The Longest Yard League Rules and Guidelines

TEAM MANAGEMENT

T.1 DEPTH CHART CHANGES

Owners/coaches are responsible for setting their team’s depth chart within the franchise BEFORE each game. Depth chart changes are NOT permitted before the opening kickoff. However, depth chart changes are allowed during the game if:

• If a player is struggling.
• If a player is injured OR to prevent injury.
• If the game is a blowout.

T.2 SUBSTITUTIONS & POSITION CHANGES

Madden allows you to change personnel in different formations from the play selection screen. If you utilize the switching personnel feature PLEASE DO SO WITH CAUTION. Switching personnel in the play calling screen and/or calling audibles that put personnel out of position and into any unacceptable situations is prohibited. Individual leagues may have rules in place regarding position changes. Please refer to each league specific rule set to determine the individual league position change parameters.

T.3 TRADING, RE-SIGNINGS, FREE AGENCY, & ROOKIE SIGNINGS

Trade Committee Process:
· Team owners come to an agreement in private
· One owner creates a conversation (PM) with the other owner, also inviting all members of the trade committee
· Other owner acknowledges the trade, completing the validation
· Trade committee votes on the trade.

Trade Format (PM format when owner submits proposal to Trade Committee)
· Original Contract Length - purpose of calculating cap penalty
· Remaining years left
· Original Bonus $
· Players current salary that are involved in trade
· Cap space less rookie reserve (applicable in off-season)
· Cap penalty loss or cap savings
· Estimated Cap space remaining after trade

Requirements for Trade Committee Approval:
· 3/5 vote if no trade committee members are involved in the trade
· 3/4 vote if one member of the trade committee is involved
· 2/3 vote if two members of the trade committee is involved

Trade restrictions:
· Teams are limited to ONE in-season trade ATTEMPT each season.
· Teams are limited to THREE off-season trade ATTEMPTS each season.
· Teams are limited to ONE revision per trade ATTEMPT.
· No rookies or 1 year veterans may be traded
· Trade deadline in season is week 8.
· Maximum of 2 players involved per trade, per team.
· Maximum of 3 total assets involved per trade, per team. (i.e. 3 draft picks, 2 players/1 draft pick, 1 player/2 draft picks)
· Trading players during the NFL draft is prohibited.
· Unlimited trading of draft picks during the draft.

Free Agency
You will be expected to manage your cap space wisely. When making free agent offers you can offer only 1 year more than the desired contract length. You are also expected to offer a reasonable signing bonus to players.

Waivers
Waiver requests will begin after the draft. All requests will be made via google form (more info later). Original waiver order will be by last season’s record/draft order. Deadline for waiver requests will be the 10 PM the day before advance.

OFFENSE

O.1 OFFENSIVE PLAYCALLING

Coaches in the NFL mix up their play calling, however, when a coach sees that a team is weak in an area, they exploit it. This is legal, however, with some exceptions. Do not call the same play or pattern over and over again. If a team can't stop the run or pass, you may exploit them with a heavy dose of either one by using a number of different plays. If you've called the same play twice in a game, it's time to think twice about calling it again. Diversify and distribute the ball. QUICK SNAPPING IS PROHIBITED! ALLOW THE DEFENSE TO SET! An exception to this would be if the play clock is about to hit zero. Otherwise, a one or two second count would be sufficient.

O.2 AUDIBLES

Calling audibles at the line of scrimmage is commonplace in every level of football. Calling an audible to change to a formation which circumvents your league’s personnel rules is not allowed. When calling an audible, the offense MUST allow the defense time to adjust and be set for at LEAST one second before snapping the ball.

O.3 HURRY-UP OFFENSE

Hurry-up offense may only be used in the final two minutes of each half following the two-minute warning. Hurry-up offense is prohibited when the clock is stopped, i.e. possessions out of bounds, incomplete passes, or penalties. When using the hurry up offense, please allow your opponent to set their defense before snapping the ball. If a player is put in motion, he must be set before the ball is snapped - even if the play clock is about to expire. Purposely trying to cause off-sides penalties or taking advantage of defensive AI is not allowed. Please refer to each league specific rule set for any exceptions to the rule.

O.4 MOTION

ONLY ONE PLAYER MOTION IS ALLOWED ONCE THE OFFENSE IS SET. The player put in motion must re-set before snapping the ball. If you decide to motion a player and he is not able to re-set before the play clock expires, you MUST call a timeout or take a delay of game penalty.

O.5 PLAY-ACTION PASS

Play-action should only be used in warranted running situations. Please refrain from using play-action on a habitual basis.

O.6 QB MOVEMENT

Rolling out with the QB following the snap MUST be by play design (QB roll out, play action roll out, option, or screen). Dropping back or rolling out to avoid a sack is warranted if defensive pressure is there. However, there has to be pursuit by the defense in order for it to be considered a legitimate QB scramble. You cannot intentionally drop your QB back 10+ yards and/or you cannot SPRINT with the QB to the sidelines immediately following the snap just to get receivers open.

O.7 TWO QB OFFENSE

The use of a two QB offense is very limited in the NFL and should NOT be utilized heavily in your game plan. The occasional substitution of a running QB in the wildcat or some other running formation is acceptable as a trick/change of pace type play.

O.8 SLOT RECEIVERS

Only WRs and Tight ends may be used as slot receivers.

O.9 MANUAL CATCH

Owners may manually control a WR to make a possession catch. However, manually controlling the WR during the play and pulling them off of their route to gain an advantage over the defense OR to manual "rocket catch" is prohibited. Refer to each league specific rule set to determine the individual league parameters regarding controlling the receiver to make a manual catch.

O.11 GOAL LINE FORMATION

The goal line formation may be used at any time if the offense is within 10 yards or less of either end zone. It may also be used in situations involving one yard or less to attain a first down. Please refer to each league specific rule set for any exceptions to the rule.

O.12 RUNNING OUT THE CLOCK

Most leagues do not play 15 minute quarters, so we have to be cautious of excessively running clock. Typically, “killing the clock" is only permitted with under 2:00 remaining in each half. Excessively running the clock at any other time is prohibited unless dictated otherwise by the individual league rules. "Killing the clock" would mean running the play clock down to less than 10 seconds excessively. We all know there are certain situations that are unavoidable, but when the game clock is running between plays, please try to have your plays called and the ball snapped within a reasonable time.

O.13 4TH DOWN RULES

We encourage straight play in this league, however, we do not want to limit players to the point where they cannot play aggressively. With that in mind, there will be a simple rule on 4th downs:

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  • Whenever you are past the 50 yard line with 2 yards or less to go, you are permitted to for it on 4th down.
  • If you are behind by two touchdowns or more in the second half, you can go for it whenever you like.
  • If you are the losing team in the 4th quarter, you can go for it whenever you like.

O.14 RUNNING UP THE SCORE

Running up the score is NOT allowed in the TSO community. Individual leagues will have rules in place regarding “blowouts.” Please refer to each individual league specific rule set to determine the league parameters regarding how to handle “blowout” situations. Any unnecessary scoring or stat padding will not be tolerated. Use your best judgment. Show sportsmanship by respecting your opponent.

There are things you should do when on the positive end of a blow-out. Removing your starters, punting, running the ball and chewing the clock should be staples of your gameplan. Starters should not be scoring when up by four scores. Late scoring will NOT be tolerated. There should be no reason for the winning team to score on offense in the closing minutes of the game if it is a blowout.

DEFENSE

D.1 DEFENSIVE PLAYCALLING

Teams should mix up their defensive formations, coverages, and blitzes based on their defensive scheme and the opponent’s offensive gameplan. Please call realistic defensive plays for the proper situation. Use a 4 or 5 DL set to stop the run and a 3 or 4 DL set to play the pass. Sitting in Cover 3 or DE Contain all game, for example, is prohibited. The only exception to this goes along with offenses becoming one dimensional. If your opponent is forced to become one dimensional due to the score, you will be permitted to do so on defense.

D.2 FORMATION LIMITATIONS

Individual leagues may have rules in place regarding defensive formations allowed. Please refer to each individual league specific rule set to determine the league parameters regarding defensive formations.

D.3 PERSONNEL SELECTION

Defensive personnel selection should be based on what offensive personnel are selected in the huddle. In addition, personnel selection should be based on time remaining, the down, and the yardage required for the offense to attain the first down and/or the distance to the goalline. Individual leagues may have rules in place regarding defensive match-ups allowed. Please refer to each individual league specific rule set to determine the league parameters regarding defensive personnel allowed, if any.

D.4 AUDIBLES & ADJUSTMENTS

When making adjustments on the field pre-snap, be sure that you are not making the exact same adjustments on every play. Constant press coverage, constant line stunts, shifting the DL and linebackers in the same manner every play and the like falls under the category of not mixing up play calling, and is frowned upon. If you find yourself in a situation where your defense needs to be reset, audible to your original play by pressing X+LT (360) or []+L2 (PS3).

D.5 BLITZING

There are exploits and AI deficiencies that can be taken advantage of in Madden - even when employing defensive schemes that are often seen in the NFL. There are teams in the NFL that rely on their speed on defense sometimes using blitz schemes all game. Although it is not illegal to blitz; it IS illegal to NANO blitz with player shifts and manual player movement. Individual leagues may have additional rules in place regarding blitzing. Please refer to each league’s specific rule set to determine if the league has additional parameters regarding blitzing.

D.6 PLAYER MOVEMENT

NFL teams also shift players around in order to get a better blitz angle. However, there are a lot of "glitch blitzes" that prevent us from allowing teams to move players around on defense other than Madden shifts. At no point should shifts be made to take advantage of the D-line spacing or to allow a DB to encroach the line without penalty in order to reach the quarterback unabated.

Manually controlled players should mix up their strategies during the game. A defensive tackle will NOT swim all game as the offensive lineman would make necessary adjustments to counter that. Unfortunately, the AI does not think that well so mix up your attack. Individual leagues may have rules in place regarding manual player movement allowed pre-snap. Please refer to each league specific rule set to determine the individual league parameters regarding manual player movement allowed on defense pre-snap.

SPECIAL TEAMS

ST.1 ONSIDE KICKS

Onside kicks are permitted at any time by the losing team in the 4th quarter only. Individual leagues may have rules in place regarding surprise onside kicks. Please refer to each league specific rule set to determine the individual league parameters regarding fake onside kicks.

ST.2 FAKE PUNT & FAKE FIELD GOAL

Individual leagues may have rules in place regarding fake punts and fake field goals. Please refer to each league specific rule set to determine the individual league parameters regarding fake punts and fake field goals.

ST.3 PLAYER MOVEMENT

Player movement before the snap is strictly prohibited. More specifically, manually moving a defender back for an additional blocker on PUNT RETURNS both before AND after the snap is prohibited. Manually moving a defender before the snap on PUNT BLOCK or FG BLOCK attempts is prohibited.

WEEKLY GAMEPLAY

WG.1 GAME SCHEDULING

Use of the Game Scheduling forums is mandatory.

WG.2 PAUSING

Madden allows a limited number of pauses during the game, so please keep that in mind. If it's ever necessary to pause the game, please provide a quick explanation to your opponent if you’re not utilizing your headset at that time. Pausing the game to show poor sportsmanship will not be tolerated. Please do not start a game if you know something will interfere with your playing time.

WG.3 DISCONNECTS
Games will disconnect from time to time for various reasons. All league participants are expected to have a reliable, high-speed ISP. If you are having any type of Internet trouble, please do not start the game until the problem is resolved. If it becomes a continual issue that isn't resolved, you will be removed from the league until your connectivity issue is resolved. Individual leagues may have rules in place regarding disconnect procedures. Please refer to each league specific rule set to determine the individual league parameters regarding disconnect procedures and replaying the game.

WG.4 LEAGUE DEADLINES & GAME SIMULATIONS

Individual leagues may have rules in place regarding deadlines and game simulations of incomplete games prior to a league deadline. Please refer to each league’s specific rule set to determine the league parameters regarding deadlines and game simulations.

WG.5 QUITTING

Please do not start a game if there’s a chance you will not be able to finish it. In the case of an emergency situation where an owner/coach is forced to leave the game, the league commissioner should be notified in order to resolve the situation unless both owners mutually agree to replay the game. If an owner quits during any league game, tournament game, or any other type of league or TSO sponsored game because they are losing, frustrated, or angry with their opponent; they will be subject to immediate dismissal from the league and TSO.

LEAGUE REQUIREMENTS

R.1 EXPECTATIONS

• Game recaps are a requirement here at TSO. Please refer to each league specific rule set to determine the league parameters regarding game recap requirements. The loser may follow with any comments and/or pleasantries thereafter. We don’t require a novel - just two or three paragraphs about how the game played out and who your player of the game was (accompanied by the usual "good game" pleasantries). Other owners are also free to discuss as it pertains to them. Highlight videos are welcomed and considered game recaps.
• ALL members are expected to participate any time an official league discussion or poll is presented, you're expected to jump in and post your opinion.
• Use the designated scheduling thread in the Game Scheduling forum to schedule your game with opponents each week. This league will be advancing every 72 hours. Advances will occur on mornings so there should be no issues getting the games in. Scheduling should be done in the scheduling thread. The reason for this is that we can keep track of game scheduling status and account for who is has not responded. If a team has not responded to a scheduling inquiry in 48 hours, they will go on AP, so make sure you are checking into the scheduling thread on advance day. If all games are finished before advance deadline we can advance earlier which could lead to quicker seasons.

R.2 FORUM & SOCIAL ACTIVITY REQUIREMENT
The members of the TSO community are who make this organization successful. Social interaction between the coaches in the forums is an integral step toward building the strongest league possible and ultimately enhances the enjoyment of the league for all involved. You could be the straightest gamer in the world, who shows up for each and every game on-time, and if you're ignoring the forums, you're not pulling your weight. So if you're not a big forum goer or don't like discussing your games, this isn't the community for you.

R.3 INACTIVITY
Inactivity will not be tolerated. If an owner fails to comply with announced deadlines pertaining to their league such as quotas for games played or failure to respond to league-wide broadcast messages that require a reply; the lack of performance is grounds for immediate dismissal. This includes insufficient log-ins to your forum account and inadequate actions towards posts pertaining to getting games played before the appropriate deadlines.

R.4 ETIQUETTE
RESPECT ONE ANOTHER AT ALL TIMES! Do not make it a habit of complaining about a person’s gameplay without first asking yourself, “why am I mad?” If the answer is because you could not stop their offense or they caught you off guard on defense, then hit the practice field and move on. If there is a rule infraction or dispute during a game, pause the game and communicate the concern with your opponent. If you are unable to resolve the problem with one another, get an available staff member involved. At no point should either owner involved in a dispute take the matter into their own hands, disrespect their opponent via messenger, or berate their opponent publicly in the forum. The league staff and TSO staff reserve the right to remove any owner that violates the code of conduct as it has been outlined here.

R.5 CODE OF CONDUCT
TSO plays an integral part in the development of NCAA, Madden, and potentially other genres in the future. ALL TSO league participants present and future alike, are required to recognize and respect that TSO is the governing body of all leagues within the community. YOUR voice is important. Just as you did by completing your TSO application, each league member is required to confirm publicly that they will respect and contribute to the TSO community. Any deviation from that will result in the immediate dismissal from the TSO community.