2022-23 NBA LEAGUE RULES

All questions, disputes and interpretations of these rules subject to commissioner’s rulings.
All commissioner rulings will be final.

Commish:    JEFF SNYDER     303-868-7039    ualcommish@gmail.com

We were able to complete the 2021-22 NFL fantasy seasons, despite the ongoing Covid impacts. As we start the 2022-23 season, Covid still has the potential to affect players and games. I am hoping to address the major concerns before the season starts, but I know there will be additional issues for the NFL and our fantasy league to overcome. As we have seen in all sports leagues, there will be good/bad weeks and fantasy team's will be impacted to varying levels. There are still too many what if's to try and cover every scenario. The league will act in an appropriate manner when it comes to Covid-related rulings. Thanks for everyone's patience and understanding this year as we continue to navigate the Covid world.

Due to the ongoing Covid pandemic the following rules will be in place for the 2022-23 season:
1. If the NBA season is cancelled prior to the completion of week 17 (the end of our regular season), our league will be cancelled. All entry fees will be refunded or credited towards a future season or league. No payouts will be issued for any side pots, division winners or playoff prizes.
2. If the NBA season is cancelled during weeks 18-19 (our playoff weeks) payouts will be awarded as such : A) side pots and division winners paid based on regular season results. Weekly points pool would also be final based off regular season results. B) Playoff teams will receive payouts based upon finish of played playoff round(s) or seeding for unplayed playoff round(s). For example, first round is played but then season cancelled, payouts for first round teams eliminated paid as normal, remaining teams would be paid based upon their seed.
3. Due to the unknown nature of how Covid protocols (positive test or close contact exposure) will affect the league on a daily/weekly basis, any verifiable injury or Covid protocol issue for that player can be used to place a player on the IR. It must be a substantiated injury or Covid protocol issue, not just a player was given a day off for rest.
 4. Lineups are still set on a weekly basis. There will continue to be no mid-week lineup changes, that would be very difficult to manage. Due to high likelihood of players to miss games during the week, all 10 players on your roster will be used in your lineup each week. Previously lineups consisted of 6 starters, 3 subs and 1 inactive player. We will create a 4th sub spot to help with the potential missed games. The Sub Guard, Sub Forward and Sub Center/Optional remain the same and will be used FIRST for missed games as normal. The new 4th sub will fill in for any starting player that missed a game(s) and does not have a sub available for any reason. We want teams to be competitive and hopefully have 18 games played each week with the extra sub if necessary. You will need to factor in this new sub position when setting your lineup each week.
5. The "normal subs" (SG, SF, SO) will be used first as they have in the past. Subs are used for the next available game, going backwards if necessary. When necessary the 4th Sub will be used for missed games. The 4th sub will be used for the first available missed game and any additional necessary missed games. The 4th sub could be used for missed games prior to when the "normal sub" is used.
For example:
Your starting G missed games Mon, Wed, Fri, but played Sun
Your SG is only available on Wed
Your Sub would be used on Mon or Fri, the next available game if necessary if they did not play those two days.
 6. If a starter was scheduled for less than 3 games in the week, you can only use subs for the amount of games originally scheduled. For example, starter was only scheduled for 2 games for the week, you only get subs for 2 games. That rule has not changed.
7. If a starter misses the entire week, you get the entire week from the "normal sub". For example, the starter was scheduled for 3 games, but normal sub had 4, you get best of 4 from sub. That rule has not changed.
8. If a starter misses the entire week, but the "normal sub" misses games too, the amount of games for the "normal sub" and the 4th sub combined can not exceed to original amount of games for the starter. For example, starter was scheduled for 4 games, misses entire week. The "normal sub" only plays 2 of their 4 scheduled games. The 4th sub will be used for 2 games (first available, then backwards if necessary). You do not get 2 games from "normal sub" and then entire week from 4th sub as well. Sub scores will be matched up as closely as possible to the starters missed games.
9. A player dropped off the IR or dropped when activating an IR player (Covid or injured) is immediately available to be claimed the next day.

These 2022-23 season ONLY rule adjustments supersede any rules listed below.
Additional mid-season rule changes will be updated as necessary.

The Season
 Starting in 2021 the league week will be Monday thru Sunday. The season will consist of 18 weeks of regular season play beginning Monday October 24th, 2022. There will be no league games the week of Christmas 12/19-12/25. There will be a combined week the week of the NBA All-Star Game from 2/13-2/26. There will be 2 rounds of playoffs to determine the league champion. The participants in the playoffs will be the 2 division winners along with 2 wild card teams for a total of 4 teams that will participate in post season play beginning Monday February 27th, 2023. A win over an opponent is worth 2 points. The weekly team point totals will be ranked 1-8, with the top 4 receiving a bonus 1 point. Teams can get up to 3 points per week, 2 for a win and 1 for a top 4 finish. In the event of a tie for the 4th and final spot in the top 4, both teams will receive the bonus point.

The Scoring
The scoring system is accessed by clicking here or through the main page of this website. This scoring system will be used to determine the winner in each game played. A double double or triple double is defined as a player scoring double digits in points, rebounds, assists, steals or blocks in two (double) or three categories (triple). In the event of a discrepancy in the scores, the commissioner will verify the scores through the official stat service website, NBA.com and the decision will be final. (If a score discrepancy occurs from the results posted on the internet, the Commish will review multiple websites to determine the most consistent and accurate score) During the regular season, a game that ends in a tie will result in each team winning 1 point. In the playoffs the higher seeded team will win a tie game based on their higher seed.

If any owner notices a discrepancy in something that was updated on the website, they will have one week in which to notify the league of the problem. This applies to scores of games, scores of players, game results or side pot issues. After a period of one week, the updated results becomes OFFICIAL unless an official scoring change was made by the NBA.

The Teams/Rosters
The teams will consist of 10 players, distributed as follows:
(3) Guards    (3) Forwards    (1) Center    (3) Optional (G, F or C)

Some players are eligible at both Guard/Forward and Forward/Center. The eligibility for those players is listed on the main page of the website. Players may be switched between positions during the course of the season. Playoff rosters will be frozen for free agent add/drop moves once playoff week 1 begins. IR moves will be permitted during the playoffs under the same regular season rules.

The Draft
The draft will consist of 10 rounds of 8 picks, with teams picking in reverse order in even numbered rounds. Example: If you have the first pick in the first round, you will have the 16th overall pick in the 2nd round. Draft position will be determined and will be posted on the website. You are permitted to make trades of your draft positions. The draft will be held on the Fantrax website. There will be a 2 minute per pick time limit.

Line-ups
Starting line ups will consist of :
(2) G    (2) F    (1) C    (1) Optional (G, F or C)
Subs must be declared each week as follows: (1) Sub G    (1) Sub F    (1) Sub Center/Optional (G, F or C)
One player will not be active in a team's lineup each week
Only points scored by these players (subs if necessary) will be tabulated into the game results.

Lineup changes are due to the league by 5:00 PM Monday. The "default lineup" for teams each week will be the previous week's lineup. (The only exception to this rule is week #1, when a full lineup is required to be submitted) Changes must be made to that default lineup by the required deadline or the default lineup will be used for the current week if no changes are submitted.

Players will use their 3 high games of the week to determine a players weekly point total. If a player plays more than 3 games in a given week, only the 3 high scores will be used. If a player is only scheduled for 1 or 2 games, they will only receive scores for those 1 or 2 games, and a sub may not be used for the 3rd game. If a player misses a game or games during a given week and does not play 3 games, but was scheduled for 3 games or more, a sub will be used to help meet the 3 game limit. For example, your player was scheduled for 3 games in a week, they miss game #2 due to injury, a sub will be used for game #2 so that a team will still get 3 games from that position. If a player was scheduled for 2 games during a given week, and misses a game, a sub will be used for that missed game to give a team the 2 games the starter was scheduled for, but the sub may not be used for a 3rd game as the starter was only scheduled for 2 games that week. If a starter is scheduled for 4 or 5 games in a week, and they miss a game, a sub may not be used as long as the starter did play 3 games during the week. In the event that 2 guards or 2 forwards both miss a game on the same day, a sub may only be used once on a given day, not twice for each player. If a player misses a game and the sub did not have a scheduled game that night, you must use the next available game for the sub. For example, if a starter misses a game on Thursday, but the sub did not have a scheduled game that night, you will use the next scheduled game for the sub, on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Teams may have to go backwards to find the next available game for a sub to meet the 3 game limit. For example, a starter misses his 3rd scheduled game of the week on Saturday, and the sub is not scheduled to play on Saturday or Sunday, you would then go backwards to find his next available game which may have taken place already on Friday or possibly Thursday. If a starter is scheduled for more than 3 games in a week and misses all the games, and their backup is scheduled for more than 3 games, the backup does get to use their best 3 games out of all their scheduled games for the week. If a starter is scheduled for more than 3 games and only plays one or two games, and the backup is used for the first and/or second scheduled game for the week to complete the 3 game week. For example, a player is scheduled for 4 games and only plays the 1st game of the week, the backup is used for the 2nd and 3rd scheduled game of the week only, and then the next available game rule applies. (Note the next available game could occur on the same night as the  4th scheduled game for the starter)

If a team starts a player that is out with a long term injury, the team will not get a sub for missed games. Long term injuries must be extended time (multi week/month) or out for the season type of injuries. If there is any chance a player may play that week, the team will not be penalized with no sub.

Fees
There will be an entry fee of $175 due by Monday October 31st, 2022. In the event that the entry fee is not paid your team will be restricted from making any transactions until the entry fee is paid.

*Entry Fee Breakdown:    $1400 Entry Fees Collected

-$175 Commish Fee
-$60 Website Services
-$800 Playoff Team Breakdown (4 Teams)
-$80 Division Winners (2 Teams)
-$285 Side-Pot Winners

There will not be any charges for transactions during the year. This should help owners in keeping the best team on the field during the entire season, especially when the playoff spots may be in jeopardy.

Prize Money
The total of all available fees collected will be returned to the league in the form of prize money. The 6 playoff teams will share in the playoff prize money. The league prize fund breakdown is available on the league website. All side pots will conclude at the end of the regular season.

Weekly Points Pool
The top 3 teams scores each week will receive the following prize:     1st $9         2nd $6        3rd $3
The bottom 3 teams will have to pay the following amounts:     8th $3       9th $6        10th $9
This will be a running total throughout the year and will be available on the website. Payoffs will be at the following years draft by adjusting each team's entry fee accordingly. Any winnings or losses from the prior year, would be the responsibility of the owner that incurred them. If a team chooses not to come back to the league the following year, they would receive any winnings they may have won, as well as must pay any losses they may have had. If a team does not pay off any losses, they would not be permitted to participate in ANY UAL Fantasy League until their debt is settled.
Post Season Play
 Each Division Winner and 2 wild card teams qualify for the playoffs. In Round One the #1 seed will play the #4, and the #2 seed will play the #3 seed. In Round Two, the two winners from round one will play for the league championship. When determining final order of finish, a wildcard team can never be ranked higher then a divisional winner, regardless of the teams final record. "Home-court advantage" will apply in the playoffs ONLY, with the higher seeded team receiving the advantage in a tie game.

Tie Breakers
If at any time during the season a tie occurs with respect to records, the league will use the same formula through out:
1) total team points (wins + top 4 finishes)
2) winning percentage ((wins + 1/2 point for ties)/games played)
3) head to head
4) record within division (*only in the event of a tie between two teams in the same division)
5) most points scored
6) most points scored against
7) coin flip

 Transactions
 ****All transactions should be e-mailed to the commissioner at ualcommish@gmail.com. If necessary, transactions may be called in to the commissioner at 303-868-7039.****

Free Agents
 After the draft, teams may place a player on the IR prior to the start of week 1. There is no free agents moves allowed prior to or during week 1. The first day to make free agent moves is on Monday after week 1 is complete. All free agent acquisitions are on a daily basis. The cut off time for free agent moves is 8:00 PM each day, except on Mondays when transactions are due by 5pm along with lineups. In the event that more than one team wishes to acquire the same free agent during the same period, priority will be determined by the lowest team in the standings. If a team wishes to place a bid on more than one free agent or waiver wire player during any given claim period, the owner must rank the players in an order of preference. The league will then award the players in a draft like manner, with the lowest ranked bidding team getting their first choice of player then the next lowest ranked team getting their choice, and so on. Players must be on an active NBA roster in order to be claimed as a free agent. Players out with a long term injury (multi week/month) may not be claimed as a free agent.

Waiver Wire
When a player is released by a team he will be considered "on waivers". Players will remain on waivers for 2 days, and then be available to be claimed. For example, a player dropped on Monday can be claimed on Wednesday at the 8pm deadline. Players claimed from waivers on Sunday will be eligible for line-ups that Monday. The same rule for multiple free agent claims applies for the waiver wire. If a player goes unclaimed during the waiver period he will then be classified as a free agent. When you acquire a player through free agency or waivers, you MUST retain him on your roster until they are used in a lineup (unless of injury, then the player can be replaced or dropped if activating a player). A player may be claimed and then traded during the same week, but the traded player must remain on their new teams roster for the remainder of the week.

Injury List
NBA.com will be used to determine injury status and can be found here: https://official.nba.com/nba-injury-report-2022-23-season/ Due to inconsistency on the official NBA report, other websites may also be used to determine injury status, but any discrepancies will be resolved by the Commish based upon available information. Due to the significant variance in accurate NBA injury reporting, the Commish may have to use his best judgment on specific unclear situations, often siding on a cautious approach with player injury status. Players being rested for "load management" are not eligible for the IR, unless it is multiple games they are expected to miss. There will be an unlimited injury list. If you see a player get severely hurt, or it says he is injured in print, you can also place him on the injury list. If a player is DNP for 3 consecutive games, they are eligible for the IR. Once a player on IR plays in a game, they must be activated or will be released at the next Monday 5pm lineup deadline. Consideration will be given for players that first play on Sunday night. If a player is cut by their NBA team, they are eligible for the IR. If the player resurfaces on another NBA team, teams will still retain the rights to that player.
Trades
Trades are permitted at anytime until the trading deadline. Owners must have a complete and balanced roster at the conclusion of a trade. In the event of a "2 for 1" trade, owners must release and/or acquire free agents to fill any roster voids. The trading deadline for our league will be 5pm on Monday of week #14 (January 30th, 2023).

Fines
Fines will be issued for an incomplete lineup. An incomplete lineup occurs when a player is started who is out with a long term injury. A mulligan will be issued for the first offense and a $10 fine for all subsequent offenses. There will be a running total of fines listed on the standings page on the website. These fines will be deducted from any winnings a team may have, or must be paid prior to the draft if a team has no winnings. These fines will be added to the following year prize fund.