SML RULEBOOK

Article 1: Offensive Rules

• User catching is allowed, however, any unnatural movement such as “swerve catching” is illegal.
• Use of the “playmaker” feature is illegal.
• Use of “Jurdle” is illegal.
• Users must mix up their play calling, abusing the same play calls is illegal.
• Do not abuse the same route combinations.  (Example: Excessive use of drags and corners is illegal)
• It is illegal to immediately bounce an inside run outside.
• Do not “swerve run.”  (Moving your player left in right in quick repeated motions to manipulate the defender)
• Your play call ratio should not exceed 70/30 (Meaning no more than 70% of passes or runs in a game)
  • It is understood that if you fall down multiple scores early in a game that you may have to be pass heavy to comeback, but generally speaking following the 70/30 rule is a must.
• It is illegal to consistently roll out with your QB to break down zone coverages.
• It is illegal to snap the ball and immediately roll out.
  • Play Action boot passes are legal, but you shouldn’t immediately hit sprint after snap.
•  Rolling out then stopping *around* the numbers and waiting for receivers to get open is illegal.
• Users should not be using PA passes in obvious pass situations late in either half to manipulate the AI. (Think when trailing, a team would obviously need to pass and you’re using PA to get the CPU to react to the run on a deep pass ETC.)
• You are allowed to roll out if no WR’s are open, but you must follow the above rules.
• Rolling out in any fashion in addition to the above that is deemed un-sim by admins are subject to punishment.
• It is illegal to use PA Pass (Play action pass) on 3rd and 7 and longer.
• It is illegal to hot route the RB on PA Passes
•  It is illegal to use the PA cancel feature unless if a defender is applying a great deal of pressure or is coming unabated to the quarterback.
• It is illegal to use the goal line formation unless if you are at or inside your opponent’s 5-yard line.
• “Motion snapping” is illegal. You should not manually move players then snap as they are in motion. (Plays that have predetermined motion are allowed.)
• It is illegal to turn off momentum factor / screen shaking. If you have a medical condition please consult league commissioner. 
• Subbing your RB at WR or WR at TE or similar position changes is illegal.

Clock Management

• You can use no-huddle in the last 2 minutes of each half & any time in the 4th quarter when trailing by 9 points or more
• Don’t use the chew clock feature until the last 2 minutes of the first half, and the last 3 minutes of the second half.
• You’re not allowed to purposely run the play clock down every down outside of the last two minutes of the first half, or the last 3 minutes of the second half. This is still chewing the clock, even though you’re not specifically using the feature.

Article 2: Defensive Rules

• Nano/turbo blitzing is not allowed in any circumstance.
• Moving players out of position to cause AI manipulation is illegal.
• If you move a defensive player out of position you must user that player throughout the play.
• The only scenario where you may move a player out of position and not have to user them throughout the play is if they come out of the huddle misaligned in coverage.
  (For example: Your safety is in man coverage with TE, and he is all the way on the other side of the field.)
• You cannot manually move a defensive back or linebacker out of position to the line of scrimmage pre-snap
• You must rush at least 3 players, meaning no less than 3 players can rush the QB per snap.
• You must mix up your defensive play calls.
• You are not allowed to commit run
• It is illegal to “User Cover” with a player that is set to Rush the Passer. If you’d like to cover with that player, you must hot route them into zone, spy or man coverage
• With the addition of SUBLB on the depth chart, you’re allowed to use a defensive back whose speed does not exceed 88 overall.
• Teams are not allowed to have more than one safety in the active area of the SUBLB depth chart.
• Users should never manually sub out a linebacker for a defensive back  (outside of using the SUBLB depth chart feature.)
• Users must mix up their defensive formations. It is unrealistic to run dime formation or 46 defense throughout the game. (A good rule of thumb is matching personnel when applicable)

Article 3: Special Teams Rules

• No line-drive punts are allowed
• It is illegal to use the inside DT on FG blocks
• Onside kicking unless if you are trailing in the 4th quarter is illegal
• It’s illegal to cancel out the “ice the kicker feature” by calling a time out, spiking, or doing any other action after an opponent calls a timeout to initiate the ice the kicker feature.
• You are not allowed to take a returner and move him back as a kickoff/punt is in the air so they catch the ball on run and get a speed boost on return.
• Use of the “scum” kickoff method is illegal.

Article 1: Gameplay Conduct

• Display good sportsmanship at all times.
• No showboating, doing the whip or diving in the endzone is allowed.
• Do not run up the score or pad the stats when the game is over. Run the clock out.
• If there is no hope of coming back from a huge deficit and your opponent is running the clock in the final few minutes, don’t call time out’s to delay the inevitable.
• If your opponent violates a league rule during the game, pause and let him know about it. Sometimes it could just be an innocent mistake that can be easily fixed.
• Purposefully running up the score in the SML is illegal. If you have a chance to run out the clock late in the fourth quarter you must do this.
• Users are not obligated to “take the foot off the gas” in the third quarter.
• If you’re up by 28+ in the 4th quarter you can only pass on 3rd downs.
• Players must inform their opponent immediately of network issues. You should not wait till you’re down multiple scores before reporting an issue – if you do, a fresh restart will be declined.

Article 2: Streaming and recording

• All games must be streamed, the away team must stream the game unless if his internet is not capable of streaming without lag. If this is the case the home team must stream. The stream link must be posted in the social chat of Discord.
• If a game cannot be streamed, it must be recorded by both players.
• All SML games must be streamed on Twitch.
• All SML games must be archived on Twitch.

Article 3:  Uniform Rules / Misc conduct

• In the case of a disconnect users have the following options:
• If a user has the lead of any sort, he reserves the right to recreate the spread. (In example: If he leads 21-14 and the game cuts, the away user must spot him 7 points.)
• If a user has the lead of any sort, he reserves the right to recreate the spread, with the exact time remaining in the game. (Down and distance must be noted from the stream.)
• Users must recreate coin toss if they choose to take the “recreate spread option.” This means, If the first game player A gets the ball in the second half, then player A deserves to get the ball in the second half.
• Users at home must wear their team’s respected home jerseys or color rush home jerseys. Users that are away must wear their respected away jerseys.
• Example: If you are a home team, and your usual jersey color is blue, you cannot switch to your away jersey in the wintertime to have a white jersey.
• The only exception to the rule is teams like the Cowboys who’s home jerseys are white.

Article 1: Playing the CPU

• Do not restart vs CPU teams. UNLESS approved by admins.
• Do not use super-sim vs CPU teams.
• Play sim vs CPU teams. Do not abuse money routes. Mix up your play calling.
• You are not allowed to win a CPU game by more than 28 points.
• Users may not exceed the below stats when playing the CPU:
• 450 yards passing by your QB
• 200 yards rushing or receiving by any 1 player
• 5 total combined TDs passing/rushing by your QB
• 4 total TDs by any receiver/TE/HB
• 4 sacks by any player

Article 2: Force win/auto situations

• If Your opponent misses a scheduled time by 15 minutes you are eligible to receive a force win.
• If your opponent has to go on Autopilot you can either take the force win with injuries on or play the CPU, however – you are not allowed to restart the game at any point.
• Players who are unable to attend a game, and notify their opponent more than 24 hours before scheduled advance time will be placed on auto.
• The SML tends to favor schedules of users who work standard hours, 8AM till 5PM, meaning if your availability is late at night you may be subject to being placed on auto.
• The SML reserves the right to force win or fair sim a game if it is not scheduled and all other games that week have been played.

Article 1: Free agents, changing a player’s position.

• You must have 53 players on your roster at the beginning of the regular season, and throughout the full season.
• You are not allowed to edit any player technique (for example, you cannot change a player’s throwing motion.)
• During the season, and preseason you’re allowed to sign three free agents above 65 overall, and as many below 65 overall per advance.
• You can re-sign a player you cut during the season but must wait one advance after cutting the player to do so.
• Position changes such as Guard to Tackle, FS to SS, 4-3 DE to 3-4 Outside linebacker are legal, any other position change must be approved by admins.
• Position changes such as WR to TE, RB to FB, CB to Safety, will be denied, and not approved in any circumstance.
• You can not change a superstar player’s position ( this will cause a players abilities to “re-roll”)
• Users are not allowed to edit a player’s superstar ability
• If a player gets a super star ability that is against SML league rules, the league will randomly assign an ability that is.
• You’re not allowed to change a player’s position on the depth chart IE (TE TO WR) to get around position change rule. The same goes for defense.
• Users must keep a fullback on the roster.
• The SML will not “reserve players” for users who are unable to re-sign or franchise tag players in the regular season or off-season for any circumstance.  If a player hits free agency, they are a free agent.
• Users are NOT allowed to change player names in any circumstance.In the coordinator trees there are speed/throw power/acceleration upgrades for certain position groups (QB, RB, WR, LB, S, CB). We are going to limit it to +1 speed/accel/thp upgrade per position group for the entire cycle. So to be clear – you can only do the first upgrade for speed/accel/thp.

  You cannot upgrade tier 2 or tier 3. Once you have done the first upgrade – move down the coaching tree to the other upgrades and ignore this physical upgrade for the rest of the cycle. Another thing to look out for is any additional coordinator upgrades that may cause you to “double dip”, granting a single position group the same stat twice.

• Users must send a photo of their breakout game before kickoff of their game to the league commissioner. This holds accountability to make sure players aren’t wrongfully awarded a breakout award.

Article 2: Trades

• All trade requests must be sent through the NeonSports trade tool. They must accurately represent the trade or they will be declined. (This includes including the correct draft pick in the Neon trade tool.)
• Do NOT send each other trade requests on the console without an approval.
• Trades with CPU teams are not allowed.
•  Teams are only allowed THREE trades per season. (Re-Sign stage – Super Bowl)
• Pick for pick trades do not count against your trades per season.
• If a trade committee member or members are involved in the trade they are not allowed to vote on the trade.
• If a vote is a tie by the committee it is considered approved.
• Users need to complete two full seasons in the “SML” before completing a trade where they are sending a “Superstar or better” development player.
• Users need to complete one full season in the “SML” before completing a trade where they are sending a first-round pick.
• NO TRADING: 
• Rookies
• FA signings who haven’t completed a full season with their team.
• 95 overall and above players regardless of age and development
• X-Factors/Superstars 29 years of age and below UNLESS they are less than or equal to 89 overall.
• Trades that put teams over 20 million in cap penalties will be rejected unless if the cap penalty taken still results in a net-gain on the salary cap. (For example: if a player is scheduled to make 36 million dollars in salary and the cap penalty taken is 30 million dollars, trading said player would be a legal trade because you would gain 6 million dollars on your cap.)
• All players in the final year of their contract are allowed to be traded if they at least 26 and are 94 overall or less.

ADVANCE TIMES:

The SML is a 48 hour advance league.

*Advance schedule subject to change if games are played promptly.* 

LEAGUE SETTINGS:

7 minute quarters
20-second accelerated clock
Difficulty: All-Pro
AI trades: Off

Practice squad stealing ON after week 3 concludes.
Coach firing: Off

• SML reserves the right to enforce any rule to protect the league from UNSIM / taking advantage of AI play.
• We reserve the right to stop “UNSIM” play (deemed by commissioner) even if it hasn’t been covered in the playbook.