Preamble:  The vNFL operates under the following rules with a common sense addendum.  If something arises that isn't covered by the rules - as is apt to occur from time to time - two principals apply.  First, apply the common sense sniff test.  If the solution isn't a common sense one, it is probably wrong.  Second, always do what is best for the league as a whole, regardless of how it effects any one team in a specifically rare case.

The vNFL rules are few in number.  We don't believe in dictating how you run your team.  Your real life boss, spouse, kids or parents probably order you around enough for any one person, we're not about to pile on.  You come here to have fun and participate in a "I could do it better than Bellichek"*** game, so we want to make it as fun as possible.  And being bossy just isn't the way to do it.

With that being said, here's the few and far between rules.

1.  vNFL Executive Power:  The vNFL is basically governed by the people who do the work to make it run.    The Commissioner may appoint conference presidents and a Board of Directors that will assist in running the league.  There's no glory here.  If you get appointed to the Board it means you're writing news stories, making sure owners stay active, recruiting, or some other mundane task.  The Commissioner has the authority to act in the best interests of football.  What that means is decided on a case by case basis, but mainly it is likely to be a seldom used catch-all power to cover anything that may come up.  In the Commissioner's absence, members of the Board of Directors shall have the short term authority to act in the best interests of football, subject to ultimate confirmation or veto by the Commissioner.  All powers specifically allocated to the Commissioner may be utilized by a member of the Board of Directors in the event of a short term absence of the Commissioner, subject to confirmation or veto by the Commissioner.  In the event of a longterm absence of the Commissioner, well...none of this likely matters as I won't be here, so you'll do what you like anyway.  :)

2.  Supremacy Clause:  No owner actions may take place unless they can be processed by the game engine.  That means you can only trade draft picks for the next three seasons, no trading after Week 5, etc.

3.  Sportsmanship:  All owners are expected to participate with a modicum of decency and sportsmanship.  Use your common sense here folks.

4.  Ownership:  You may only own one team at a time.  If you try and get around this rule, these guys will hunt you down and kill you.  Failing that, you will be subject to disciplinary action which could include anything from loss of draft picks to being kicked out of the league.  Don't do it, it's not sporting, see #3.

5.  Trading:  All owners involved in a trade must post and/or confirm the trade here.  The league will not process any trade that has not been confirmed by all parties to it.  All confirmations must be made prior to the trading deadline or the deal if automatically void.  The trading deadline is set by the game engine and is currently the Week 5 Gameday Sim.  All trades must maintain the integrity and sportsmanship of the league.  The Commissioner has the authority to veto any trade that does not uphold the integrity of the league and general principals of sportsmanship.  What does this mean?  It means, I don't like trade boards or democratic votes on trades.  Expect 99.9% of all trades to be routinely processed.  Again, use common sense peeps.  No colluding, no cheating, etc.  I'm sure you get the picture - see #3.

6.  Tanking/Rebuilding/Playing to Win:  Whats this mean?  See the preamble.  We don't want to order you around.  You have the right to dismantle your team and rebuild for the future if you so choose.  Everyone has the right to make fun of you if you do so however.  You have the right to play young players with poor current ratings in order to gain them experience even if you have better players.  It's your team, rebuild, play for today or tomorrow, that's the fun of it.  The only requirement is that if you're going to rebuild, at least try and make the best use out of your players through your gameplan - i.e. even if you're developing your young players, submit a gameplan that at least tries to make the game competitive.  See #3.

7.  Owner Activity:  Expectations are that you will submit an export - here - once per game week - either interim or gameday, it doesn't matter.  We're fairly flexible about this.  After you've missed three sims in a row, someone from the Board of Directors emails you to see what is up.  After four they email you again letting you know that if you miss a fifth export in a row, you may be replaced as an owner.  After five consecutive missed exports, you are subject to possible  removal.  Again, we're pretty flexible.  This is a game, and real life interferes sometimes.  If you know something is going to come up, or you're going to be away, try and give us a heads up here.    We need active owners, but don't want to replace you if you're going to be an active owner but are just going through some difficult issues in real life.  So let us know, either by posting here, or by responding to the emails the Board of Directors sends you regarding your inactivity.

8.  Backloading Contracts:  FOF2K7 has apparently built in new backloading protection which automatically causes agents to reject extremely backloaded contracts - unlike real NFL funny money deals.  So negotiate to your hearts' content.

9.  vNFL College Draft:  In the event you fail to submit a selection by the deadline for your  draft position, the someone from the Board of Directors will make your selection for you.  The Board will make every effort to address your top three needs as listed by the game engine and prior picks made by your team, if any.  But the Board has absolute discretion in this matter once the deadline for your pick has passed in order to keep the draft moving for other owners.  Once the Board has selected for you, there's no going back and changing it, and no contesting the pick.  So make sure you get your picks in on time, or be willing to live with someone else selecting for you.  Failure to participate in the draft - unless you have no draft picks - will likely lead to your being replaced as an owner.   Operational details of the draft will be forthcoming presently.

10-A.   New Position Change Rule:  (As of 05/10/2007)  Any position change the Commissioner suspects was made with the intent to reduce a player's ratings either current or potential will be voided and the perpetrating owner will be subject to sanction upto and possibly including dismissal from the vNFL.  See #3.  Otherwise, all position changes can be expected to be approved.

11.  Roster Size:  All rosters are limited to 70 prior to the exhibition season, 60 during the exhibition season, and 53 during the regular season.  Why?  Because that's what the game engine requires.  Players on Injured Reserve do not count towards this limit.

12.  Owner Roll Call:  At the conclusion of every season there will be an ownership roll call.  Posting in the roll call by the deadline is mandatory.  Owners that fail to do so will be replaced.  Current owners may request to switch to a another team and have their names added to the waiting list.  Current owners that already have their name on the waiting list for a different team will have priority on moving to another team and then all other vacancies will be filled from the waiting list.

13.  Waiting List:  Current owners may add their name to the waiting list for specific teams should those teams become vacant during the season.  Otherwise, all vacancies will be filled, in order, from the vNFL Waiting List.  If a potential owner doesn't respond by the deadline (at least 24 hours) set in the offer letter, the next person in line on the Waiting List will be offerred the team until the vacancy is filled.

14.  Franchise Designation Restrictions: The only restriction on using the franchise designation on a player is an unsigned college draft pick.  If you haven't signed your college draft pick by the time it comes to make franchise designations, you may not franchise him.

15.  Catch and Release Rule: You may not make a contract offer to a player in the same export that you release that same player.  It should be obvious why.  See #3.

16.  Bugs/Exploits/Etc:  Any owner caught exploiting a bug or exploit in the game for an unfair advantage is subject to disciplinary action upto, and including, removal from the league.  See #3.

17.  Game Settings:  Game settings are currently as follows --  Injuries: 150/Ingame Salary Cap Increases: 20 to 50/X-Factor: Off/Personality Profiles and Team Chemistry Was Used/League ID: vnflfile.

18.  Best Interests of Football:  The Commissioner has the authority to act in the best interests of football. See #1 and #3.

19.  Dwight Freeney Rule:  During Free Agency stages 2-8 one year contracts may not be offerred to free agents.  Only multiyear contracts may be offerred to free agents.  At all other times one year contracts may be offerred at will.  Penalties for violating this rule will be a mandatory release of the signed player - with salary cap hit - and any other sanction the Commissioner deems appropriate, up to and including removal from the league, based on severity and frequency of the violation.   Individual team owners will be responsible for self-policing this rule and reporting violations to the vNFL Chief Financial Officer.  Please note you may sign Restricted Free Agemts (RFA's)  to one year contracts at any time.  This rule takes effect when the new season button is pushed at the end of the 2007 vNFL season.
 

That's it.  Have fun!

***We would have said "I could do it better than Matt Millen or Charley Casserly", but where's the fun in that?  1000 trained monkeys could out-GM them.  :)