous on ESPN?

Adding Roster Slots and FAAB

We haven’t had new rules since 2010, when we cut out carryovers for bye weeks and bonus points for long touchdowns. Plus we are adding a new rule that was shot down back then, Free Agent Acquisition Budget (FAAB)! Oh wait, we also had 2011, where we added decimalization of scores and illegal lineups scoring zero points — plus an adjustment to waiver running days. Take a quick refresher of all the current rules if needed by going through the "rules" tag on the blog.

So this year we voted on three new rules, and they passed by simple majority:

1) Adding a mandatory TE position + 1 new bench spot (9/10 "yes" votes)
Welcome back the tight end to CTDB! We’ve been running WR/TE combos since the beginning but after 10+ years, we’re finally bring tight ends into the fold. NFL teams regularly have two TEs on the field now so we follow suit by requiring at least one. Note: This will come with an expansion of a new bench slot as well.

2) Adding a RB position + 1 new bench spot (7/10)
With the changing NFL roster dynamics, the days of the single running backs are (mostly) long behind us. Also, with a ten team league, requiring two RBs was seen as a necessary change. Note: This change will also come with a new bench spot.

3) Changing our Waiver system to a Free Agent Acquisition Budget (6/10)
We’ll detail out what days we run FAAB -- still figuring out that detail. The beginning FAAB budget is $100 and there can be no trading of FAAB budgets. However, an owner could trade for a player that someone else bids on for them, similar to acquiring a player using another owner's waiver wire spot. Here's some FAAB articles if you need an explainer:

• How to use ESPN's new FAAB feature (2010)
• Your League Needs to Change Your Waiver System ASAP (2016)
• The Ultimate Guide to Waiver Wire & FAAB Strategy (2016) 

So moving forward, we have new roster limits and starting lineup requirements:

New Roster Limits

• 10 active starters, 8 reserves, 1 IR slot
• Any player can be placed on the IR slot, but once there, they no longer allowed to be active for the rest of the season. The player in the IR slot can be released. (??)
• Five players may be designated as keepers each year

Starting Lineup 

1 QB
2 RB
3 WR/TE
1 TE
1 RB/WR/TE  (Flex)
1 K
1 Def

• Illegal rosters score zero points in standings
• Lineup deadline: Five minutes before gametime for each player

Rules not voted on but discussed:

• Making some sort of official outlawing of keeper slot manipulation
• Moving the WR/TE designation to simply WR for some of the WR/TE slots
• Expansion and/or reset

The Rules 2.0

General League Rules

• New rules are implemented upon a majority vote from the league.
• Trades can be overturned by three-fourths of the Rules Committee (Jon, Evan, Eric, Ping). If it is a tie, then the trade goes through.

Roster Limits

• 8 active starters, 6 reserves, 1 IR slot
• Any player can be placed on the IR slot, but once there, they no longer allowed to be active for the rest of the season. The player in the IR slot can be released.
• Five players may be designated as keepers each year

Starting Lineup

1 QB
1 RB
3 WR/TE
1 RB/WR/TE
1 K
1 Def

• Illegal rosters score zero points in standings
• Lineup deadline: Five minutes before gametime for each player

Scoring

• See scoring rules spreadsheet
• Tiebreaker: None, leave regular season matchups as ties

Transactions, Waivers, and Trades

• Add/Drop Deadline: Five minutes before each week's first game
• Add/Drop Limit: None, allow owners to do unlimited add/drops

• Waivers run: Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat
• Waivers period: 1 day
• Waivers Order Resets: Never, set at beginning of season according to draft order
• All players not on a roster are picked up via the waivers process for the first waiver run of each week
• All players not cut by a team are then free agents, and available for unlimited adding after the first waiver wire run of the week

• Trade Deadline: December 1st

Playoffs & Toilet Bowl

• Playoffs start: Week 14
• First Round Bye: Division winners receive a first round bye
• Playoff seeding tiebreakers will be determined by: (1) Head to Head Record, (2) Points Scored, (3) Division Record
• [Added 8/2015] Playoff teams always draft after non-playoff teams, regardless of win-loss record.
• In the event that a playoff game ends in a tie, the deadlock will be broken using (1) Most touchdowns scored by a starting roster, (2) Most points scored by a starting defense
• The winner of the Toilet Bowl receives the #1 overall pick in RD1, while the loser of the Toilet Bowl receives #2 overall pick in RD1, before they revert to their original positons for the rest of the draft. Toilet Bowl seedings and details.

Drafting

• Yearly draft order is calculated according to reverse regular season standings (same tie-breakers as playoff format)
• The two Super Bowl contestants draft second-to-last and last
• The draft is worst to first, non-snake

Moving Forward

New Rules for 2011

• Decimalization of scores. Each rushing/receiving yard is now 0.1 points, and each passing yard is 0.05 points.
• Illegal rosters score zero points for the team and in the standings.
• Waivers will now be run 4x a week: Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat. Players cut by a team will be on waivers for one day. In addition, the waiver order will be set at the beginning of the season (in draft order) and then never reset. Picking up a player will drop a team to the bottom of the queue. Free agents will still be picked up free for all, after the first day of waivers run each week. (Detail)

Things voted on but not passed

• Using CBS vs ESPN: Denied on a 5-5 tie.

A Whole New World

In CTDB's long and storied history, there have been relatively few twists added to the successful formula. However, as we approach our tenth anniversary season, we thought it would be a good time to re-examine the rules that have taken us to where we are. After a delay and some nasty behind the scenes fighting and power plays, the new rule tweaks for our 2010 season have been ironed out. Here's what's changed:

Gone Baby Gone

• There are no more carryovers for bye weeks.
• Bonus points for long touchdowns are eliminated. Previously it was +1 point for TDs for fifty or more yards.

New Rules, New Rules

• Starting lineup requirements remain the same but bench positions have been expanded +2 to a total of six.
• There will now be a Toilet Bowl for the non-playoff teams to determine the #1 and #2 draft positions each year. Please read this post for details.
• The waiver wire system has been dramatically changed. We will be using CBS' automated blind bidding auction process. Please refer to the separate post for details.
• [Update 9.09.10] The waivers system is intact but with a slight change: the order will reset each week to reverse standings order.
• Special Teams Points: A blocked punt, PAT, or FG now notch +2 for the team defense/special teams.
• Defensive Scoring: A total revamp with the following ranges:

Defensive Yards:

• Less than 100 yards allowed: +6 points
• 100-199 yards allowed: +4 pts
• 200-299 yards allowed: +2 pts
• 400-449 yards allowed: -2 pts
• 450-499 yards allowed: -4 pts
• 500-549+ yards allowed: -6 pts

Defensive Points:

• 0 Points allowed: +6 pts
• 1-6 points allowed: +4 pts
• 7-13 points allowed: +2 pts
• 22-27 points allowed: -2 pts
• 28-34 points allowed: -4 pts
• 35-45+ points allowed: -6 pts

Rules Shot Through the Heart

• Decimal Scoring: Include decimal scoring instead of rounding (down) to nearest point.
• Passing Yards Increase: The proposed rule would change every 25 passing yards per 1 point. The original rule was 20 yards per 1 point and now remains the same.
• Negative Points for FG Misses: The rule would have assigned -1 point for each FG miss.

Eh, I don't think so Jeeves. Another time.

• Point Per Reception: Currently we have 0.5 points per reception, and there was talk of going a full point per reception
• Expansion: There was some momentum for expansion but ultimately it was decided against
• Head Coach: Adding a Head Coach position was brought up and quickly denied
• Requiring a second running back: There was a motion to require another RB slot
• Blogging: Each owner would be required to submit one article per season

One more thing...

• Lineup deadline is 5 minutes before gametime for each player
• Illegal rosters score zero points in standings. So if you do not have a full starting roster, lacking a K or Def say, your scores that week will be disqualified

Update [9.09.10]
1. The illegal rosters score zero points for the week rule has been eliminated.
2. The free agent auction system is gone and is now a waivers system, with a reset each week in reverse order of standings.

Introducing: Toilet Bowl and the Free Agent Auction

Toilet Bowl

Instead of just handing the first picks of the draft to the teams that perennially suck, we have decided to hold a Toilet Bowl for the four non-playoff qualifiers. This means that every team will get a chance to keep fighting deep into the post-season. How the Toilet Bowl will work is below:

• The four teams not in the playoffs are routed to the consolidation tourney, aka The Toilet Bowl.
• Matchups are not conference exclusive, so reseeded #7 plays #10 and #8 plays #9. Use the same playoff matchup seeding rules to determine seeds.
• The Toilet Bowl winner and runner up get the #1 and #2 overall picks for the following year’s draft, but only in the first round. Then the draft reverts to reverse order of standings.

Free Agent Auction

In addition, we have fielded some complaints over the years about how the waiver wire and free agent system works. Currently if you are lower in overall standing than everyone else, you get the pick of the free agent litter on Wednesdays (or whenever the waiver wire was run). This year we will try out an automated blind bidding auction process. As it's run by CBS and this is our first time using it, there might be some kinks to work out. However, this is how I believe it works:

• The yearly budge for all acquisitions is set at $100 total
• The minimum bid for a free agent is $0
• Waiver wire runs daily Tuesday through Saturday (we may have to see how this works and change it)
• Free Agent Auction Tiebreaker resets each week to inverse order of standings
• Dropped players will not be auctioned for at least 1 (one) day

Currently the system is automated but there is an option for the commissioners to manually approve add/drops. The advantage of this -- from what I've read -- is that the automated option doesn't allow you to rank which players you want to bid on first. We'll see how this plays out.

We feel like this new way of acquiring free agents will add some drama and intrigue to the waiver wire. "Should I bid $20 on this hot new wide receiver in WK2 or save my money?" Notice that the minimum bid is $0 so you could likely continue to pick up free agents after your budget has run out, as long as nobody bids at least $1. I anticipate some fun strategy and angry words from utilizing this system.

Update [9.09.10]
The free agent auction system is gone and is now a waivers system, with a reset each week in reverse order of standings.

The Rules

Rosters
14 man rosters
5 keepers per season

Starting Lineups
1 QB
1 RB
3 WR/TE
1 RB/WR/TE
1 K
1 Def

Lineup deadline is 5 minutes before gametime for each player

Transactions
Add/drops are handled by a waivers process.
Dropped players remain on waivers for at least 1 day(s).

Schedule
Playoffs start in Week 14 and last for 3 Weeks

Scoring
alternate link (w/ wrong kicking points)
Offensive Categories
FG - Field Goals: 3 pts + 1 pt if FG is over 50+ yards
XP - Extra Points: 1 pt
FL - Fumble Lost: minus 2 pts
INT - Passing Interception - minus 2 pts

2P - Passing, Rushing, Receiving 2 Point Conversion: 2 pts
TD - Passing, Rushing, Receiving 2 Point Conversion: 6 pts
Big Play Bonus: +1 pt for any TD over 50+ yards

Passing Yards: 1 pt per 20 yards
Rushing Yards: 1 pt per 10 yards
Receiving Yards: 1 pt per 10 yards

Receptions: 1 pt for every 2 receptions (rounded down)

Defensive Categories
DFR - Defensive/ST Fumble Recovered: 1 pt
DTD - Defensive and Special Teams TD: 6 pts
INT - Interceptions: 2 points
PA - Points Against 0 - 6 PA: 4 pts
PA - Points Against 7 - 13 PA: 2 pts

SACK - Sack 1 point
STY - Safety 3 points
YDS - Yards Allowed 0 - 199 yards = 4 pts
YDS - Yards Allowed 200 - 299 yards = 2 pts

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Constitution: We will be keeping 5 players at the end of every year. Then at the beginning of each season, we will draft the rest of the roster anew.

Trades can be overturned by 3/4 of the Rules Committee (Jon, Evan, Eric, Ping). If it is a tie, then the trade goes through.

New rules are implemented upon a majority vote from the league (currently 6/10). [Added 8/2011, Jon]

Waivers are processed and reset to reverse order of the current week's standings once a week every Tuesday. Waiver order is set at the beginning of each season and then never reset. [Amended 8/2011, Jon]

There will be no homefield advantage beginning in 2004 (CTDB Season IV). First round byes and matchup scheduling will still be in effect.

Ties in the standings are resolved in this order: Winning Percentage, Total Points.

Playoff seeding tiebreakers will be determined by 1. Head-to-head record, 2. Points scored, and then 3. Division record. In the event that a playoff game ends in a tie, the deadlock will be broken using 1. Most touchdowns scored by a starting roster and 2. Most points scored by a starting defense. Regular season ties will be left as ties.

The yearly draft order will be calculated according to reverse regular season standings (same tie-breaker as playoff format) with the exception that the two Super Bowl contestants draft last and next to last. With the winner drafting last, of course. The Toilet Bowl participants now select #1 and #2. [Amended 8/10/06 and 8/2011, Jon]

A yearly trade deadline will be in effect beginning Week 10 of the regular season starting 2004. Adjusted to December 1st. [Amended 8/2010, Jon]

League Start Year: 2001