Saturday, January 5, 2008

Official Rules

BSL ROSTER BASICS 
Roster line-up
Each Bigtime fantasy club consist of 15 players total. 
- 10 Starting position players
- 1 Starting Goal Keeper
- 3 Substitute players
- 1 Reserve player 

Starters
The only players on your roster guaranteed to count in the boxscore.
Substitutes
If your opponent acquires enough cards, your subs can start coming in to earn points in the game. Sub #1 comes in first and so forth except Goal Keepers.
Reserve
Does not count in the boxscore. A place to put someone who is injured, or a back-up goal keeper, or an overseas transfer not
in game shape, etc. etc. 

LEAGUE and MC TOURNAMENT POINT SYSTEM 
Forwards/Midfielders
Goals / Assists = 1 point each.
Defenders
Assists / Shots On Goal = 1 point each.
(any goal scored by a defender is a SOG at the same time)
Goal Keepers
Clean Sheet / 5 Saves = 1 point each.
Own Goals
Any results obtained from an own goal does not count.
Yellow Cards
On Gameday, if your BSL roster has 2 yellow cards, your opponent will be allowed to count his first substitute player in the scoresheet. 4 yellows and your opponents 2nd substitute player will also count in the scoresheet.
Red Cards
On Gameday, if your BSL roster has a player with a red card, your opponent have a substitute player enter the match and count in the scoresheet if he scores.
Scoring Summary Abbreviations
(G)=Goal (A)=Assist (R)=Red (Y)=Yellow
(LF)=Lineup Failure (CS)=Clean Sheet
(SP)-Saves Point (SOG)=Shot on Goal
(IN)-Sub that qualified to enter BSL match. 
(OUT)-Starter eliminated from BSL match for a red card.

Errors/ Scoring Changes
If you discover a scoring error just mention the error and it will be fixed. HOWEVER....Once a new match starts THE ERROR WILL STAND, so its important to mention it as soon as possible. Also, if the MLS changes a boxscore day's later after the weekend recap, the orginal scoreline is what counts. There is NO
RETRO scoring or changes to the stats.

MULTIPLE GAMES IN SAME WEEK 
If an MLS team plays two games in the same week, the players that have multiple league (not CCL, USOC) matches will be
scored as follows: 

Multi-Scoring 
The reward for using a player having multi games in a week is he is playing 180 minutes and has more chances to score.

Whether a position player or goal keeper, the players better game of that week will count in the boxscore. for example, your player scores 2 goals on a Wednesday, and 0 scores on Sunday. His Wednesday game would count. The same goes for Goal Keepers. For
example, he has 5 saves on Wednesday, but no clean sheet or enough saves on Sunday. Therefore Wednesday is used as his better
match that week. The 2 matches are not combined or averaged out. The better game will be used solely for that week.

Multi-Cards 
To balance the reward out, the risk for using a player having multi games in the week is he will have a better chance to get carded.

The players total card accumulation will go in effect. Any cards received in the week will count, but cannot have 2 yellows in a BSL game. If the player receives red in either game he will be red carded out of the BSL match. Multi-week players are playing 180 minutes.

MAJORS CUP QUALIFIERS POINT SYSTEM 
Forwards/Midfielders/Defenders
Shots on Goal = 1 point each.
Goal Keepers
Clean Sheet / 5 Saves = 1 point each.
Own Goals
Any results obtained from an own goal does not count.

INJURIES ON GAMEDAY 
In-game player injuries
If a player is started in a BSL match, they will count in the boxscore regardless of how many minutes they have played or not played.

Injured goal keepers/clean sheet 
A keeper has to play at least 45 minutes to qualify for a clean sheet point. 

Natl team duty 
It is up to the BSL Club operator to make sure any player who is out of his MLS line-up is placed in the proper place on their BSL roster.

BSL OWNER GAMEDAY REQUIREMENTS 
Specifying your Line-up 
A BSL owner is REQUIRED to state their club's upcoming line-up order each game. Even if the order is unchanged, you must
specify that you are going with the same line-up by either re-writing the same line-up or writing that it will be the
same line-up ON YOUR TEAM SITE (Do not email the commish). That way there is no doubt as to the line-up you have on gameday.

Once the first MLS match of the new week starts the commish will write down the line-ups that are listed in the BSL Network at that time.

MATCHDAY LINEUP FAILURES 
Losing 1 game point 
If you post your line-up on the BSL Network AFTER the first MLS game of the week has started, the minimum penalty is losing 1 gameday point from the first eventual scorer on your roster.
If your club is shutout, you remain at a zero score. There is no minus scores.
Losing more than 1 point
If by the time you post your line-up some of your players have already scored, those players and their points will not count (those players are void that week) Only the players who have 
not scored yet on your roster at the time posted will be able to count. 
Automatic shutout
Failure to post your lineup by the conclusion of the final tally (end of the weekend) will result in a 0 score. (Better to post late than not at all.)

INACTIVE ROSTER 
3 Missing Weeks 
If fail to post a line-up COMPLETELY for 3 matches your club will be penalized $10 from your acquistion budget.
5 Missing Weeks 
If fail to post a line-up COMPLETELY for 5 matches your club will be penalized an additional $10 from your acquistion budget and move to last in next season draft order.

NOTE: A late line-up submission in an active matchday does not penalize your club. Only complete missing weeks.

ROSTER CHANGES 
Transactions
Any in-season roster changes made by a BSL club will appear in the TRANSACTIONS tab of the league website if valid.

What is a Valid transaction?
Player additions/subtractions must be posted by their team operator on the BSL Network for the whole league to see. A valid transaction also means the player is not on an existing BSL roster, and is an official player on an MLS team or a known trialist on an MLS team.

Additions/Subtractions 
You are allowed to fiddle with your roster all season long. If you are unsure if a player is available email the commish. 

NOTE*
Official changes must be made on the BSL Network for the whole league to seeThis promotes transparency. Emailing correspondence or comments even with the commissioner does not make it official.

Trade Deadline 
You are allowed to trade with any other BSL Club operator until the trade deadline of week 18.

After week 18, no trades can be made until the offseason which begins after the Majors Cup Final. You may trade with other BSL 
owners the players you own on your active roster. These are your players until next season's Designated Player selection deadline.

Transparency and Sportmanship
Posting roster moves on the BSL Network allows the rest of the league to be in the know. Be considerate of the other BSL clubs
and their transactions before you make yours.  

Cutoff time for each Gameday Week
Player changes can go into effect for the soonest match if posted before the first MLS game of the new week. 

Available Roster Space
BSL clubs cannot go over their 15-man roster space. You will have to drop one of your existing players to acquire a new one.

Waiver Period for Dropped BSL Player 
Once a player is dropped from their BSL club roster, they are on a 24 hour waiver period. This gives all club operators in different time zones a chance to see who has been released.
The waiver period only applies to players who were released off a BSL roster, NOT PLAYERS WHO WERE ALREADY AVAILABLE. 

TRANSFER WINDOW 
Trialist
These players are fair game. They are participating with an MLS club and do not have a waiver period. A BSL owner who picks 
up a trialist is assuming the risk. Make sure you mention this player is a TRIALIST when posting on BSL Network to avoid confusion. 
    
Obtaining Unsigned Arrivals
When a player is coming to the States to play, you must email the Commissioner the proof of his arrival. The proof must be
from a real news source. (No rumors sites, fan blogs) This new arrival DOES NOT need to be officially signed. Only a TRUE
CONFIRMATION that this player is indeed arriving. If the info is deamed legit you will be notified via email. This leads to
the following process.

Day one: Transfers Waiting Period
Once you are notified its "ok" there is a 24 hour waiting period in order to give BSL club owners in the West Coast and BSL owners who don't work by a computer fair time to possibly discover the same news. If NO OTHER owner finds this information, the new player is yours! However, if another BSL club owner DOES want the same new player within 24 hours, they too will be placed on hold. Once the waiting period is over, you will be notified which other
BSL teams will be in a bidding war with you or if you just flat out got the new player. 

Day Two: The Bidding War
The league website will place a post for the bidding war. The post will make the rest of the league aware of this situation and give the prospective teams in the bidding war a place to begin their bidding. BSL clubs can use their Acquisition budget to outpay the competition for the new player. The commmish's
team needs 2 bidders before it can join.

ACQUISITION BUDGET 
How you earn money? 
     
1.  A BSL club gets paid based on when they submit their weekly roster.
 - $5 for every on-time weekly line-up submission.
 - $2 for a late line-up submission.
 - $0 for no line-up submission once final 
      MLS game that week beings its play.

2.  A BSL club gets paid by specifying who their 
    club captain will be for that weeks line-up.
 - If chosen club captain has 1 score that week = $2
 - If chosen club captain has a brace that week = $5
 - If chosen club captain has a hat trick that week = $10 (Goal Keepers cannot be club captains)

3.  A BSL club gets paid $10 upon RSVP for an 
    upcoming new season.

Money is deposited weekly in the BUDGETS tab after match recaps are posted.

NOTE

- Acquisition Budgets can carry over to future seasons.

- This money can be traded to sweeten a deal with another BSL club.

- Any tie for a bidding player (both offering the same amount of money) the edge goes to the lower seeded team in the standings at the time of the bidding war.

- This is NOT a blind bidding process. You may increase your payment (if you have the funds) within the bidding time frame. 
Remember, a lower seeded team can offer the same amount of money and have the edge.

- The BSL club PAYING THE MOST in the end can release any player they wish on their roster.

- Any bid made in the final hour of the deadline will extend the bidding war an extra hour. This process will continue until no bids are made in the final hour(s) of the war. If a bidding war goes past 7pm(PDT), it will pause and resume 9am(PDT) the next morning.

- A BSL club can purchase a 3rd DP slot for the amount of $55 (11 weeks of game line-ups)without dealing with other clubs. Since this transaction does not involve another BSL club,  this money is distributed evenly amongst the other BSL owners. The purchase must be made before the seasons official draft begins.

- A BSL club can sell or trade or combo deal their 2 free DP slots.(Remember you cannot sell/trade 2 to the same buyer since the maximum is 3 DP's per club). It is up to the BSL owner to determine the value of their DP slots since they are giving up one or two of their entitled slots.

- No money is earned in the postseason.


DRAFT PROCESS 
You are allowed to pick players from any of the MLS teams regardless of their position. The draft is the only time of the season where you may email your player choices and the will
be valid.

Draft order 
Returning BSL clubs get priority with last years worst record drafting first up until last years BSL Cup Champion. New teams are then added in the order of their joining the league.

Draft time limit
Once your email is sent to you, the BSL team operator has 2 hours to make a pick. If they go over 2 hours they will be skipped and the BSL operator will have to make 2 selections on their next turn unless special consideration is made by the Commissioner.

Draft day not by a computer/web cell phone 
Team operators who know they will not be available to make picks on a draft day can easily leave the commissioner A LIST of picks in the order they would want them.

RETURNING CLUBS PRE-DRAFT PERKS 
Designated Players 
Returning BSL teams may keep 2 players for free from last years roster. These players will not be available in the draft. You DO 
NOT have to keep any DP's and can trade/sell/pick up draft picks, or combo deal your slots. DOING NOTHING WITH YOUR DP SLOTS MEANS YOU WILL HAVE ADDITIONAL ROUNDS IN THE DRAFT TO FILL YOUR ROSTER.
  
Trading Designated Players
If a returning team does not want to keep anyone from their previous roster, the owner can trade/sell it away to another BSL team for their draft pick or picks. If you obtain multiple picks in earlier rounds, your draft selections conclude once you've obtained a 15 man roster.

Obtaining a 3rd DP
BSL owners can trade for another DP if a returning BSL owner is willing to trade one of their slots away. However, you are only allowed a maximum of 3 DP's. Even if you are offered both a BSL clubs DP slots, you can only trade for one of them. (Max 3 DP's) You may also purchase a 3rd DP slot for $55.

Retention Player
BSL owners may also keep 1 "transacted" player from last years current roster that was un-drafted in the BSL that season. The 
TRANSACTIONS tab on the league website will hold all additions/subtractions until a new season is started allowing owners to see their previous free agent signings.

The retention player rule is a BSL clubs reward for strong player acquisitions after the initial draft. A minimum of 8 regular season weeks on your roster is required to protect this player on your roster before the new draft begins. It does not 
have to 8 consecutive weeks if you resign this player twice in your season. Choosing a retention player replaces a clubs last draft pick round.

NOTE:
- No Bidding War players
  (off the transfer market)
- No BSL traded players are eligible.
  (must be a standard free agent transaction)
- Can be a player drafted by another BSL team
  just not draft by you.
- You cannot trade/sell your Retention Player slot.

Trading before the Draft 
Existing BSL clubs OWN THE RIGHTS to the players until the NEW SEASONS drafts. They have the option to trade away these players 
for other BSL players or trade for someone else's draft picks as long as the players they trade for are on a BSL roster. 
(No undrafted/free agent players).

Maximum Players Protected
THERE IS A MAXIMUM OF 4 PLAYERS THAT A BSL CLUB MAY HOLD BEFORE THE OFFICIAL DRAFT.

EXPANSION CLUB PRE-DRAFT OPTION 
Picking off the Unprotected list
New BSL clubs need a chance to be competitive. New clubs can choose 2 unprotected players from LAST YEARS BSL rosters as their own Designated Players. (cannot be from same BSL roster)

Expansion Pre-Draft trading
New clubs may also trade with existing BSL clubs to get 2 more players before the draft. (equals a maximum of 4 players before the draft) by giving up draft picks so they may pick up existing BSL roster players. 

LENGTH OF THE BSL SEASON 
Regular Season 
22 games (22 weeks)

Playoffs 
week 1- Wildcard round (#4 vs #5)
week 2- Semi-Final round (#1 vs 4/5)(#2 vs #3)
week 3- BSL Cup championship game   

Majors Cup 
week 1,2,3- Group Stage (#1 #4 grp A)(#2 #3 grp B)
week 4- Semi-Final game       
week 5- Majors Cup championship game
              
STANDINGS TIEBREAKERS 
If two BSL Clubs have the same amount of points...

1st Tiebreaker 
Club with better PPG
2nd Tiebreaker
Club with better MOV
3rd Tiebreaker 
Club with better head to head record.


PLAYOFF GAME TIEBREAKERS 
Playoff games cannot end in a tie.

1st tiebreaker (Golden Goal)
Substitute players then Reserves begin to count.
2nd tiebreaker (Penalty kicks) 
The BSL Club with more player contributions wins on penalty kicks. For example "team A" had 4 players score points, and "team b" had 2 players score points. Team "A" win 4-2 on penalty kicks.
3rd tiebreaker (More penalty kicks)     
The BSL Club with more goals verses assists and a clean sheet is worth less than an assist if its in the boxscore.

MC QUALIFIERS GROUP SET-UP 
Group A
Previous seasons ranked clubs 
#1,#4,#5,#8,#10,#12
Group B
Previous seasons ranked clubs 
#2,#3,#6,#7,#9,#11

MC QUALIFIERS ADVANCEMENT 
The top 2 clubs in each group advance to the Majors Cup tournament. BSL ranks 1 and 4 in the qualifiers in Group A of the tournament group stage. BSL ranks 2 and 3 in Group B of the tournament group stage.
  
MC QUALIFIERS SCHEDULE SET-UP BY RANKS 
Week 4 
1 v 12
4 v 10
5 v 8
2 v 11
3 v 9
6 v 7 
Week 8 
1 v 10
4 v 8
5 v 12
2 v 9
3 v 7
6 v 11
Week 12 
1 v 8
4 v 5
10 v 12
2 v 7
3 v 6
9 v 11
Week 16 
1 v 5
8 v 10
4 v 12
2 v 6
7 v 9
3 v 11
Week 20 
1 v 4
5 v 10
8 v 12
2 v 3
6 v 9
7 v 11

MAJORS CUP TOURNEY SCHEDULE SET-UP 
Week 1 
Best of the #1 seeds in Group A plays the lowerest 4th seed club (either BSL or MLS)
Best 2nd seed in Group B plays the lowerest 3rd seed club (either BSL or MLS)
Week 2 
Best of the #1 seeds in Group A plays the better of the 4th seeded clubs. 
Best 2nd seed in Group B plays the better of the 3rd seeded clubs.
Week 3 
#1 seeds in BSL/MLS play each other.
#2 seeds in BSL/MLS play each other.
#3 vs #3, #4 vs #4.
MC Semi-Finals 
Top 2 in each group move on. Top of Group A plays 2nd place Group B and vice versa.

MLS REPRESENTATIVES IN MC GROUP STAGE 
Previous seasons: 
MLS Cup Champion
Supporters Sheild
Canadian Cup Champion
US Open Cup Champion

LEAGUE AWARDS YOU CAN WIN 
BSL Cup
Awarded to the league champion.
Honors Trophy
Awarded to the regular season champion.
Majors Cup
Awarded to the BSL/MLS club that wins 
the tournament.