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I. INTRODUCTION
Nefariously Brilliant Aristocracy (Fake NBA) basketball are made up of real, live National Basketball Association (Real NBA) players who are selected in a live auction draft that takes place at the beginning of the season. Each team in the Fake NBA (FNBA) is comprised of 15 players taken from the active rosters of Real NBA teams. Eight players will make up a starting roster to be used in a season long format. A salary cap $125 is imposed for the draft. Teams may spend less. After draft day a team`s payroll may exceed $125, up to $140, but no less than $100.
Throughout the season owners will interchange players to and from their eight player starting lineup, claim players off and release players from their roster onto waivers, sign free agents, make trades, plus manage their team in many other subtle ways in order to win the FNBA championship.
II. TEAMS
There are 12 teams in the FNBA. These twelve teams are lumped into three divisions, Bird, Jordan and Magic, vying for one goal: the FNBA championship.
The quest for the FNBA championship starts with making the FNBA Playoffs. The two top team in each division, three teams total, will get automatic bids into the playoffs. After that, the next best five teams, in order of Power Ranking and regardless of division, will make the postseason.
III. AUCTION DRAFT
Each team must acquire up to 12 players at a total cost not exceeding $125 for their roster in a live draft. The roster requirements for draft day are: 15 players overall, and specifically, enough players to satisfy each starting position: Three (3) Guards, three (3) Forwards and two (2) Centers. The date of the draft will be determined several months prior to the real NBA opening day.
The reserve players may be of any position, but there is a maximum to how many you can draft at each position. At most, you can have seven (7) guards and forwards and six (6) centers.
A team need not spend the maximum $125 cap in the auction. Every FNBA team will propose one (1) player to be auctioned at a minimum of at least a $1 bid, as the player nominations will proceed in an order. In the auction, each team must allot at least $1, which is the league minimum salary, for each unfilled spot on their roster.
Players who commence the season on the Real NBA disabled list are eligible to be drafted. If selected, they may be reserved on the disabled list and replaced following the completion of the draft.
--The Lazy Owner Clause - Every owner must make ALL of their bids during the auction draft. If conflicting schedules occur, an owner has three options. Option #1 - Find another person to draft for the franchise. This substitute may not be affiliated with any other FNBA franchise in any manner, period. The substitute must be an external person and/or a co-owner of the same franchise. Option #2 - A telephone call may be used by an owner if they cannot make their bids during the draft in any day. Option #3 - Forfeit your stake in the franchise and quit. The franchise will then be sold by the league office to another individual. Draft Day is the single most important day of the FNBA season. To deliberately fail to attend the draft is a crime against all other owners and therefore the strong rules mentioned above must be set.
IV. PLAYER SALARIES
The salary of a player is determined by the time and means of acquisition and does not change unless the player becomes a free agent or is retained for another season by his current team. The auction price of a player is determined by that player`s auction price during the league auction. Because you can only commit $125 for salaries during the auction, and because you will keep some players from year to year, salaries are extremely important. FNBA player salaries shall remain public domain.
The salary of a player acquired as a free agent is $6. The salary of a player claimed off waivers shall be bid on, in a silent auction style, for 48 hours after his release, by owners desiring to acquire this player, other than the owner who released the player. The minimum bid allowed is $1 for this process, but can be as high as you can afford. The winning bid will be the player’s salary, given to him by the team who placed the highest bid. Every free agent that is signed by an FNBA team will be vested with a 7-day contract. This means that the FNBA team will not be able to release the player before the player has been on this team's roster for a full seven days.
Each team will be given an Extended Trade Salary Cap space of $15 to give flexibility and promote trades and other roster moves. The maximum in-season salary cap that you can have is $140 and the minimum is $100. A team can go over $125 if it acquires money from other teams. This will be explained in the next section. Just remember, every Draft Day, $125 is the hard cap for your 12-man roster.
V. SALARY CAP
$125 is the salary cap, $140 is the maximum cap, also called the Extended Trade Salary Cap, since you will only be able to use this during trades.
Up to $15 in salary cap space will be allowed to each team for roster and trade flexibility. Teams that acquire permanent cap space will keep the money they gain after the season. Teams that acquire temporary cap space in a trade will give the money back at the conclusion of the season to the team they got it from.
The only way a team will be able to recapture this lost cap space is to acquire it from another team in a trade. All trades have to involve one player from each side. No trade can involve a player for cash.
No team may trade more than $10 of permanent money in trades throughout a season. That $10 can be included in one deal or several deals.
However, a team may trade up to $15 in temporary money over a season. A team may also deal $15 of temporary money in a single trade. However, then, that team will have no flexible cap left.
A team can include a mixture of temporary and permanent money in a deal. For example, Team A could trade Shaquille O’Neal to Team B for Chris Bosh and $2 of permanent money and $3 of flexible cap money.
VI. ROSTERS
A team`s roster is made up of 15 Real NBA players. The reserve players may be of any position, but there is a maximum to how many you can draft at each position. At most, you can have seven (7) guards and forwards and six (6) centers. You must own at least the minimum required roster: three (3) guards, three (3) forwards and two (2) centers. Every team’s roster must always contain 15 players. If a player is removed from the roster for any reason, at any time, his roster spot must immediately be replaced.
Starting rosters consist of 8 players from a team`s active roster. Three (3) guards, three (3) forwards and two (2) centers.
A team has one week to take action with their roster once a player is activated from his Real NBA team’s disabled list. If no action is taken within this time, the position is frozen open until the owner rectifies the situation by removing the player from his team’s disabled list. Subsequently, if a player is regarded as injured by his Real NBA club, the Fake NBA owner is expected to take satisfactory measures on his own roster, by placing the player on his team’s disabled list. Failure to make a change to your roster regarding this player, shall be considered a waiver of the player. A suspended player may not be placed on a team’s disabled list.
Starting rosters for the day’s games must be submitted, at latest, an hour before the first NBA game of the day. If a new lineup is not turned in on time, the previous day`s lineup will be used regardless of any player`s status. Setting accurate lineups (with no players starting that are listed as injured or otherwise not playing) is an essential function as an active owner. Not doing this will not be tolerated and will be cause for immediate dismissal from the league and the FNBA League Office selling your team to a new owner.
POSITION ELIGIBILITY: The league will go by what the Position Eligibility Log states. For each player, this site lists a position or positions that each player plays. When in doubt, go to this page. Once this site lists a new position for a player, then this player will be eligible to play at that position.
VII. MESSAGE BOARD PARTICIPATION
Participation on the league message board is also expected as a league owner. The league is not a face to face league, meaning, for most owners, the message board is the only way, outside of e-mail, to interact with the other owners of the league. Nefariously Brilliant Aristocracy is aimed at creating a community of basketball fans to enhance interest in the sport. The message board is designed in this way, and is a meeting place to share ideas, discuss players or teams, or just talk general smack. It is vital to participate on the message board so that other league owners will get to know you and as a result of everyone getting to know each other, everyone will be able to communicate more freely and as a result, form a true community, rather than 12 individual owners following their teams in seclusion. I`m not saying that you have to post every day! Far from it. I don`t want this to come across as a militant ruling, because the most important thing is, is to make this league an enjoyable one for everyone. And you don’t have to come up with lengthy, witty remarks. One or two line posts are more than satisfactory. Showing the other league owners that you are interested in the league and are excited about the league, by posting on the message board will make you a great owner and one that is respected by other owners, and as a result, everyone’s enjoyment will increase when they can have discussions with their fellow league owners. Not only that, if other owners see you taking the time and effort to be active and see your posts on the message board, you undoubtably will see more trade offers for your team. Setting your lineup each week and making free agent acquisitions or trades is NOT enough! It is imperative that each owner participate on the message board, only to show that they care about the league.
VIII. SCORING
The FNBA plays with a head to head, points based scoring system. Which means, if a point guard makes an assist, he scores a point for his FNBA team. If the players on your team score more than the team that is your opponent, you will achieve a win in the standings. Each FNBA team plays at least three games each week against another FNBA squad and as many as five games for a season total of 82 games per team.
In the event of a tie for a weekly game, year-to-date season points breaks the tie.
SCORING PROCESS:
Point scored: 1 point
2 pt. basket made: 1 point
3 pt. basket made: 1 point
3 pt. basket missed: -.5 points
Missed field goal (only for 2 pts.): -5 pts.
Field goal made: .5 points
Free throw made: 1 pt.
Free throw attempted: -5 pts.
Rebound: 1 pt.
Steal: 1 pt.
Assist: 1 pt.
Turnover: -1 pt.
Blocked Shot: 1 pt.
Double Double: 5 pts.
Triple Double: 10 pts.
IX. SIGNING FREE AGENTS
Every free agent that is signed by an FNBA team will be vested with a 7-day contract. This means that the FNBA team will not be able to release the player before the player has been on this team's roster for a full seven days.
Active FNBA players not selected at the conclusion of the auction draft become free agents.
When a team has reached their franchise's salary cap limit, they cannot increase their salary cap, except by acquiring cheaper players for more expensive ones, or releasing players from their roster to create cap room, all the while keeping the team in accordance to FNBA roster requirements, or by using their $15 Expanded Trade Cap.
--A player just released or dropped from a team’s roster goes directly onto the “Waiver Wire”. This player will continue to be on waivers for 2 days (48 hours), and after that, if the player has not been acquired by another team, he will be placed in the free agent pool.
--Whichever owner bids highest for the “Waiver Wire” free agent, gets him in this 2 day period. If more than one owner bids the same price, the player shall go to the team lowest in the standings. The minimum bid for a player on waivers is $1.
X. TRADES
From the completion of the auction draft until February 27, teams are free to make trades of any kind, without limit, so long as both teams can meet the required roster limits. Plus, at the completion of the trade, all involved teams must contain 15 players. If it is an uneven trade, for example three players traded for two, the team that needs to fill roster spots can immediately put in a request for the amount of players it needs to acquire to fill their roster to league requirements. From the first day after the league auction draft until 11:59 (EST) of February 27, trades can be made on an unlimited basis.
Off-season trading resumes two days (48 hours) after the FNBA Finals until Roster Protection Day (announced in the offseason). During the offseason, teams need not follow the 15-man active roster guideline. Trades made during the offseason must also be posted on the league message board with all details of the deal included. The remaining owners have one full week to voice objections.
Trades may only be rejected on the grounds of collusion. Potentially losing a playoff spot, one owner’s lack of intelligence, or jealous pouting does not count. Collusion is considered when there is reasonable belief that two or more owners are joining forces to either create a super team to unfairly diminish another owners chance at success.
It takes 70 percent (7 owners) of the owners not involved in the trade to reject a trade on the grounds of collusion. Collusion is the dirtiest word in fantasy sports and will in no way be tolerated. If an owner is suspected and a trade is rejected on these grounds, the owner most likely will not be around the following season. That’s not in any way a threat; it’s just the only way to keep integrity in our league. The FNBA League Office will review the case of any owner accused of wrongdoing or standing in the league in the offseason, and make a decision on the ownership of that FNBA franchise.
--Players of unequal positions may be traded year-round (i.e. point guard for center).
--Trades do not affect the salary of any player, or the status of any player: every player’s status with a team must adhere to all contract obligations.
--In an effort to avoid knife fights, while wearing cheap vinyl jackets, tied at the wrists, with Michael Bolton blasting from a large silver boom box in the background, no trades involving “players to be named later” or “future considerations” will be allowed.
--The Executive Council will review every trade first, as the league commissioner deems necessary, and if they approve of it, it will go through and then the rest of the owners can review it.
XI. ROSTER PROTECTION
A four year deal will be the maximum that you will be able to give to a player. As for the three types of contracts, let's break it down:
GUARANTEED CONTRACT: Reduced rate for this option. There is a $1 penalty for breaking a guaranteed contract. With this penalty though, it doesn’t matter whether there is one year remaining on the contract or three years.
NON-GUARANTEED CONTRACT: A little higher rate than guaranteed contracts, but allows the flexibility to drop a player in the following year(s) without penalty. It also allows you to not have to worry about your cap in 2,3, or 4 years down the road. With this type of contract, you can opt out of the contract at any time.
OPTION YEAR CONTRACT: Simply put, you can pick up any player for their current price to fit into your keeper budget for the upcoming season. This is a one shot deal, once the year is up you have to release them back into the free agent pool.
The keeper cap will be $25-$65. Any team that does not make the playoffs does not have to follow the minimum keeper amount.
NON-GUARANTEED: 2-4 years allowed
$1-20 = $2 raise
$21-30 = $3 raise
$31 to 40 = $4 raise
$41 to 50 = $5 raise
$51 and over = $6 raise
Example: a $20 player would cost $22, $25,$28, $31 over 4 years
(you only need to worry about the 1st year when figuring out your keeper cap)
GUARANTEED: 2-4 years allowed
$1-20 = $1 raise
$21-35 = $2 raise
$36 to 50 = $3 raise
$51 and over = $4 raise
Example: a $20 player would cost $21, $23,$25, $27 over 4 years (you need to make sure you do not go over your keeper cap in ANY of the years involved in this scenario)
There is some fine-tuning involved here, for sure, but most of this is what would be implemented. A big thank you goes to Jive Suckas owner, George Utter, for the idea of the foundation for this plan.
--The names of players to be retained and what length of contract they have been signed to must be given to the Commissioner by a selected date which will be communicated to all owners well in advance.
--All protected players must be placed on the active roster. No protected players may be on the disabled list heading into the draft.
--The cumulative salaries of the players protected are deducted from each team's salary cap. The remaining balance is available for acquisition of a full roster on Auction Draft Day.
--Failure to give notice of intentions for retaining a player will result in his status automatically becoming that of a free agent, and this player’s services will be bid on in the upcoming auction.
--After the 4th year of protection, if an owner wants to protect a certain player for a 5th year, the player becomes a RESTRICTED FREE AGENT.
--If traded, the player assumes with his new team, his current salary status as with his old team; it does not reset.
XII. RESTRICTED FREE AGENCY
--You can name up to one player as a restricted free agent after their first year with your team. This player’s salary will not take away from your keeper cap.
--The risk of giving the player restricted free agency is that every other team has the opportunity to bid on that player. However, the original team has the right of first refusal. After a week of the Restricted Free Agency period, the original team can decide to match a bid given by another team, or let the player walk.
--If there are no bids at all for that player during the Restricted FA period, the original team will retain this player at the same contract price that they had the player for the year before. For however long the team decides to sign the player for (limit: up to two years), the player will be frozen at this salary. This is the reward for taking the risk of putting a player on Restricted Free Agency.
XIII. PLAYOFFS
As stated before, eight teams will make the FNBA Playoffs. The three division winners and the top five teams who haven't won a division in the Power Ranking. The playoffs will last for three weeks, with the FNBA Finals in the third and final week.
There will be a CONSOLATION BRACKET as well. In the first week of the FNBA Playoffs, the four teams that did not make the playoffs will go into the consolation bracket. They would play in a round-robin format. Here is what the schedule would look like in terms of Power Ranking seeds:
9 vs. 10
9 vs. 11
9 vs. 12
10 vs. 11
10 vs. 12
11 vs. 12
So six games, three games per team each. The two highest score per game will move on.
The next week (FNBA Semifinals week), four teams would be eliminated from the main playoffs. They would be lumped in with the two non-playoff teams who advanced in the first round of the consolation bracket. Now you have six total teams. We'll just say that the #9 and #11 seed advanced in the round-robin above and the bottom four seeds (#5-8) all lost in the first round playoff matchups.
5 vs. 8
5 vs. 9
5 vs. 11
6 vs. 8
6 vs. 9
6 vs. 11
7 vs. 8
7 vs. 9
7 vs. 11
Again, the two top teams for highest score per game would advance to the final consolation bracket round.
In any case, for the next round (FNBA Championship Round), the semi-finals losers play each other for the 3rd place prize. Also in this week, the final consolation bracket round would take place. The highest scoring team among the Semi-finals losers would take the 3rd place crown. The highest scoring team in the Consolation Bracket final would take that title.
There will be bonuses for achieving certain milestones in the league, in the offseason. There are three bonuses available:
1. BONUS CONTRACT - This is a frozen contract which would freeze a player's salary for up to four years at his current salary.
2. VIN BAKER RULE (opt out clause) - The get out of jail free card. Opt out at any time from a player’s guaranteed contract with no penalty.
3. $1 FREE AGENT CARD – sign any free agent throughout the season at a $1 salary, rather than the minimum free agent salary of $6.
--For winning the regular season Power Ranking crown, that team will be awarded one bonus contract for up to four years in the offseason.
--For winning the FNBA Championship, a team will receive two frozen contracts for up to four years. Then, this team will get THREE uses of the vin baker rule and THREE $1 free agent cards. However, if this team wins the regular season Power Ranking crown, they wil not get three bonus contracts - the limit is two.
--For being the runner-up in the FNBA Finals, this team will receive one frozen contract, for up to four years. this team would be get TWO uses of the vin baker rule and TWO $1 free agent cards.
--For winning the battle of Semifinals losers and being the 3rd place finisher in the league, this team will get one frozen contract, for up to four years. this team would be get ONE use of the vin baker rule and ONE $1 free agent card.
--For winning the Consolation Bracket, this team will get one frozen contract, for up to four years. This team would also get ONE $1 free agent card.
XIV. GOVERNANCE
The FNBA is governed by a Committee of the Whole (which includes every owner). This is your power to fight for/against trades, rule changes, etc. After all, this is EVERYONE`s league. Every owner should have a voice in what the rules are, as this league is nothing without good, loyal and active owners. So, to make this league one that everyone enjoys, everyone will be encouraged to speak up on any rule or league topic.
The Commissioner shall appoint an Executive Council of two owners to handle all routine league business. The Executive Council consists of the league commissioner as well as two fair and level headed people. To start a fight over a rule you think should be changed, all you need to do is either bring it up on the league Message Board, or e-mail the commissioner.
All decisions, rulings and interpretations by the Executive Council are subject to veto by a 2/3 vote by the rest of the owners. Note that the Executive Council will strive to be neutral, fair and objective in all league matters and will attempt to decide things as quickly as possible while adhering to the utmost of neutrality, fairness and objectivity to always ensure the integrity of the FNBA. When proposing a rule for the league to consider, it is mandatory to submit it at least to the league commissioner, but preferably to the other two members of the Council.
Rule changes, pronouncements and acts of whimsy are determined by a majority vote by all of the owners.
XIV. RESPONSIBILITIES
In order to keep the FNBA in a healthy condition, a set of responsibilities must be established. The responsibilities for the owners shall be as such:
--Participate frequently: This means that every day, each owner is required to submit their starting lineup. This is the best way to show who is playing and who is not. Just looking at the web site is not enough. On that note, running some smack on the league message board is a great way to interact with other owners. It is understood that not everyone can lay down poetic, humorous, viscious smack as well as others but any quality/quantity of smack improves the vitality of the league. Promptly replying to trade proposals, no matter how insane, is another good practice to maintain.
--Know the rules: The FNBA rules are long and dull and are no fun to read but a very helpful thing to do is to print one and keep it on hand for questions you may have later. Try to get through the novel before the draft, it will clear up a lot of questions you may already have. Any questions after reading can be answered by the commissioner via e-mail or AOL instant messenger or the league message board.
The responsibilities of the Commissioner shall be as such:
--Update the website: This includes crunching the stats, updating the standings, keeping the information current, and providing eye candy. The goal is to provide updates, during the regular season, concerning all relevant information.
--Accurate record-keeping: Accurate standings and rosters is extremely important. Active owners serve as a double-check to accuracy.
--Be a prick: Since it is the responsibility of the Commish to kick out bad owners, enforce the rules, and make decisions in the best interest of the league, such enforcement cannot always be done with flowery words. Hopefully such attitude will not rear its ugly head.
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