2024 COLLEGE LEAGUE RULES

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

Rule changes for the 2024 Season are in red

Rules Committee
There will be an in-season rules committee consistening of Jeff Snyder, John Turner and Mike Myers. The in-season rules committee will review any in-season rule issues that may arise and any proposed trades. If any member of the rules committee is directly involved (team or game is impacted) they will be be replaced on the issue or proposed trade. A replacement owner will be appointed by the Commish. Members will carefully evaluate any rule issue or proposed trade and render a timely decision to the league.

The Season
The 2024 College Football season begins with the Covid19 pandemic mostly behind us. The league will act in an appropriate manner when it comes to Covid-related rulings. Some Covid related rule adjustments will remain in place, some rules have been adjusted to the current state of affairs. In worst case scenario, we will use previous Covid rules if necessary.

If the NCAA season is cancelled or becomes too difficult to continue prior to the completion of week 11 (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.
If the NCAA season is cancelled during weeks 12-14 (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, the first round is played but then season cancelled, payouts for first round teams eliminated are paid as normal, remaining teams would be paid based upon their seed.

The season will consist of 11 weeks of regular season play beginning with the week of Saturday August 31, 2024. Any college games played prior to Thursday 8/29/24 will NOT be used in week 1. The participants in the playoffs will be the 2 division winners along with 4 wild card teams from any division for a total of 6 teams that will participate in post season play. There will be 3 rounds of playoffs to determine the league champion, with the two division champions receiving a first round bye.

The weekly team point totals will be ranked 1-10, with the top 5 receiving a bonus win. In the event of a tie for the 5^th and final spot in the top 5, both teams will receive the bonus win.

Scoring
The 2024 scoring system is available on the main page of the league website. Fantrax will track live scoring. Weekly results, standings and side pots will be updated on our league website. If an owner notices a discrepancy with scores of games, scores of players, game results, standings or side pots, please notify the Commish immediately. In the event of a discrepancy, the commissioner will review all available info and provide a ruling.

In the event of a tie game, both teams will receive 1 point for the tie. In the playoffs, the higher seed will get the win in the event of a tie game.

Rosters
Team rosters will consist of 12 players, distributed as follows: QB(2), RB(2), WR/TE(2), Optional (RB/WR/TE)(2), K(2) and Team Defense (2)         

A specific player will be used at the QB position. Only one QB/K from a college team may be drafted or on a active roster during the season. (a QB/K on the IR does not qualify as active roster) If a team places a QB/K on the IR and replaces them with a player from a different college team, they give up their rights to the backup QB/K's of the player placed on the IR. Team K's will be used, but a specific player must be drafted and on a roster in Fantrax. Teams will receive all K stats from the rostered college team. Team defenses will be treated as any other individual player on a roster, and eligible for the High Player Score Game side pot. TE's will be combined with WR into a single position. Players may only be eligible at one position. Prior to the draft, the Commish will review player positions in Fantrax and make any necssary adjustments.  During the season, the Commish will review any concerns or issues with a player position change or players misclassified and adjust accordingly.

There will be two franchise players per team, one RB and one WR. Franchise RB & WR must be from your active roster, IR players are not eligible. If a franchise RB/WR meets the injury qualification, all free agent RB/WR from the same position/college team will be ineligible to be picked up by another team. Teams will retain rights to the backup free agents until the franchise player plays in a game and no longer meets the injury qualification. Franchise players can be changed each week when submitting a lineup. The franchise protection for a newly named franchise player begins once a player's game for the week begins. The only exception will be if a team's franchise player is placed on the IR during the week, the team may declare a new franchise player immediately. Franchise players can not be changed once rosters are locked when lineups are set and round one of the playoffs start Saturday at 10am mtn.

Draft
The draft is 12 rounds of 10 picks, with teams picking in reverse order in even numbered rounds. Fantrax will determine draft order when creating the league. You are permitted to trade draft positions. There will be a 2 minute per pick time limit.

Players who meet the injury qualification may be drafted. After the draft, IR eligible players may be replaced starting Saturday 8/24 at 3am. Priority for these IR replacements is the highest drafted player to be replaced.

Line-ups
Lineup changes are due to the league by 10am mtn time Saturday. The default lineup for teams each week will be the previous week's lineup. If no legal changes are submitted, the previous weeks lineup status, sub priority and franchise players will be used. Lineup changes for players in games prior to Saturday 10am mtn (i.e. Thu/Fri games) must be submitted prior to kickoff of the player's game.

Starting line ups will consist of several options:
(1) QB    (1) RB    (3) WR/TE    (1) K    (1) Team Defense
(1) QB    (2) RB    (2) WR/TE    (1) K    (1) Team Defense
(1) QB    (3) RB    (1) WR/TE    (1) K    (1) Team Defense

Teams must prioritize their non-starting RB and WR/TE with a #1 and #2 sub designation. Due to bye weeks, a team may only have one or no subs available. To qualify as having played in a game a QB must have at least one pass or rushing attempt and RB/WR/TE must have at least one rushing attempt or pass target. If a starting player qualifies as DNP teams will use a sub. Due to bye weeks or subs also not playing, teams could be a player(s) short. If a team is forced to use a sub, they must still maintain a legal lineup. (i.e. can't have 4 RB or 4 WR/TE) If the starting QB does not play, the back up QB is used. If the back up QB is on a bye or also doesn't play, the QB that starts the game for the college team of the starting QB will be used.

Entry Fees

There will be an entry fee of $200 due by draft day. Any team that has not paid their entry fee once the draft is completed will no be permitted to make any transactions until the entry fee is paid. Owners may make arrangements with the Commish if necessary to pay the entry fee in a timely manner.

*Entry Fee Breakdown:    $2000 Entry Fees Collected
-$200 Commish Fee
-$80 Website Services
-$150 Scrub Bowls *($5/week to be refunded to active playoff teams.)
-$900 Playoff Team Breakdown (6 Teams)
-$80 Division Winners (2 Teams)
-$390 Side-Pot Winners
-$200 Post-Season Pool

Prize Money
The total of all eligible fees collected will be returned to the league in the form of prize money. All Six (6) of the playoff teams that qualify for the post season will share in the prize money. All sidepots will conclude at the end of the regular season.

Weekly Points Pool
The top 3 teams scores each week will receive the following prize:     1^st $9    2^nd $6    3^rd $3
The bottom 3 teams will have to pay the following amounts:     10^th $9    9^th $6    8^th $3

Team entry fees will be adjusted by money won or loss in the weekly points pool the following season. 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 weekly winnings they may have won, as well 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 4 wild card teams qualify for the playoffs. The two division winners will receive a bye in the first round of the playoffs. In Round One the matchups are wildcard seeds 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3. In Round Two, the top division winner will play the lowest remaining wildcard seed, and the two remaining teams will play each other. In Round Three, the two winners from round two 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-field 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 break ties as follows:
1) total team points (wins/ties(1/2 point) + top 5 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

*Note: In the event of a 3-way tie for a position spot, tie breaker #3 head to head is only used if a team won against both of the other two teams. If the three teams all went 1-1 against the other two teams, tie breaker #3 is not used.

Transactions
All transaction request must be sent to the Commish. Transactions will be processed daily at 3am mtn beginning Tuesday each week. (Note: week 2 transactions will begin Tuesday at 3am mtn due to the Sunday and Monday night games in week 1) Transactions for players in any early games (Thu/Fri) must be submitted before the game starts. Transactions will also be processed Saturday at the 10am lineup deadline. There are no transactions permitted on Sunday or Monday each week. When you acquire a free agent, the player must remain on your roster for that week's scheduled game. The only exception is in an injury situation, where an injured player may be replaced or a player is activated off the IR and a player must be dropped.

Free Agents
Free agent add/drop moves are permitted during week 1. The first day for free agent add/drop moves is Sunday 8/25 at 3am mtn. Priority on claims during week 1 is the earliest drafted player.

If a team wishes to place a bid on more than one free agent during any given claim period, the owner must rank the players in an order of preference. Priority on free agent claims is determined by the priority list. The initial free agent priority list will be set on Tuesday September 3^rd based upon the reverse order of the standings from week #1. Teams will only drop to the bottom of the priority list on free agent add/drop moves, IR moves do not drop a team. Trading your priority position during the season is permitted.

The league will award players in a draft like manner, with the highest ranked bidding team on the priority list getting their first choice of players then the next highest ranked team getting their choice, and so on. If a team makes multiple claims, the claims will be processed one "round" of claims at a time, with the priority list reset after each "round" of claims. Teams will each get one move processed before going to the second round of claims. Teams can not drop a player and wait to pick a player up at a later date, the entire move must be completed at one time.

There is a limit of 3 free agent add/drop moves per year at the QB, K, DEF positions.

Players that meet the injury qualification may be claimed as free agents, but they can not be placed on the IR until after they play in a game first, provided they still meet the injury qualification. Changing from one QB to another QB at the same school does not count as a free agent move.

Any player involved in an early game (Thu/Fri), can not be released for a new player during that same week. Once the early game starts, players involved are locked out until the next transaction period on Monday.

There are no free agent add/drop moves permitted as rosters are locked once the first round of the playoffs start on Saturday at 10am for all teams, including playoff teams on a bye in round one. Playoff bye teams do not have to activate players off the IR if they are not on injury report in round one, but will in round two if required. IR moves are permitted during the playoffs after rosters are locked in round one but IR eligible players can be replaced with a free agent from the same NCAA school, same position only.  Starting in week #12, all playoff teams will get priority on free agent claims. All free agent claims made by Scrub Bowl teams will be processed on Saturday at 3am after playoff teams.

Waiver Wire
All players dropped will go on waivers for 1 day (i.e. player is able to be claimed at the next available transaction deadline). Players dropped Thu/Fri morning can be claimed the same day if they play in an early game that same night. Players dropped on Saturday at 3am are not available to be claimed at the Saturday 10am lineup/transaction deadline.

Injured Reserve (IR)
A player can be placed on the IR with any verifiable injury, Covid protocol issue or verifiable news a player will miss a game for any reason. It must be a substantiated injury or Covid protocol issue, not just a player was given a day off for rest. Players that are suspended, dismissed from school or not active for a game for any reason qualify for the IR. Once a player who is on the IR plays in a game and has no verifiable injury news, they must be activated prior to their next available game. An IR player who plays on Saturday but has a bye the following week does not have to be activated during the bye week. If the IR player is not activated by the required deadline they will be released.

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 10:00am on Saturday of week #8 (October 19, 2024).

Fines
Fines will be issued for for an incomplete lineup. An incomplete lineup occurs when a player on a bye week is started, or a player listed as out is started. A mulligan will be issued for the first offense and a $10 fine for all subsequent offenses. Fines will be deducted from any team winnings, or added to next year's entry fee. Fines will be used for league expenses or added to the prize fund if necessary.