League Rules

Basics (updated 12/14/2024)
Please be active and keep the chat box clean and respectful. If you are going to be away from PC for a week or more, please let the commissioner know. If you do not log in for two weeks or more, without letting the commissioner know, you will be removed.

Tanking (added 1/18/2025)
Tanking is intentionally losing for a better draft pick. (Tanking is NOT losing because you have inferior talent or trading current talent for future talent or draft picks.)

Tanking is unfair to other owners in the league and will not be allowed. If something does not look right in a team's depth chart, the commissioner may question the owner. There are nuances in PC, and an owner may have a legitimate reason why they set their depth chart as they did. If there is obvious tanking going on, the owner will receive a warning message from the commissioner (first offense). Second offense will result in the team's first round pick being moved to the end of the first round. On the third offense, the owner is subject to removal from the league.

Rosters (updated 2/25/2023)
The player pool consists of real NFL players from the season being played. We will start with the 1983 player pool. After the initial season player import, players will enter the league via the rookie draft.

Note: There will be players that will miss seasons because of lack of real stats or a season long injury in real life. The commissioner will keep track these players and they will be returned to the roster of the last team played for in the next season they have real stats. The last team played for is the roster the player was on at the end of their last season played (when progressions were ran for the next season). If dropped to free agency previous to end of season progression, the player is considered a free agent and will not return to a team roster.

Roster size will be 45 players maximum during the season. Additionally, teams are limited to a maximum of 3 quarterbacks, 2 kickers, and 2 punters during the season. In the offseason, rosters can exceed these limits. Owners are responsible for making sure their roster meets the number limits by the deadline before each season.

There are minimum roster requirements for sims to run. I don't foresee any issues with rosters in this league exceeding these minimums:
11 defensive players
5 O-line
6 skill players
1 QB
1 RB
3 WR
1 TE
1 Kicker
1 Punter

Real progression will be used in this league. This league does not use contracts. You keep players as long as you like until you drop them, trade them, or the retire as they did in real life.

Special note: It is key in a real progression league to know your players. Football reference (link in the main menu) is a good resource for this. It doesn't take long in a real progression league to ruin a team by "short sighted" transactions.

Training
The training feature will be a part of this league. You will be allowed to keep a player in training for three weeks. Training will turn off during the playoffs.

Injuries
Injuries are a part of this league. The maximum length of an injury is three weeks.

Trading (updated 10/20/2023)
Trading will basically be unlimited when turned on. Draft picks can be traded also. Picks 1-4 for the next two drafts can be traded For example, If the season being played is 1985, you can trade 1986 and/or 1987 picks.

I do review trades and reserve the right to question deals and even overturn them if necessary. There will be a trade deadline (after week 14 games are played there will be an announcement of the deadline and trading will turn off when week 15 games are simmed). I plan to utilize a trade committee to help review trades when necessary.

Free Agents
When free agent signings are turned on it will be on a first come - first served basis.

Rookie Draft (updated 9/2/2025)
We will do a four round rookie draft via the slow draft room. The slow draft will be followed by three rounds of Supplemental Drafting of the remaining rookies and the free agents left from the previous season.

Draft order is determined as follows: The league champion will pick 28th. The league runner up will pick 27th. The conference championship game losers will pick 25th and 26th in reverse order of season record. The divisional playoff round losers will pick 21st - 24th in reverse order of season record. The wild card playoff round losers will pick 17th - 20th in reverse order of season record. Non-playoff teams will pick 1st - 16th in reverse order of season record.

Season / Post Season (updated 9/2/2025)
The season schedule will be 18 games over 19 weeks (one bye week). Six teams from each conference will make the playoffs (three division winners and three wild cards).

Tiebreakers (updated 11/30/2024)
Note: When necessary, tiebreakers for division winners will be applied first, then tiebreakers for the first wild card spot will be applied. Once the first wild card spot is decided, then tiebreakers apply for the second wild card spot.

Tiebreakers for playoff spot between three or more teams:
(Note: If two clubs remain tied after one-or-more clubs are eliminated during any step, tiebreaker restarts at Step 1 of two-club format. If three clubs remain tied after a fourth club is eliminated during any step, tiebreaker restarts at Step 1 of three-club format.)
1. Best win percentage in head-to-head games.
2. Best win percentage in games within the division (if all teams are from the same division).
3. Best win percentage in games within the conference.
4. Best season point differential
5. Most points scored for the season.
6. Highest team listed on PC power ranking.

Tiebreakers for playoff spot between two teams:
1. Best win percentage in head-to-head games.
2. Best win percentage in games within the division (if both teams are from the same division).
3. Best win percentage in games within the conference.
4. Best season point differential
5. Most points scored for the season.
6. Highest team listed on PC power ranking.

Tiebreakers for draft order:
1. Strength of schedule. Combined winning percentage of team's opponents (lower percentage gets better selection).
2. Playoff spot tiebreakers (with the goal of determining the lower ranked team).

Awards (updated: 1/30/2023, removed note about tagging rookies, PC will track rookies as any player in his first season of compiled stats.)
MVP
Defensive Player of the Year
Offensive Rookie of the Year (will start in the 1984 season)
Defensive Rookie of the Year (will start in the 1984 season)
USFL Championship Game MVP
All Pro
All Rookie Team (will start in the 1984 season)
Most Passing Yards
Most Rushing Yards
Most Receiving Yards
Offensive Lineman Award
Sack Leader
Most Tackles [Total tackles = Solo tackles + 0.5(Asst tackles)]
Interception Leader

League Settings

Year Range of Stats	1983 - 2025
Roster Size	45
Rules	Pro (NFL)
Two Point Conv	Yes
Defense	Draft Individual Players
O-Line	Draft Individual Players
Keepers
Change Stats Allowed
Free Agency
Drops
No-Drop List
Injuries	(3 games max)
Player Training	(3 schedule days)
User Sims