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ZEALOTS FIELD OPERATIONS BY-LAWS

INTRODUCTION

Zealots Field Leagues (ZFL) are dynasty leagues. Founded in 2002 by Oscar Knight, Zealots Field is designed to reward the fantasy football zealot by incorporating some of the best rules in the world of fantasy. NFL-size rosters, offensive and defensive players, extensive scoring, unlimited trading and free agency periods and zealous owners combine for the ultimate fantasy football experience. Zealots Field will always be a non-payout league, so the only price for joining ZFL is a small administrative fee* and blood, sweat and tears - the only reward is the right to be called the best of the best.

GOVERNANCE & ADMINISTRATION OF ZEALOTS FIELD
Zealots Field is owned by Oscar Knight who has annointed himself as Lord Zealot. Vice Lords assist in the administration of the Zealots empire. Lord Zealot and his Vice Lords will name a staff of Czars to administer Zealots Field and other projects to keep the community running with as much fun and efficiency as possible. Syndicate Czars are responsible for naming league commissioners.

Each Zealots Field league shall be run by a League Commissioner. Each Commissioner is vested with the following powers and responsibilities, which may at his/her discretion be, in part, delegated to one or two vice commissioners:

Commissioner Powers & Responsibilities:
1. Regular Communication with Syndicate Czar
  1. Respond to E-Mails, PMs, and threads in the czar realm by the stated deadline.
  2. Keep the Czar informed of any potential league issues so you and your Syndicate Czar can work on potential solutions in a timely and efficient manner.
2. General Administration
  1. Interpret the Rulebook as he sees just and fit. Abide by and enforce the Rulebook in all league matters while making sure the owners do the same.
  2. Maintain the integrity of the league and its owners by enforcing the "Code of Conduct".
  3. Act as a fair and impartial arbiter in good-faith disputes between franchise owners.
  4. Arbitrate all disputes taking into account the following precedence: 1) the written Rulebook; 2) past precedent; and 3) side agreements between owners where such agreements do not conflict with the written Rulebook.
  5. Preside as chief record keeper for the league.
  6. Has an administrative backup plan posted in the league�s realm in the event the commissioner goes AWOL or is out of commission for a time.
3. Administration of MFL management site
  1. Organize the league structure by splitting franchises into conferences and divisions.
  2. Make sure Free Agency is set up correctly according to the Zealot rules
  3. Make sure ZBucks are being updated at conclusion of regular season at MFL in a timely and efficient fashion, according to the Zealot rules.
  4. Preside over all league drafts and settle draft disputes. Make sure rookie draft is set up correctly with the correct picks owned and the draft order.
  5. Make sure trade deadline is enforced. This can be done with one calendar entry so you do not have to remember the specific day and week that trades are no longer valid. Another calendar entry at end of the season can turn trades back on.
  6. Perform a random check a couple of times each fall to ensure lineups are being submitted by all owners.
  7. Set playoff seedings in accordance with the Rulebook.
  8. Approve all trades and transactions.
  9. Provide to the owners regular and timely updates on game results, standings, and rosters.
4. Administration of Field House Realms
  1. All 12 owners` contact information should be posted and up to date.
  2. Zbuck balances should be posted and updated on MFL before free agency starts, within a 24-48 hour period after RFA Player auctions are complete, after free agency ends, and prior to the regular NFL season beginning.
  3. The rookie draft picks owned should be updated for the current year plus the following year.
  4. The current season's draft order should be posted and up to date.
  5. The Rulebook and Code of Conduct should be posted in your realm and can also be found in the Zealots 101 Forum for easy reference.
  6. Execute four "mandatory" League Check In periods per Zealots Field Governing Documents.
    1. Jan 10th to state intentions for following season
    2. Feb 9th, 11:59 pm ET, to post free agents and start free agency
    3. Rookie Draft (after all League Members are paid in full and following NFL Rookie Draft)
    4. August Pre-Regular Season (at the completion of the first full NFL Pre Season week)
Council of Commissioners
1. A Vice Lord will be assigned to serve as Chairman of the Council of Commissioners.
2. Each commissioner is required to serve in the Zealots Field Empire�s Council of Commissioners. The Council will meet periodically to discuss and advise the Czars of Zealots Field on matters related to the health and well-being of the empire.
3. The Council of Commissioners acts as a Supreme Court over Zealots Field. They will be called on to vote on rules clarifications as deemed necessary by Lord Zealot and the Vice-Lords. A simple majority vote of all commissioners voting will determine the proper interpretation of any rule in question. Once the interpretation has been made, the rule will be re-written to reflect the language agreed upon.
4. Commissioners not maintaining all aspects of their League responsibilities mentioned previously in "Commissioner Powers & Responsibilities" as well as not upholding their responsibility as a member of the Council of Commissioners without due cause or extenuating circumstances will be interpreted by leadership as failing to follow through with the responsibilities that they have committed to when accepting the Commissionership of said League. Said Commissioners will be held accountable and can be subsequently removed from their league as well as from Zealots Field if a leadership review deems such action is necessary.
TEAM IDENTITIES & OWNERSHIP LIMITS
1. Team names will be selected from a pool of existing NFL team names. ZFL team images, sounds and other identifying team characteristics should be consistent with their NFL counterpart.
2. Any new Zealot may own only one classic ZF team, unless they have been accepted as a member of leadership.
3. Once a Zealot has completed one entire season and one RFA/UFA Season, he/she then becomes eligible for a second team. However, before being granted a second team, the owner must have submitted his starting lineup for his original team every week (missed weeks that are understood and confirmed by said Owners League Commissioner as necessary and unavoidable are the exception) and must have posted no less than an average of 1 post per week (an average of 4 per month) in the Field House over the course of the past year. If the Commissioner of the owner's original league has reason to believe the owner should not be granted a second team, the commissioner can petition any Czar with an objection. In the event of an oversight, an owner who exceeds the team ownership limits in Grange, Nagurski, Baugh, Blood, Hutson, Lombardi and Halas Syndicates will be required to drop teams to comply with these limits except as noted in VIII below.
4. Once a Zealot has completed two full seasons as an active owner (meeting all required owner responsibilities), he/she then becomes eligible for a third team. With each year of active ownership, an owner is eligible for an additional team until he/she reaches a maximum allowed five classic teams.
5. Vice Commissioners are automatically eligible for two teams. Should their Commissioner and Syndicate Czar verify that they have faithfully performed their duties as a Vice Commissioner for one full season and one RFA/UFA Season, he/she then becomes eligible for three teams.
6. Commissioners are automatically eligible for three teams. Should their Syndicate Czar verify that they have faithfully performed their duties as Commissioner for one full season and one RFA/UFA Season, he/she then becomes eligible for four teams.
7. Czars are not restricted in the number of classic Zealots teams they may own, assuming they are performing their assigned duties.
8. No current Zealots Field League Owner will be permitted to drop an existing team for the purpose of drafting a new team from scratch. Such acts are seen as attempts to disregard the integrity of Zealots Field and are considered a violation of our Code of Conduct.
9. In the event of an oversight, an owner who exceeds the team ownership limits in the Grange, Nagurski, Baugh, Blood, Hutson, Lombardi and Halas Syndicates will be required to drop teams to comply with these limits.
10. Any and all instances of "multiple" team ownership in Zealots Field are subject to review by leadership (Czars and Vice Lords) at any time to ensure that said owners are maintaining the standards that they have committed to when joining Zealots Field. If in any instance it is determined that an owner is not meeting those standards then an "owner review" may take place and further steps may be taken in an effort to make certain said owner maintains compliance with those standards.
OWNER EXPECTATIONS
1. Communication and Participation. Any instances of an Owner failing in his/her agreed upon responsiblity to comply with these Governing Documents, Rules, By-Laws, Code of Conduct, and overall expectations in Zealots Field may subject said owner to "Owner Review" by Leadership (Vice Lords & Czars) and may lead to removal from their League as well as possible removal from Zealots Field.
2. Meet Deadlines - The leadership is not responsible for sending out reminders although it�s encouraged. We are all adults here and we should all be responsible enough to meet our deadlines without the assistance of others.
3. Code of Conduct
  You are required to abide by the Code of Conduct each of us agreed to when joining Zealots.
STARTING LINEUP & ELIGIBILITY STANDARDS
1. Should an owner fail to submit a starting lineup for two weeks in a row, the commissioner shall warn the owner that his status as an owner is in jeopardy. If the owner fails to respond and/or a starting lineup fails to be posted for the third week, the commissioner may call for a vote to remove the owner from the league.
2. Player Eligibility - Any player that has been drafted, claimed or signed by an NFL team for any period of time is eligible for the veteran draft or free agency. Only rookie players drafted or signed by an NFL team before the Zealots Rookie Draft will be eligible in that draft. College players, CFL players, Arena football players or any other players that have not been at some point on an NFL squad are not eligible for the drafts or free agency systems of Zealots Field. Any players drafted via an NFL Supplemental Draft will be available via free agency in Zealots Field.
3. Position Eligibility -- MFL.com is the official position source to be used in case of dispute between NFL.com and MFL.com.
SCORING CHANGES AND APPEALS
1. Weekly scoring changes will be processed only in the following cases:
CONFERENCE ALIGNMENT
1. 12 Teams will be divided into 2 conferences of 2 divisions.
2. Beginning with the initial season of each Classic League, league wide realignment of teams will occur every 3 years.
3. Realignment will be determined based upon a weighted formula calculated from total points scored during the ZFL regular season (weeks 1-13) over the most recent three year period.
4. A formula factoring the most recent year at 60% ~ 2 years ago being 30% ~ and 3 years ago being 10% of a Franchises point totals for those three previous seasons.
5. After the realignment formula has been calculated teams will be seeded accordingly 1-12 then subsequently placed as follows:
  Conference AFC
  
  Div #1
  
  Team 1, Team 5, Team 9
  
  Conference AFC
  
  Div #2
  
  Team 3, Team 7, Team 11
  
  Conference NFC
  
  Div #3
  
  Team 2, Team 6, Team 10
  
  Conference NFC
  
  Div #4
  
  Team 4, Team 8, Team 12
6. Commissioners will be responsible for executing the league wide Conference realignment procedure in a timely manner with the help of their Syndicate Czar.
EXTRAORDINARY SITUATIONS
1. Inactive Owner
  If, during the course of the season, an owner has not set a lineup for two consecutive weeks without notifying the league commissioner beforehand, the commissioner will officially warn the owner in question via e-mail that further acts of non-participation will result in the owner being subject to removal from the league. If the owner in question does not respond to this e-mail or does not submit a lineup for a third consecutive week, the commissioner may recommend to the league that the owner be removed from the league.
2. Dishonesty in Financial Matters
  All owners join Zealots Field with the understanding that it is a non-payout league. There is no financial betting or wagering (in real currency) allowed. No monetary rewards and no collection of a pool of funds for distribution based upon finish are permitted. If it is discovered that any owners or commissioners publicly or privately are engaged in these prohibited activities, they will be immediately banned from Zealots Field. There are several opportunities in the world of fantasy sports to engage in these activities, but this is not one of them.
3. Removal & Replacement of Owner
  The removal or replacement of an owner is a serious and unpleasant matter, which the league will seek to avoid if possible. If it arises, this path will be followed:
  1. Three (3) League owners together or the commissioner may recommend that an owner be removed.
  2. If eight (8) owners within a league owners vote to remove the owner, the owner is removed from the league. The number of votes required for removal in the Specialty Leagues will be stated in the individual Specialty League rules based on number of teams per league.
  3. The commissioner assumes control of the team and a replacement owner shall be located as soon as possible. If a list of alternate owners exists, the commissioner shall choose the next available alternate owner and extend him the offer of membership in the league. If the new owner accepts, he or she will inherit the team's roster, zbucks, any draft picks acquired by trade, and draft position for the coming season.
  4. In situations deemed an emergency the Commissioner will consult with his/her Syndicate Czar regarding the immediate removal and replacement of an Owner. This action will be taken solely in the best interests of that League and permitted only after a careful review of the situation and only with subsequent approval of a Vice Lord.
4. Removal & Replacement of Commissioner or Vice Commissioner
  Removing a leader is also an extremely serious situation. If a condition arises which requires the consideration of a removal from office, this path will be followed:
  1. Three (3) League Owners recommend that the Commissioner or Vice-Commissioner be removed.
  2. If a simple majority of the league owners (7 of 12) vote to remove the commissioner or vice-commissioner, the commissioner or vice-commissioner is removed from the leadership.
  3. The Czars of Zealots Field may at their discretion remove a league commissioner without the consent of the league�s owners.
  4. A Vice Commissioner may also be removed from a VC position by their Commissioner.
  5. If a Commissioner is removed, the Syndicate Czar appoints a replacement commissioner.
  6. In situations deemed as an emergency the Syndicate Czar may meet with leadership (Czars and Vice Lords) regarding the immediate removal and replacement of a Commissioner (or Vice). This action would be based solely on the best interests of that League and permitted only after a careful review of the situation and only with the subsequent approval of a Vice Lord.
SPECIALTY SYNDICATE GUIDELINES
1. Effective for the 2009 season, Zealots Field will include three Specialty Syndicates:
  1. Lombardi Syndicate - the home of our Zealots Field Auction Contract leagues.
  2. Thorpe Syndicate - the home of our Knightime Collegiate Football Association leagues.
  3. Halas Syndicate - the home of all other specialty and test leagues. Halas has several different TYPES of leagues, including Guillotine, Maximus, and Phalanx; types may be added or deleted by decision of the Czars.
1. Limit of two teams per Specialty Syndicate with the following Exceptions:
  1. Grandfather Clause: Individuals who owned more than the Specialty Syndicate limits PRIOR TO 2009 will not be required to drop teams to comply with the new limits.
  2. Thorpe Syndicate Exemption: KCFA is a syndicate formed in coordination with Zealots Field, but is an autonomous collegiate football association. As a result, ownership rules and guidelines of Zealots Field do not apply to this Syndicate. However, each KCFA owner is bound by our Code of Conduct.
  3. Halas Syndicate Exemption: Owners are limited to two teams PER TYPE.
SELECT COMMITTEES
Lord Zealot may at his discretion appoint special Select Committees to work on temporary or unique projects. The Rules Committee is a select committee. These assignments are temporary and once the work of the committee is completed, the committee is disbanded.
FEES AND PAYMENT OPTIONS
Every year the fee for participating in Zealots Field will be posted in the Field House and e-mailed to all owners. The fee will be based upon the costs associated with using the internet management service and message board service of our choice. Management will always undertake to negotiate the lowest possible cost for owners with the greatest possible service. Payments may be made through PayPal or through check made payable to Zealots Field. Any funds received in excess of the required fee will be accounted for on the message board and used to improve services or to expand operations at Zealots Field.
BINDING ARBITRATION
Should a commissioner find himself or any of his owners involved in a conflict that requires assistance, he may petition any Czar to participate as an arbitrator. All parties must agree to the arbitration and to the outcome without threat of leaving should it not be resolved in their favor. At this point all parties will air their grievances with the assigned Czar and he will hand down a binding decision. Depending upon the severity of the matter, the commissioner may request a committee of Czars to rule in the matter. This process in no way should be used to overrule the letter or spirit of the Rulebook.
AUTHORITY TO BAN
Lord Zealot reserves the right to ban any owner from Zealots Field. In most cases, a vote for removal will be taken within an owner�s Realm. However, in extreme situations which jeopardize the health or integrity of the empire, an owner may be unilaterally banned, pending action by his league or the Council of Commissioners.
MFL AND UNIFORMITY GUIDELINES
The appearance of our MFL management sites may be altered in minor ways to reflect the preferences of the commissioner, but should not depart from the overall image promoted and approved by Zealots Field. Owners should be reminded to use only acceptable logos in their profile and icon sections. The icon section of the owner�s profile setup contains the image used for the front page standings report and should not be altered by the commissioner or an owner. Any changes other than appearance must be approved by Zealots leadership in advance. All MFL setups regarding scoring, general league setup, security, transactions, lineups, etc are uniform throughout the Zealots empire.
FIELD HOUSE MESSAGING
Zealots Field is a community for fantasy football. As a result, our postings, avatars, signatures and other forms of messaging in the Field House should reflect football related matters or non-controversial topics. The Whatever Lounge is the designated area for Zealots to express themselves in a civil manner about anything on their mind that is non-football related. Anyone posting controversial messages or images will be notified and asked to remove the items. Posts will be deleted to comply with this standard.

ZEALOTS FIELD RULEBOOK

ROSTERS
1. Rosters may consist of any combination of players. Rosters are limited to 53 players.
2. Roster spots will be expanded to 60 players from the start of the annual rookie draft until three days following the final NFL preseason game of the year at which time rosters must be back to 53. The additional seven players during this period of time are not limited to rookie players. All rosters must be at a maximum of 53 players by January 10th after each season; IR players must be activated and count among the 53 man maximum. If an owner fails to do so, the czar and commissioner will work together to cut the roster back to 53 players.
3. Each year, up to thirteen players will be designated for free agency � seven restricted free agents, six unrestricted free agents, allowing for 40 fully protected players.
STARTING LINEUPS
1. Each ZFL team must consist of the following starting lineup during each week of the season:
2. If no lineup is submitted by a team, their previous week�s lineup will be used. The MFL setting for this is as follows ~ Copy Previous Week's Starters For Franchises Without Lineups: (1) "As Soon As The Previous Week's Results Are Available". This is to be used in ALL Classic Leagues. There will be no exceptions.
SCORING
1. All Players
  - Touchdowns (including Passing, Rushing, Receiving, interceptions, fumble recovery, special teams - blocked FG, punt, Missed FG): 6 pts
  - 2-pt Conversion (Passing, Rushing, Receiving): 2 pts
  - Each Rushing or Receiving Yard: 0.1 pts
  - Each Passing Yard: 0.04 pts
  - Each Interception: -2 pts
  - Fumbles (lost to Opponent): -2 pts
  - Field Goal Made (30 yards or less): 3 pts
  - Field Goal Made (greater than 30 yards): 3pts plus .1 point for every yard over 30 yards
  - Extra Point Made: 1 pt
  - Safety: 4 pts
  - Interceptions: 3 pts
  - Fumble Recoveries (from Opponent): 2 pts
  - Forced Fumble: 2 pts
  - Sack: 3 pt (1/2 sack = 1.5 pt)
  - Tackles: 1 pt
  - Assists: .5 pt
  - Blocked Punt/FG: 3 pts
  - Blocked Punt/FG for yards: .1 pt
  - Blocked Extra Point: 1 pt
  - Passes Defended: 1 pt
  - Kick Return Yard or Missed Field Goal Return: .025 pt
  - Punt Return Yard: .05 pt
  - Interception or Offensive or Defensive Fumble Return Yard: .1 pt
  If a player finishes a game with negative yards in any yardage-based category, the player is awarded a proportionate total of negative points for that category.
TIE-BREAKERS
1. Game ties stand in the regular season.
2. End of Season Tiebreakers - The following is the tie-breaking scheme in the event two or more teams have identical records at the end of the season:
  1. Overall winning %
  2. Head to Head Winning %
  3. Division Winning % (If in same division)
  4. Conference Winning % (If in same conference)
  5. Total Points Scored
  6. Total Points Against
  7. Coin Flip
  Tiebreakers are applied within divisions first. During the season, tiebreaker for waiver claims will remain the same as before being overall winning % and total points.
3. Playoff Game Tiebreakers - In the extremely unlikely event that a playoff game ends in a tie, the tiebreaker will be as follows:
  1. Homefield advantage: Higher seeded team advances
  2. If Championship game is a tie, both teams will play an overtime period during week 17
SCHEDULE AND PLAYOFFS
ZFL plays a 13 week regular season schedule.
1. Week 14:
  - #1 AFC Team & #1 NFC Team (bye)
  - #2 AFC Division Champ vs #1 AFC Wildcard Winner
  - #2 NFC Division Champ vs #1 NFC Wildcard Winner
2. Week 15:
  - #1 AFC Team vs Winner of Week 14 AFC Playoff Game
  - #1 NFC Team vs Winner of Week 14 AFC Playoff Game
3. Week 16:
  - CHAMPIONSHIP GAME - AFC Champion vs NFC Champion (see tie-breaker section for rankings)
TEAM FINANCES
1. The currency of the Zealots Field is zbucks. Each team starts their franchise with $5,000zb. Zbucks are used for free agency bids, fines, and as a trading commodity.
2. No team is permitted to run a deficit, ; public financing is not an option in the ZFL.
3. EZBs can be obtained in the following ways:
  1. At the conclusion of each season, allocations will be calculated based upon the outcome of each week�s games. For instance, the team which finishes first during a week will receive $100 ZBs, the second place team $150 ZBs, the third place team $200 ZBs, and every team thereafter in $50 ZB increments, finishing with the 12th place team receiving $650 ZBs. These weekly allotments will be totaled and added to an owner�s account at the end of the regular season. Addition of these funds must be completed at MFL and posted in the forums within 28 days from the end of week 13. Zealots leadership has created a spreadsheet that will do the calculations in a matter of seconds with simple instructions listed in the spreadsheet. If a commissioner (or vices) do not have a copy of MS-Excel, another member of the leadership team will assist in creating the ZBucks totals but it is still the commissioner's responsibility to post those numbers at MFL.
  2. Owners who lose a player in Restricted Free Agency will receive the amount of ZBs bid by the acquiring team. (owners DO NOT receive ZBs bid in Unrestricted Free Agency).
  3. ZBs may be obtained via trade.
FREE AGENTS
1. Free agents are available year-round with the following exclusion. The waiver wire will be frozen at kickoff of the first game week 13 until Feb 10th and during the annual rookie draft.
2. During the season:
  1. Only two free agents may be signed per week.
  2. Free agents will be rewarded in 24 hour blocks via a two round waiver process with the order for each round being based upon worst-to-best team records.
  3. Free agents will be processed by MFL's automated waiver window system. The first waiver window is set for Wednesday morning (12:00:01am) and ends Sunday morning (12:00:01am). All times are eastern time. If teams with identical records attempt to claim the same player in the same 24 hour period the team with the lowest total points scored for the season will be awarded the player.
  4. There is a 50zb signing fee for every player awarded a team.
  5. Once a player is dropped, he is "locked" until the next time waivers are processed.
3. During the off-season:
  1. free agency begins Feb. 10th if a league has a full complement of teams reporting. If replacement owners are being sought, free agency will begin as soon as possible after February 10th
  2. free agents are awarded on a rolling deadline basis to the highest bidder in open bid format.
  3. Once an opening bid has been placed on a player, the auction will continue until 48 hours have passed from the time of the last bid. At that point, the highest bidder will receive the player.
  4. There is no limit of number of opening bids teams may place if they have the funds to cover said bids. 5. There is a minimum required 50zb starting bid for each free agent, and accelerations may be done in 50zb increments. A bid placed in smaller increments will be considered invalid.
  5. All auctions must be conducted on the league management site (MFL) and set up with bid via proxy permitted.
RESTRICTED & UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
Each team may protect 40 players. The balance of the roster must be designated as RFA or UFA.
1. RFA - Each team must designate their RFAs (up to 7) by February 10th (February 9th, 11:59pm ET) of each year. Open bidding with a rolling 48 hour deadline will occur for restricted free agents until March 31st. The Team of Origin MUST bid on any of their own RFA they wish to retain unless no OTHER owner bids on those players. There will be no matching of bids in order to retain RFA. Team of Origin (ToO) will receive the Zbucks bid on their RFA unless they win the RFA at auction. Commissioners or their designates will update Zbuck balances within a 24-48 hour period upon completion of auctions during the RFA/UFA period.
2. UFA - must designate their UFAs (up to 6) by February 10th (February 9th, 11:59pm ET) of each year. Open bidding with a rolling 48 hour deadline will occur for unrestricted free agents until March 31st. The team of origin is allowed to bid on their own UFAs.
3. The RFA/UFA period will end on March 31st. At this point, three things will happen:
INAUGURAL and ROOKIE DRAFT
1. The Inaugural Veteran Draft for all ZFLs will be odd random serpentine ordered by the MFL automated system.
2. A 6 round rookie draft will be held every year. The draft will take place no sooner than the NFL draft and the receipt of team fees from all owners in the league. The draft will begin no later than June 1 of each year. Draft order in the inaugural year will be the reverse order of the inaugural veteran draft�s first and second round and will be serpentine.
  1. Veterans are not eligible to be drafted.
  2. Any rookie who has been drafted OR signed as an undrafted free agent is eligible to be drafted.
3. All other years the rookie draft will be straight order based upon:
  1. Super Bowl winner will pick 12th in each round.
  2. Super Bowl loser will pick 11th in each round.
  3. All remaining clubs are ranked according to their W-L record. Ties among clubs with identical regular season records are broken as follows:
INJURED RESERVE
1. Any player suspended for more than two games by his NFL team or the League itself may not be placed on the IR.
2. Owners may place any player on the injured reserve list if he is listed as "IR" on the MFL Report. There will be no exceptions.
3. Any player placed on injured reserve will remain on the list until the conclusion of the ZFL playoffs.
4. Before any player can be placed on the injured reserve list, that player must be on a team�s active roster for at least one week, unless the player was previously on the team's injured reserve list earlier in the season and the player must be placed directly on the team's injured reserve in accordance with subsections G and H of this section. Players may be assigned to Injured Reserve list three days following the final NFL preseason game of the year to coincide with the 53-man roster cut down deadline.
5. Each team will be strictly limited to 4 IR spots.
6. Players placed on IR and traded to another team are immediately activated to the active 53 man roster by the receiving team but may be placed on IR in accordance with section X.D.
7. IR listed players that are traded and return to the team of origin within the season they are traded shall be placed on the IR list.
8. IR listed players, if released from the roster, are active free agents. In the season during which the player was IR listed, the player may be signed by any team. If a team signs a player who was listed on its IR earlier in the season, the player must be placed directly on the team's IR. If a team signs a player who was listed on another team's IR earlier in the season, that team may only place the player on IR in accordance with the rules of this section, including X.D.
TRANSACTIONS
1. Trading - Any combinations of players, zbucks, and/or draft picks may be traded. These are the only assets that may be traded.
2. No trades may be made that include real cash, future considerations, or a player to be named later.
3. When draft picks are involved in a trade, only draft picks for the current draft year (January 1 through December 31) and/or following draft year may be traded. Example 1: After the '06 draft through the end of the season, only picks for the '07 draft are available. Example 2: After completion of the '06 season up to the '07 draft, picks are available for the '07 and '08 draft.
4. Before a trade becomes final it must be confirmed on the message board by all involved parties. Once a trade has been officially announced it may not be rescinded by any of the teams involved.
5. Any trade that appears to be suspicious or detrimental to the integrity of the league may be vetoed by a supermajority (2/3) vote of the owners not involved in the deal.
  1. During the season, owners will have 48 hours to contest a trade.
  2. During the offseason, owners will have up to 1 week to contest a trade.
6. No trade may be made between the kickoff of the week 11 Games and the completion of the Zealots Field championship game.
REPLACEMENT OWNERS
1. FREE AGENCY - This section applies to instances where a single new owner is not involved in a Replacement Owners Draft (IE: filling a single vacancy "at that time").
  1. Replacement Owners who are not involved in a replacement owner's draft will be allowed during their first week in the league the chance to pick up as many free agents as they like. This is a one-time ability. A list will be e-mailed to the commish and posted on the message board for that league. There is no ZBuck charge for these players. No RFA/UFA player may be on this list. Players that have been started in league auctions may not be on the list. Roster size cannot exceed normal rules during these pickups, so Free Agent requests may need to be accompanied with Roster drops. All replacement owners get this one time opportunity whenever they join, be it in season, quiet time, RFA/UFA, Rookie Draft or Auction times.
  2. During a time when there are League openings, any and all league activity involving transactions (trading, auctions, etc) of any kind is frozen until such time as there is/are new owner/s in place.
2. REPLACEMENT OWNERS DRAFT (ROD)
  1. In the case of multiple vacancies occurring "simultaneously" during the ZFL offseason, Replacement Owners "may" use the option of a Replacement Owners Draft.
    Note:
    
    In the case of multiple vacancies "simultaneously" all owners will be given the option to agree upon taking over existing teams. If one (1) of the multiple replacement owners requests a ROD then all replacement owners "at that time" must participate. If all replacement owners "at that time" are in agreement to take existing franchises as they are then they are bound by that agreement even in such instances as multiple owner replacement and a ROD at a later date in that off season.
  2. If a ROD takes place, the players on the vacated teams will be placed in the free agency pool.
  3. The newly selected owners will have their own ROD which will be 54 rounds in order to allow for the incorporation of the rookie draft packages. If at a later date there are "multiple openings" "simultaneously" during the ZFL offseason then a second ROD may take place using the same guidelines.
  4. After an Owner participates in a ROD or agrees to accept an existing team he/she is no longer eligible to participate in further ROD's for that League at any time.
3. Typical ROD steps:
  1. All League Activity is frozen (trading, auctions, etc)
  2. New Owners Check In.
  3. Commissioner (or designated Vice) sets up Dice Roll to determine ROD Order and Date for ROD to begin.
  4. Owner clears Rosters of vacant teams in order for ROD to commence.
  5. Z-bucks of all vacated teams will be combined and divided equally among the replacement owners.
  6. Draft picks for each vacant team will be "packaged" as they exist. Each team in the ROD will select a "package" during the draft as any one of their picks.
  7. ROD takes place.
  8. After the Replacement Owners Draft, all normal league activity will resume.
RULE CHANGES
A January Rules Meeting may be called by the Council of Commissioners. Any amendment to the Rulebook must receive the support of +2/3 (41 of 60 Commissioners) or more of the Council of Commissioners. It is up to each Commissioner whether his vote reflects the will of his league or his own personal preference.

* Note: There may be a minimum fee request from owners to assist with the costs of administering the league. For instance, MFL charged approximately $80 for their services per league in 2003. Owners may be asked to contribute as little as $7 or $8 per team to offset the costs. A full financial report will be provided to all ZFL owners in the interests of accountability.

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