THE
GREATER SEATTLE TABLETOP PRO FOOTBALL LEAGUE
GSTPFL RULES AND BYLAWS
UPDATED
June 2019
ADMINISTRATION
LEAGUE
STRUCTURE: The Greater Seattle Tabletop Pro Football League (GSTPFL),
established in 1980, is currently a 24 team head to head competitive league
using the most current updated version of the “Action PC” football
game. The GSTPFL operates as a continuous player ownership league.
LEAGUE
OFFICERS/OFFICIALS: The league Commissioner, Player Personnel Director, Treasurer and
League Statistician are officials in permanent positions until those
individuals choose to resign. A Trade Committee shall be established made
up of five league members. These will be voluntary positions with
resignations addressed by volunteer replacement.
POWERS: The league
officers will decide all disputes arising during the current
season. The Trade Committee will review and may invalidate
any trade that is considered unreasonable for the competitive balance of the league. Decisions
of the Committee shall be based on this document with situations not covered
herein to be subject to National Football League rules.
COPYRIGHT
LAW: By
law, any team playing head to head must own the Action PC football game as well
as the current season’s disk.
SCHEDULE
AND ALIGNMENT: The
league currently has two conferences each with three divisions of
four teams that play a 16 game schedule. The division champions and
next two top teams from each conference qualify for the playoffs.
SCHEDULE: The GSTPFL schedule will
include a ‘bye week’ for all teams on week 14. Week 14 shall be
Christmas week by rule.
ALIGNMENT: Teams may move from one
division to another if another owner is willing to trade
divisions. Movement between divisions will be based on seniority in
the league if two teams want the same division. Once a division move
is made, the two teams would remain in their new division for a minimum of
three years.
SCHEDULING GAMES AND PLAYOFFS: Teams
should make every effort by Email and at least once by telephone to
contact one another to arrange a playing date by Wednesday each
week. Either team may play solo vs. a “computer coach” if agreed
upon between the two teams. Both teams
should attempt contact but home team is ultimately responsible, Games not
played in a timely manner will be played by the League Statistician on the
“League Computer” using “computer coaches” for both teams by the set deadline
weekly. The first game is due two weeks after the
draft. (Second Sunday of September)
Teams will be re-seeded after the Wild Card
Round of the playoffs.
MONETARY AWARDS AND FEES: The
basic dues will be $ 5.00 per team from all owners to pay for trophies and
room rental for the annual draft. The winner of the GSTPFL “Super Bowl”
will be exempt from dues that year.
RULE CHANGES: No
Action PC rule changes shall be made and incorporated into GSTPFL rules until
approved by the vote of the owners. All new rules and modifications
must be submitted in writing or email to the league Commissioner by the end of
May. The Commissioner shall provide
ballots to all league members, and these ballots should be returned on or
before the date set by the Commissioner.
Rules receiving a 60% approval among votes cast shall be considered
passed and will go into effect for the upcoming season.
PLAYOFF TIE-BREAKING FORMULA: A
revised formula is inserted as the final page (Page 6) of this
document. NFL tie-breaking formula will be used to determine playoff teams
and draft order with the exception of the provision based on points
scored. In case of ties at this point, a one game playoff between
the teams involved will be set.
RULES DEFINED: The following “Action PC” rules
will be the league standard:
Rules Year - (current year)
Season length - (16 games)
Goalposts - (end line) -- Miss line (kick spot) – Kickoff line (35) -- XPA
kick line (15)
Touchback – Punt (20) – Kickoff (25)
Home field advantage (ON) – Set at 3
points – (except for Super Bowl)
Two point conversion (ON)
Overtime (2010 rule changes – 10 minute
length)
Season usage penalties (ON) = Mild (110%) –
Moderate (120%) – Major (140%)
Kick/Punt Returns penalties (ON)
Kicker/Punter penalties (OFF)
Game usage penalties (OFF-regular season,
ON-playoffs)
Game fatigue meter (ON)
Injury - Normal frequency – Games missed
limited to real life (ON)
The GSTPFL is a “Draft” league
PROTESTS: Protests must
be recorded in the play by play (or prior to filing the game with the League Statistician
to be given future consideration. Games will be replayed if both
teams recognize a discrepancy and are unable to reach an equitable
solution. If one team chooses to file a formal protest and the
protest is upheld by the league officials, then the game will be replayed.
PLAYERS
DRAFT DAY SET: The annual draft will be held on the last Sunday
of August every year unless it is Labor Day weekend in which case the draft
will be held on the third Sunday in August.
DRAFT DAY
PROCEDURES: The annual Rookie and Free Agent draft will be nine (9) rounds
conducted live and in person. Any supplemental picks necessary
to bring a team roster to 53 players will be conducted within the two week
period following the draft and preceding the opening game.
SUPPLEMENTAL
PICKS: Any
team not reaching 53players at the end of the nine (9) rounds of the draft will
obtain the necessary players from the Free Agent Pool.
ROSTER/WAIVER
CLAIMS/SUPPLEMENTAL PICKS – POST DRAFT/PRIOR TO WEEK 01 FILE: All teams are eligible to
sign free agents upon receipt of the Post Draft file by Emailing the Player
personnel director and their designated representative. All
teams may
submit a list of Free Agents they wish to sign and/or cut if the move would
make the roster equal to or over 53 players. Each team will receive
the first player available from the submitted list upon that team’s turn in the
order of selection. Order of selection to be the same as original
first round selection based on strength of schedule. In addition,
any player selected by only one team shall be awarded to that
team. Any dropped player/s will be placed in the Free Agent
Pool. Updated ‘League Files’ will be sent as
necessary. This “cycle”, monitored by two administrators, will
continue within the two week period between the draft and the “Week 01” file. At the end of this period
all teams will be at the roster limit with all awarded free agents becoming
part of each team’s permanent 53 man roster.
LOTTERY ABOLISHED: The GSTPFL will
eliminate the basketball type lottery returning to the NFL draft
system. The team with the worst won-loss record during the regular
season will draft in the first position and the Super bowl participants
drafting in the final two positions with the champion drafting last.
DRAFT/TIME LIMIT: A team
will have five minutes to make its first round pick and two minutes for each
round thereafter. Failure to make a timely selection will result in
a pass, with subsequent selections awarded to the team “on the clock” until the
team that passed announces their pick.
ROSTERS/LIMIT: A team is limited to 53
carded players. A carded player is defined by appearing on the current “Action
PC” season disk.
ROSTER
SUGGESTED MINIMUMS: It is suggested that each team maintain a minimum number of
players by position. A 53 man roster should include at a minimum:
Skill players
QB = 2 – RB = 3 – WR = 4 – TE = 2 (No limit on skill players)
Offensive line
OT = 3 – OG = 3 – C = 2
Defensive line
DE = 3 – DT = 4
Linebackers
ILB = 2 – OLB = 3
Secondary
CB = 5– S = 3
Special teams
PK = 1 – P = 1
KR =1 – PR =1
In addition, teams should
draft or trade for skill players (QBs and RBs) with a minimum 975 passing and
rushing attempts. This would cover the historical league average.
Teams should be advised that the NFL has averaged 70 kickoffs to
return and an average of 65 punt return-fair catches to cover on their team.
ROSTERS/
SEASON INJURY: Teams
are expected to use the full 53 man roster to cover season injuries. Kickers or Punters injured for one
game only may be temporarily replaced under this rule.
ROSTER/CUTDOWN: Before the draft, all teams
must reduce their active rosters to a maximum of 44 players, fewer if
desired. The date for active roster reduction will be August
1. Cut players go into the free agent pool. Any team
failing to meet deadline will be penalized a ninth round pick for the
first violation and a one round higher pick each succeeding year; appealable to
the Executive Committee.
ROSTER/INJURED
RESERVE/IR DEADLINE: All teams are allowed a maximum six (6) players on a
single IR (Injured Reserve list). Player qualifications for a team’s
IR list:
A) On a team roster, but not
carded. (Not appearing in the current Action PC Database.)
B) Carded on a
team roster (in the current Action PC database) but having a durability rating
of four (4) or less than four or a QB with fewer than 10 NFL pass attempts the
prior season, regardless of durability rating.
B) Once placed on IR, a player is frozen
until the following season.
C) Players in the current draft are not
eligible for IR.
D) IR players may be traded but only to
another team’s IR list.
E) IR lists are to be submitted by August
1, along with a list of released players.
ROSTER/SKILLED
PLAYER LIMIT RESCINDED: Of the 53 players on a roster, there is no limit on
offensive skill players. A skill player is defined as QB, RB, WR or
TE, excluding punter and kicker.
TRADES
REGISTERED: Both teams will submit trades in writing to the league
personnel director. Trades will become official
when approved by the trade committee and announced by the player personnel
director. Trades will be updated and reflected weekly by the league
statistician in the “Action PC” weekly file. Once the weekly file
goes out, trades will not be enforced until the next week.
TRADES/DRAFT
PICKS: Trades
involving future draft picks (one ahead of upcoming draft) can be made as of
the date the “Action PC” disk is received. (Usually March 15)
TRADES/RESTRICTED: A traded player may never
appear in more than 16 regular season games. Example: If
a player has appeared in four games and is traded to a team that has played
only two games, that player must sit out two games for his new team.
TRADES/COLLUSION: No player can
be traded from one team to another and back to his original team without being
traded to a third team in the course of a season. No player can be
rented or loaned to another team. In addition, any owner that is
coaching two teams is prohibited from trading among or between their own teams.
TRADES/EMBARGO: No trades will be allowed
after WEEK08, till the end of the regular season for all teams. In
addition, playoff teams are restricted until eliminated or after the Super Bowl.
GSTPFL
revision of the NFL Tiebreaking Procedures
The five
postseason participants from each conference will now be seeded as follows:
1. The division champion with the best record.
2. The division champion with the second-best record.
3. The division champion with the third-best record.
4. The Wild Card club with the best record.
5. The Wild Card club with the second-best record.
TO BREAK
A TIE WITHIN A DIVISION
Two Clubs
1. Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games between the clubs).
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division.
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
4. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games.
5.
Strength of schedule.
6. A playoff game. (Played in “December” at Neutral Field as Exhibition)
Three or More Clubs
(Note: If two clubs remain tied after third or other clubs are eliminated
during any step, tie breaker reverts to step 1 of the two-club format).
1. Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games among the clubs).
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division.
3. Best
won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
4. Best
won-lost-tied percentage in common games.
5.
Strength of schedule.
6. Strength of victory. (Defined as best point differential – PF-PA)
TO BREAK
A TIE FOR THE WILD-CARD TEAM
If the tied clubs are from different divisions, apply the following steps.
Two Clubs
1. Head-to-head, if applicable.
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four.
4. Strength of schedule.
5. A playoff game. (Played in “December” at Neutral Field as Exhibition)
Three or More Clubs
(Note: If two clubs remain tied after third or other clubs are eliminated, tie
breaker reverts to step 1 of applicable two-club format.)
1. Apply division tie breaker to eliminate all but the highest ranked club in
each division prior to proceeding to step 2. The original seeding within a
division upon application of the division tie breaker remains the same for all
subsequent applications of the procedure that are necessary to identify the two
Wild-Card participants.
2. Head-to-head sweep. (Applicable only if one club has defeated each of the
others or if one club has lost to each of the others.)
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
4. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four.
5. Strength of schedule.
6. Strength of victory. (Defined as best point differential – PF-PA)