Official Rules

The Dynasty will be run in a sim style manner. In this way, it is expected that all players conduct themselves in a manner that makes the game fun, fair, and challenging for both parties involved. The primary goal, in my opinion, for participating in a video game league is to have fun. We all know that some of the cheap lobby tactics that take advantage of the CPU AI or just display poor sportsmanship can quickly turn playing the game into an unpleasant hour of gaming. The rules/guidelines are not here to make people feel restricted or confined in their game play but more so ensure that the hour you spend playing is enjoyable in victory or defeat and you are respectful of your opponents experience.

Offensive Skill Level - Heisman
Defensive Skill Level - Heisman
User-User Skill Level - Heisman
Quarter Length - 7 Minutes
Game Speed - Normal

Table of Contents
I.) Play Style
II.) Advancement
III.) Gameplay Rules
. . . . 1.) No Cheese
. . . . 2.) Moving Players
. . . . 3.) Play-Calling
. . . . 4a.) Call a Paced Game
. . . . 4b.) Milking The Clock
. . . . 5.) No-Huddle Etiquette
. . . . 6.) Play-Action
. . . . 7.) 4th Down Rules
. . . . 8.) User vs AI Games (Stat Padding)
. . . . 9.) Missing/Not Playing Games
. . . . 10.) Replaying Games vs the CPU (due to EA Error)

IV.) Reporting Broken Rules
V.) Penalty for Breaking Rules
VI.) The Offseason

Play style:
Everyone has a play style of their own. Choices of Air Raid vs Option vs Pro Style and 4-3 vs 3-4 vs 4-2-5 really sets NCAA apart from Madden. These differences are more than welcomed as it makes for a diverse league, but it's still important to mix up your play calls. Mixing up running and passing. Calling different types of man defense, zone defense, blitzes, and zone blitzes. While people have favorite plays in key situations, running it over and over in that situation should be avoided, such as screen passes on 3rd and longs or FB Dives on each 3rd and Short. While the popularity of the "Spread" offense has sky-rocketed and the reliance on an Air-Raid type of offense is true to some college's styles, those teams still run the ball. Likewise, only playing one defensive formation against one offensive package should be avoided as well.

Advancement:
The league will likely advance every 4-5 days. We will use the forum to post when a week is open as well as when the next advance date will be. If all games are played early the will advance the week early. Please note that advance will not be held up for recruiting only.

Gameplay Rules:
1. No cheesing
While EA has done a decent job of removing AI flaws in their games, should any cheap tactics like rocket user catching and nano blitzing be found, they will not be tolerated. Play the game against your opponent, not the AI.

2. Moving Players
A.) Moving defensive lineman manually is not allowed.
B.) Moving Linebackers is allowed, but limited. You may only move linebackers horizontally; you are not allowed to manually bring them up tighter into the box on the edge, or into a gap. Once you move your linebacker, you must stick with them; you may not change to another player to move.
C.) Moving DB's will follow much of the same reasoning as LB's, here primarily horizontal, and with a limited vertical range, in that a safety must remain a few yards minimum behind a linebacker's depth unless you are showing blitz coverage (with Triangle + Right). If in blitz coverage, the Strong Safety is treated like a linebacker, the Free Safety must remain deep. Once you manually move your defensive back, you may not change to another player to move.

3. Play-Calling
Mix up play calling on both offense and defense. Expand your playbook by trying new plays and formations in Practice Mode if you're not comfortable with a big playbook. If the offense spreads the field with 4 receivers or more, you shouldn't be in a base defense. Some formation's package subs will put a Nickel/Dime personnel on the field. Those are great, but they are not a replacement for calling true Nickel/Dime formations.  Cover 2/3/4/6 and man-to-man need to be mixed in to calls as well as not calling Bump-and-Run all the time.  If you're backed up into your own red zone, whatever formation you want to use is fine because the situation dictates it.

4a. Call a paced game
Do not rush plays to try and pad stats.

4b. Milking The Clock
Setting your Offensive Tempo to Conservative (aka Milking The Clock) is NOT allowed in the first three (3) quarters in any situation.  You may only milk the clock in the fourth quarter under the following scenarios:

- You are winning by 17 points or more.
- There are only two (2) minutes or less remaining in the game.

5. No-Huddle Etiquette
The no-huddle offense has become a very popular trend in college football today so frequently running no-huddle even outside of the 2 minute drill is perfectly acceptable.  However, there should be a level of etiquette given when doing so.  You should not call for no-huddle following an incomplete pass and you should give the defense a chance to call plays.  In other words, don't call no-huddle and quickly snap simply to get the defense offsides.

6. Play-action
In past games, play-action often took advantage of a weak AI no matter the down and distance. Because of that, do not call play-action passes on 3rd and long (5 yards or more to go).

7. 4th Down Rules
Up by 14 or more – You are not allowed to go for it. You must kick (FG or Punt).
Up by 13 or less (or tied) – You may go for it if it is 4th and short (3 yards or less) but only if you have reached your opponent's 35 yard line.
Losing by 16 or less - you may go for it in on 4th and short (3 yards or less) but only once you have crossed midfield and entered your opponent’s side of the field.
Losing by 17 or more - you may attempt a 4th down conversion in any situation.

***If you find that a player broke a 4th down rule, it is expected that the violator punt the ball to the opponent immediately.

8. User vs. AI Games (Stat Padding)
Often, the AI does not offer a challenge for players. Because of this, User vs. AI games can get out of hand. As sim style goes, it can be difficult to regulate players who stat boost star players in hopes of leading the dynasty in different categories.

In playing AI games, there will be no stat boosting allowed. It is expected of AD's to sub in reserve players in the second half of blowout victories. NCAA makes this easy with the Mass Sub option.

9. Missing/Not Playing Games
It is understood that there will be times when a user will not be able to play his game due a busy schedule, personal reasons, etc.  However if this becomes a trend that a user is missing games then there will be a penalty enforced.  It is not fair to the other users that play their games that a user can miss mulitple games, potentially get sim victories and earn a post season championship or bowl game.  If a user misses 4 games (1/3 of the regular season) and his games are simmed as a result, then that user will not be allowed to participate in the post-season.  That includes the Conference Championship Game and/or Bowl Game.  The User will instead be put on auto-pilot for those games.

10. Replaying Games vs The CPU (due to EA Error)
This rule is specifically geared towards games versus the CPU that get interrupted due to EA error, whether that be game freeze, EA Server disconnect or a completed game that does not get registered in the system. 

- If you are in the process of playing your game and the game freezes or you are disconnected from the server then you are allowed to replay the game within the advance time (we will not extend the advance for situations like this).

- If you play the CPU, finish your game and win but the score/game does not get registered by EA you are allowed to replay the game within the advance time (we will not extend the advance for situations like this).

- If you play the CPU, finish your game and lose but the score/game does not get registered by EA you are NOT allowed to replay the game.  The game will be simmed.

Reporting of Breaking Rules
The hardest part of enforcing rules is proving the infraction took place. The most important part is avoiding the immature he said/they said type arguments. We are adults, act like it. Stats are the easiest to track. Providing proof is important if you want to PM me with your concerns. Sometimes videos or snapshots, or a cell phone picture of something displaying the infraction can become important. We have a good group of guys, so this shouldn't become an issue.

Breaking of Rules:
Should an AD break a rule, the infraction will be taken into consideration and 1 of 3 scenarios can take place.

1) Suspension of star/key player(s) for a number of games. It will be the AD's responsibility to abide by the decision and bench their player in all phases of the game for the duration of the penalty.
2) Booted from the league.
3) The commissioner has the option to throw out results of games. (Part of the decision will allow the owner a chance to play again, or be forced to simulate the game.)

The Off-Season
We will fly through the off-season as fast as we can. The schedule will be provided at the end of Bowl Season.  Expect minimal things like player transfers to be skipped over, wheres players will be given 12 hours to recruit and convince players to stay. In this setup, we should get through the off-season in about 4 or 5 days.

While I feel firmly about these rules, they are open for discussion for the most part. Send me any questions or open discussion of the rules.

Read, Agreed and signed.

read agreed signed

Understood. Signed

yup signed.

agreed and signed

Pop pop. Read. Agreed.

SIgned.

Signed.

Signed and agreed.

Signed and agreed

Signed. Let's rock.

Signed.

Read & Signed.

Read and signed.

Good Luck burnum

Thanks. Any advice for a rookie who wants to make the switch from Madden to NCAA?

Read and agreed

Read and agreed