How to Start a Keeper League – Version #5

Here is a great one from Aaron – very in-depth rules, and includes a 15-man farm squad for prospects!

 

 

RULES AND REGULATIONS

 

Line-ups and Scoring System

1. Line-up is to be submitted to (email given) before the start of every FHA week. If no lineup is submitted by this time, the lineup from the previous week will be dressed. If it’s the first week of the season, and no line-up has been sent, the GM will receive no points for that week. Once the first game of the week has started, all lineups are considered official.

 

 

2a. Line-ups will consist of
2 Centers
2 Right Wingers
2 Left Wingers
2 PPQ Defensemen
1 +/- Defenseman
1 Goalie
1 Enforcer

2b. Points are allocated as follows:
– Forwards (C, RW, LW): 1 pt per goal or assist.
– PPQ Defense: 1 pt per goal or assist, plus 1 additional point per power-play point
– +/- Defense: 1 pt per goal or assist, plus 1 additional point per positive plus/minus over the week. That rating is only included in the calculation if the cumulative weekly total for that player is positive.
– Goalies: 2 pts for a win, 1 pt for a shoot-out loss, and 2 additional pts for a shutout.
– Enforcer: 0.20 pts per penalty minute and an additional 1 point for each fighting major.

 

 

3a. Points are awarded only to the players that have been dressed for the week. Once a lineup has been made official, the dressed players will accumulate points for their team throughout the entire week. However, transactions involving dressed players may be made at any time after the first game of the week without affecting their status in the official weekly lineups. Therefore, newly acquired players cannot be dressed until the following week.

3b. All stats will be taken from USAtoday.com except for fighting majors. Fighting majors will be taken from cbssportsline.com/nhl.

 

4. If a GM drops or trades a player after they have submitted their line-up but before the start of the first game on Monday, it is up to them to replace that roster spot on the line-up, if no replacement is sent that spot will remain vacant. If a GM uses their weekly signing on Monday, and announces it prior to the start of the first game, that player is available to be placed in that week’s line-up, if the GM wishes to ice him.

 

5. If a GM errs on a transaction or line-up email, and if neither BOG member receiving weekly line-ups fails to get notice to them in time, the GM will still suffer the consequences as they made the mistake.

 

6. FHA positions for roster and farm players will be based on the team roster listing in the current Hockey News Yearbook. If a player isn’t listed in the depth charts, their roster listing in this year’s Yearbook will prevail. If he is unlisted this year, his position will be determined by his most previous Yearbook listing, and failing that, www.nhl.com.

 

7. Weekly scoring will be calculated via a format of three sets of four teams:
*1st – 3 wins 0 loss
*2nd – 2 wins 1 loss
*3rd – 1 win 2 losses
*4th – 0 wins 3 losses

 

8. If two teams have the same point total, each will receive one tie in the place of one of their wins. For example, if two teams are tied for the 3-0 record, they both receive 2-0-1 records. If there is a three-way tie, each team will receive two ties, with two wins subtracted. If three teams were tied for best, each would receive a 1-0-2 record. If there is a four-way tie, each team will receive a 0-0-3 record.

 

9. Every effort is made to ensure that the statistics used to calculate the weekly point totals are correct. However, if a GM suspects a discrepancy, he must first go to USAToday.com to determine if an error has
been made. If this is the case, he must email the website designer or the statistician by Thursday. On Friday the weekly statistics are ‘set in stone’ and no more changes can be made.

 

10. If a GM fails to submit a line-up for the first week of the season that GM will receive a 0-3 week and the BOG will dress a line-up for the GM.

 

 

 

Transactions

 

1. All transactions MUST be sent league-wide. Any not sent league-wide would be invalid.

 

2. There will be a trade freeze starting from the FHA Trade Deadline (same night as the NHL trade deadline) until after the FHA playoffs are over. During the trade freeze, GMs will still be allowed to place players on and activate them from IR and DL, and bring up players from the farm, as long as the roster remains at 16 or less. A free agent signing freeze will be in place from deadline night until one week after the FHA draft night. Only trades will be allowed in the off-season. There is no roster limitation between the end of the playoffs and the deadline for protection lists.

 

3a. GMs are allowed one free agent signing or ‘add’ per week, with a bonus add only when a player is placed or re-assigned on a 2 or 4 week IR or 8-week DL. GM’s are allowed unlimited trades and unlimited player drops. A roster cannot exceed 16 players, and players must be dropped at time of free
agent signing/trade/IR, DL or farm activation to maintain a roster of 16 players.

3b. The bonus IR/DL signing does not have to be made immediately; it can be announced at any time during that week. A team can’t use more than one bonus signing each week. Bonus signings cannot be carried over to the next week.

3c. Bringing a player up from the farm, acquiring a player from another team and/or re-activating a player from DL or IR will NOT count as the one add per week.

3d. If a GM signs a player, but changes their mind and wishes to sign someone else, they must wait until the following week to sign someone else as they have already used their 1 add per week.

 

4. Any active NHL-draftee and/or current NHL player is eligible to be a free agent, as long as the player is not on another FHA roster or farm roster.

 

5. No retroactive release. Once a player is released, they’re released immediately.

 

6. Any FHA staff member not on an FHA roster who comes out of retirement for a comeback will be a free agent. (Ex. Mario Lemieux, Dominik Hasek).

 

7a. All trades need to be witnessed to make them official. The commissioner can act as a witness by having both parties E-Mail the deal to (email given). If the commissioner acts as the witness, the
witness doesn’t need to be mentioned. Another GM may also witness a deal if two GMs are chatting on-line and a third GM is also on-line, the third GM can also be used as a witness. If the FHA Commissioner is not the witness, it must be mentioned in the trade announcement. ONLY FHA GMs can act as witnesses.

7b. If the two parties use the FHA Commissioner as the witness, they must receive notification from the Commissioner?s office to go ahead with the deal before announcing it.

 

8. Trade offers are not binding. The GM that offers the trade has the right to pull his offer off of the table if he decides to. Trades are only finalized after both sides have agreed to the deal and had it witnessed.

 

9. If the FHA Board of Governors feels that two GMs are pooling their resources, or has reason to believe a trade should be nixed, he can bring it up with the FHA Board of Governors, who will then vote on whether the trade should stand.

 

10a. In the event of an unbalanced trade (ex. 2 players for 3), the team receiving 2 can use their weekly free agent signing to fill this void. If they have already used their weekly signing, they must wait until the following week to fill the vacancy.

10b. Similarly, if a team receives more players than it gives up, it must immediately drop players to get the roster down to 16, or 15 in the case of the farm team.

 

11. It is illegal to trade a player for money, good or services. Each trade must involve players and/or draft picks from the teams involved.

 

12. It is illegal to ‘lend’ a player to another team for the playoffs. (Ex. team A cannot trade a player for a draft pick to team B before the deadline, and then reverse the same trade after the playoffs). The FHA Board of Governors may negate the trade, fines may be given a title may even be stripped.

 

13. Future considerations are allowed in trades, but only waiver picks after the 4th round can be used as futures.

 

14. Once the protection lists are in, GM must wait until after the first selection in the waiver draft to announce any trade involving roster players. Deals involving waiver picks, farm picks and farm players can be announced between deadline night and draft night.

 

15. There is a 2-week and 4-week IR and an 8-week DL, with a total of three spots available. GMs have the option of where they?d like to place their players. A GM can place a player on any of the three spots, regardless of how long the player is actually out for. This includes flu, fatigue or substance abuse treatment. The player must show up on an official NHL injury report. (Ex: nhl.com, espn.com, etc).

 

16a. Once a player has been assigned to the IR or DL, they must serve the entire time before being iced again. GMs are not allowed to drop players from the IR nor the DL.

16b. If a player is traded while on IR or DL, he must complete his time before his new team can ice him.

16c. If a player on IR or DL is dealt, he must go to his new team’s IR or DL immediately. A GM can’t hold a player on his IR or DL for another team.

 

17. The IR and DL is not for players who are holdouts or in contract disputes. If a player suffers a legitimate, verifiable injury during a holdout, FHA GMs are allowed to place that player of IR or DL.

 

18. If a player from the main roster is sent down to a league other than the NHL and gets injured down there, a GM is allowed to place that player on the IR or DL, as long as the GM can provide proof of a legitimate injury, since this injury will not likely show up in the NHL injury report.

 

19. It is the responsibility of each GM to keep track of when their players are coming off the IR or DL. Once IR or DL is up they become a free agent immediately, available for anyone to sign.

 

20. GMs have from Tuesday until 9:00 p.m. PST of the Sunday night to activate or re-assign their players that are serving their last week of IR or DL. If a GM assigns a player to IR or DL on Tuesday, his tenure won’t start until the following Monday. GMs have until 9:00 p.m. PST of the Sunday night to activate or re-assign their players.

 

 

 

Farm teams and draft

 

1. Each FHA team has an affiliated farm team, which has a roster of no more than 15 players.

 

2. A player can remain on the farm for up to five years before he has to be brought up or dropped. Fifth year farm players must be brought up by the protection list deadline, or they become free agents.

 

3. Teams can stock their farm teams through the FHA farm draft and monthly farm signings. Only players drafted into the NHL that year are eligible for the farm draft and monthly farm signings.

 

4a. A player can be called up from the farm at any time. However, once they are called up, they can’t be sent back down. If a player is called up, the GM must drop a player, if it is necessary to maintain a main roster size of 16. Calling up a player and using a monthly farm signing does not count as the one add per week.

4b. If a GM brings up a farm player in the second half of the end of the regular season, that player will receive a one-year exemption from protection lists.

4c. For players drafted in 2005 or later, if they are brought up in their first season of farm eligibility in the second half of the NHL season, they will receive a three-year exemption. If it is in their second or third year, they will receive a two-year exemption. If they are brought up in their fourth or fifth years of eligibility, they will receive a one-year exemption.

4d. If an exempted player is traded, the exemption transfers to the new team.

 

5. If a GM trades an ex-farm player who had been previously brought up the team receiving this player must keep him on the main roster.

 

6. Only players 22 years old and younger can be added to the farm. Players currently on farm teams who turn 23 can stay there.

 

 

7. Farm players cannot be placed on IR or DL.

 

8. Monthly farm signings are available from November to March. They can be announced starting at 12:01 AM EST on the first day of the month until 11:59 PM EST. on the final day of the month. Teams cannot use a monthly signing from a previous month.

 

9. If two teams sign the same player, then it will be the team that announced it first that will get the player.

 

10. Teams have until one week after the farm draft to reduce their farms to 15 players. Teams will have until one week before the start of the regular season to get rosters down to 16 and 15, respectively. If they fail to do so, they will be stripped of their final selection from the drafts until their rosters reach the limit.

 

 

 

Protection lists

 

1. Each team is allowed to protect 8 players from their roster. Farm players are exempt from the eight-man list.

 

2. All unprotected players become free agents and are available for the FHA waiver draft.

 

3. Each GM must submit their protection list by 11:59 p.m. EST on Labour Day to the FHA commissioner’s address at (email given), who will then send all the lists league-wide at the end of the day.

 

4. GMs are not allowed to use their IR or DL to protect more players; GMs are not allowed to assign players to the IR or DL during the summer.

 

5. If a GM fails to submit a list on time, and does not have what the board deems to be a valid excuse, all of his players will become free agents.

 

6. GMs are able to change their list as many times as they want up until the deadline. This includes adding and dropping players from lists, and making trades from lists.

 

 

Drafts

 

1a. The draft order will be decided by a lottery system, starting with non-playoff teams. The last place team will receive 12 ballots, second-last receives 6 ballots, third-last receives 4 ballots, fourth-last receives 3 ballots, fifth-last receives 2 ballots, and sixth-last will receive 1 ballot. The first ballot drawn will have the first pick, etc. The playoff teams will draft in reverse order of regular season finish. The FHA Waiver and farm drafts will have the same order.

1b. Draft lottery must be completed before August 1.

 

2. The farm draft will be first, followed by the waiver draft. The first pick in the waiver draft will be announced, and then there will be a five-minute break for trades to be announced and for GMs to make any final preparations.

 

3. A team finishing the waiver draft with roster vacancies must wait until the week after the draft before they can start filling it, and can still only add one player a week Also, teams will have until one week before the start of the regular season to get rosters down to 16 and 15, respectively. If they fail to do so, they will be stripped of their final selection from the drafts until their rosters reach the limit.

 

4. Each GM will have 1 five-minute timeout to be used at any point during any draft when they pick, if they feel they need a little more time to pull off a trade, or to further research a player.

 

5. Each GM will have 90 seconds to make his selection. If he fails to select a player in that time frame, his pick is relegated to the end of that round. If he again fails to make the selection in enough time, the pick is relegated to the end of that specific draft.

 

 

Playoffs

 

1a. Three teams from each division will make playoffs based on their egular season record. The top team will get a bye and the 2nd and 3rd place teams will play in the first round.

1b. If the fourth place team in one conference has a better record than the third place team in the other conference, the fourth place team makes the playoffs and crosses over to compete against second from the other conference in the first round. (CFL format).

 

2. In the event of a tie in a playoff series, the team with home ice advantage (better regular season record) will advance. If still tied, most wins and cumulative regular season points will be the next two tie-breakers.

 

3. FHA Playoff will last as long as the NHL playoffs. The first two rounds of the FHA playoffs will be the length of the first two rounds of the NHL playoffs. The FHA finals will be the length of the NHL semi-finals and finals. The same rules for icing line-ups will be in place for the playoffs.

 

4. The winner of the FHA playoffs will receive the Wayne Gretzky Grail and a portion of the league fees.

 

5. Playoff GMs can change their line-ups on Mondays and after the end of NHL playoff rounds.

 

 

Budget and other considerations

 

1a. Each GM will pay an annual league fee of $65 CDN, to be mailed to the FHA Treasurer and must be postmarked 2 weeks prior to the start of the regular season (September 20m 2006 for 2006-07 FHA Season). If a GM fails to send his league fees on time, and it is not the fault of the post office, he
will be given a 0-3 record the first week of the season and every week until fees are paid. League fees will be increased to $100 CDN starting 2007-08 FHA Season.

1b. Website programmer only has to pay ? of leagues because of all the work he provides on the website.

1c. If league fees are not post-marked 2 weeks prior to start of season (September 20, 2006 for 06-07 Season) then that GM will receive an 0-3 record for the week. For each week that the GM fails to submit his league fees he will receive a 0-3 week for the following week, league fees must be postmarked for the first day of the FHA week in order not to receive a 0-3 week for the following week.

1d. If league fees are not in by January 1st then the GM will lose all draft picks in his possession at that time for the upcoming draft.

 

1e. If league fees are not in by end of regular season then the GM will lose the right to protect any players.

1f. If a GM makes arrangements to hand deliver league fees he must email the treasurer and the commissioner of his intent. However if he forgets to give the treasurer the league fees and it is past the postmark date he will receive a 0-3 week.

 

2. Finances are to be paid to the FHA Treasurer, , at: (address given).

 

3. The FHA Board of Governors before the start of the season will determine Finance breakdown. Last year’s breakdown was:

Regular season champion: $454.70
Regular season runner-up: $94.70
Gretzky Grail champion: $113.90
Gretzky Grail runner-up: $56.70

 

4. The FHA Board of Governors, on a case-by-case basis, will determine discipline and fines.

 

5. GMs need approval from the BOG to rename their FHA franchise, but not their farm team.

 

6a. As a member of the BOG, the commissioner will only vote to break a tie when voting is taking place on issues brought forward by non-BOG members.

6b. If the commissioner or BOG member brings forward an idea/concern/issue that person will not be allowed to vote on that idea/concern/issue. If a BOG member brings forward the idea/concern/issue then the commissioner and remaining BOG members will vote, if it was the commissioner bringing it
forward then the BOG will vote on the issue.

 

7a. In order to let your name stand for BOG you must be in the FHA for a minimum of 1 year.

7b. In order to let your name stand for commissioner you must serve a minimum of one term as a BOG member. The only time this rule will not be followed is if there is no other nominee for commissioner.

 

 

Ownership policy

 

1. All FHA GMs are to adhere to the principles and regulations of this policy.

 

2. Every FHA GM is to look as their status as a privilege, not a right, and should thus conduct themselves in this manner.

 

 

3. The FHA Board of Governors holds the right to remove any GM from the league, without warning, for conduct dangerous or detrimental to the league. That GM will either be bought out at market value or receive no compensation, depending on circumstances.

 

4a. If a GM decides to sell his team, he must notify the league between the day after the FHA draft and June 30 of the following year.

4b. If a GM decides to sell his team between June 30 and the date of the waiver draft, unless he has already found a suitable buyer, then the FHA will take the team into receivership and the former GM won’t get anything for his team.

 

5. A GM holds it within his rights to find an interim GM. Any interim GMs must meet Board of Governor approval. There must be a written agreement sent to the FHA Board of Governors detailing the terms of the agreement between the temporary and permanent GM.

 

6a. If a GM explicitly says he is “quitting” or “resigning” from the league, his team is immediately taken into receivership and the former GM receives no compensation.

 

6b. If a GM announces he is selling his team, he retains the right to find a buyer. If he has not found a buyer by June 30, the Board of Governors holds the right to buy the GM out at the Board’s interpretation of market value or take the team into receivership and leave the GM without compensation.

 

7. A GM holds the right to appeal any decision to the board of governors. If that appeal is rejected, the GM must accept that decision.

 

8. If the situation requires, the Board of Governors can take a team under their control at any point in the season and ice weekly line-ups for that team. However, that team will be placed under a roster freeze until a suitable buyer is found. The board can only take over a team when they feel
the GM is jeopardizing the health or the integrity of the league.

 

9. If the Board of governors takes over a team, they will undertake a two-week process to find a new GM. Interested parties will have the opportunity to submit applications of at least 200 words, documenting their past pool experience, knowledge of the game, commitment to the FHA, etc. If
necessary, short-listing of applicants will occur. The board will then determine the applicant best suited to taking over the franchise. If we haven’t received any applicants in the two weeks, an extension will be
granted. After the two weeks, the board will determine which of the applicants is best suited for acceptance into the league. If necessary, applicants will be short-listed.