ZFL Rules - 2016


ZFL Draft

-- The draft consists of 14 rounds.

-- Order of selection is decided randomly in each odd-numbered round.

-- The selection order for each even-numbered round will be the reverse of the selection order for the preceding odd-numbered round.

-- The owner selects a team consisting of QBs, RBs, WRs, TEs, Ks and Ds.

-- Once a player has been selected by a team, no other team may select that player.


Number of Active Players on a Team

-- The number of players on a teams roster will be limited to 16.  Team owners may still add players each week as long as the total number of players does not exceed 16.

Acquiring Additional Players

-- Teams may trade players up to the 8th week of the ZFL season.

-- Only NFL players who are not already on a ZFL roster and whose NFL team has not yet begun play for the specified week can be acquired.

-- On the Tuesday following each week of the ZFL season, an owner can acquire one additional player. If two or more ZFL teams attempt to acquire the same NFL player, the player will be sent to the team with the lowest overall standing in the ZFL. Player requests should be sent by 11 PM CST.

-- On the Wednesday following each week of the ZFL season, an owner can acquire one additional player. If two or more ZFL teams attempt to acquire the same NFL player, the player will be sent to the team that had not yet drafted a player followed by the teams with the lowest overall standing in the ZFL. Player requests should be sent by 11 PM CST.

-- After Wednesday, a ZFL owner can acquire players as desired.

-- Any player dropped by a team cannot be acquired until the next week of the ZFL Season.

-- If an owner wishes to obtain and use a player at a position that is not that same as the position listed for that player on NFL.COM, a vote will be taken amongst the ZFL owners to decide if that player can be played at the requested position.

-- If a team's K or D is unavailable for whatever reason, a substitution will be made by the commisioner. If no backup player is available at the given position the best available player will be acquired and a roster move will be made replacing the existing player on the roster.


Scoring

  The Official NFL Website NFL.COM  should be used to obtain all scoring statistics.  Owners may use any website to obtain their weekly statistics but www.nfl.com will be used to resolve any scoring disputes.

Offensive Scoring

-- Rushing TD: 6 pts each
-- Receiving TD: 6 pts each
-- Passing TD: 4 pts each
-- Field Goal: 3 pts each
-- Extra Pt Kick: 1 pt each
-- 2-pt Conversion: 2 pts each (For a 2-pt conversion pass, both passer & receiver will obtain 2 pts)
-- Fumble Recovered for TD: 6 pts each

Yardage:
-- Every 10 yds Rushing: 1 pt
-- Every 10 yds Receiving: 1 pt
-- Every 20 yds Passing: 1 pt
-- Note: Rushing and Receiving yardage points are for each FULL ten yards.
-- Note: Passing yardage points are for each FULL twenty yards.

Interception Thrown: -1 pt each

Defensive Scoring:

-- Turnover (Fumble or Interception): 2 ptss each
-- Interception Return TD: 8 pts (6 pts TD + 2 pts turnover) each
-- Fumble Return TD: 8 pts (6 pts TD + 2 pts turnover) each
-- Kick Return TD: 6 pts each
-- Punt Return TD: 6 pts each
-- Safety: 3 pts each

Playoff Tiebreaker Scoring

If a tie game occurs during the ZFL playoffs, an alternate scoring method will be used to attempt to break the tie.   Yardage points will be assigned for each passing, rushing and receiving yard as follows:

Positive Yardage:
-- Every 1 yard Passing: 0.05 pts
-- Every 1 yard Rushing: 0.10 pts
-- Every 1 yard Receiving: 0.10 pts

If the tie is not broken, an alternate method will be voted on to break the tie.


Weekly Starting Lineup

-- Each week the owner selects a starting lineup consisting of:
1 QB, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, 1 TE, 1 K and 1 Defense.

-- Only the starting lineup players can score points in that week's games.

-- Each week, each ZFL Owner should send their starting lineups to John W via email before the first NFL game for that week.  If you do not submit a roster before the first game of the week, a default starting lineup will be created consisting of the players listed as starters on the supporting ESPN website. If those players are on bye week or do not play in that week's games, the top (non-bye week) player drafted at the particular position will be substituted. Changes can be made to the default lineup, as long as the changes follow the restrictions listed below.

Listing Backup Players

Backup players may be listed for each position. If the starter does NOT play, the statistics for the backup player will be used. If any player on the starting roster does not play in that week's game, a player will be substituted from the list of backups. If no backup list was sent, the top player available at that position from that ZFL team's roster will be used. If no replacement is available, a score of zero will be assigned for that particular position for that week.

Starting Lineup Changes

After the NFL Games for the week in question have begun, changes can be made from Player 1 to Player 2 ONLY if Player 1 and Player 2 are on NFL teams that have not yet played (or started playing) that week.  This means you:
i.) CANNOT change from a player who was injured DURING a game that week.
ii.) CANNOT change from a player who had a poor game that week.
iii.) CANNOT change to a player who had a good game that week.
iv.) CANNOT change to/from a player once a game featuring that player's NFL team has started.

So, if on Friday, you find out your QB won't be starting in the upcoming game, you can change to another QB who was not yet played.   Or, If your RB is injured in practice and is questionable to start, you can make a change to another RB who has not yet played that week.  Please do not make unnecessary changes.

If a team's K or D is unavailable for whatever reason, a substitution will be made by the commissioner. If no backup player is available at the given position the best available player will be acquired and a roster move will be made replacing the existing player on the roster.

Mail any lineup changes to John W.

Commissioner Z and John W will make final decisions on whether or not a change is allowed.


Regular Season Schedule

- 12 Teams in a single conference.

- 13 regular season games per ZFL team.

- Each ZFL team will play 2 games against two other ZFL teams as follows:
--- Dogs: Sox and Narwhals
--- Sox: Dogs and Octopus
--- Octopus: G-Men and Sox
--- G-Men: Octopus and Sponges
--- Sponges: Manders and G-Men
--- Manders: Sponges and Girls
--- Girls: Hope and Manders
--- Hope: Girls and Clowns
--- Clowns: Monkeys and Hope
--- Monkeys: Clowns and Kings
--- Kings: Narwhals and Monkeys
--- Narwhals: Kings and Dogs

- Each team plays the remaining ZFL teams once.


ZFL Standings

Note: If 3 or more teams are involved in a tie, the following rules will be used to determine the standings. Once a team has been eliminated from those involved in the tie, the standings amongst the remaining teams will be resolved starting at step 1.

Overall Standings

Overall Standings are determined using the following:
    1.) Overall Record
    2.) Best won-lost-tied percentage in head-to-head games between the teams.
    3.) Power Ranking
    4.) Total Points Scored
    5.) Coin Flip.

Power Ranking

A power ranking will be assigned to each ZFL team upon completion of each week's games. The weekly ranking is the record the team in question would have had in head-to-head competition with the eleven other ZFL teams that week. The highest scoring team in a particular week would have a 11-0-0 ranking, the second highest scoring team would have a 10-1-0 ranking, and so on. The lowest scoring team for that week would receive a power ranking of 0-11-0. The "Power Ranking" is a cumulative value of a team's weekly power rankings.

Playoffs

-- The top two teams in the overall standings gets a bye in the first round of the playoffs.  The remaining four playoff teams are determined by final overall regular season standing.  The bottom six regular season teams play in a "Best of the Worst" Championship.

Round 1 (ZFL Week 14) - Wildcard Elimination Games

-- The top six teams in the overall standings will play in the ZFL Playoffs.
-- The #1 and #2 Team in overall standings will receive a bye.
-- Of the remaining four playoff teams, the team with the #3 overall record will play the team with the #6 overall record.  The team with the #4 overall record will play the team with the #5 overall record.

Round 2 (ZFL Week 15) - Championship Semi-Finals Games

-- The team with the #1 overall record will play the remaining wildcard team with the worst overall record.
-- The team with the #2 overall record will play the remaining wildcard team with the best overall record.
-- The two wildcard teams that lost in the Wildcard Elimination Games will play each other for 5th and 6th place.

Round 3 (ZFL Week 16) - ZFL Championship Game

-- The two winning teams from the Championship Semi-Finals will play for the ZFL Championship.
-- The two losing teams from the Championship Semi-Finals will play for 3rd and 4th place.

"Best of the Worst" Playoffs

Round 1 (ZFL Week 14) - "Best of the Worst" Wildcard Elimination Games

-- The bottom six teams in the overall standings will play in the "Best of the Worst" Playoffs.
-- The #7 and #8 Team in overall standings will receive a bye.
-- The team with the #9 overall record will play the team with the #12 overall record.
-- The team with the #10 overall record will play the team with the #11 overall record.

Round 2 (ZFL Week 15) - "Best of the Worst" Semi-Finals Games

-- The team with the #7 overall record will play the winner in the "Best of the Worst" Wildcard Elimination Games with the worst overall record.
-- The team with the #8 overall record will play the winner in the "Best of the Worst" Wildcard Elimination Games with the best overall record.
-- The two teams that lost in the "Best of the Worst" Wildcard Elimination Games will play each other for 11th and 12th place.

Round 3 (ZFL Week 16) - "Best of the Worst" Championship Game

-- The two winning teams from the "Best of the Worst" Semi-Finals Games will play for the "Best of the Worst" Championship (i.e., for 7th and 8th place.)
-- The two losing teams from the "Best of the Worst" Semi-Finals Games will play for 9th and 10th place.


Fees / Winnings

  Entry fee per team: $20

Regular Season Ranking:

1)  $55
2)  $35
3)  $25
4)  $15
5)  $12
6)  $8
7)  $5
8)  $4
9)  $3
10)  $2
11)  $1
12)  $0

Playoff Finish:

1)  $30
2)  $15
3)  $10
4)  $5
5)  $2
6)  $0
7)  $6
8)  $3
9)  $2
10)  $1
11)  $1
12)  $0