League Rules
Scoring System
Passing
| Passing YardsPY25 | 2 pts per 25 PY |
|---|---|
| CompletionsPC5 | 2 pts per 5 PC |
| TD PassPTD | 10 pts |
| 50+ Yard TD Pass BonusPTD50 | 1 pt |
| Interceptions ThrownINT | -3 pts |
| 2pt Passing Conversion2PC | 2 pts |
Rushing
| Rushing YardsRY5 | 1.5 pts per 5 RY |
|---|---|
| TD RushRTD | 10 pts |
| 50+ Yard TD Rush BonusRTD50 | 2 pts |
| 2pt Rushing Conversion2PR | 2 pts |
Receiving
| Receiving YardsREY5 | 1 pt per 5 REY |
|---|---|
| ReceptionsREC | 1 pt per 1 REC |
| TD ReceptionRETD | 9 pts |
| 50+ Yard TD Rec BonusRETD50 | 2 pts |
| 2pt Receiving Conversion2PRE | 2 pts |
| Receiving TargetRET | 0.5 pts |
Miscellaneous
| Kickoff Return TDKRTD | 10 pts |
|---|---|
| Punt Return TDPRTD | 10 pts |
| Fumble Recovered For TDFTD | 10 pts |
| Total Fumbles LostFUML | -3 pts |
| Fumble Return TDFRTD | 10 pts |
Trade Rules
Justifiable Keepers · Competitive Fairness / Anti-tanking
Justifiable Keepers. Every team must roster at least three qualifying players throughout the season, in any combination: top-20 QB, RB or WR, or top-3 TE, based on ESPN season-point rankings under league scoring. Incoming qualifying players count toward this minimum.
A team below the minimum may trade a remaining qualifying keeper only for a qualifying player of equal or greater position-adjusted rank, with one replacement per keeper sent. The team remains below minimum until it has three. This rule protects competitive rosters, discourages tanking and limits unfair schedule advantages. Qualifying IR players count but remain unavailable for trade in Trade Lab.
Trade Rule · The "Booth – Hamsmith – Manning" Rule
Future draft picks. Any pick drawn from a draft year other than the current season's draft is future draft capital and is subject to commissioner review and rejection.
One-year limit. No trade may include draft capital more than one year in advance. Only picks in the next scheduled draft are eligible; picks in any later draft are ineligible at the time of the trade.
Example: during the 2026 season, 2027 draft picks are the only eligible draft capital — 2028 picks and beyond are ineligible.
Official League Rules · Collusion
1. Definition of collusion
Collusion is strictly prohibited. It occurs when two or more teams or owners knowingly work together to gain an unfair advantage, temporary or permanent, at the expense of fair league competition.
- Manipulating trades, rosters, matchups or game outcomes to unfairly benefit another team.
- Coordinating actions intended to give one or more teams an unfair competitive advantage, including in future seasons.
- Exchanging money, goods, services, favors or other benefits for actions that influence league competition.
These examples are not exhaustive. Collusion is prohibited whether or not the intended advantage is achieved.
2. Determining collusion
Allegations must be supported by credible evidence. An uneven trade, poor management decision or questionable transaction alone does not constitute collusion. A finding of collusion requires a majority vote of all non-implicated league owners.
- Implicated owners are excluded from voting.
- The commissioner may oversee review and voting but cannot independently determine guilt or impose penalties.
- A majority means more than 50% of all eligible voters. Abstentions and absent votes do not reduce the required number.
3. Penalties
Teams found guilty may receive one or more of the following:
- Draft pick forfeiture: loss of selections in current and/or future seasons.
- Financial penalties: increased league dues or additional monetary penalties.
- Revocation of accomplishments: removal of championships, awards, records or other achievements, including championship placards on the traveling trophy.
- Suspension or expulsion: temporary suspension or permanent removal from the league.
The league may approve additional penalties or corrective measures to restore fair competition. All penalties require majority approval from non-implicated owners, may be combined and may apply retroactively to previous seasons.
4. Voting requirements · 10-team membership
| Implicated Owners | Eligible Voters | Votes Required |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 8 | 5 |
| 3 | 7 | 4 |
| 4 | 6 | 4 |
| 5 | 5 | 3 |
| 6 | 4 | 3 |
| 7 | 3 | 2 |
| 8 | 2 | 2 |
Voting standard: approval requires more than half of all eligible voters, regardless of votes cast. A tie, abstention or failure to reach the required majority does not constitute approval.
League integrity: all owners must compete fairly and independently. Any owner found to have participated in collusion is subject to disciplinary action regardless of when the violation occurred or was discovered.
Roster Configuration
| Position | Starters | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterback (QB)QB | 1 | 4 |
| Running Back (RB)RB | 2 | 8 |
| Wide Receiver (WR)WR | 3 | 9 |
| Tight End (TE)TE | 1 | 3 |
| Flex (FLEX)FLEX | 1 | N/A |
| Offensive Player Utility (OP)OP | 1 | N/A |
| Bench (BE)BE | 8 | N/A |
| Injured Reserve (IR)IR | 2 | N/A |
Keepers
Each team may keep up to 4 players. Keepers are locked in annually on Friday night at 10:00 PM CST, prior to Saturday draft day.
Playoffs
- Qualification
Top 4 teams from the regular season make the playoffs based on win-loss record.
- Tiebreaker
In the event of a tie, the team with the winning head-to-head record advances for the seeding / playoff spot.
Tie-Breaking Procedures
Games in THE Champions League never end in a tie. When two teams finish a matchup with identical scores, or finish the regular season with identical records, the procedures below decide the outcome.
- Total bench points scored in that specific matchup window.
- If the benches are also tied, cumulative points scored (Points For) through and including the tie-generating week.
- Head-to-head wins
- Total points scored
- Record in common games
- A team with a perfect record against the other tied teams claims the next available playoff spot.
- That team is removed from the tie and the remaining teams are resolved by the same procedure.
- Total points scored
- Record in common games
Dues & Payouts
$70 per team.
Payouts due shortly after the conclusion of the final playoff week.
Failure to pay will result in league expulsion or a fair penalty of the commissioner's choosing.
The Champion's Burden
The championship team gets to take home the league traveling trophy, complete with their name / team name plaque added to the trophy's base.
They get to host the trophy until the conclusion of the next season's playoff rounds.
The champion is expected to bring the trophy to the next season's draft as well.
League Integrity
All owners must compete fairly and independently and uphold competitive play in every aspect of league participation. Set the best competitive lineup each week, addressing injuries, suspensions, bye weeks and other unavailable players so avoidable lineup gaps do not compromise competition.
Manage injured players actively, using the team’s two injured reserve (IR) slots when eligible. Owners may retain additional injured players beyond those two slots rather than being required to drop them to waivers, while continuing to meet roster and lineup requirements.
New League Rules · Owner Majority Vote
Changes to league scoring, regular-season or postseason schedules, roster size or management, annual dues or payment amounts, and league membership size or structure (including team counts and divisions) take effect only with a simple majority vote of league owners. Any amendment that does not receive that majority does not become a league rule.
Commissioner Authority
The commissioner is responsible for maintaining competitive play and enforcing league rules; closing each season promptly and initiating the new league year when the fantasy platform permits; reviewing every trade for rule compliance, competitive fairness and integrity; and acknowledging, investigating and correcting platform anomalies as needed.
The commissioner sets and communicates trade and keeper deadlines and the annual draft date, time and location; acknowledges and communicates owner resignations; arranges new ownership; and coordinates other league operations.
Required co-commissioner · continuity of the league
After the former commissioner relinquished the role and subsequently deleted the ESPN league and shared statistical and trade/draft-capital records, the surviving membership established a continuity safeguard: the commissioner must have a co-commissioner.
The co-commissioner assists with owner questions, communication and enforcement of rules, annual draft planning and execution, and development of rule proposals for owner votes. They also cover planned or unexpected commissioner absences.
Owners select the co-commissioner by simple majority vote. The commissioner may call a vote for the position at any point during the offseason; that vote may retain the incumbent.
Member conduct and expulsion
Following complaints from league members about an owner’s in-person or virtual behavior, the commissioner may expel that owner without a league vote after a logical, unbiased investigation. The decision and its reasoning must be communicated to the entire league for transparency. Allegations and penalties for collusion are governed separately by the owner-voting requirements below; the commissioner cannot determine collusion guilt or impose collusion penalties independently.
10-Team PPR Keeper League · Founded 2015