NFFL Rulebook Section IV- Starting Lineups

Section IV- Starting Lineups
A. Weekly Starting Lineup

Each NFFL starting lineup must have nine active players.  The starting lineup is composed of the following positions:

1 Quarterback

2 Running Backs

2 Wide Receivers

1 Tight End

1 Wide Receiver or Tight End

1 Wide Receiver, Tight End, or Running Back

1 Wide Receiver, Tight End, Running Back, or Quarterback

Owners may fill those above positions in any way that they wish.

B. Communication of roster decisions

Owners can declare a starting lineup in one of two ways.  First, the owner can use the features supported by the host website to make adjustments to the starting lineup.

Second, the owner can communicate directly with the opponent.  It is recommended that the owner communicate in a form that leaves a time stamped record, such as a text message or email.  In the event of such communication, the commissioner should be notified so that the required lineup adjustments can be made on the host site.

C. Starting lineup submitting deadline

The deadline to include any player in a starting lineup is kickoff of that player's game.  Once a player's game begins, that player cannot be removed from the starting lineup.  In addition, any player whose NFL team has begun play cannot be added to the starting lineup.

D. Exceptions

There are two notable 'exceptions' to the deadline described in Section 4.C above.

The first involves the roster position for a given player.  Although players must be assigned to a specific starting linuep slot on the host website, any player whose game has already started can be moved within a starting lineup to fill a different position for which he is eligible.

The second exception involves inactive players, including those who are officially declared 'healthy scratches' by their team on game day, are on IR, or are on a bye week.  Inactive players are never considered 'submitted' to a starting lineup, even if their team has kicked off for that week and the player's roster position is 'locked' by the host website, because their inactive status eliminates the possibility of their participation in the game.

Therefore, any player listed on the host website as being submitted to a starting lineup can be removed and replaced with any player whose NFL team has not yet kicked off in their game for that week. Decisions to make such changes should be communicated in the manner described in Section 4.B.

E. Conditional replacement rule

NFFL teams are permitted to announce, in advance, their preferences for the replacement of players who may be declared inactive by their NFL teams in a 'game time' decision.  The purpose of the rule is to allow NFFL teams to maintain fully competitive lineups without forcing the owner to remain on stand-by while an NFL team waits to finalize a decision.

Therefore, an inactive player can only be replaced in a manner consistent with Section 4.C above. That is, the replacement player cannot be any player whose NFL team would have already kicked off by the time the original starting player is declared inactive.

The commissioner reserves the right to step in and make an exception to this rule if unforeseen circumstances alter the kickoff time of a given NFL game.