Rulebook

League rules and bylaws.

1. League Structure

10 teams, split into two divisions of 5. At the annual meeting, the previous year's champion and runner-up perform a reverse draft to build the two divisions — and each gets to name the other's division. Each division owner (the champion and the runner-up) also picks a color to represent their division on Discord for the year.

2. Annual Draft

An in-person draft is held every year during preseason. Draft spot order is decided at the annual meeting via a weighted random draw: the previous year's 1st place finisher has their name entered into the pool once, while the 10th place finisher is entered 10 times. This skews odds toward lower-finishing teams drafting earlier, but doesn't guarantee it.

3. Keeper Rules

Each team has four keeper slots total: three main slots plus one rookie slot.

Main keeper slots (3): A team may keep up to three players, one per slot, and cannot keep two players at the same position across those three slots (e.g. two RBs). The draft-round cost is fixed per slot, not chosen by the manager:

  • Keeper slot #1 — costs your 2nd round pick
  • Keeper slot #2 — costs your 3rd round pick
  • Keeper slot #3 — costs your 4th round pick

There is no cap on how many consecutive years a player can occupy a main keeper slot.

Rookie keeper slot (1): A team may additionally keep one player who is entering their second season (i.e. was a rookie the year before), at a cost of your 12th round pick. This slot is independent of the same-position restriction on the three main slots above. The rookie slot can only be used on that player for one season. If you want to keep the same player again the following year, they move into one of the three main keeper slots and cost the corresponding 2nd/3rd/4th round pick instead.

Keeper slots can be traded, but stop being keeper slots when you do. If you trade away the draft pick tied to a keeper slot (your 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 12th round pick), you lose access to that keeper slot for the year — you can't use a pick you no longer own to keep a player. The team acquiring the pick does not gain an extra keeper slot from it; they just get a normal draft pick in that round, same as any other traded pick. In short: the pick is tradable, the keeper right attached to it is not.

4. Roster Rules

Starting lineup: 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 FLEX (WR/RB/TE), 1 K, 1 DEF/ST — 9 starting spots. Plus 7 bench spots and 1 IR spot, for 17 roster spots total.

5. Scoring

Passing

StatPoints
Per 25 passing yards1
Passing TD4
2-point conversion2
Interception thrown-2
40+ yard passing TD bonus+1
Fumble0
Fumble lost-2

Rushing

StatPoints
Per 10 rushing yards1
Rushing TD6
Rushing first down0.5
2-point conversion2
40+ yard rushing TD bonus+1
Fumble0
Fumble lost-2

Receiving

StatPoints
Reception0.5
Per 10 receiving yards1
Receiving TD6
Receiving first down0.5
2-point conversion2
40+ yard receiving TD bonus+1
Fumble0
Fumble lost-2

Kicking

StatPoints
Made FG (base)3
Made FG, per yard over 30+0.1 / yd
Made FG from 50+ yards (bonus, stacks with yardage)+1
Made PAT1
Missed FG (any distance)-1
Missed FG, additional penalty if 0–19 yds-0.5
Missed FG, additional penalty if 20–29 yds-0.5
Missed PAT-0.5

Example: a 52-yard made FG scores 3 + (0.1 × 22) + 1 = 6.2 pts. Fumble Recovery TD (6 pts) is listed under Defense / Special Teams below — Sleeper applies it universally to whichever player recovers the fumble for a touchdown, offense or defense.

Defense / Special Teams

Uses a flat baseline plus continuous per-unit scoring rather than points/yards-allowed tiers — the tier brackets Sleeper shows (0 pts, 1–6, 7–13, ... 35+, and the yards-allowed brackets) are all set to the same flat value, which neutralizes the tiers themselves. The real scoring is the continuous rate in the table below.

StatPoints
Flat baseline (points-allowed, any tier)+10
Flat baseline (yards-allowed, any tier)+3.5
Per point allowed (continuous)-0.4
Per yard allowed (continuous)-0.01
Defensive TD6
Fumble recovery TD6
Special teams TD6
Sack1
Interception2
Safety4
Forced fumble1
Fumble recovery1
Blocked kick2
Tackle for loss0.1
3-and-out forced0.25
INT return yards0.05 / yd (20 yds = 1 pt)
Special teams forced fumble1
Special teams fumble recovery1
Player punt return yards0.05 / yd (20 yds = 1 pt)
Player kick return yards0.05 / yd (20 yds = 1 pt)

6. Trades & Waivers

Trade deadline is Week 11. Trade review/veto uses Sleeper's default league-vote settings.

Waivers clear Wednesdays at 3:00 AM Eastern. Waiver priority is FAAB (blind bidding) with a season-long budget of $100 per manager.

7. Manager Succession

When a manager leaves between seasons, the new owner starts fresh with a full set of standard draft picks — they do not inherit the previous owner's roster or keeper slots.

If a manager quits mid-season and a replacement can't be found quickly, the commissioner auto-pilots that roster week to week, setting the lineup by highest available projection at each position until a new manager takes over.

8. Playoffs & Championship

Playoffs begin Week 15. Top 6 teams make the playoff bracket; the two division winners are locked into seeds 1 and 2 and receive first-round byes (this currently requires the commissioner to set seeding manually at playoff time).

Postseason game counts aren't uniform — this is expected, not a data error. The two bye teams play only 2 postseason games (Week 16 semifinal, then either the championship or 3rd place game in Week 17). The 4 non-bye playoff teams who lose in Week 15 play only 1 more game (a 5th place game in Week 16) and are done. Only a team that wins Week 15 and Week 16 without a bye plays a 3rd postseason game. Toilet bowl participants play a maximum of 2 games. Because of this, career win% on the All-Time Stats page blends regular season and playoff games rather than reflecting regular season performance alone.

The 4 teams that miss the playoff bracket enter a separate "toilet bowl" lower bracket — an inverted bracket where the losing team of each round advances, until someone is ultimately crowned 💩 King for the season.

Ties in record (either for playoff seeding or toilet bowl standing) are broken by points for.

9. Dues & Payouts

Annual dues are $100 per manager, due before the draft begins.

Payouts: 60% to the champion, 20% to the runner-up, and 10% each to the two division winners. These stack — a champion or runner-up who is also a division winner collects both shares (e.g. champion + division winner = 70%).

10. Conduct & Punishments

This isn't a random internet league — it's a longstanding group built on real friendships. There's no strict activity requirement, but showing up to league events as you're able is strongly encouraged. Long stretches of inactivity may cost you both your own interest in the league and other members' interest in having you around.

Trash talk is always encouraged and welcomed — just don't make it personal.

If the letter of a written rule ever conflicts with the understood spirit/intent of the league's rules, the commissioner has final say on how it's resolved.

Last-place punishment: hosting the following year's annual league meeting, including providing some kind of meal for attendees.

Division winners act as a de facto "events committee" and are expected to help plan get-togethers during the season.

11. Amendment History

  • 2026 — Initial rulebook created; reflects defensive scoring changes from the off-season vote.
On the agenda for the 2027 annual meeting: expansion to 12 teams, and doubling league dues to $200. Not yet decided — listed here so it doesn't get forgotten before the meeting.