NCAA 2013 League Rules

[NCAA Dynasty League]

THE RULES:

PREAMBLE: We have taken a lot of time to designate rules that are best suited for ALL players. We take our rules VERY seriously, there will be NO lax attitudes when it comes to obeying the rules by the owners, or administering judgments by the administration. These rules are very basic rules that everyone can agree upon. They are not designed to limit fun but rather to guide gameplay within reason. Creativity and fun are emphasized in this league, but the reason we all LOVE our leagues is because they limit cheating and questionable gameplay tactics. DO NOT BE FOOLED: your administrators are very nice guys, but if you do not respect the league, its owners or the rules … YOU WILL BE REMOVED. IGNORANCE OF THE RULES IS NOT AN EXCUSE… if it is not important enough for you to take 5 minutes to read AND KNOW the rules, then the league is not important to you, and when you slipup, as you will if you do not know the rules, YOU WILL BE REMOVED.


I. FAIR GAMEPLAY AND RESPECT
ABOVE ALL ELSE, fair gameplay and respect is vital to this league. This is the NUMBER ONE RULE in our league. We will NOT tolerate any disrespectful play or attempts by any owners to circumvent the rules. If you do not agree with our rules and cannot adjust your gameplay style to fit within the rules, simply find another league. Because if you chose to not follow the rules set-out for the entire ownership group, you will be finding another league soon enough anyways. Fair gameplay and respect are essential. We will be very strict in this aspect because it defines our essence as a league.

- DISRESPECTFUL TALK IS NOT PERMITTED. We understand that in the heat of battle things can be said and words can be exchanged. But DO NOT make this a recurring theme. If you are constantly being disrespectful to others then you will be removed from the league, no questions asked. An owner of this personality type really has no place in our league and does not fit in.

- ARGUMENTS AND DISPUTES will be handled in a PRIVATE manner between the two coaches, their conference commissioner and, if necessary, a league administrator. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT publicly disrespect your opponent or file a complaint on the message boards, in the scouting report or in the game recap. If you do, THE MESSAGE WILL BE REMOVED and, if necessary, the OWNER WILL BE REMOVED also. **THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT RULE and there will be little tolerance for those who chose not to acknowledge it.

- PLAY WITHIN THE SPIRIT of the game. Running the same play 15 times again and again, while stoppable for most good coaches, IS NOT what we are looking for. You MUST open up your playbook. Use different plays this will make the game, in the long run, more enjoyable for you and ESPECIALLY for your opponent. Going for it on 4 and 37 in the first quarter is not realistic football. Five onside kicks a game is not realistic football. We think you get the point. If you are going to be a coach in this league it is important to remember that there is more than one way to skin a cat. Be imaginative. No one is saying you can't do your "money play"...just mix it up with the other 200 plays in your book. Do not abuse “money plays” that take advantage of an AI flaw in the game.


II. Game Setup

THE BASICS:

DIFFICULTY – ALL AMERICAN
LENGTH OF GAME – 7 Minute Quarters
INJURIES - ON
PLAYBOOKS - You may use ANY playbook offered online


SUBSTITUTIONS:
QB: QB. (Any player with a 70+ in THP may be a BACK-UP)
HB: HB
FB: FB, HB
WR: WR
TE: TE, FB
OL: OL
DL: DL
LB: LB, DL
CB: CB, S
S: S, CB, LB

--RBs will no longer be allowed to play FB regardless of their blocking numbers, packaging allows for two tailbacks to be on the field at the same time..
--No offensive players on Defense and vice versa.
--The #1 and #2 overall WRs must be used in the #1 and/or #2 positions. Placing a quality receiver down on your depth chart to take advantage of matchups is unacceptable.

PACKAGES:
With regards to the above three bulleted items there will now be a slight limitation of packages. ALL packages are available to use and are "fair game" with these 3 exceptions.
-- #1 WR CANNOT be moved into the slot. There are about a dozen offensive formations that allow you #1 WR to be moved to the slot. The ONLY defensive formation that allows you to move your #1 CB into the slot is nickel. This is not equitable and therefore not allowed.
-- CB 5 Wide - in the 5-wide sets there is a package that allows for a CB to line up at WR. In staying consistent with "no defensive players on offense" this package cannot be used.
-- WR at HB - in some sets the #1 WR can be subbed in as a HB...but not in the NDL. Smile



SCHEDULING

- ALL GAMES MUST BE SCHEDULED on the message boards. I WILL REPEAT – ALL GAMES MUST BE SCHEDULED ON THE MESSAGE BOARDS. We are requiring this because it makes the policing of owners who are not keeping up and standing other owners up easier. I know some of you think it’s a pain but IT IS REQUIRED. If you do not SCHEDULE the game on the boards, the game WILL NOT EXIST. Its as simple as that. Even if you schedule your games on AIM (which is also required) you MUST POST on the scheduling board. I CANNOT EMPHASIZE THIS ANYMORE… YOU MUST SCHEDULE YOUR GAMES ON THE MESSAGE BOARDS. MUST.

- ALL OWNERS MUST HAVE AN ACTIVE EMAIL ACCOUNT AND AOL INSTANT MESSENGER. These two things are not difficult to have but are essential to our league. If you cannot get AIM or email, then you cannot participate in our league.


III. GAMEPLAY RULES

AS A REMINDER OVERALL... no "gimmick" play that takes advantage of the AI is EVER acceptable, this includes such tricks as "Nano-Blitzing", "Delay Bumping" and odd-ball plays like WR Direct. If you want to play like this, you don't belong here.

Obviously next gen versions have a few more "Urban Meyerish" plays than previous versions. While we will not put a set limit on the #of plays keep in mind the spirit of the game and do not abuse the plays nor use as the basis for your offense. Remember you will ultimately receive a rating by your opponent after the game.

A. Kickoffs

Onside kickoffs are allowed in applicable situations. They are NOT to be abused. An owner is allowed to attempt to catch his opponent off guard once in a while, but again are NOT to be abused. If you wish to kick an onside kick you MUST use an onside kick formation. ONSIDE KICKS from standard kickoff formations ARE NOT ALLOWED. The ball must travel at least 30 yards for the kicking team to recover an onside out of a standard formation.

B. Offense

It is best for all parties to just remember that we’re looking for realistic gameplay in our league. Because “realism” is debateable there is a bit of room for dispute, but if your opponent is doing something questionable it is best to pause the game and discuss the situation with your opponent IN A CIVIL MANNER. We are all adults here, and we expect you to act like one.

Because EA just can't seem to figure these plays out, from this point forward the HB Direct and the QB Fake Spike are banned. The rarity of the plays occurances in "real" life does not jusify their use as the AI is apparently not going to be fixed.

MOTION -- You MAY motion all offensive players: TE, WR, HB, and FB. HOWEVER, ONCE across and ONCE back is sufficient to determine the coverage and to put the motioned player in the position you want. DO NOT ABUSE MOTION. ANY PLAYER in motion MUST CLEAR THE TACKLES AND BE *SET* BEFORE THE SNAP.

ANY EA designed plays involving motion and an auto snap of the ball while a player is between the tackles IS Acceptable.

QB PLAY -- QBs are only allowed to drop back 7-10 yards from their snap position (keep in mind Shotgun forms start about 5-6 yards deep) during pass plays (except when under extreme duress by the defense). This rule is in place to prevent the popular tactic of dropping your QB 10-20 yards deep to allow your WRs time to break free from defensive coverage. QB Roll-outs are deemed legal. However, be careful that you are not dropping the QB too far back from the line of scrimmage. The 7-10 yard rule still applies to Roll Out plays. Please do not abuse the Roll Out. Mobile QBs are a part of the game, but do not call pass plays with the sole intention of taking advantage of defensive AI flaws. In ANY situation, running with the QB on a called pass play only is acceptable in MODERATION There are designed QB run plays for a reason. (Remember, EA allows us to record video after the game. Questionable tactics involving running with the QB can and will be reviewed and is subject to action in accordance with rule violations)

NO HUDDLE -- You MUST huddle on any play where the result is the clock stopping (i.e. Incomplete Pass, Out of Bounds etc…) No-huddle offenses are not to be used as a main form of offense. You can use a no-huddle play to catch your opponent off guard once or twice a game, unless the clock is inside 2 minutes at the end of the half or game. No-huddle can also be used by a team trailing late in the 4th quarter. We could set specific guidelines, but PLEASE just use good judgment.

4-TH DOWN -- Because the game favors offense to defense it is much easier to achieve success on 4th down in the game as opposed to in real life. For this reason we restrict 4th down to realistic situations. Anywhere from your opponent’s 30-39 yard line is acceptable. 4th and one or less from your OWN 40 to your opponents goal line is acceptable. 4th down from the 5 and inside is acceptable. A 4th down hailmary at the end of the half is also acceptable. If you are leading by more than 14 points you must kick or punt the ball. If you are trailing by 28 or more at any time you can run no-huddle (except on dead balls) as well as trailing late in the 4th. Fakes are allowed within reason. Use good judgement. 4th and 13 from your own 35 in the 1st half is NOT acceptable to go for it or to fake.

SUBSTITUTIONS --
Allow up to 5 minutes for pre-game substitutions. Again, you will receive a rating after the game. Great sportsmanship starts with patience. Please though, limit the amount of substitution you must do in games. We would like to think everyone here is mature and we dont have to put a set number on number of pauses.

AUDIBLES -- Do not abuse audibles. 1 audible per play is sufficient. Excessive audibles are not allowed. Also you must wait until your opponent’s team is set before snapping the ball. Hot-Routes are acceptable. ***New for 08*** Due to the limited amount of plays that keep running back in to block, please be aware of opponents frequently hot routing their hbs to block. Those fall under the acceptable ruling and should be treated with patience.

GOAL LINE -- Goal Line Formation is for Goal Line (inside YOUR OWN or YOUR OPPONENT’s 10 yard line) and for SHORT YARDAGE (3rd/4th down and 3 or less) ONLY.

CLOCK MANAGEMENT -- It is acceptable to wind the playclock down to :01 inside of 2 minutes left in the game. Otherwise please be courteous to your opponent and choose your plays in a relatively "timely" manner. The Chew clock feature may only be used with 2 mins remaining to go in the end of the game.

***NEW FOR 2013*** a losing team may use chew clock any time after being down by 21

a winning team may use chew clock when up by 28 or more

any coach may still use it when less than 2 minutes left in the game

*New for 2013"

The "Bar" feature on this version bleeds through to the screen of opponents. As such, to maintain the integrity of the game for all, this will be banned from online play. This feature is turned off by simply pressing R3 buttom inward.

If your opponent has the feature on, and you continue gameplay, you assume full responsibility for the game played as is. Should you notice the feature on, pause the game immediately and communicate via aim, text or PSN messaging to advise of the rule and inform them how to remove the feature.

C. Defense

It is best for all parties to just remember that we’re looking for realistic gameplay in our league. Because “realism” is debateable there is a bit of room for dispute, but if your opponent is doing something questionable it is best to pause the game and discuss the situation with your opponent IN A CIVIL MANNER. We are all adults here, and we expect you to act like one.

MOVEMENT --

You may ONLY MANUALLY move ONE PLAYER; THAT ONE MUST BE PLAYER YOU ARE CONTROLLING (LB or DB) before the snap. All shifts are allowed but the man you control in the back 7 is the only one who can be manually moved. DO NOT MOVE YOUR PLAYER OUT OF THE REASONABLE REALM OF THEIR SPACE. Absolutely DO NOT move players to take advantage of AI flaws.

Defensive Line: the defensive line is to ONLY be moved within the AUTOMATIC SHIFTS provided in the game NO MANUAL MOVEMENT of D-line. You are not allowed to move any DL-man, either laterally or vertically, manually before the snap. After the snap feel free to move him back into coverage.

Linebackers: A linebacker can be shifted within reason manually. They CANNOT be moved toward the line of scrimmage or stacked ontop of a DE to take advantage of AI flaws. They cannot be moved inside a DLmen’s outermost point. REMEMBER: You can only manually shift 1 player on defense.

Defensive Backs: A safety can be shifted within reason manually. They CANNOT be moved inside of the normal linebacker positioning to the line of scrimmage. REMEMBER: You can only manually shift 1 player on defense.

AUDIBLING -- Audibling "down" from a Dime to a 44 (for instance) to take advantage of matchup changes is not acceptable as a form of defense. This can happen once or twice "accidentally" or getting "caught with your pants down" in a game, but basing your defense on this strategy is unacceptable.

GOAL LINE -- Goal Line Formation is for Goal Line (inside YOUR OWN or YOUR OPPONENT’s 10 yard line) and for SHORT YARDAGE (3rd/4th down and 3 or less) ONLY.

BUMP AND RUN/END RUSH

This type of defense, if you are a decent player and have fairly even teams, is easily battled against. It is allowed BUT DO NOT use these two methods as your ONLY form of defense or your main gameplan. They can be used occasionally, not A LOT or even the majority of the time. AGAIN, I cannot stress enough how IMPORTANT it is to vary your game type. If you feel your opponent is ABUSING this, pause the game and discuss the situation LIKE ADULTS, and attempt to work out a solution. Even if I know how to beat this type of gameplay does not mean I want to run the same type of plays all game to battle you, because you are unimaginative. If you are found to be over the course of a few games abusing this type of play then you will most likely be removed.

***New for 2010*** -- The "guess run" feature is BANNED. It is not acceptable in ANY situation. Use of the feature can result if forfeiture of the game and disciplinary action such as demotion to the farm system.
EA allows for up to 10 videos to be recorded after the game. Use this feature to record and publish the play(s) in question and provide the link to a commish when reporting the infraction.

D. Punting/Punt Blocking

When punting you may motion a gunner but he must come set before the ball is snapped.
When blocking a punt you MUST BE IN PUNT BLOCK FORMATION. You may not manually move any player except the punt returner before the snap. You CANNOT drop a player back into punt coverage BEFORE the snap. You also CANNOT manually shift ANY player (other than the punt returner) before the snap. Automatic shifts provided in the game are allowed.

E. Mercy Rule and Sportsmanship

Do not win by a margin greater than 35. With the difference in talent of teams and coaches, there is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON why you would need to roll up a win over your opponent. The coaches in this league who control “lesser” teams are the BACKBONE of the league and should not be made to suffer horrible defeats so guys can prove whatever it is they prove with a 50 point win. THIS IS THE EPITOMY OF BAD SPORTSMANSHIP and will be dealt with quickly and severely. If you break this rule you will be thrown out of the league no questions asked...so keep that in mind.

If you are shown to be rolling up STATS for individual awards… think again. We WILL NOT reward bad-sportsmanship with ANY type of award, other than the C-YA Later Award (league removal). This awards are intended to be fun and should be motivation for you to compromise good sportsmanship. If it is a league problem (which It will NOT be) we will remove them entirely along with the abusing owners. We are ALL adults here. We FULLY expect you to act like it.

As the game is supposed to be "fun" please be respectful of your opponent and choose your plays in a timely manner. Inside 2 minutes you can run the clock down to finish out.

F. Miscellaneous

There is sure to be other various situations that arise. Remember these KEY things… its only a video game, its not life and death. If you feel that you need to bend the rules, or maximize any crack, nook or corner of the rules to get ahead to win, this league is NOT FOR YOU. This league is intended for guys who love this video game, like we do, to get together, HAVE FUN and just enjoy it. Be a good sportsman. Play within the spirit of the league and its rules.
Any owner who has two games in a row simulated, will be excused from the league and replaced immediately. This is to prevent inactive users from keeping teams from people who are on the waitlist. Please take note, as no warning will be issued once your second game is simulated, you will just be replaced.
ANY COACH WHO DOES NOT FINISH OUT THEIR ENTIRE SCHEDULE WILL NOT BE INVITED BACK FOR THE FOLLOWING SEASON.

DISCONNECTS
If a disconnect occurs (stupid EA) ... then the two coaches will get together and work out the best solution. If there is 3 minutes left and the score is tied, then they'll play 1 3 minute quarter etc... The rule is to best replicate the situation as it was before the disconnect. Obviously if there is a disconnect right after kickoff or early in a scoreless game, the two coaches can agree to just start over from the beginning. Basically I want the two coaches to talk it over and come up with the most equitable solution, which basically involved attempting to replicate the situation before the D/C.

IV. DISPUTE RESOLUTION

The ABSOLUTE WORST part about running a league is this facet. If this were a perfect world everyone would play “straight” and there wouldn’t be any problems. This isn’t a perfect world. And although I’d love to think this will be the perfect league, there will be problems. Take your complaint to one of the admins or your commish. The admins will discuss your situation and determine whether the infraction warrants a warning, a replay or in certain situations removal of a coach. We will act quickly and attempt to get both sides of the story. ONE THING YOU SHOULD KNOW: we cannot be there to watch your games. We will have to take the information given to us and make a decision off of that. Some people do not feel this is fair, but it is the ONLY way to monitor you. Don’t make us have to be babysitters. We are ALL adults.

If you feel your opponent is “cheating” the first step you should take is PAUSE THE GAME AND TELL YOUR OPPONENT WHAT HE IS DOING WRONG. You will then discuss the decision LIKE MEN. If I find out that you guys are talking sh!t over AIM and EAIM you will be removed. Discuss it like men and come to a resolution.

With EA leaving off in game chat, that will make this a bit more difficult. Since everyone has aim and 80% of us have routers, the "signal" to goto aim to have a discussion will be to pause the game back to back. So pause, goto pause menu, then quicky, hit "resume", then pause again.

If you are playing someone who DOES not have a router, or you do not see them on aim within 2 minutes, go back and FINISH THE GAME.

The BIGGEST ally we have this year is with the PS3, you can go back and save most plays and upload them to a website.

If you are having a problem with a coaches actions, Save the plays in question...(or at least 5 of them), then you can submit them to your conference commish for review.

Again: DO NOT QUIT THE GAME. Even if your opponent is the biggest cheater in the book you MUST FINISH THE GAME.

DO NOT COUNTER A CHEATER WITH CHEATING. You cannot make a case for yourself after the game if you decide to battle cheating with cheating. Finish the game. File a complaint. And let us take care of the situation. That’s what we’re here for.

Remember: DO NOT file a complaint against another owner in a public forum (message boards, scouting reports, league daddy, whatever). If you do, you will be disciplined also. We want to handle things professionally and as adults.

As always... if you have a problem, question, concern or any issue with a rule, hit me up on AIM or in a PM and I will gladly discuss the situation with you.

[Nole4real]

*rule addendum*

If you are found to have attempted or have perpetrated creating a "secret" alias/ghost you are subject to immediate dismissal from league.

[ChampDizzle]

*rule addendum*

If you are found to have attempted or have perpetrated creating a "secret" alias/ghost you are subject to immediate dismissal from league.

nice knowing ya Niddler

[BFiVL]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBfYQOSSPqc[/youtube]

Fitting here.

[BFiVL]

Actually, this is a lot better. Nole throwing elbows.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1lKWqy5ho4[/youtube]

[jeffdaddy]

Wait...NIddler seriously played as two people? Or is this a fuck around thread?

[shel311]

Wait...NIddler seriously played as two people? Or is this a fuck around thread?

Thread is serious, but the names thrown around are just jokes...I think, lol.

[UCWeiser]

Wait...NIddler seriously played as two people? Or is this a fuck around thread?

It is a play on how we say that Niddler is JeffMo.

[huskerskev84]

Wait...NIddler seriously played as two people? Or is this a fuck around thread?

Thread is serious, but the names thrown around are just jokes...I think, lol.

It's probably fairly safe to assume this has happened somewhere or is expected though. Rules aren't added without reason, especially something this random.

[BigStimpin]

Wait, what happened?! Clarification....? You cannot pose as two different coaches per one human? Someone did this? Obviously, just nosy, sorry.

[thedonkeysho]

Hell I always thought this entire league was comprised of just 5-6 other guys with horrible cases of schizophrenia.

Sorry.

[brwnbear]

Hell I always thought this entire league was comprised of just 5-6 other guys with horrible cases of schizophrenia.

Sorry.

[ReignOnU]

Hell I always thought this entire league was comprised of just 5-6 other guys with horrible cases of schizophrenia.

Sorry.

NDL Florida consists of Shel... and Shel... and the other Shel.

[shel311]

Hell I always thought this entire league was comprised of just 5-6 other guys with horrible cases of schizophrenia.

Sorry.

NDL Florida consists of Shel... and Shel... and the other Shel.

You're just jealous of my hair.

I mean, you're just jealous of all the deuce fitties I score.

I mean, Lebron rules!!!

[Cnasty]

NDL Florida consists of Shel... and Shel... and the other Shel.

You ever insult me like that again I will hunt you down and kick you in the shin, very hard.

[Uuaww]

you guys have to tell us who this is... money is on brett/nick

[The_Niddler]

I can guarandamntee that it is not me and Jeffmo.

oldschoola and a few others met me. If they ever met Jeffmo, I am sure we look nothing alike.

But now I am curious as to who it was...as someone posted, this had to happen. Rules like this don't just randomly get added!


To set the record straight...the only time I have done this is in the Farm, where I was instructed to do this!

[DRiccio21]

it was me and nick.

i apologize. i just have way too much time on my hands and thought it'd be funny.

it wont happen again.

[Cnasty]

JeffMo looks like this guy so Niddler is safe...for now.

[buckeye76]

it was me and nick.

i apologize. i just have way too much time on my hands and thought it'd be funny.

it wont happen again.