Rules Updates:  Red = Update for 08-09 Season
League Structure
  • 12 teams, 1 conference.
  • The regular season will be 13 weeks long with a 3 week playoff (weeks 14-16). 
  • 6 teams will make the playoffs, top two receiving first round byes.  Week 15 will pit #1 seed against lowest remaining seed.  In event of ties in record, points will be used for seeding.  
  • Schedule will be randomly generated within the constraints of the League Management System (LMS).
Team Structure
Each team will start 9 players:
  • 1 QB
  • 2 RBs
  • 3 WR
  • 1 TE
  • 1 PK
  • 1 Team Defense
Each team will be allowed 6 bench spots, plus the use of an IR spot, the eligibility of which is governed by the LMS.
Draft
We will use the serpentine draft system and the first 9 teams will be ordered randomly.  The last 3 draft positions will be based on last year's winners in reverse order.  The remaining teams will be slotted in the draft randomly.
Scoring
  • Passing: 1pt per 20 yds, 4 pts per TD
  • Rushing: 1 pt per 10 yds, 6 pts per TD
  • Receiving: 1 pt per 10 yds, 6 pts per TD, 1 pt per reception
  • 2 Point Conversions: 2 pts per conversion
  • Fumbles: -1 pts per fumble
  • Interceptions: -1 pts per interception
  • XP: 1 pt per extra point, -1 pt per missed extra point
  • FG: 3 pts <= 39 yds, 4 pts <=49 yds, 5 pts <= 59 yds
  • Defense TD: 4 pts per TD
  • Defense Sack: 1 pts per sack
  • Defense Int: 1 pts per int
  • Defense Fumble Reco: 1 pts per recovery
  • Defense Safety: 2 pts per safety
  • Defensive Points Against: 10 pts for shutout, 7 pts 1-6 allowed, 3 pts 7-13 allowed, -2 28-34 allowed, -4 35+ pts allowed
Ties will be broken using the total number of points on the bench for each team. Fractional points will be used.
Finances/Prizes
League fees will be communicated separately by the Commish but will be made up of software fee for the league management system and any other fees deemed necessary for the operation of the league.
Keepers
At the end of each season, each team will be allowed to keep from 0 to 3 players. Players can be kept a maximum of 3 times.  For each player you keep, you must give up a draft pick 2 rounds higher than the player's draft position the year before.  You can draft a player in 2008, and then keep them for the next 3 years: 2009, 2010, 2011. In 2012, this player must go back into the draft pool of players.  DFFL employs a tiered keeper system:  Tier I - Drafted rounds 1-3 = not eligible for keepers the following year. Tier II - Drafted rounds 4-7 = eligible for keeping at standard two round appreciation.  If waived, keep SAME draft status and history (i.e. number of times previously kept and round drafted).  Tier III - Drafted rounds 8-14 = eligible for keeping at standard two round appreciation. If waived, RESET draft status and eligible for keeping as FA (round 8 now - 6 next year) with no history of keeping attached.”
Example 1 : You draft Deuce Davenport RB PITT in round 9 in 2008. He becomes the starter and you decide he's one of your keepers. In 2009, you must give up your 7th round draft pick (he becomes effectively your 7th round pick) to keep him. In 2010, he becomes your 5th round choice, and if you keep him for a third year, you must give up your 3rd round pick in 2011.
Example 2 : You draft Brett Favre, QB TBD in round 5 in 2008. You decide to keep him. In 2009, he becomes your 3rd round draft pick (you give up a 3rd rounder). In 2010, because his draft status was round 3 in the previous year, he now becomes a Tier I and is no longer eligible for keeper status and is returned to the draft pool.
Keeper Status follows any traded player. When trading players, the players draft status (position) and keeper status (years he can be kept) is traded with the player.  However, Tier III players that are waived RESET keeping history.
Example 3:  You draft Alex Smith, QB SF in round 13 in 2008 (Tier III).  After watching Ol’ Small Hands stumble, you waive him.  Another team in DFFL picks up Smith off waivers to watch him turn in a solid, Dilfer-esque season.  The team which picks-up Smith does NOT get his round 13 status, but rather can keep him as a reset, free agent (i.e. round 8 proxy counting as a round 6 in 2009).
Free Agent Pickups: Any player that was added via free agency (ie picked up as a free agent) is treated as an 8th round draft choice. This means any Free Agent that is kept by the team will give up their 6th round draft pick. In the event that an owner keeps two Free Agents, they must give up their 6th round pick, and their FIFTH ROUND pick. If all three keepers are FA's the team will give up their 6th, 5th and 4th Round pick. Any player that is 'dropped', that was originally drafted in the round 1,2 or 3, is not eligible to be a keeper, even if they are picked up as a Free Agent – Tier I and Tier II status do not get lost in waivers, only Tier III.  
If a team does not have a draft pick in the round they need for a keeper, they will give up their next available EARLIER draft pick. 
Owner Leaves/New Owner Enters League: In the event that a team leaves the league, the new owner will take over the old franchise and decide whom they will want to keep. If multiple owners leave, the first ‘new’ owner gets the first choice of which franchise they will take over.
Trades
During the offseason but after dues are paid for the upcoming season, teams may trade draft picks and/or the rights to players on their teams. This is the only time that teams may trade draft picks.
Regular season trades will be governed by the LMS settings.
Waivers
Waivers setting and other minor week-to-week league practices will vary and the LMS will serve as the reference point.
With the recent growth in Thursday games, we are targeting using individual gametime locks for each player’s games.