TLC Football Rules
Questions to commissioner@tlcsports.com
Roster
2 Quarterbacks3 Running backs
4 Receivers (WR or TE)
1 Kicker
2 Utility Offense (any of the above)
2 Defensive Linemen
2 Linebackers
2 Defensive Backs
2 Utility Defenders
Note: Starting in 2020, teams may carry 2 Utility Offense and 2 Utility Defense players all season. No more than one Utility player an any position.
Starting lineup
1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 PKhome team starts 5 defenders, road team starts 4
in either case, at least 1 and no more than 2 at each position
eg. 1 DL, 2 LB, 2 DB for a home team.
Scoring
1 Point for each
10 yds Rushing10 yds Receiving
25 yds Passing
Reception
25 yds Return (INT/Fumble/Punt/Kick combined)
Tackle (Assisted)
PAT
2 Points
Tackle (Solo)Pass Defense
Safety
Forced Fumble
Opponent`s fumble recovered
2 Point Conversion-Rush
2 Point Conversion-Reception
2 Point Conversion-Pass
3 Points
SackField Goal (17-39 yards)
4 Points
InterceptionField Goal (40-49)
5 Points
Field Goal (50-59)6 Points
TOUCHDOWN-any means (1-49 yds)Field Goal (60-65)
12 Points
TOUCHDOWN-any means (50-infinity)Field Goal (new record)
Draft
20 Rounds (up from 18 starting in 2020). Draft order reverses each round. (The player who picks first in round 1 picks last in round 2.) Order is determined randomly at the start of the draft.Games
The TLC regular season runs from week 1 to weekIn regular season games, there are no tiebreakers.
Starting Lineup
A full lineup must be submitted in full by kickoff of the first game each week, but it may be adjusted later for players whose games have not yet begun. In other words, the decision to start or bench each player may be made any time before that player's game starts.2020-21 Addition: If you are starting a player in a game that is subject to reschedule you may submit an alternate starter from your roster. To do so you must name the alternate in your lineup notes or an email to the commissioner before the alternate's game kicks off. If your starter's game is postponed until after the current week, your alternate will take his place in your lineup.
If no lineup is submitted, the previous week's lineup remains in effect. If necessary, the Commissioner will bench one defender in order to convert a home lineup to a road lineup, on the principle of last in, first out.
Transactions
Each week there is one waiver period where teams may add players not already on another team.Waiver picks are due at 5 PM (Central) each Thursday night (except the week of Thanksgiving, when they are due at 5PM on Wednesday.)
2020-21 Exception: There is an additional waiver round on Saturday at noon Central in which each team may pick one player.
Waiver priority is inverse order of standings (ie. lowest winning percentage, then fewest points scored per game, then earliest pick in most recent waivers). Exceptions: if there is a waiver period prior to the first game of the season, waiver priority is the reverse of the first round of the draft. In the final week of picks (week 14) waiver order will be inverse playoff/bizarro seeding.
The team with the highest priority receives the first player on their waiver pick list. The next team receives the first player on their list who is still available, and so on through the lowest-priority team. Then the highest-priority team receives the next player on their list that is still available, the next team likewise, and so on, in as many rounds as are needed.
Waiver picks, and the players picked, may be traded.
Historical note: Prior to 2017, the waiver process was done via email and effectively done in two rounds with each team getting all their remaining picks in the second round.
Due to the institution of Thursday night games every week in 2012, the deadline to complete roster moves is complicated. If you want to add, drop or trade a player who is playing on Thursday night, you must complete that transaction by the Thursday kickoff. All other transactions for the week must be completed by the first kickoff on Sunday.
2020-21 Exception: For players picked on Thursday, transactions must be completed by Saturday, noon Central. For players picked on Saturday, transactions must be completed by Sunday kickoff.
There is no penalty for being early! You can send provisional instructions with your picks and then change them later. For example, if you pick up a player who plays on Thursday you must add him to your roster and cut someone to make room immediately. But you change your mind about who to cut, you can pick back up the player you originally cut, as long as you cut someone else to make your roster right by kickoff on Sunday.
2020-21 Exception: See above for deadlines.
Players picked on waivers cannot be cut the same week. Players who do not send valid and timely instructions will have players cut by the Commissioner.
2020-21 Exception: Players picked up during the Thursday waiver round may be cut after the Saturday waiver round.
Trades may be made any time before the first game on Sunday each week, but are subject to Commissioner approval. The Commissioner assumes that every team owner is an intelligent student of the NFL and prefers not to veto any trades. However, the Commissioner reserves the right to reject any trade in the best interests of the league in cases of collusion, negligence or abject ignorance. In any case, no player may be traded back to the team who traded him, unless he has cut or traded again in the interim. Also, no trade may be made where one team cuts every player received. Trade deadline is game time Week 12.
Playoffs and Bizarros
The postseason begins in week 14.The 4 division winners and two Wild-Card clubs advance to the playoffs. The two division winners with the best records get first-round byes. The third-seeded division winner hosts the second Wild-Card, and the fourth-seeded division winner hosts the first Wild-Card. In week 15 the top seed hosts the lowest-seeded winner from round one and the second seed hosts the other winner. In week 16 the round-two winners meet in the Earl Campbell Sausage Bowl and both teams start a home lineup.
The remaining 10 teams reverse to the bizarros. They are seeded 7-18 based on overall record. Week 14 contains two bizarro rounds.
Round one: #10 at #7 and #9 at #8
Round two: #16 at highest round-one loser, #15 at other round-one loser, #14 at #11, #13 at #12
In week 15, the highest-seeded round-two loser hosts the lowest-seeded loser and the next-highest-seeded loser hosts the remaining loser.
In week 16, the round-three losers meet in the Bizarro Bowl. Both teams start a road lineup.
The following procedures will be used to break standings ties for postseason playoffs and bizarros.
NOTE: Tie games count as one-half win and one-half loss for both clubs.
TO BREAK A TIE WITHIN A DIVISION
If, at the end of the regular season, two or more clubs in the same division finish with identical won-lost-tied percentages, the following steps will be taken until a champion is determined.
Two Clubs
1. Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games between the clubs).
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division.
3. Most points in all games.
4. Most points in division games.
5. One hand of 5-card stud.
Three or More Clubs
(Note: If two clubs remain tied after a third or other clubs are eliminated during any step, tie breaker reverts to step 1 of the two-club format).
1. Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games among the clubs).
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division.
3. Most points in all games.
4. Most points in division games.
5. One hand of 5-card stud.
TO BREAK A TIE FOR THE WILD-CARD TEAM
If it is necessary to break ties to determine the two Wild-Card clubs, the following steps will be taken.
1. If the tied clubs are from the same division, apply division tie breaker.
2. If the tied clubs are from different divisions, apply the following steps.
Two Clubs
1. Head-to-head.
2. Most points in all games.
3. One hand of 5-card stud.
Three or More Clubs
(Note: If two clubs remain tied after third or other clubs are eliminated, tie breaker reverts to step 1 of applicable two-club format.)
1. Head-to-head sweep. (Applicable only if one club has swept each of the others or if one club has been swept by each of the others.)
2. Most points in all games.
3. One hand of 5-card stud.
When the first Wild-Card team has been identified, the procedure is repeated to name the second Wild-Card.
OTHER TIE-BREAKING PROCEDURES
1. Only one club advances to the playoffs in any tie-breaking step.
Remaining tied clubs revert to the first step of the applicable division or Wild-Card tie breakers. As an example, if two clubs remain tied in any tie-breaker step after all other clubs have been eliminated, the procedure reverts to step one of the two-club format to determine the winner. When one club wins the tie breaker, all other clubs revert to step 1 of the applicable two-club or three-club format.
2. To determine home-field priority among division titlists, apply Wild-Card tie breakers.
3. To determine home-field priority for Wild-Card qualifiers, apply division tie breakers (if teams are from the same division) or Wild-Card tie breakers (if teams are from different divisions).
4. Tiebreakers for Bizarro seeding follow the steps under TO BREAK A TIE FOR THE WILD-CARD TEAM.
Tiebreakers for Playoff and Bizarro games:
If two teams have the same score in a playoff or bizarro game, the winner will be determined by the first of the following factors which is not also a tie:
1. most regular season points
2. best record
3. highest playoff seed