The Official Rules of the
Federal Indoor Football League (FIFL)
Overview
--------
What exactly IS FIFL? Well, it's the Federal Indoor Football League,
a computer-simulated football league run using Dynamix Front Page
Sports Football Pro '97. FIFL gives you the chance to be owner, general
manager and coach of your very own professional football team. And it's
totally free!! No annyoying multi-million dollar franchise fees here!
Now, before I go any further, there is one thing I should make perfectly
clear. FIFL is NOT a true fantasy football league. A true fantasy
football league is one in which you draft a team of real players,
and you score points whenever your players score points in real games.
In FIFL, all games are run on a computer. We use the names of the real
players, but their performance in FIFL has nothing to do with their
performance in real games. Instead, it is based on ratings which
reflect their real-life skills.
FIFL is a career league, which means we do not stop after one season.
Instead, we have offseason activities, including a college draft. Then,
it's on to the next season!
The Commissioner
----------------
The FIFL commissioner is David Harwood. I can be reached at either of the
following email addresses:
commish@federalfootball.com
davidharwood@live.com
League Setup
------------
FIFL is composed of 18 teams divided between 2 conferences and 4 divisions.
We play a 14 game schedule. The 4 division champions, along with 4 wild card
teams advance to the playoffs.
Schedule
--------
Trade deadline is week 10 (4 weeks before the end of the regular season)
Games will be simulated on Thursday evenings unless noted.
Generally, there will be an "offseason" lasting one or two months
between seasons. During this time the draft is held, as well as
training camp and preseason.
Playoffs
--------
We use the current NFL Tie-Breaker Rules to decide playoffs and tie breakers, with one
exception. Should two teams be tied for the final spot in a division, it is
the head-to-head that will decide the winner, however if it is three clubs or more, it
will be Conference Record first, then follow the next set of tiebreaker rules.
Team Ownership
--------------
Team ownership is absolutely free! All I ask is that owners take an
active part in the league. Internet e-mail access is preferred, but it
is not necesaary to have full access to the net.
If an owner is inactive for a period of two weeks, I will send a
warning to that owner. If the owner does not respond within one week
from the warning being issued, then that owner will lose his team.
So please keep in touch as often as possible!
Also, if a team has a player with a serious injury (O-#), and that
player is listed as "A"ctive for two games, then that will also
cause a warning to be issued to the owner of that team. Failure
to adjust for the injury afterwards could results in dismissal from
the league.
A waiting list of potential owners is being kept. When a team becomes
available, I will offer the team to each name on the list, in the
order that they were added. Any names on the list who do not respond
to an offer either way will be dropped from the list.
Stadiums
--------
Each team plays indoors - thus Federal INDOOR Football League.
Team Rosters
------------
Each FIFL team has a roster of 53 players. A typical roster entry for
an FIFL player looks like this:
Pos NO. Name Injy Years SP AC AG ST HA EN IN DI
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A HB1 20 Smith, Emmitt P-1 5 91 89 87 84 80 84 73 77
Now, let's look at this entry in more detail
The first column is the player's current roster designation. There are 4
different roster designations available:
'A' - as in Active. This player is available to play in games, and is most
likely going to be 1st or 2nd string.
Each team must have 34 'A' players, broken down by position like
this:
2 Quarterbacks
3 Running Backs (Halfbacks & Fullbacks)
5 Receivers (Wide Receivers & Tight Ends)
6 Offensive Linemen (Centers, Guards & Tackles)
4 Defensive Linemen (Defensive Tackles & Defensive Ends)
5 Linebackers
7 Defensive Backs (Safeties & Cornerbacks)
1 Kicker
1 Punter
'O' - This player is also available to play, but is probably no higher than
3rd string and will spend most of his time parked on the bench.
Each team must have 12 players with the 'O' designation.
'I' - Inactive. This guy will NOT be playing in any games until you move
him to 'A' or 'O'. This is a good place for injured players who
are not hurt bad enough to put on Injured Reserve.
Each team must have 7 players with the 'I' designation.
'IR' - Injured Reserve. Any player on injured reserve is OUT for the
season, so use this one in only the most extreme cases!
Next is the player's position and depth number. The positions are:
QB = Quarterback
HB = Halfback
FB = Fullback
WR = Wide Receiver
TE = Tight End
C = Center
G = Guard
T = Tackle
DT = Defensive Tackle
DE = Defensive End
LB = Linebacker
S = Safety
CB = Cornerback
K = Kicker
P = Punter
In some cases, a player can be converted from one position to another.
This is a good idea if a player's skills are more suited to another
position. The following are the valid position changes that can be
made at any time:
HB: to FB
FB: to HB
C : to G or T
G : to C or T
T : to C or G
DE: to DT
DT: to DE
CB: to S
S : to CB
The depth number indicates that players depth at his position. Of course,
Emmitt is the number 1 halfback on his team. This number is closely
related to the player's designation. A player who is number 1 at his
position HAS to be designated 'A'.
Next is the player's jersey number and name. No explanation needed there.
The Injury Status of the player gives the player's current health. The
following designations can be used:
OK = Player is completely healthy.
P = Probable. He's banged up a bit, but he can still play.
Q = Questionable. He could play, but he's not going to be very effective.
D = Doubtful. He's not doing so good, and probably shouldn't play unless
he wants to make his condition worse.
O = Out. No way is this guy going to see action! Keep him on the sidelines, coach.
If a player is injured, a number will appear as part of his injury status.
This is the number of weeks until that player is completely healthy again.
Any play injured will show on the Injury Report.
If a player is injured between 6 games and 12 games (ie O-10), I will roll
a dice and if it lands even, the injury holds, if it lands on odd, then the
injury is reduced in half. This is to help out people on some major injuries
since we all work hard to get our rosters built up. This change is just
determined the player got a 2nd opinion as the injurty was diagnosed wrong.
The game will not let you IR any player unless he is out 7 or more games. I
will however allow any player to be added to IR if they are out 5 games or more.
Career-ending injuries are a possibility in this game! They are very rare,
but one can strike out of nowhere. I would actually love to see it happen
once, and if so, would not change this.
The Years column indicates the player's experience. The 5 listed for
Emmitt shows that this is his 5th year in the league. Rookies are
designated with an 'R'. This number is very important because players
will retire in this league! So keep an eye on those years, especially
when they get above 10.
The last 8 columns are the player's skill ratings. Each player on an
FIFL team is giving a rating from 1 to 100 in 8 different skills,
regardless of his position. The skills, with their abbreviations in
parentheses, are:
Speed (SP) : How fast a player can run.
Acceleration (AC) : How fast player can achieve top speed from a standing start.
Agility (AG) : How well the player changes direction or leaps.
Strength (ST) : How strong the player is.
Hands (HA) : How well the player uses his hands.
Endurance (EN) : How well the player resists injury and fatigue.
Intelligence (IN) : How well the player interprets events and uses that information.
Discipline (DI) : How well the player performs under pressure or avoids mistakes.
Some skills are more important than others, depending on what the player's
position is. Receivers need good Hands, quarterbacks need Intelligence,
kickers need Discipline, linemen need strength. You get the idea.
Here is a list of each position, with the two primary skills for each one:
Quarterback : Strength and Intelligence
Halfback : Speed and Hands
Fullback : Strength and Speed
Tight End : Hands and Strength
Wide Receiver : Hands and Speed
Center : Hands and Strength
Guard : Strength and Agility
Tackle : Strength and Acceleration
Defensive End : Acceleration and Strength
Defensive Tackle : Agility and Strength
Linebacker : Speed and Strength
Cornerback : Speed and Agility
Safety : Speed and Hands
Kicker : Strength and Discipline
Punter : Strength and Discipline
The skill ratings will increase over a player's career as he
approaches his peak, after which they will decrease. So Emmitt's numbers
will not always be that good!
Post-Draft Rookie Bonus
-----------------------
We will no longer award the "Sleeper" award, and have changed it so we award +1 to each team
at each skill level at Actual (not Potential) for SP, AC, AG, ST, HA, EN, IN and DI)
These can be applied after Training Camp. They must be used on your drafted rookies,
they do not carry over to the next season, they are not tradeable.
Example: You draft a QB, RB, K and DE. You give +1 in HA to the QB, +1 in SP, AC,
AG to the RB, +1 ST and EN to the DE, and +1 in IN and DI to the Kicker.
Training Camp
-------------
Following the draft, a training camp will be held. This is where
each team will be able to train its players in the various skills.
Each team will submit percentages for the training camp, emphasizing
the skills they want trained the most. The Maximum ability you can
give is 65 for a player. Here is an example of what should be submitted:
SP AC AG ST HA EN IN DI
--------------------------------------------------------------
Quarterback (QB) 5 5 5 65 5 5 5 5
Running Back (HB & FB) 65 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
Receivers (WR & TE) 50 5 5 10 10 5 5 10
Offensive Linemen (C, G & T) 5 5 10 50 10 10 5 5
Defensive Linemen (DE & DT) 10 10 15 20 5 20 10 10
Linebackers 20 5 10 35 5 5 5 25
Defensive Backs (CB & S) 30 5 20 5 20 5 10 5
Kickers/Punters 5 5 5 65 5 5 5 5
Protected Players
-----------------
You can protect two players over your roster cap during the FIFL Draft
to encourage trading, however following the last pick of the draft, any
protected player is a Free Agent however we will grant a 48-hour period
for trades to occur and then all players not on a roster are FA's.
Lineups
-------
The player designations ('A', 'O', 'I' & 'IR') and depth numbers (QB1,
HB3, CB5) determine what the team's starting lineup and primary reserves
will be. These can be changed using a standard lineup template. Any
changes to team lineups must be made before the announced deadline if
they are to have any effect on that week's games.
The lineup template is NOT required for making lineup changes. But,
regardless of the manner in which changes are submitted, owners are
urged to keep track of the status ('A', 'O', 'I') of all players on
their roster.
Also, if a template is used, please list any changes at the top, or
mark the changes accordingly.
All rosters must be AT the 53-player limit at ALL times. This means
whenever your draft, sign or trade for a player that puts your over the
limit, you must get rid of a player immediately to make room for your
new acquisition. Any trades that put a team over the roster limit without
making room will NOT be approved until the appropriate action is taken or I.
will drop a player on your behalf. If that player is signed by someone else
then it is not my responsibility. The same thing goes for free agent signings.
Coaching Profiles
-----------------
The lineup template includes a section for the team's coaching profile.
The profile determines your playcalling tendencies and your gameplan on
both offense and defense.
The first section of the profile allows you to enter percentages for
various offensive and defensive coaching tendencies. The higher value
you assign to one of the coaching styles listed below, the more closely
your offense or defense will follow that style. If the percentages are
used, they must be in multiples of 5%, and add up to a total of 100% on
offense and 100% on defense.
OFFENSE
-------
Rush Aggressive ---
Rush Balanced ---
Rush Conservative ---
Pass Aggressive ---
Pass Balanced ---
Pass Aggressive ---
The defensive tendencies work the same way. Again, the total of all six
percentage MUST equal 100%.
DEFENSE
-------
Rush Aggressive ---
Rush Balanced ---
Rush Conservative ---
Pass Aggressive ---
Pass Balanced ---
Pass Aggressive ---
Use of the percentages is not required to define your coaching profile!
If you prefer, you can define your profile using the next section of
the template, shown below:
PLAN PROFILE
---- -------
1st Half Offense
2nd Half Offense
1st Half Defense
2nd Half Defense
Here, you select a pre-defined gameplan and profile for your team. A
gameplan is a particular collection of plays, while the profile
determines which types of plays you use. You can select different
plans and profiles for each half, on both offense and defense:
Trading
-------
Teams may trade players and/or draft picks with one another. All trades
must be submitted in detail by both owners to me for consideration. I
will judge the trade, and either approve or reject it. Any deal which
I feel is too much in favor of one team will be rejected.
Trades cannot be made more than a year ahead of the current season. This
ensures a team does not cripple a franchise if they trade picks away and
leaves the league. It also ensures teams are not another teams farm.
In the event a trade is approved, the two owners involved have exactly
one week to dispute any discrepancies in the trade. If I find the
argument valid, the trade will be thrown out. The ONLY time I will find
an argument valid is when I personally make a mistake in approving a trade.
Any other arguments will be filed away in the recycle bin.
There is currently a trading deadline at Week #10 of the regular season,
after which no trading is allowed until the playoffs are finished.
Trading is allowed any time during the offseason, and during the season
until Week #10.
Trading injured players is not allowed by the game, however I have a
tool which allows this.
Free Agents
-----------
A list of free agents will be available after each week's games. Free agents
will be assigned based on the team's record, with poorer records getting first
pick. After than, free agents are assigned on a first come, first serve basis.
If a team is already at the roster limit of 53 players, then player(s) must be
released, traded or placed on Injured Reserve for each free agent signed. If
the necessary changes are not made immediately, then the requested free agent
will not be signed until the changes are made, possibly allowing another team
to sign the requested free agent first.
Lineup Deadlines
----------------
Games will be played on weekends, either Saturday or Sunday. Basically you
need to send in your changes by 10 AM PT Saturday morning. It would be great
however to get moves in as early as possible, so I do not spend all of game night
adding roster changes (i.e. Wednesday night works too).
Player Retirements
------------------
A list of player retirements will be released at the beginning of each offseason.
I can approve unretiring any player entering their 5th year or lower. Two days after
retirements are announced, you can submit two requests for players to unretire however
the window will close after this 48 hours.
The following rules apply:
A player cannot unretire if they have already been out more than one season. For
example, played in 2000, retired at seasons end, can be unretired in 2001, but not
in 2002. A player can be unretired only once.
Commish Rule:
A player who can qualify as unretiring is an offensive player (QB) with 3,000 + yards
A HB with 1,000 + yards, a WR or TE with 1,000 + yards, or a defensive player with
50 + tackles and/or 10+ sacks. This includes any kicker with 100+ points.
Any team listing a player as "I" (Inactive) does not have first rights to a player
who is unretiring. This waiver right will go in order of worst to first record.
A player CAN be unretired during a season, if a team wishes to do so, however they
must retain a position of "A" (Active) for the remainder of the season. A veteran
player who retires CAN be unretired by the Commish and be a Free Agent. If the
original team wishes to resign him, he must retain an "A" (Active) for the entire
season, even if traded.
The chance of a player coming back from retirement depends on the number of years
of experience. The following percentages apply:
Years of Experience % chance of "unretiring"
=================== ========================
1 100%
2 90%
3 90%
4 80%
5 70%
6 60%
7 50%
8 40%
9 30%
10 or more 20%
RULE CHANGES
------------
Anytime during the season, a "discussion" may start where a league rule may be requested
to change. For a rule to change, 12 or 18 GM's must approve, or if all GM's don't vote,
60% must agree in order to pass.