Salary Cap Feature

[UtahGamecockFan]

We decided to manually impose a salary cap in our league, just because of a few teams starting the season over the cap. We were not sure how the cap would work for those teams if it were turned on. Right now, the Yankees are the only team still over the cap in our league. If we turn on the cap feature in the game, how does it work for teams that are already over? Does it just not let you put trades and transactions in unless it lowers their payroll? How does it work?

[ctorg]

Originally Posted by UtahGamecockFan

We decided to manually impose a salary cap in our league, just because of a few teams starting the season over the cap. We were not sure how the cap would work for those teams if it were turned on. Right now, the Yankees are the only team still over the cap in our league. If we turn on the cap feature in the game, how does it work for teams that are already over? Does it just not let you put trades and transactions in unless it lowers their payroll? How does it work?

Basically, once you exceed the cap, you cannot do anything that would add to your payroll. You are free until you exceed it, though. In other words...

If you have a cap of $90mil and your current payroll is $89mil, you can sign a guy to a $20mil/year contract, but then you can't do anything else that ups payroll until you get your payroll back under $90mil.

Or that's the theory anyway. There are probably ways around it.

[DaveHorn]

I am not sure if v6 is any different than v5. But in v5 you are still allowed to make trades that push you over the cap.

[Henry]

Originally Posted by DaveHorn

I am not sure if v6 is any different than v5. But in v5 you are still allowed to make trades that push you over the cap.

Correct. The logic is "am I already over the top?". If yes, do not allow adding to the payroll.

[TheRockCT]

I must say that I get frustrated when that logic changes for Free Agency. I would like to be able to make a multitude of FA offers that put me over the cap, and then if I get the guys I want, then I'll worry about cutting my salary in other ways.

[Cowboys3356]

In online league a salary cap is just a way to help the weaker owners keep up with the stronger owners. Why put limits on someone who is willing to invest extra time into the game to make their team better? And why help someone who is LAZY and does not take the extra time to make trades and sign big free agents?

Of course in solo play nobody ever would use a salary cap because it makes the game way too easy but that is another subject all together.

[jbmagic]

Originally Posted by ctorg

Basically, once you exceed the cap, you cannot do anything that would add to your payroll. You are free until you exceed it, though. In other words...

If you have a cap of $90mil and your current payroll is $89mil, you can sign a guy to a $20mil/year contract, but then you can't do anything else that ups payroll until you get your payroll back under $90mil.

Or that's the theory anyway. There are probably ways around it.

are you sure i think you can only spend 1 mil in that example above...

when you intial start a new league you can be over the cap to start out. but if you are over you wont be able to sign no one or trade until you are below the cap...once you are below the cap, you can only go has high as your salary cap is...

[smeyers003]

Originally Posted by Cowboys3356

Of course in solo play nobody ever would use a salary cap because it makes the game way too easy but that is another subject all together.

I've played solo leagues with a salary cap and it doesn't really make it too easy. I've found that it helps to cause a lot of turn over with the teams in the middle of the road. Some teams are good for a while and others are bad, but the teams in the middle tend to vary greatly from year to year adding some parity to the league. I've also found that a cap causes teams to work harder to maintain a dynasty if they are always drafting late in the round, with little money for free agents. I don't know about others, but I've had good experiences with salary caps in my solo leagues.

[ctorg]

Originally Posted by jbmagic

are you sure i think you can only spend 1 mil in that example above...

when you intial start a new league you can be over the cap to start out. but if you are over you wont be able to sign no one or trade until you are below the cap...once you are below the cap, you can only go has high as your salary cap is...

I've done it before, so unless things changed, then yeah, I'm sure.

I don't use the salary cap anymore. I like having teams that have advantages over other teams. It makes it that much more special when a small market team wins.