Rules Page – FRANCHISE
INTRO
New rules regarding trades and cash have been added, making these rules up to date as of the Fall 2024 Offseason.
Every season new situations and scenarios pop up that force the League Offices to view things in a different way.
Here is the complete and updated set of rules regarding all things Franchise League. Some rules have not changed, many have. Read them. Learn them. Live them.
DRAFT BOARD
There is only ONE Draft Board for the entire history of the Franchise League. Each off-season this board will be updated with the new player list, free agency tracker and team salary cap pages. You can find every piece of the archived Franchise A League history on this board: Franchise A League
All current information for THE FRANCHISE LEAGUE is found on this board: THE FRANCHISE LEAGUE
1st Off-season
The initial Draft of any Franchise League will be conducted as an Auction Draft with all players in the draft pool.
Anyone is able to be a Franchise League captain. Each captain will be assessed a ‘Captain’s Cap Hit‘ based on their APR and will hold true for the current season only. Each offseason APRs will be recalculated and a new cap hit will be assessed. In order to have such a wide variation of talented captains, the cap hit will be determined based on the Captain’s APR and a salary analysis of all players signed up for the league.
All captains will have access to each and every player. Captains will be able to nominate players for auction and bid on them accordingly until all players in the Auction Pool are assigned to a team.
Captains must have enough cap space to sign players to make a 6 man roster (minimum contract is 1 season @ $1) without going over the salary cap for a bid to be valid. Contracts to players, can only be offered as a whole number or tenth of a decimal. All players are originally signed to 1 season contracts.
If a captain offers a rookie a second season contract, the player has the right of refusal and can keep the 1 season contract. Captains have until noon on the day of the third week of the season to turn in contract lengths to League Offices. Contracts that are 2 seasons in length are also eligible to be restructured to save money in the 2nd season (see: Contract Restructuring)
The second season of the contract will increasing based on Escalators. These escalations are also applicable to contract offers to free agents and auction players.
Escalators
$1 – $4.9 – additional season + $1
$5 – $9.9 – additional season + $2
$10 – $14.9 – additional season +$3
$15 – $19.9 – additional season +$4
$20 – $24.9 – additional season +$5
$1 – $4.9 – additional season + $1
$5 – $9.9 – additional season + $2
$10 – $14.9 – additional season +$3
$15 – $19.9 – additional season +$4
$20 – $24.9 – additional season +$5
$25 – $29.9 – additional season +$6
$30+ – additional season +$7
There will be a Salary Cap (determined each offseason) that teams cannot surpass unless they have a Cash Exemption (see Trades). To see how multiple season’s play out, refers to a Franchise A salary page: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Ze67QTDm7UQTVw2HKzJZ7b2te7qUlXgD5FH0jV8uduE/edit#gid=35
2nd Off-season
Each off-season will contain 3 major activity periods (Cuts/Extensions, Rookie Auction and “Free” Agency) with Trades allowed throughout the entire off-season, that will begin once the full player pool has been determined and paid for.
CUTS
Captains can cut 1 player under contract each season for a $2.0 penalty against the cap (cap hit) for the upcoming season.
Captains are not penalized with a cap hit if a player under contract decides to not return between seasons. That cap money is immediately freed up and available for use heading into the next offseason activity period. A player not returning the following season does not count as a ‘cut’ against a captain.
Captains cannot bid on a player they have cut for the upcoming season. A player cut heading into the Fall 2024 season cannot be bid on by that captain until the Winter 2025 season.
No cuts can be made once the Rookie Auction Draft starts each season
ROOKIE AUCTION DRAFT
New players to the league are placed into the Rookie Pool and an auction draft will take place at noon on Sunday following the Payment Deadline, the official first day of a new #FranchiseB season.
Captains will nominate players based on the order of the regular season finish from the prior season. The captain with the worst record will nominate the first rookie, the next worst record will nominate the second and so on down the line until all the rookies have been nominated.
Captains DO NOT have to bid on a player they nominate in the Rookie Auction, they can simply put that player up for auction.
If a player is nominated and NOT bid on by any captain (minimum $1), that player will move to the free agent pool following the completion of the Rookie Auction Draft.
2nd season extensions to players in the Rookie Auction Draft must be made by noon on the day of the third week of the regular season.
Players returning to the league after a season (or seasons) away from the league are placed into Free Agency rather than into the Rookie Auction Draft after getting into the league off the waitlist.
“FREE” AGENCY
Any player who’s contract has expired, has been cut, has not been bid on in the Rookie Auction Draft or who is returning to the league after a period of time away from it, and is also returning for the following season, will be subject to the rules of free agency. Free Agency will be a 2 day period that starts upon the completion of the Rookie Auction Draft (Sunday) and will conclude the following Tuesday evening each season.
Contracts to free agents, and rookie auction draft players, can only be offered to a tenth of a decimal. To sign a player, captains must also have enough cap space to sign additional players to get to the required 6 players (minimum contract = $1) in the current season ONLY. The second season of a free agent’s contract is not yet subject to the future salary cap.
All bids are made known to all the captains so each captain has a chance to bid on each player. Free agents are given the option to sign with any team that makes a contract offer that is within $1 of the highest bid.
Example
Free Agent Terry Henderson
Offer 1 – From Brett Armstrong – 1 season @ $26.5
Offer 2 – From Billy Jackson – 2 seasons @ $25.6 and $30.6
Offer 3 – From Keith Baranowski – 1 season @ $10
Offer 2 – From Billy Jackson – 2 seasons @ $25.6 and $30.6
Offer 3 – From Keith Baranowski – 1 season @ $10
Jumpman could choose Offer 1 or 2 and Offer 3 would not be eligible as it isn’t within $1 of the highest offer.
Offers will be subject to ‘Clock Groupings’. Clock Groupings will be the period of time that offers will be locked and players will be able to choose their team (the ‘Counter Deadline’)
Clock Groupings
9 AM / 1 PM / 8 PM
Offers that match, are lower than, or do not raise the ‘High Offer’ by more than $1 do not change the “Clock Grouping” of the contract. Only when a new off that is $1.1 more than the current ‘High Offer’ will the ‘Counter Deadline’ be moved to the following ‘Clock Grouping’. A ‘High Offer’ that is raised by the captain that has set the offer does not push the clock, however every captain with a bid on that player will be given a chance to adjust their own bid before the clock expires. This prevents any last minute shenanigans. Any offer made (sent as an Email to League Offices) between midnight and 8 AM, will be put in the first Clock Grouping of the day, pending the order of previous expiring ‘High Offers’. This should shorten the amount of time online each captain committees to free agency
Any Offer that comes in below the High Offer does not affect the Deadline. When the Deadline has been reached the Free Agent has a maximum of 2 hours to announce the team it will sign with the following season, if there are multiple offers to choose from.
Any free agent offer, once made, cannot be lowered.
RULE A47 – If a captain withdraws an offer on a free agent, that captain cannot bid on that free agent again. Captains cannot withdraw bids within 30 minutes of the Counter Deadline. When a captain withdraws an offer, the other captains with a bid on that free agent will be given one opportunity to change their bids on the player without resetting the clock. This must be done as soon as possible, any unnecessary delay will result in the captain losing their opportunity to change their bid
RULE A55.2.b – A captain is allowed to adjust an invalid bid on a player if that bid was made invalid by acquiring another player. This almost must be done ASAP to avoid forfeiting the right to adjust the bid
Captains can bid on only the number of players they need to round out their roster, plus 2 additional offers. If a captain has 3 roster openings, he can only have 5 bids out on players at any given time.
Free Agents are not eligible for contract extensions after the free agency period is over. Captains that wish to retain the rights to free agents for 2 seasons must include the second season in their offers before bids close during Free Agency.
At the end of Free Agency captains are able to roll forward cash left over on the salary cap up to $10 to the following season
CONTRACT RESTRUCTURING
Any player in the first season of a 2 season deal can have their contract restructured provided a captain has the salary cap room in the current season to offset the cost of the next season. At no time may the value of the first season of the contract be equal to or exceed that of the second season
Example
Player A – S1 – $24,4000,000 S2- 29,400,000
Contract Restructure – S1 – 26,800,000 S2 – 27,000.000
This is provided that the captain in question has 2.4 in cap room in the CURRENT (S1) season. Captains are allowed to be over the cap in next season (S2) up until that offseason begins.
| 2nd Season Escalators | |
| $1 – $4.9 – additional season + $1 – max restructure $0.4 | |
| $5 – $9.9 – additional season + $2 – max restructure $0.9 | |
| $10 – $14.9 – additional season +$3 – max restructure $1.4 | |
| $15 – $19.9 additional season +$4 – max restructure $1.9 | |
| $20-$24.9– additional season +$5 – max restructure $2.4 | |
| $25-$29.9 – additional season +$6 – max restructure $2.9 | |
| $30+ – additional season +$7 – – max restructure $3.4 |
BIRD RIGHTS
Any player that has played 2 consecutive seasons on the same contract (either for the same team or, if traded, playing out the second season of a contract) is eligible to be resigned by the team that holds that players rights for a discount over two seasons. Bird Rights contract offers are a MATCH of the highest bid offered on a free agent, with a 15% discount. Bird Rights contract offers are not eligible to be used to make offers that would price other teams out of making contract offers on that free agent
Example
Offer 1 – non-Bird Rights high bid – 2 seasons @ $10 and $13
Offer 2 – Bird Rights Match – 2 seasons @ $8.5 and $10.5
Offer 2 – Bird Rights Match – 2 seasons @ $8.5 and $10.5
This allows the free agent to always choose which offer he wants to accept. Teams with a player’s Bird Rights cannot offer a discounted contract worth more than the maximum amount offered by a team that doesn’t have his Bird Rights.
A captain can rescind their Bird Rights on a player if they wish to try and price out other offers by offering $1.1 more than another player can. Once a captain has rescinded a player’s Bird Rights they cannot be reclaimed that off-season.
BIRD RIGHTS EXTENSION
Each offseason, prior to the start of the Rookie Auction Draft, captains have the option of offering a 3rd season Bird Rights Extension (BRE) to their Bird Rights Free Agents (BRFA) for 1 season at 115% of the salary of the most recently completed season.
Players have the option of accepting or declining a BRE.
Players that accept a BRE do not head into free agency and captains do not retain a players Bird Rights in the season following the Extension. The season after the Extension, players are Free Agents
Players that decline the BRE are free agency. Captains are still able to sign the free agent using the Bird Rights Match Discount (85% of highest bid) and can resign a player to a 2 season contract (once again retaining that player’s Bird Rights at the end of the contract).
Bird Rights Extension must be offered and accepted prior to the Rookie Auction Draft each season. Once the RAD has begun captains are no longer able to offer a BRE to their Bird Rights Free Agents
A player’s Bird Rights can be sold to another captain for a maximum amount of $2
A player’s Bird Rights can be sold to another captain for a maximum amount of $2
TRADES
Trades can be completed until noon on the day of the start of the regular season
Players can be traded for other players, cash, or a combination of players and cash. “Cash” affects a captain’s salary cap for either the current or following season, or both. The monetary value of a contract (1st season) and cash exemptions must be within 200% in order for a trade to be valid.
Example
Bryan Walsh Trades Zak Tseytlin (2S @ $5.8 & $7.8) to Matt Kaplan for $20.5 Cash
This Trade is not valid as constructed.
The most money that Walsh could receive in the trade is $11.6 (200% of the value of Zak’s contract). On the flip-side, the least amount of Cash that Walsh could take back in the trade is $2.9 (Zak’s 1st season salary is 200% of $2.9).
PLAYER TRADES
| 1 player on each team moved Player A @ $5 is traded for Player B @ $10. No additional money can be added into the deal with Player B. Up to $15 can be added to the deal by the captain trading away Player A Both captains must be able to fit players under their salary cap after the trade of players cash is completed | ||
Only 1 player moved The captain acquiring Player C must be able to fit them under the salary cap while also accounting for the outgoing cash. |
Incoming and outgoing cash can be dispersed in a few different ways.
Incoming Cash: 3 options for each captain
(1) All cash can be used during the current season
(2) All cash can be deferred to the following season
(3) Cash can be split 50/50 between the current and following season.
(1) All cash can be used during the current season
(2) All cash can be deferred to the following season
(3) Cash can be split 50/50 between the current and following season.
Outgoing: 2 options for each captain
(1) All cash can be charged to the current season
(2) Cash charge can be split 50/50 between the current and following season.
Outgoing cash can never be charged entirely to the following season’s salary cap.
(1) All cash can be charged to the current season
(2) Cash charge can be split 50/50 between the current and following season.
Outgoing cash can never be charged entirely to the following season’s salary cap.
| BAXTER CASH RULE – Cash Only Trades are capped at $6. |
Example
Dan Lerner needs more money in the Fall 24 season. He trades $6 to Harry Demakes for $6. Here is Dan’s max net gain in the Fall 24 season
Incoming cash F24: $6 (100% current season)
Outgoing cash F24: $3 (50/50 split)
Outgoing cash W25: $3
Net result +$3 on current salary cap
Harry has money left over and no roster spots open, so he defers the incoming money to the Winter 25 season and absorbs the entire outgoing cost to the Fall 24 season
Outgoing cash F24: $6 (100% current)
Incoming cash W25: $6 (100% following)
Net result +$6 on W25 (following) salary cap
| MAZZ TRADE RULE – Cash value of an empty roster spot that is traded is equal to 33% of the outgoing salary | ||||
| Player offloaded for empty roster spot – Player D contract is 1S @ $6 and is dumped to another team in order to open up a roster spot, the captain trading away that player must send all 33% of the value of the contract, in this example $2, in order to open up the roster spot. | ||||
| HARRY TRADE RULE (F24) – After a clock grouping has closed, no trades are allowed that would change the salary cap of teams with bids on players that are locked until all those players have made their Free Agency decisions |
Players that have been traded cannot be traded back to their original team until the following off-season.
Any traded player on a 1 Season contract can be offered a second season by the captain that trades for that player and the traded player has the option to accept or turn down that extension any time prior to the start of the following RAD. Any contract that adds a second season will create Bird Rights for that player.
OPEN CAPTAIN SPOTS
When a captain spot opens up, any free agent (including BRFA) are able to assume control of the team. If multiple players would like to be captain, a 1v1 battle (or multiple battles) will take place to determine who will earn the captain spot.
New captains assume all contracts, obligations, and salary restrictions of the team they are taking over
EXPANSION
The following guidelines have been put in place in the event of expansion to the Franchise League.
Expansion will only be done with an even number of teams.
Captain spots for expansion franchises will be open to both free agents AND rookies.
In the event of more interested captains than expansion spots available, there will be 1v1 games to determine the captain spots.
Expansion Franchises will be given the opportunity to sign one (1) Free Agent prior to the start of the offseason from an ‘expansion pool’ with certain restrictions on which free agents are eligible for the pool
Bird Rights Free Agents are not eligible to be signed
Free Agents that made more than 35% of the previous season’s salary cap are not eligible to be signed
Free Agents that made more than 35% of the previous season’s salary cap are not eligible to be signed
Rookies are not eligible to be signed
Any expansion captain that wishes to sign a free agent from the expansion pool must offer 115% of the free agent’s previous salary. Expansion captains do not HAVE to sign a free agent out of the expansion pool, and also cannot sign more than one.
Free Agents cannot decline to be signed by an expansion franchise, but they can decline a second season being added to the contract.
If multiple expansion franchises target the same free agent, the free agent will get to choose the team he’d like to play on.