The American Action Football League (A.A.F.L.) is a 24-team team head-to-head football League using the latest version of Dave Kochs Action! PC football game.

1.0- MEMBERSHIP

1.1 - All members must have a LEGAL copy of the most recent version of Action! PC Football Game that can be ordered at DKSPORTS.com.

1.2 - All owners MUST play their games head-to-head and e-mail the results of these games and all necessary files to the Commissioner and the Web Master by Sunday midnight eastern standard time following the scheduled date for that weeks game.

1.3 - All owners are required to meet all deadlines.

2.0 - THE LEAGUE OFFICERS

2.1 - The Commissioner oversees the operation of the league. He is responsible for ruling on any differences between league members and shall be the final authority on all rule issues. He is responsible for conducting and scheduling the drafts, dispersing the league's data disks, updating and revising the rulebook as necessary, collecting the transactions and stats and distributing weekly files.

2.2 – The Commissioner, at his discretion, may name a Transaction/Stat Executive who will be responsible for collecting transactions and stats from all members of the league as allowed in the rulebook and distributing weekly files. All issues regarding free agents, trades, stats or processing game results or game setups will be directed to the Transactions Executive when named.

2.3 - The Web Master is responsible for maintaining the league website and league owners are encouraged to participate with articles for the website.

3.0 - DUES AND FEES

3.1 – The annual League dues are optional. The cost for each franchise that is willing to contribute is $5 which is the cost to maintain the Web Site for each team.

4.0 - LEAGUE STRUCTURE

4.1 - The league is comprised of 24 teams, each owned by a separate individual, divided into the American Football Conference and the National Football Conference. Each Conference will contain two (2) Divisions with six (6) teams each. The names of the teams as well as the Conference and Division structure will not change once the A.A.F.L. is established.

5.0 - FRANCHISES

5.1 - Each team consists of no more than a 55 man roster.

5.2 - The roster can only contain players listed on the player disk with the exception of a player whose rights are owned by an A.A.F.L. team and was injured or suspended for all the previous year. Said player may remain assigned to the team at the discretion of the Owner of the franchise and will count against the team’s 55-man roster.


6.0 - ROSTER REQUIREMENTS/PLAYER USAGE

6.1 - Players eligible for play within the A.A.F.L. shall be players listed in the current version of Action! PC Football for that season with the exception of injured or suspended players as detailed in section 5.2.

6.2 - At the start of each season, each owner must have at least the following number of attempts by skilled players on their rosters:

a. 400 pass attempts
b. 300 rushes
c. 200 receptions
d. 20 field goal attempts
e. 40 punts
f. 20 kick off returns
g. 20 punt returns

6.3 - At the start of each game, each roster must include the following minimum number of players at the following positions:

2 QBs
3 RBs
6 Rec (minimum of 4WRs and 2 TEs)
8 OL (minimum 2C, 3OTs and 3OGs)
1 PK
1 Punter
6 Def Linemen (min of 3DTs and 3DEs)
5 LBs (minimum 2 ILB and 3 OLBs)
6 DBS (minimum 3CBs and 3Ss)
1 KR
1 PR

One FG Kicker with 16 or more attempts
One Punter with 40 or more punts
One Kickoff Returner with 16 or more returns OR a 19.9 or LESS average & no TD's
One Punt Returner with 16 or more returns OR 9.9 or LESS average & no TD's

6.4 - Player Usage

The computer software will determine the extent of each players usage given it automatically factors in durability, over usage, etc. and will be configured as follows:

Season Usage Penalties: Yes

Game Usage Penalties: Yes

Special Teams Usage Penalties: Yes

Quarterback Game Usage Penalties: No (YES in the Playoffs)

Game Fatigue: Yes

Season:

Mild - 110% of Real Life Use
Moderate - 115% of Real Life Use
Major - 120% of Real Life Use

Game:

Mild - 10% of Real Life Use
Moderate - 15% of Real Life Use
Major - 20% of Real Life Use

LIMITED RUNNING BACKS

No Running Back with less then 50 carries and an average per carry of 5.5 or higher will be eligible to run the ball for that year. Their rushing stats will be erased. They can be used as a pass receiver or return man if the team desires or can be protected without taking up a roster spot.

7.0 – ROOKIE/FREE AGENT DRAFT

7.1 - Only players appearing on the Action! PC Football disk and whose rights are not owned by a team, have been cut from a team or who are appearing on the disk for the first time are eligible to be drafted during the rookie/free agent draft .

7.2 - The rookie/free agent draft will be 10 rounds or until the team hits 55 players and will occur on dates selected by the commissioner. Drafts will be conducted e-mail daily based on a schedule that will be designated by the Commissioner.

7.3 –Prior to the start of the rookie/free agent draft, teams will cut their rosters to no more then 45 and the unprotected players will be available in the rookie/free agent draft.

7.4 - During rookie/free agent draft, all owners are responsible for participating during their specified date and time slot.

7.5 – The rookie/free agent draft order is determined as follows:

1. First, all non playoff teams will be ranked on the following tie-breaking factors:

a. winning percentage
b. strength of schedule
c. head-to-head
d. Division wins
e. Conference wins
f. net points

g. coin toss

The 12 playoff teams will be ranked based on the reverse order of where they finished in the playoffs. Playoffs teams, which finished at the same level, will use the tie breaking factors to determine order. Therefore, the Super Bowl winner drafts last, etc.

8.0 - TRADES

8.1 – Trading is permitted from the conclusion of the draft until the 10^th game of the season.

8.2 - No trading will be allowed after a team has played their 10th game in a given season until after the A.A.F.L. Super bowl.

8.3 - Trading will be permitted during the draft.

8.4 – Players and draft choices in the next draft may be traded. No trades involving players to be named later or other gimmicks or loopholes will be allowed.

8.6 - Both Owners must send an e mail to the Commissioner before a trade is official. .


9.0 - SCHEDULE

9.1 - The regular season will consist of 16 games.

9.2 – Result of all games are due each Sunday night at midnight eastern standard time.

9.3 – All games must be played as “SCHEDULED” games and played head-to-head.

9.4 – Each team will play every team in their Division twice (10 games) and the six (6) teams in another Division once (6 games).

10.0 - GAME SET-UP

10.1 - The commissioner will send the disk containing the league organization to each coach. This league disk must be used to play league games. The league disk must not be altered in any way except by direction of the commissioner, or the visiting/home coach for team unit moves.

10.2 - The ACTION! PC Game Preferences screen should be set as follows:

Since all games in the A.A.F.L. are head-to-head, both teams should be listed as HUMAN coaches

Game Type: League

Box Score Type: Expanded

Play-by-Play: Optional

Zoom: None

Stadium: Home Team Stadium

Month: Scheduled Month

Computer vs. Computer Speed: Irrelevant for A.A.F.L. play

Opening Screen: Optional

Play Clock: USE PLAY CLOCK 60 Seconds

Game Display: Optional

10.3 – The ACTION! PC Football Rules Menu should be set as follows:

Rules Year: Current ACTION! PC NFL Season
Season Length: 16
Homefield Advantage: Yes
Homefield Advantage Drop Down Menu: Advantage of 2 (Playoffs 3)
Two Point Conversions=Yes

Replay Challenges: 2

Play Clock: 60 Seconds
Ten Minute Ticker: No
Allow Audibles: No
Minutes/Quarter: 15 minutes
League Type: Draft League
Injuries: Yes
Injuries Drop Down Menu: Normal Frequency
Salary Cap: No
Field Goal Miss Line: Kick Spot
Kickoff Line: 30
Goal Post Location: Endline
Usage and Fatigue Rules and Penalties: See Section 6.4

10.4 – The Modify Team screen should be set as follows:

Team Type: Draft

Penalties: 2

11.0 - PLAYOFFS

11.1 - Divisional champions and the 4 teams with the best winning percentages of the remaining Conference teams shall qualify for the playoffs in each Conference. The two Divisional champions will get a bye while the four wild cards play week 17.

PLAYOFF SCHEDULE:
Week 17: In each league, Wild Card 4 @ Wild Card 1 Wild Card 3 @ Wild Card 2

Week 18: In each league, Worst Record Round 1 Winner @ Div winner #1; Best record Round 1 Winner @ Div winner #2
Week 19: League Championships – Wild Card team can’t host vs. Division Winner

Week 20: Super Bowl – Neutral Field (We will use the NFL Super Bowl site for current year we are playing).

In the event teams have an equal winning percentage, the following tie breaking factors will be used for tie breaker determination

PLAYOFF TIE-BREAKING PRODEDURES
DIVISION TIES - Two Clubs
1. Head-to-Head record.
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division.
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games if applicable.
4. Best net points in division games.
5. Best net points in all games.
6. Last team not to make the playoffs.
7. Coin toss.

Three or More Clubs
If two clubs remain tied after other clubs are eliminated during any step, tiebreaker reverts to step #1 of two-club format.
1. Head-to-Head (best won-lost percentage in games between the clubs).
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division.
3. Best net points in division games.
4. Best net points in all games.
5. Last team not to make the playoffs.
6. Coin toss.

WILD-CARD TIES
If necessary to break ties to determine the four wild-card teams, the following steps will be taken.
1. If all tied clubs are from the same division, apply division tiebreaker
2. If the tied clubs are from different divisions apply the steps below.
3. When the first wild-card team has been identified, the procedure is repeated each time as necessary. In situations where three teams from the same division are involved in the procedure, the original seeding of the teams remains the same for subsequent applications of the tie-breaker if the top-ranked team in that division qualifies for a wild-card berth.

Two Clubs
1. Head-to-Head, if applicable.
2. Best W-L-T % in common games, 4 min.
3. Best net points, all games.
4. Strength of schedule.
5. Last team not to make the playoffs.
6. Coin toss.

Three or More Clubs
Once two teams remain, revert to step #1 in Two Club tiebreaker.
1. Apply division tiebreaker to eliminate all but highest-ranked club in each division before step #1. The original seeding within a division upon application of the Division tie-breaker remains the same for all subsequent applications of the procedure that are necessary to identify the four wild-card teams.
2. Head-to-Head sweep (only if one club has either defeated or lost to each of the others).
3. Best net points, all games.
4. Strength of schedule.
5. Last team not to make the playoffs.
6. Coin toss.

11.2 - Injuries will carry over throughout the regular season, the playoffs and the Super Bowl.

11.3 - The Super Bowl will be played on a neutral field.

11.4 – Stats will not be reset to zero from the regular season with additional usage added automatically by the game engine.

12.0 - STADIUMS

12.1 - Each team will use the NFL stadium for their franchise with the home field advantage set to “2” (3 in playoffs) as detailed in Section 12.2.

12.2 - The name and weather effects of the given NFL stadium will be used during the A.A.F.L. season.

13.0 – RULE CHANGES

13.1 - The rulebook may not be altered once the season begins (regular season or playoffs.) unless the commissioner sees fit because of emergency situation.

13.2 - During the month of March, owners are encouraged to suggest any changes and/or clarifications to the rulebook. If the Commissioner determines any of the suggested changes will better the league, he will ask for a league vote on the given rule and a 51% majority is required for the adoption of the new rule for the next season.


14.0 - EXPLUSION

14.1 - Intentional disregard for the articles of these by laws will result in immediate expulsion from the A.A.F.L.

14.2 - Throwing games on purpose in order to gain a better draft position the following year will result in a loss of between five and ten positions in the draft and possible expulsion from the League.