USFFL CONSTITUTION
YEAR XXIV – 2023 SEASON
OPERATION:
USFFL STAFF:
Commissioner: TIM ERVIN handles the day-to-day operations of the league to include facilitating all organization and communication.
Assistant to the Commissioner: TONY TELLERIA assists the day-to-day operations of the league by providing support to the commissioner in helping to shape the league image and by providing support in some of the tracking required by the league.
Software Admin: SCOTT MUELLER oversees the Strat-o-Matic software, including setting up the league and managing the import/export of all league files.
Website Admin: SCOTT SCHUMACHER oversees the USFFL Website to include development and design.
Tech Admin: DENNIS CROWLEY provides tech support when possible for USFFL issues.
GAME: The USFFL Year XXIV – 2023 Season will utilize the Strat-o-Matic Computer Football game.
REQUIREMENTS: SOMFB Computer Version, 2023 Rosters with Card Image, Google Email List and USFFL Slack. There is a $3.00 USD per year fee to participate in this league and coaches should coordinate with Tony Telleria on providing payment on this fee. The fee has historically covered the costs associated with the following league items: 1) Championship and Coach of the Year plaques including postage for delivery and 2) USF domain/website.
LEAGUE STRUCTURE: The USFFL is a “STOCK” team, continuous ownership league. All 32 NFL teams participate. Trading players is not allowed. There are no Annual Player Drafts. Each Head Coach operates his own NFL affiliated franchise as carded by Strat-o-matic each year with no adjustments. ALL games are to be played live using the Net Play feature. Games are played typically within 2 hours. We play typically 1 game per week.
LEAGUE FORMAT: We will be using a 17-game regular season actual NFL schedule and a playoff system identical to the NFL. The Software Admin will be responsible for manually reducing the injury time by one week for any player that goes into his team’s regular season bye week with an injury. The league will use all NFL rules as it pertains to any tie-breakers at the end of the season unless explicitly written differently in the constitution.
SWITCHING FRANCHISES: The USFFL uses a ranking system to distribute OPEN teams. An OPEN team may become available if a Coach has decided to drop from the league. The ranking order for claiming open teams is shown in the Head Coach Directory link of our USFFL website. Any Coach that switches teams will always be placed at the bottom of the list, allowing other coaches the opportunity in future seasons. A head coach may switch teams by either 1) trading with another owner or 2) claiming an open team. The higher the head coach’s name appears on this directory link, the higher their position will be for claiming a new USFFL team. The overall object of this rule is to allow head coaches some flexibility & choice in switching teams over time and reward those existing Head Coaches that remain committed in the league for a longer time. Note: Trading teams during the Regular Season is not allowed, however; claiming OPEN teams during the Regular Season is permitted.
THE OFFICIAL SUBS PROCESS TO BE FOLLOWED:
- A subs list will be created before kickoff of week one consisting of ONLY the
coaches who choose to OPT-IN to be a sub for the season. This subs-list will
be divided into NFC and AFC subs. You can ONLY sub for a team in the
opposite conference of your own team. For example: Tony Telleria, as the
Dolphins Coach, IF he opts-in to be a sub, can ONLY play an NFC Team if a sub
is needed. For this reason, we will need subs from both conferences. - A NEW Slack Channel (#subs) will be created. When a sub is needed, it will
be posted publicly in this thread. Immediately after it is posted, the Commish
will do a random-roll in public on that #subs channel to determine who gets to be the sub for this game. When your name comes up on the randomization to be a sub, you will be given the opportunity to schedule a kickoff with the other team. Whether you accept and play the game, or decline and we go to the next sub, you will be pulled out of the sub pool for
the rest of the season, unless of course…. If we go through the entire list of
subs for a conference before the end of the season, we will start over
completely with all subs back in the pool for randomization for that conference. - Any Coach with ONE season of experience in the USFFL is eligible to be a sub.
- Each time a Head Coach subs in for a coach that can’t play their scheduled game or an OPEN team three times, either during the Regular Season or Playoffs, they will be able to move up the Directory Listings one slot. The Assistant to the Commissioner will keep track of Head Coaches that Sub during the year.
LEAGUE SPORTSMANSHIP: The USFFL is about having fun – WIN OR LOSE OR TIE. This league will have a zero-tolerance policy for any Head Coach that cannot respect their peers nor the rules of this league. All conflicts will be decided by the commissioner.
MISSING DEADLINES: It is important for the success of the league that coaches meet their end of week deadlines for playing their games and posting their game summaries. Coaches that are not meeting these deadlines will be managed solely by the commissioner. Repeated failures to meet deadlines and failures to respond to league office upon inquiry can result in removal from the league at the sole discretion of the commissioner.
GUIDELINES/EXPECTATIONS EACH WEEK FROM EACH GM:
- Reach out to your opponent EARLY each week to start the process of scheduling your game.
- Communicate quickly with the commissioner if you can’t reach your opponent to schedule the game, or if you and your opponent are having an issue finding a time that works for both. The league office wants to be aware of these issues expeditiously so we can assure that a sub-coach is lined up to play the game if necessary.
- Just as soon as you and your opponent have scheduled your game, go to the #scheduled_games channel in Slack and post the scheduled date/time (INCLUDING TIME ZONE) for your kickoff. Please post this immediately upon scheduling your game to allow our team the time to plan accordingly for Game Broadcasts.
- Before the first play of your game, please go to the #scheduled_games channel in Slack and post the Game Number for your matchup. This should be done regardless of whether a broadcast of your game has been announced. If the software needs to be restarted in the middle of a game, you should post the updated game number as well.
- Make sure the game is completed prior to the weekly deadline. Both coaches should upload the POST-file for the game to the league via the Cloud.
- The WINNING coach posts a game summary on the USFFL Slack website. In the event of a game ending in a tie, the home coach has the obligation to post the game summary.
- Every coach can choose to use animation or not at his sole discretion.
- There will be a mandatory halftime break of 2 minutes if either coach wants it.
LEAGUE OPTIONS TO BE VERIFIED PRIOR TO LAUNCHING THE GAME:
PENALTIES – YES,
PLAYER OVERUSAGE – YES – 150% (REGULAR SEASON) – NO (PLAYOFFS)
USE QB STARTER FILE – NO,
QB OVERUSAGE – YES – 150%
RUNNING BACK FATIGUE – YES,
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE – YES,
LINEBACKER IN RUN CONTAINMENT – YES,
LOW-USAGE RB CONTAINMENT – YES
USE INDIVIDUALIZED FUMBLE RATINGS – YES,
DO NOT ALLOW EXCEEDING LONGEST RUN – YES
DO NOT ALLOW EXCEEDING LONGEST RECEPTION – YES
DO NOT LIMIT WR LONGEST RECEPTION – YES
EXHAUSTED RB’S WILL GET INJURED – NO
DON’T ALLOW QB’S TO GET INJURED – NO
USE SPLIT DEFENSIVE RATINGS – YES
DUMPOFF RULE – YES
UPDATED SACK RULE – YES
IN-GAME REST SYSTEM – NO
EMPHASIZE 6-RATED LBS – YES
GREAT PLAYER IMPACT RULE – NO
LOOSER SUBSTITUTION RESTRICTIONS – NO
EMPTY FLAT PASS = GUESSED WRONG – YES
USE VARIABLE FG RULE = YES
QB END RUN LIMITS – YES,
USE ACTUAL TEAM INTERCEPTION RETURNS – YES,
USE HISTORICAL TEAM PACE – NO
USE VARIABLE PASS INTERFERENCE YARDAGE – YES
CONSIDER FLAT PASS AS RUNS – NO
USE YARDS AFTER CATCH RATINGS – YES
INJURIES – MULTIPLE GAME INJURIES
RULES THROUGH THE YEARS – USE CUSTOM RULES (2023 SEASON)
MANDATORY LEAGUE OPTIONS TO BE VERIFIED BEFORE KICKING OFF:
AUTO SAVE AFTER EACH PLAY – YES
GAME PLAY RULES:
1) Running Backs must play the position they are rated for thus, a HB rated for HB and FB can play both. Any formation that requires a FB/BB must use one, for example; the PRO FORMATION requires a HB and a FB and does not allow two HBs.
2) When your starting QB is relieved by the back-up QB, he may not return to the game unless the substitution was due to an in-game injury. Once your back-up QB is relieved by the third string QB, he may not return to the game unless the substitution was due to an in-game injury. This will prevent the unrealistic use of QB specialist during the game, for example; bringing in your FP strong QB and then replacing him repeatedly for your SP and/or LP strong QB.
3) Nickelbacks that have a higher rating than their teams starting CBs shall only play when the defense called is nickel or dime unless one of the starting CBs is injured.
TIE BREAKERS: Any tie-breakers will be settled by using the real NFL rule procedures.
RULE & LEAGUE CHANGES: New rules and/or new league format changes require 51% (17 of 32 Votes for) approval while changes to existing rules and/or existing league format require 75% approval (24 of 32 Votes for). The commissioner reserves to right to cast votes for any non-voting members. The same rule proposal will not be presented for vote in consecutive seasons, unless the commissioner (in his sole discretion) judges that new Strat rules make the proposal “fresh”.
USFFL SUPERBOWL: The winner of the USFFL 2022 SUPERBOWL – Year XXIV will be presented a trophy for their outstanding accomplishment. The trophy will be sent to the Head Coach in the off-season.
USFFL COACH OF THE YEAR: This tournament will be held for Non-Playoff teams only and all COY teams enter the playoffs at full health. Entrance will be given to those teams in the USFFL that have performed better than their actual affiliated NFL teams record in the same season. Tie-breakers will be settled by this ranking order: 1) Head to Head 2) Strength of Schedule and 3) Points Differential. Only current members can participate. The commissioner will create a playoff tree that includes all eligible teams for the COY Tourney. The winner of the USFFL 2022 COACH OF THE YEAR – Year XXIV will be presented a trophy for their outstanding accomplishment. The trophy will be sent to the Head Coach in the off-season.
USFFL OWLS TOURNAMENT: This tournament is an optional tournament, so it may not happen every year. Participation in the tournament is an option for all teams who begin the USFFL season on the Wait List. OWLS = Optional Wait List Tourney. A minimum of 2 teams must opt-in for the tournament to be held. The tournament will be organized, structured and administered solely by the Commissioner and will begin on the same week the USFFL season begins. The winner of this tournament will win a SUB-CREDIT they may use once they are promoted to the parent league.
