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Corsairs · 02-29-2008, 10:44 AM

As the commissioner of a fledgling fictional OOTP league, I'm interested to learn about the kinds of special out-of-game rules that other leagues implement. Whether it's to circumvent a shortcoming of the game, to expedite play or to add a creative twist, I think "house rules" can really add character to a league. But while I'm sure there are a bunch of really clever ideas out there, there's nowhere to look to find a collection of those ideas. Maybe this thread can serve as a repository for unique rules and a reference for commissioners looking for ideas to improve their own league.

Being a young league, PEBA's special rules are in a state of development. We've been focusing on things that solve problems with the game or add extra realism. Here are some examples of house rules we're using

Players are rewarded for exporting, posting and writing league-related articles with Contribution Points (CPs) that can be exchanged for various benefits during the Winter Meetings. Reason: I want to do everything I can to encourage owners to contribute to our league and make it the best it can be. CPs are dangled as an incentive. They can be exchanged for benefits including cash, increased fan loyalty or market size, improved ratings for a player, increased stadium capacity, new team art or even just adding a nickname to a beloved player. It's my opinion that the CP system has really sparked a lot of extra owner participation.
All player waiver claims are handled through the forum. Reason: This is a response to problems we've had with in-game waiver claims (detailed here). Rather than risk having waiver claims ignored by the game, owners post their claims in our forum and I execute them during the sim.
All personnel hirings are handled through the forum. Reason: Another response to a shortcoming with how the game processes new staff hirings in online leagues (detailed here). Again, owners post desired hiring in our forums. We use a waiver system and each time a team executes a successful claim they get placed at the bottom of the priority list. This can lead to a fun mini-game where owners jockey for waiver position and use their higher priority to trump other owners' claims.
Contracts containing a 20% increase/drop in yearly salary or total bonuses in excess of 50% of the contract's highest yearly salary are subject to review. Reason: Sometimes the game allows contracts that are structured in odd ways which you'd most likely never see in real life. These two restrictions are in place to steer owners towards realistic contracts and prevent them from "gaming the system".
Extensions to players under 30 which buy out four or more years of free agency must have an average yearly salary at least equivalent to the league average salary. Reason: This was implemented after a team extended a player for 10 years at an average of $590k/season (just $210k over league minimum). We operate in a financial environment that resembles current-day MLB's, and no modern-day up-and-coming player would be likely to give away their best (and most expensive!) years so cheaply. The theory behind this rule is that if you feel strongly enough to commit to a player long-term, that commitment should also be demonstrated financially.
Players cannot be traded within 60 days of signing a new contract. Reason: This was implemented after a team signed a slew of scrub minor league free agents and immediately tried to package 16 of them in two separate deals for players of actual current value. Again, we're simulating a modern MLB environment and you don't usually see the kind of sign-and-trades there that you would in, say, the NBA. The Players' Union wouldn't allow it, so we have this rule to force owners to make a modest commitment to a newly signed/extended player.

So what about your league's house rules? Things like sim scheduling in the off-season - Do you move faster/slower than the regular season? Do you move more slowly during the free agency period? Also, special financial rules - Do you restrict owners from making trades that would put them over budget? Do you enact penalties for teams that finish in the red?. What about creative twists, like Dog Days' distinctive city advantages? Hopefully the more we share our ideas, the more we can improve our leagues.

02-29-2008, 10:44 AM	#1
Corsairs Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 2,360	"House rules" for online leagues As the commissioner of a fledgling fictional OOTP league, I'm interested to learn about the kinds of special out-of-game rules that other leagues implement. Whether it's to circumvent a shortcoming of the game, to expedite play or to add a creative twist, I think "house rules" can really add character to a league. But while I'm sure there are a bunch of really clever ideas out there, there's nowhere to look to find a collection of those ideas. Maybe this thread can serve as a repository for unique rules and a reference for commissioners looking for ideas to improve their own league. Being a young league, PEBA's special rules are in a state of development. We've been focusing on things that solve problems with the game or add extra realism. Here are some examples of house rules we're using Players are rewarded for exporting, posting and writing league-related articles with Contribution Points (CPs) that can be exchanged for various benefits during the Winter Meetings. Reason: I want to do everything I can to encourage owners to contribute to our league and make it the best it can be. CPs are dangled as an incentive. They can be exchanged for benefits including cash, increased fan loyalty or market size, improved ratings for a player, increased stadium capacity, new team art or even just adding a nickname to a beloved player. It's my opinion that the CP system has really sparked a lot of extra owner participation. All player waiver claims are handled through the forum. Reason: This is a response to problems we've had with in-game waiver claims (detailed here). Rather than risk having waiver claims ignored by the game, owners post their claims in our forum and I execute them during the sim. All personnel hirings are handled through the forum. Reason: Another response to a shortcoming with how the game processes new staff hirings in online leagues (detailed here). Again, owners post desired hiring in our forums. We use a waiver system and each time a team executes a successful claim they get placed at the bottom of the priority list. This can lead to a fun mini-game where owners jockey for waiver position and use their higher priority to trump other owners' claims. Contracts containing a 20% increase/drop in yearly salary or total bonuses in excess of 50% of the contract's highest yearly salary are subject to review. Reason: Sometimes the game allows contracts that are structured in odd ways which you'd most likely never see in real life. These two restrictions are in place to steer owners towards realistic contracts and prevent them from "gaming the system". Extensions to players under 30 which buy out four or more years of free agency must have an average yearly salary at least equivalent to the league average salary. Reason: This was implemented after a team extended a player for 10 years at an average of $590k/season (just $210k over league minimum). We operate in a financial environment that resembles current-day MLB's, and no modern-day up-and-coming player would be likely to give away their best (and most expensive!) years so cheaply. The theory behind this rule is that if you feel strongly enough to commit to a player long-term, that commitment should also be demonstrated financially. Players cannot be traded within 60 days of signing a new contract. Reason: This was implemented after a team signed a slew of scrub minor league free agents and immediately tried to package 16 of them in two separate deals for players of actual current value. Again, we're simulating a modern MLB environment and you don't usually see the kind of sign-and-trades there that you would in, say, the NBA. The Players' Union wouldn't allow it, so we have this rule to force owners to make a modest commitment to a newly signed/extended player. So what about your league's house rules? Things like sim scheduling in the off-season - Do you move faster/slower than the regular season? Do you move more slowly during the free agency period? Also, special financial rules - Do you restrict owners from making trades that would put them over budget? Do you enact penalties for teams that finish in the red?. What about creative twists, like Dog Days' distinctive city advantages? Hopefully the more we share our ideas, the more we can improve our leagues. Last edited by Corsairs; 02-29-2008 at 10:50 AM.