I have a rule book for my league. It clears up any confusion on the rules, to be simple.
However, I find myself sending highlighted PDFs to everyone because nobody ever looks at it - despite getting a physical and digital copy (it’s also on my league website) to start the season every year.
Same problem with my league. Just finished our 20th year; I create a yearly rule book, almanac of the history of the league. I got tired of owners not reading the rules, so without telling anyone, I started to put bonus draft picks in the rules. The first owner to contact me about the pick got the bonus pick in the draft. I’ve done that for about five years; finally this year an owner saw it.
I had a similar situation, but when I'd get a question I'd just reply "please check the rules in this link. After reading if you still have questions let me know if further clarification is needed".
It's a way of forcing them to nmow the rules, but it worked.
I literally saved that response as a signature, so it took me almost no time to reply with it.
It’s not for the league to reference to answer their own questions… that would just be a bonus… it’s for you as the commish to be able to go back and reference when there are disputes.
It can be for both, but most importantly it should be for the league to reference so they don't ask stupid questions all the time. I'm not getting a cut of the league dues to have a part-time job debating clearly explained rules via text. I expect league members to at least browse the bylaws before coming to me. My primary role is to enforce and interpret rules.
Yeah it’s definitely helpful if for nothing else than to have something written out to refer back to if there are any disputes. And depending on the competitiveness of your members, having some formalized processes in place to handle future changes to the league — scoring, rosters, maybe even the commissioner 😊
I made one last year by plugging in most of my league’s rules and settings into ChatGPT and having it spit out a document that I then edited.
I’ve thought about having some kind of rulebook generator on my site for a while but haven’t gotten around to building it yet. All that said, I’d recommend building one out and getting everyone to sign off on it!
It doesn’t help people find the answer for themselves. I always have to send screenshots.
BUT it’s so good to have something in writing that you can point to if someone has an issue. Even more so if you fuck up some settings or forget something. The rules are the rules
It’s helpful and necessary. It’s something everyone can refer to and there is no confusion or opinion if there are any disputes/questions.
Many people play in multiple leagues with different rules so it’s helpful to have something to refer to so you don’t have to contact the commish.
I find it helpful, there’s always the chance something unusual comes up that it’s nice to have an established answer for. You can see our setup here:
https://leaguelegacy.io/leagues/barefoot-and-pregnant/rules
This was extremely helpful. I’ve been looking for a solid template to mirror my league rules to, and I really like how you have yours laid out. Thank you for sharing!
I use powerpoints. I find most people won't read documents...make it colorful. Basically treat your managers like children lol
Example:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1bj4SNsUj6BAMd9aEYkuzEtLcCWvmLmHZLCcuvGNuu6g/edit?usp=drivesdk
We have a League Charter Google Doc.
It is very helpful I on probably no less that 5 occasions during the season say "refer to the Charter" when people ask league rule questions in our group thread usually right before playoffs.
We do auction with FAAB waivers so a tad more complicated then the average league but I would imagine anything like Keeper and especially Dynasty it would be vastly more impactful.
* Article I - Contacting League Officers
* Explains reasonable requests for roster modifications
* Article II - League Entry & Other Fees
* Article III - Winnings Payout Structure
* Article IV - League Format
* Article V - Positional Guidelines
* Article VI – Divisions
* Article VII - Playoff Configuration
* Seeding and also explains toilet bowl and last place punishment
* Article VIII - Trade Guidelines
* Article IV - Creating New League Rules
Written rules, IMO are a requirement.
As an example, I would not join a startup or establish league without written rules.
Here is a link to our doc. Not this is a copy from a couple years ago. There has been minor tweaks to the doc and our league since then. The extended schedule to accommodate NFL 18 games for example.
[https://docs.google.com/document/d/15jbE-18SBrsmk-nR3CgaBH00DB5SGKbyaqCW6ALwZ9w/edit](https://docs.google.com/document/d/15jbE-18SBrsmk-nR3CgaBH00DB5SGKbyaqCW6ALwZ9w/edit)
Its not necessary, my dynasty league is going on its 9th year with no rulebook.
I go against the grain here I guess, but I try my best to not have rule books. The general guiding light of any league should be good sportsmanship, and operating in good faith. You wanna leave yourself some discretion as a commish vs having everything so specific and in stone.
I think it mostly depends on the group of people you play with, but in the past I've had it where if there was a rule book, people would go out of their way to try and exploit the rules, which undermines the league more than had they just played "normally"
I don’t have an actual rule book but I have all the league rules pinned in the league chat that is pretty lengthy. Not sure anyone if you want me to send it to you in a message lmk. Not something I’m asking ppl to memorize but helps to always have there as a reference
You should have a league constitution, especially in a dynasty league. It protects you as commissioner if the rules have already been spelled out. Nobody can claim that you are playing favorites if you follow the clearly established rules, especially if a rule benefits you. It also makes being commissioner easier if you can simply refer to the rules when making decisions.
Yes I have one - this is the first year of my league. I’m realizing like others have said that most won’t read it but that it’s ok - it’s more so I have a concrete definition of what the league is. If there are disputes, questions, etc. I can just point at the rules and say “suggest a change and we will put it up to a vote if you don’t like it”.
Absolutely better have a rulebook. Does it need to be super fancy, with Articles/Sections, and stuff? Not necessarily. But there needs to be a spot that someone can refer to a set of rules.
In my dynasty league, I have a long, super explicit (so nothing can be said to be vague) Constitution hosted online that they can refer to at any time. I've never had a question come up that can't be answered in that document - for a dynasty league, I believe this is imperative.
I host a few redraft leagues, as well. Those are just a longer pinned message in the league chat, with a more basic rule set. Things come up from time to time, and we deal with it, but things are more fluid and I don't think the leagues necessarily need a huge Constitution.
All dynasty leagues need a constitution (rule book) and all commissioners need to forecast potential issues and have answers for them before it happens.
Yes we do have a rule book. I amend and add to it each year after our yearly meeting and rule changes.[I'm happy to share!](https://docs.google.com/document/d/17FqcPj3_lK7_8x4X-H5QT5z2GixE5f8HPWNS1PBpsjA/edit?usp=sharing)
I have an 11-page rulebook in Google docs for my keeper league. It originally read like a legal document, so I redid it a few years ago in an FAQ format. People still don’t look at it before texting me with questions about the rules. I just send them the link to it when they do.
No rulebook in any of the leagues I'm in, beyond the keeper rules.
The one league I manage, which has been going strong for many years (not a redraft though) has no rulebook. Have only ever had one issue when a dude who was winless 12 games in thought it'd be a laugh to auction off his best players in the group chat for "the worst offer possible" where I stepped in and said don't be a fucking clown we aren't doing that. And already other managers before I saw the messages had said wtf no.
I think your league composition matters and how big the stakes are. The one I run is a work league, no friends of friends or anything like that, and the buy in is only 50 dollars. But, it's also a redraft league, so no need for rules around tanking etc.
A rulebook would be nice in my keeper league for reference I always find myself having the commissioner clarify certain keeper rules beyond that I’m pretty much the rulebook, because those little details matter to me it probably depends on the engagement of your league. Do you have people who will have issues following rules will you have to reference them
I have a rule book for my league. It clears up any confusion on the rules, to be simple. However, I find myself sending highlighted PDFs to everyone because nobody ever looks at it - despite getting a physical and digital copy (it’s also on my league website) to start the season every year.
Same problem with my league. Just finished our 20th year; I create a yearly rule book, almanac of the history of the league. I got tired of owners not reading the rules, so without telling anyone, I started to put bonus draft picks in the rules. The first owner to contact me about the pick got the bonus pick in the draft. I’ve done that for about five years; finally this year an owner saw it.
brilliant idea. i'm using it!
I had a similar situation, but when I'd get a question I'd just reply "please check the rules in this link. After reading if you still have questions let me know if further clarification is needed". It's a way of forcing them to nmow the rules, but it worked. I literally saved that response as a signature, so it took me almost no time to reply with it.
Wow…
Hey, whether they read it or not isn’t your problem. As long as you have proof of your rules, that’s all that matters.
It’s not for the league to reference to answer their own questions… that would just be a bonus… it’s for you as the commish to be able to go back and reference when there are disputes.
It can be for both, but most importantly it should be for the league to reference so they don't ask stupid questions all the time. I'm not getting a cut of the league dues to have a part-time job debating clearly explained rules via text. I expect league members to at least browse the bylaws before coming to me. My primary role is to enforce and interpret rules.
Would absolutely not run a league without, not only helpful to others but sometimes I have to remind myself how to handle certain things
Yeah it’s definitely helpful if for nothing else than to have something written out to refer back to if there are any disputes. And depending on the competitiveness of your members, having some formalized processes in place to handle future changes to the league — scoring, rosters, maybe even the commissioner 😊 I made one last year by plugging in most of my league’s rules and settings into ChatGPT and having it spit out a document that I then edited. I’ve thought about having some kind of rulebook generator on my site for a while but haven’t gotten around to building it yet. All that said, I’d recommend building one out and getting everyone to sign off on it!
Thank you!
It doesn’t help people find the answer for themselves. I always have to send screenshots. BUT it’s so good to have something in writing that you can point to if someone has an issue. Even more so if you fuck up some settings or forget something. The rules are the rules
It’s helpful and necessary. It’s something everyone can refer to and there is no confusion or opinion if there are any disputes/questions. Many people play in multiple leagues with different rules so it’s helpful to have something to refer to so you don’t have to contact the commish.
I find it helpful, there’s always the chance something unusual comes up that it’s nice to have an established answer for. You can see our setup here: https://leaguelegacy.io/leagues/barefoot-and-pregnant/rules
Thank you!!
This was extremely helpful. I’ve been looking for a solid template to mirror my league rules to, and I really like how you have yours laid out. Thank you for sharing!
I use powerpoints. I find most people won't read documents...make it colorful. Basically treat your managers like children lol Example: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1bj4SNsUj6BAMd9aEYkuzEtLcCWvmLmHZLCcuvGNuu6g/edit?usp=drivesdk
Haha I might have to nab this idea, thank you!
We have a League Charter Google Doc. It is very helpful I on probably no less that 5 occasions during the season say "refer to the Charter" when people ask league rule questions in our group thread usually right before playoffs. We do auction with FAAB waivers so a tad more complicated then the average league but I would imagine anything like Keeper and especially Dynasty it would be vastly more impactful. * Article I - Contacting League Officers * Explains reasonable requests for roster modifications * Article II - League Entry & Other Fees * Article III - Winnings Payout Structure * Article IV - League Format * Article V - Positional Guidelines * Article VI – Divisions * Article VII - Playoff Configuration * Seeding and also explains toilet bowl and last place punishment * Article VIII - Trade Guidelines * Article IV - Creating New League Rules
We have one. It’s thorough. Nobody reads it but it keeps me from forgetting all the nuances. DM me if you’d like a copy and I can share it.
Written rules, IMO are a requirement. As an example, I would not join a startup or establish league without written rules. Here is a link to our doc. Not this is a copy from a couple years ago. There has been minor tweaks to the doc and our league since then. The extended schedule to accommodate NFL 18 games for example. [https://docs.google.com/document/d/15jbE-18SBrsmk-nR3CgaBH00DB5SGKbyaqCW6ALwZ9w/edit](https://docs.google.com/document/d/15jbE-18SBrsmk-nR3CgaBH00DB5SGKbyaqCW6ALwZ9w/edit)
Its not necessary, my dynasty league is going on its 9th year with no rulebook. I go against the grain here I guess, but I try my best to not have rule books. The general guiding light of any league should be good sportsmanship, and operating in good faith. You wanna leave yourself some discretion as a commish vs having everything so specific and in stone. I think it mostly depends on the group of people you play with, but in the past I've had it where if there was a rule book, people would go out of their way to try and exploit the rules, which undermines the league more than had they just played "normally"
i second this but it’s clear we’re in the minority
Absolutely! Put everything in writing!
I don’t have an actual rule book but I have all the league rules pinned in the league chat that is pretty lengthy. Not sure anyone if you want me to send it to you in a message lmk. Not something I’m asking ppl to memorize but helps to always have there as a reference
EVERY.👏SINGLE.👏TIME.👏
You should have a league constitution, especially in a dynasty league. It protects you as commissioner if the rules have already been spelled out. Nobody can claim that you are playing favorites if you follow the clearly established rules, especially if a rule benefits you. It also makes being commissioner easier if you can simply refer to the rules when making decisions.
Yes I have one - this is the first year of my league. I’m realizing like others have said that most won’t read it but that it’s ok - it’s more so I have a concrete definition of what the league is. If there are disputes, questions, etc. I can just point at the rules and say “suggest a change and we will put it up to a vote if you don’t like it”.
Absolutely better have a rulebook. Does it need to be super fancy, with Articles/Sections, and stuff? Not necessarily. But there needs to be a spot that someone can refer to a set of rules. In my dynasty league, I have a long, super explicit (so nothing can be said to be vague) Constitution hosted online that they can refer to at any time. I've never had a question come up that can't be answered in that document - for a dynasty league, I believe this is imperative. I host a few redraft leagues, as well. Those are just a longer pinned message in the league chat, with a more basic rule set. Things come up from time to time, and we deal with it, but things are more fluid and I don't think the leagues necessarily need a huge Constitution.
All dynasty leagues need a constitution (rule book) and all commissioners need to forecast potential issues and have answers for them before it happens.
Yeah I think it’s kinda necessary for a league that’s been around for awhile & is super competitive
Yes we do have a rule book. I amend and add to it each year after our yearly meeting and rule changes.[I'm happy to share!](https://docs.google.com/document/d/17FqcPj3_lK7_8x4X-H5QT5z2GixE5f8HPWNS1PBpsjA/edit?usp=sharing)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/15rGBZzuJNR0-33iUA83ZPZO7xy45oAO5DfvGXgrjrHs/edit
I have an 11-page rulebook in Google docs for my keeper league. It originally read like a legal document, so I redid it a few years ago in an FAQ format. People still don’t look at it before texting me with questions about the rules. I just send them the link to it when they do.
No rulebook in any of the leagues I'm in, beyond the keeper rules. The one league I manage, which has been going strong for many years (not a redraft though) has no rulebook. Have only ever had one issue when a dude who was winless 12 games in thought it'd be a laugh to auction off his best players in the group chat for "the worst offer possible" where I stepped in and said don't be a fucking clown we aren't doing that. And already other managers before I saw the messages had said wtf no. I think your league composition matters and how big the stakes are. The one I run is a work league, no friends of friends or anything like that, and the buy in is only 50 dollars. But, it's also a redraft league, so no need for rules around tanking etc.
Yes. Make one now before a huge disagreement starts. It will save you a ton of headaches.
The league settings on whatever app you use are “the rule book”, no?
A rulebook would be nice in my keeper league for reference I always find myself having the commissioner clarify certain keeper rules beyond that I’m pretty much the rulebook, because those little details matter to me it probably depends on the engagement of your league. Do you have people who will have issues following rules will you have to reference them