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SSFA Rules & League Info

League Info

Settings

• All-Pro difficulty with custom sliders
• Sim game style
• 7 Minute quarters
• No accelerated clock
• 5 Play limit; 8 Play cooldown
• Created coaches

Advances

• 48 Hour advances for regular season, extended advances for holidays.
• Offseason is approximately 2 days:
• Player Re-signs – 24 hours or until all users are ready.
• Free Agency – Round 1 is skipped (No players will be signed), Round 2 is 24 hours, Round 3 is 45 minutes, Round 4 is 15 minutes (Scouting only).
• Draft – Takes place immediately after FA Round 4.
• Preseason – Weeks 1-3 will be 10 minutes long right after the draft. Week 4 will last until all users have made player cuts/assigned practice squad.

General Rules

Sportsmanship

• Users are expected to know when to let up during a blowout. This does not mean a user has to constantly run. A user can pass in situations to pick up a first down.
• At any point in the 4th quarter if the deficit reaches 4 possessions (25 points or more) the winning team is to turn on chew clock.
• No quitting/conceding any games.
• Unrealistic gameplay in an attempt to tank will not be tolerated and will result in a loss of a draft pick(s). Ex: Running out of bounds/giving yourself up on clear TD opportunities, purposely taking a safety or turning the ball over, play calling and actions that are not conducive to winning when within grasp.

Rule Violations

• Any rule violations will result in warnings, player suspensions, loss of draft picks, being placed on auto-pilot, or league removal.
• Repeat offenders will be subject to greater punishment until league removal is necessary.

Scheduling

• Users are expected to schedule within the first 24 hours after an advance. If one user has not contacted another, a force or CPU game can be set.
• If you are going out of town or facing time away from being able to get games in, please let an admin know so that your opponents can be notified.
• Please put "Out of town (Date Range)" in your GroupMe name when you are unavailable.

Streaming

• All games MUST be streamed and archived. [url=https://mymadden.com/lg/ssfa/forum/thread/9]How to archive streams on Twitch.[/url] [url=https://mymadden.com/lg/ssfa/forum/thread/10]How to link your YouTube to your MyMadden account.[/url]
• The home team is expected to stream, however the away team can stream if they offer.
• The stream must be linked in the league chat at kickoff.
• Both teams may face punishment if their game is not streamed.

Disconnections

• When a disconnect occurs in the first half, the game is to be recreated. This includes score, time remaining, possession and field position. If a game disconnects while one team was up a large score, the game does not need to be recreated and a force will be set.
• When a disconnect occurs in the second half the teams will recreate the time remaining possession and field position in the first half. The teams will play with a “ghost score” and quit at half time. The losing team must close app to quit. Conceding will not work. The “ghost score” winner will be given a force win.
• The required score to recreate is only the lead. Ex: If the game was 42-28, the score to recreate is only 14-0.

Offense

Play Calling

• No play should be run back to back.
• QBs can only run on designed run plays or scrambling if a play breaks down/evading a blitzer.
• No play action plays on 3rd down and 10 yards or more out.
• No cancelling play action after snapping the ball or hot routing the RB at all during play action.
• Players put in motion manually must be set before hiking the ball.
• Users must always be controlling the ball carrier on offense.
• Chewing clock is only allowed with under 4 minutes left in the 4th or if the game is out of hand and the opponent requests to do so.

4th Down

• Going for it on 4th down is only allowed in the following situations:
• 4th & 5 or less: 50 yard line to goal line.
• Down at any point by 3 possessions (17 points).
• Losing in the 4th quarter.
• End of half Hail Mary.

No Huddle

• Constant no huddling is only allowed within the 2 minute warnings or while losing in the 4 quarter.
• Back to back no huddle is not permitted at any other point of the game.

Run/Pass Ratio

• 8 run plays minimum per game.
• Less than 32 plays will only require 25% running plays ( 28-31 plays= 7 runs, 24-27= 6 runs, 20-23= 5 runs).
• QB runs of any kind do not count towards run play totals.

Defense

Play Calling

• No concept should be run from the same formation in back to back plays unless the offense is in no huddle.
• No running the same concept over and over.

Audibles/Adjustments

• At least 3 defenders must always be rushing unless a rusher breaks off to cover a screen.
• No “nano blitzing."
• No “cross man."
• No exploiting player movements for a speed boost pre-snap.

Special Teams

Fakes

• 1 Fake punt or field goal per game.
• No restrictions on where or when this can happen.

Player Movement

• No calling a defensive audible to leave a special teams formation.
• No pulling an extra blocker all the way back to the returner on punt returns.
• You may move one defender off the line of scrimmage to defend against fake punts.

Player Acquisitions

Trading

• All trades need 3 approvals before accepting in game.
• There is no backing out of a trade once the trade is agreed on and submitted to MyMadden.
• 3 trades allowed per regular season.
• 4 trades allowed per offseason.
• No limit on trades during draft day if they include a pick in the current draft.
• A team may not own anymore than 3 picks in any round at one time.
• Teams can only trade a future 1st once every 2 seasons. (Ex: If you trade your future 1st in the 2019 season, you cannot trade another future 1st until the 2021 season).
• A player cannot be traded in the same season that they were acquired via trade, free agency or drafted.

Free Agents

• Teams are only allowed to sign 2 free agents per preseason/regular season week (only applicable to Season 1).
• Unlimited free agent signing season 2 and beyond.
• Following the draft, teams are only allowed to sign 1 undrafted free agent per week and unlimited veteran free agents.

Practice Squad Stealing

• Teams are allowed unlimited practice squad steals.
• Practice squad stealing will be turned on starting week 2.

Contract Length

• The maximum contract length that can be offered to a free agent or player approaching free agency is 5 years.
• If a player requests a contract of more than 5 years, users can offer the player their desired contract length - a photo proving the request must be shown to an admin.

Position Changing

Position Changing

• A player can switch to an approved position in the offseason, preseason, and up until week 8 of the regular season.

            • QB – cannot change to another position.

            • RB – cannot change to another position.

            • FB – can change to TE.

            • WR – can change to TE if they are 6’2” or taller, 230lbs or heavier and 86 speed or less.

            • TE – can change to FB.

            • OL – LT, LG, C, RG and RT are interchangeable.

            • DL – LE, RE, DT are interchangeable. Pass rushing DEs can move to OLB in a 3-4.

            • LB – LOLB, MLB, ROLB are interchangeable. Pass rushing OLBs can move to DE in a 4-3.

            • CB – can change to S if they are 5’11” or taller, 89 speed or less and 55 blockshed or more.

            • FS/SS – can change to CB if they are 6’2” or shorter, 75 hit power or less and 55 blockshed or less.

            • FS/SS – can change to LB if they are 6’ or taller, 200lbs or heavier, 87 speed or less, 60 blockshed or more.

            • K/P – can change to the other kicking position.

• Owners can appeal to have a player switched to a non-approved position with proof that the player has played the new position in the NFL.
• Generated Rookies are not eligible for non-approved position changing.

Roster Management

Roster Size

• All teams must have a 53 man roster. Each unfilled roster spot under 53 will be considered a 1m cap hit.
• All teams must carry a minimum amount of players at the following positions:

            • QB – 2

            • RB – 2

            • OL – 8

            • DT – 2

            • MLB – 2

Salary Cap

• All teams are expected to be near or under the salary cap at the start of a season. Teams are subject to loss of a draft pick if they enter a season with negative cap:

            • 0 to -1.9m in cap space – No penalty

            • -2m to -4.9m in cap space – 3rd round pick

            • -5m to -9.9m in cap space – 2nd round pick

            • -10m+ in cap space – 1st round pick

• Salary Cap numbers will be based on week 1 of the season (Season 1 excluded).
• If the team giving up a draft pick does not have a pick in the penalty round, they then give up their next highest pick. (Ex: Team A is at -3m cap and does not have a 3rd round pick. Team A gives up their 2nd round pick instead).
• If the team giving up a draft pick does not have a pick in the penalty round and does not have any higher picks, they then give up their highest pick for that season AND the corresponding round pick for next year. (Ex: Team A is at -3m cap and does have a 3rd, 2nd or 1st round pick. Team gives up their highest pick available AND their 3rd round pick next year).
• If a team falls within a punishable range of negative cap two seasons in a row, they will forfeit a 1st round pick AND have a SS or SSX dev player picked at random to be downgraded to normal dev.
• Draft picks given up will go to a random non-playoff team from the previous season. The receiving team will trade their lowest round pick or low rated player of their choice for the forfeited draft pick.

Player Editing

• No changing any stock players name.
• Keep generated rookie name changes realistic and not silly. We recommend that if you do change a generated rookie's name, that it is to a current college player's name.
• No changing a QB's throwing style.

Specialty Depth Chart

• The following positions are available to play at each specialty depth chart position:

            • 3DRB  - RB or FB

            • PWRB  - RB or FB

            • SLWR  - WR only

            • RLE/RRE - DE or OLB only

            • RDT - DT or DE only

            • SUBLB - LB or S

            • SLCB - CB or S

Development Traits & Abilities

Ability Choosing & Thresholds

• Superstar and Superstar X-Factor players can choose their abilities as long as they meet the archetype overall requirement (determined by Madden) AND the attribute threshold requirement for certain abilities which can be found here: [url= https://mymadden.com/lg/ssfa/forum/thread/57]Ability Thresholds[/url].
• A user can freely change their players abilities during the off-season, pre-season and week 1 of the regular season.
• Ability changing will be set to commissioner only starting week 2 of the regular season through the playoffs. Users must contact an admin for ability changing during this time period.
• A player can only change their abilities during the regular season when they are traded, unlock new archetype abilities or reach an ability threshold.

Breakout Games

• A dev upgrade can be given in the following scenarios:
• If you have proof of the breakout opportunity, required stats are met and Madden does not give the upgrade.
• If a game disconnects/desyncs and the required stats were met. It is on the user to pinpoint the times in a recorded stream that the required stats occurred.

Development Trait Upgrades

• Admins will give out development trait upgrades at the end of the season for ability balancing as they see fit.
• Only non-playoff teams are eligible to receive these upgrades.
• Only players who are 28 or younger are eligible to receive upgrades.
• Each non-playoff team can only receive one upgrade per season.