Rules

thumbUFFL 2016
Official Rulebook
Version 2.2
2016.6.18 - (c) itsamadworld919
==Introduction==
Hello, friend! Thank you for interest in the UFFL. We are happy to have you with us! For the real-world reason as to why this place exists, we have to go back to late 2013. I had just moved to California from Wisconsin, and was in that late fall / early winter state of mind. Football season was abound, and I was a furry fan. As an avid American football fan, watching my chances of getting into the FBA fade after my first attempt of entering the draft failed, I had wondered why there were Basketball and Hockey fantasy football leagues (the FHL, in case you're wondering), but NOT the #1 most-watched sport in North America. Where was the FFL? I would've been all over that!! Well, I had learned there were several attempts to do this in the past ( 1, 2 ), but both went dead as quickly as they had started. Therefore, it was time - the third time is the charm, after all.
It wasn't as easy as it sounds. It took a lot of analyzing and planning. And, wouldn't you know it - there were actually TWO furry football leagues that were kicked off in May 2014: the UFFL, and the FAFF. Both were ambitious projects with similar premises and reasons for existence.
My personal baby was the FAFF - my friend, ketchthedonkey, had teamed up with five other community members to start the UFFL. When I discovered that there was another league with a better ground start, I already knew I had lost. The FAFF project was a bit too ambitious, admittedly. It was initially disappointing, having spent about four to five months organizing and preparing to announce the work I had done. It also meant that some of the personal touches I had added to the FAFF would have no chance of seeing life.
So, in an act of desperation, I reached out to Ketch and told him the situation.
The assumed two days of tragic heartbreak turned into glee - he decided it was best to team up and go at this thing together. And so, here we are. It's only about five or six weeks into the first season, but we've already accomplished the largest goal - getting a football league started.
The concept of running this football league isn't easy, either. There are more players on football teams than basketball teams, and so the universe is naturally larger. There's also many more rules to account for. But with some preparation and attention, we can all enjoy the fandom and the game together.
The UFFL (United Furry Football League) is a league of completely anthropomorphic / furry animals playing for the ultimate prize - fame, fortune, and the Rocswood Trophy! Comprising 12 teams in its inaugural season, the league runs a 16-week regular season schedule and is open to any and all who are interested.
Find here the TEAM APPLICATION, as well as the PLAYER SUBMISSION forms. Signing up is easy, and it is free for everyone to join!
The league is designed so that you can involve yourself with our league at any level of depth - anywhere from managing a couple of players as an Agent, to managing every aspect of an entire team. It really is up to you!
==The UFFL World==
What, exactly, is the UFFL at heart?
That question can be best summarized by the inhabitants. We support a wide variety of managers, agents, players, and fans who love the game of American football but also love creating stories, art, and developing characters who are part of a football league. Similar to the NFL and its wild antics, much of the same behaviors could be expected in the UFFL. It's really up to you, the creative mind, to come join our community and enjoy the content in front of you! Sometimes, its just best to start by reading about some of the players in the league.
In a much more in-depth analysis, the UFFL shares a world with the Furry Basketball Association (FBA). The FBA was founded about five years prior to the UFFL, and we wouldn't exist without them, so basically we are picking up and eating the entrails of the "success-train". We owe it to them for our success so far - thus, we share the same universe. It's important to know about The FBA Universe before reading the main points of the UFFL Universe. But, if that's not your cup of tea - here's a short synopsis:
*Our world is ENTIRELY anthropomorphic animals / "furries". NO HUMANS.
*It is the same world as Earth. Everything is the same. Just furries instead of humans.
*Most of the products and names of things are similar in taste but adapted to avoid copyright infringement. Follow this page for more information.
*There are "hybrids", but are extremely limited and must be realistic. Ask a member or the UFFL Commissioner for more information.
*There are some guidelines to culture as well, that are aligned with the FBA. Proposing an UFFL culture guideline that is seperate from the FBA is permitted.*
Although this is a short list, it should get you started with enough information to move forward. It's really not so difficult to fit into... If you're much more into the super-powered, one-of-a-kind take-over-the-world type furry who will take to the field with his eight-foot long Pegasus wings and go undefeated in his/her/its rookie season, this is not the league for you.
The FHL (Furry Hockey League) and FLB (Furry League Baseball) are close friends and supporters of the UFFL, but they have different 'universe' guidelines or character possibilities that the UFFL does not. I would suggest you check both of these leagues out if you are interested! They offer a great close-knit group of furry community members as well. FURCAR and the FAFL also exist, for those into other types of football or racing sports.
==The UFFL Constitution==
CLICK HERE
==UFFL Roles==
So, you've decided you wanna come join us. Fantastic!! PLEASE COME SAY HI! :D
The biggest opportunity for you to get involved is to become a GM (General Manager) or HC (Head Coach) in the league. Although there are a limited amount of GM/HC positions available, this is as close to running a real football team as you can get in the furry fandom, and there are unlimited opportunities to create players and other characters within the UFFL universe.
===General Manager / Owner===
There is one (1) general manager for every team in the UFFL. A general manager handles releases, signings, and trades.
When a GM position is open, we will report it to the public. For more on what it means to be a general manager for a team, click here.
Contributors can only be the GM for one team at a time. The GM is not allowed to be the HC of a different team.
===Head Coach===
There is one (1) head coach for every team in the UFFL. A head coach determines the game strategy and player lineup for each game. If a certain player is needed (due to injury or story reasons), the head coach communicates this to the GM, who then looks to sign or trade.
The GM and HC can be the same person, but the GM can elect/nominate an HC to the position. The HC is not allowed to be the GM of a different team.
===Agent===
The best opportunity to become involved is to become an agent. The moment you create a player for the league, you become their agent. An agent manages the player - guaranteeing they get their fair share of game starts within the league (in canon, or IC), create content for their character outside the league in real life (or OOC), and establish their personality as a character in a "story", of sorts.
In the event of severe inactivity by the agent or agency, management of the player is assumed by the league.
To learn more about becoming an Agent, click here.
===Chairman===
As of 2014, there exists two (2) open positions for chairmen - one that overlooks the United Conference, and another for the Continental Conference. Similar to the FBA's League Committee, a chairman oversees the processes of the Commissioner and Vice President, and maintains vigilance and conistency for the UFFL universe.
===Vice President===
The Chairmen report directly to the Vice President (1 position), who is responsible for League Operations. This means they must arrange and maintain the ability to simulate and generate game schedules, the game engine, and other UFFL content.
===Commissioner===
The Vice President reports to the Commissioner, who heads UFFL operations. They run the UFFL twitter feed, report updates on the UFFL FurAffinity page, and evangelize the league outside its boundaries. They are solely responsible for the success or decline of the league. The Commissioner can ultimately make decisions, but must receive the okay from the VP as well as one of the two chairmen.
==Teams==
The UFFL is comprised of twelve teams (as of October 2014). Each team has been pre-developed as a "starting point" for users to come in and be able to manage their first season.
As we go forward, it is highly encouraged that league members develop their own teams. More flexibility will be allowed to users in changing team names, locations, colors, and more - once they have proven they are devoted and interested in sticking around in the community. Depending on the success of the UFFL, we may also add additional teams.
Unlike the NFL in real life, teams do not consist of 53 players. This is something that, at the current time, we cannot fix. For now, the player limit is limited by the simulator we use - which is 31. This includes 26 starting positions, and 5 bench players.
Part of the strategy in being a GM is managing injuries and changing rosters so that you have enough healthy players to start each week.
The starting positions currently are: QB, RB1, RB2, FB, TE, WR1, WR2, WR3, OL1, OL2, OL3, OL4, OL5, DL1, DL2, DL3/4*, LB1, LB2, LB3/4*, CB1, CB2, S1, S2, K, & P. On each team, these positions were filled by default characters generated by the simulator, and custom-created players from the furry community replaced some of the default characters.
Each GM can specify an in-canon (IC) name for the Head Coach, Offensive Coordinator, Defensive Coordinator, and Special Teams Coordinator. The Head Coach is basically the same person as the GM in-canon, and they control every facet of the coaching strategy. In future seasons, the GM will have a chance to select friends to fill any of the other coaching positions, and all of them will gain control of their representative coaching strategies, or control all coaching positions on their own.
If the GM neglects to represent their team during the regular season (4 weeks of absence or longer), the Team Manager position will be a) held to a vote where the league may choose to elect a new GM, or b) taken over by UFFL management until a new situation or GM situation can be negotiated. The person who replaces the neglectful General Manager will need to receive a 2/3 majority vote by the UFFL Management team to be accepted into the position. In the interim, the UFFL Vice President and Chairmen will manage all neccessary issues relating to that team on a maintenance-level basis.
The team's defensive style (3/4 or 4/3) determines how many defensive linemen or linebackers your roster requires. This may be changed at any point during the season without penalty, but rosters must have the appropriate number of players available.
Another odd thing about the simulator - we currently DO NOT accurately portray player injuries or team timeouts in game simulations. To simulate injuries, a custom-developed injury simulator is used on a weekly basis and determines at random who will "suffer" an injury. In 2014, 80% of injuries run by this simulator are 2 weeks long or less, and no injury can be longer than 6 weeks. There currently is not a replacement for timeout simulation.
==Players==
Because of the way the simulator works, it generated completely random names for each team position. Therefore, users are completely free to change and alter the names of their team players, as long as they are not owned by a member of the community. This must be done before Week 1 of the season.
Players can be of any real-world species. Keep in mind the 'type' of position, as this can affect the ability of a player to perform well (Does a rhino make for a good wide receiver? Probably not. A cheetah, however, would be an amazing wide receiver.)
Both male and female characters are allowed and accepted. There is no gender discrimination here!
If nobody "owns" the player (i.e. if the Agent is listed as "UFFL Mgmt"), please contact the VP of League Operations to adopt the player as your own. Once approved, you may do what you wish with that character, within realistic limitations.
We know some people will not listen, so I will specify here: Species NOT allowed are anything partially human; there are NO humans in this universe. No pokemon or digimon. Nothing that is part of a real-world franchise. Mythical beings are allowed, but discouraged. Real-world species are VERY MUCH encouraged!
*The limitations on height, weight, and hometown consist of weight: 150-375 lbs, Height: 5'8 - 6'8, and Hometown is restricted to real-world locations. These settings do not directly affect simulation in 2014.
*IMPORTANT: Once you create the player, you "own" the rights to that player's existence. If you decide they are going to retire, they will retire. The only rights you do not own are:
**The team manager has the ability to bench, sit, release, or trade your player at will without prior notification.
**The owner of the player has the right to begin a "Holdout" session if treated unfairly (Read below.)
==Creating Content==
If you wish to participate in the league, it is highly encouraged that you create content. Content is what makes the world go round - it's what makes the league amazing! Imagine a world without photographs and books - This is what the UFFL is unless you contribute to it.
The basic contributions needed to "colorize" a UFFL team are:
*A default team logo (500 x 500 pixels min.) - You may redesign the logo at will. Acceptance of the design is under discretion by both Chairmen. No profane material allowed.
*A default team color scheme - usually three colors - with matchable Hexidecimal codes.
*A team name - this is locked for the 2014 season, but no multiples allowed (there cannot be two teams with the same name). In addition, no mascot or team name may be borrowed from the FBA or FHL and used in the UFFL. Keep the name realistic (i.e. "Dragons" or "Warhawks" are common names and will likely be accepted; something like the "Homer Simpsons" is going to be denied. Let's be real here.)
*A home city - The location of this home city is locked for the 2014 season, and is limited (at this time) to Canadian and United States locations in 2015 and beyond. When reassigning the city, only one team per city is allowed. A change in home city must be approved by the Commissioner, VP, and the chairman of the respective conference.
*A stadium name and type - You have the freedom to create a stadium for your team. Usually this stadium has an affect on the way your team plays and performs in games, so be careful! Choices are Domes, Retractable Roofs, Turf, and Grass fields.
*The 26 starting players - As previously stated, each team receives 31 players on their roster. It is up to the GM to determine which 26 of the 31 are starting for the team during any given week.
*The names and species of the 4 coaches - The names and species you assign can be changed at any time, as long as it realistically fits into UFFL canon. These changes must be approved by your chairman.
*Newly-created players - Any players created during a regular season are placed immediately into Free Agency. These players can be signed to the team when:
**a team player sustains an injury and the team needs a replacement
**the player is fully replaced
**the player does not topple the destination team's roster cap
==Creating a Player==
The UFFL closely follows the rules of the universe of the FBA. Please be aware that no players or characters who are currently playing in other leagues (as of October 26, 2014) are allowed to enter the UFFL Draft, nor are they allowed in the UFFL.** It is especially focused on FBA and FHL players, who play their seasons during the same period as the UFFL, and it would be unrealistic/impossible for a character to play in two sports at once. The character you submit must be at least 30% different than another character or person within the league.
*Some players have been granted a bypass to this rule because they were submitted into the UFFL prior to October 26, 2014.
===Submission Form===
To access the 2016 UFFL Rookie Draft Submission form, click here.
===Guidelines===
These are some of the things you should consider for your new player character:
:*Player characters CANNOT be personal characters (this includes your personal fursona). They have to be original characters created from scratch.
:*Come up with a unique (but realistic) name and species for your player. There are a lot of canines and felines already in this league, and a name like John Smith is... yeah, not very catchy. Think outside the box and look up different animal species on Wikipedia. If you need help finding a good name for him or her, sites like Behind the Name are great resources for first and last names.
:*Many players pick up the sport at an early age (between 5 and 13 years old). Write about how they got into the sport, whether it's through family, friends, or a certain endorsement for the sport.
:*Write about their success and failures in the sport. There are no Mary Sues in the league, so writing only positive things about your character is not going to help them get into the UFFL. Be realistic!
:*Players are not going to be good at everything. If they have strengths in one aspect, they have a weakness in another. Balance out your character so that they have a strength a team might need and an aspect of their game they have to improve on. We love character development in this league, and it's up to you on how they should develop. Again, keep it real.
:*When they get to college, pick a school from the existing UFFL Colleges page, or make up your own! Your player can come from anywhere in the world where there is an established league or collegiate-level competition. Many players go through some type of competition to get them noticed by UFFL scouts. (Note: If you want your player to be part of an established university, and the university has a creator who "owns" the rights to that university, be sure to ask the creator of that institute for details.)
:*Be sure that your player falls within these restrictions:
::*Players cannot be any taller than 6' 8".
::*Players cannot have more than two legs, two arms and one tail. (This is in line with the FBA's Five Limb Rule.)
::*Players are real species, believeable hybrids, or simplistic mythical species (gryphon, dragon). No humans, and no taurs! Refer to the FBA Universe page for more information.
::*Players cannot be heavier than 375 pounds, or less than 150 pounds.
::*Players cannot be poisonous; poison is basically considered obsolete in our league. (This differs slightly from FBA rules.)
:*All players go through a processing period before they are considered for the draft, so take the time to make your players awesome! You are subject to approval from the Commissioner and Vice President - this is why it's a bad idea to submit a personal character - they could be (will be) denied, and there is NO GUARANTEE they will be successful in the league. There are some players who get rejected because their story is unrealistic-sounding or not developed enough to be considered. However, we will be as leniant as possible for new creators.
===Player Background===
The background, in many ways, is the most important part of your submission. Take your time and make sure to get it right. Here's why: we don't have an idea of how good your player is while they are in college or elsewhere. There is a very high likelihood that your character won't have any stats to them until shortly before the draft, depending on how much setup for the next season is desired. As such, when the General Manager (abbreviated GM) is deciding who they want on their team, they only have your character's position, their back story, and anything you do with that character. Even still, the back story is the first glimpse that any GM will have as to who your character is unless you spend a lot of time building them up from stories.
If there are any discrepancies in your backstory that violate the universe set by the UFFL, your player may not be accepted into the league. Don't like it? Too bad.
This is especially true for quarterbacks. We get a lot of people who want their player to be the leading quarterback, which makes this a highly-competitive position. Only the best backstories for QBs will be considered in 2016 - this may mean you have to change your player's position to become elligible for the Draft. And remember, with at least 40 candidates and only 36 draft picks in 2015, we expect at least a quarter of the candidates are going to be left unchosen in 2016. Thus: the better you involve them, the better your chances of getting into that lucky half.
A good background gives the reader a very clear understanding of where your player is coming from, how they grew up in life, and why they decided to go into a life of American football. This does three things for the GM.
#It lets the GM know what kind of player would they be getting and then can decide how good a fit your player may or may not be with the team they have. If someone gets into a lot of fights and is extremely confrontational, while it is good for drama and story, it is not generally good for team cohesion and thus GMs may choose to ignore such problematic characters.
#It lets the GM know what they can potentially expect from you, the owner of the player. Though writing stories for your character is not mandatory, they are appreciated - and if the background clearly shows effort involved with a complex character, the GM knows there's a really good chance you could end up writing up an interesting story involving your player.
#Seeing as the UFFL intends to become a larger, collaborative project, other people may want to use your character in their stories. The better idea you provide of what your player is like, the easier it is for them to write. In addition, the more willing you are for your character to be interacted with and exchanged with for ideas, the likelier they are to fit well within the UFFL.
===Character Details===
A few things to keep in mind when creating your character. Before coming up with anything else, the first thing anyone should decide on is what position they want their player to play (helps make cohesion with the background easier) and what species they are.
For species, as you saw in the terms and conditions, real-world species are fair game. The more believeable the species (no crazy hybrids, mythical creatures, characters with unrealistic fur colors, etc), the better. Why? It makes it easier for story cohesion and believability.
The FBA has created the Underwood Rule for their league. As a means of promoting diversity in the league (so you don't have a team with nothing but wolves), each team is only allowed a maximum of 5 players per species family (Canines, Cervines, Felines, Avians, Rodents, etc.). Similarly, the UFFL allows no more than 40% of a team to be of a certain species family. This roughly adds up to 18 players (as of 2015). However, it should be noted that the UFFL has not enforced this rule yet.
If they go over that number, they are in breach and are liable to automatically losing a character of the Commisioner's choice from their team. Now does this mean avoid making a canine or feline character? No. There are tons of wonderful characters whose stories are so much better despite what they are.
Furthermore, when browsing the list of Players on this Wiki, you will see that they have been pre-categorized for your convenience. People will be able to see what position your player is playing, what their name is, and what their species is, once they are accepted for the Draft. An interesting-enough species choice will get people a bit more interested to check out your character.
Tying into position, you have skill ratings. New for 2015, player ratings and behavior may have an effect on their playability, but remarking in a good Background description their positive and negative skillsets, makes it easier for them to get submitted into the league. A best practice is to study players in the NFL to understand the type of build and body a character would typically have for that position. This is EXTREMELY important, as the new simulator will likely account for weight and height. Yes - an animal may weigh more than a human, but we're using human dimensions here. Not god-like ones.
==Drafting==
Starting on March 1, 2015, the 2015 Player Submission Form will open up to any community member to submit a player for the 2015 Draft. This gives you the opportunity to create and submit your own character to be a player in the UFFL. Each user (whether you are already a GM, agent, or a new community member looking to get into the league for the first time) is allowed to submit up to five (5) characters per draft.
Do you need to learn a little about American Football before you submit a player? Here's a good breakdown of what each position does on a team.
Several steps happen between the opening of the submission form and Draft Day. All the dates below are tentative (meaning, they could change):
*Open the Submission form (March 1, 2015)
*2-week warning of submission closure (May 30, 2015)
*Submission closure date (due midnight in Los Angeles, USA time on June 28, 2015)
*Rookie Combine Games (held May 2, 2015)
*Player Ratings released (July 5, 2015)
*Draft Week (July 12-17th)
*Draft Pick Submission Due Date (due July 17th at MIDNIGHT PST)
*Draft Day! (July 18th)
The 2015 Draft is tentatively set to take place on July 18, 2015. The submission closure date may be extended depending on circumstantial evidence. If you can prove you were working on your submission as the due date was passed, we will still accept the submission within reasonable time.
If the league decides to add expansion teams, they will have first picks of the season. Otherwise, the order of the draft is determined by the team record from the prior season. Teams with the lowest number of wins last season will pick first, followed by the next-lowest, all the way to the most. At the end of that "round", the picks will cycle again.
There will always be at least four rounds in the draft (48 picks). Depending on the success of submissions, this number may be increased.
Because the UFFL consists of managers from all ends of the earth (at least England, as far as I know), and each are busy with life and school and work and such, the draft process has to be different from professional sports. There is a live draft held (via Twitch - http://www.twitch.tv/ufflvideos/), but GMs who are unable to attend the live draft will submit their Pick Submission list (of 20 players) to the Commissioner. This list is required from each GM, and is due two days prior to the live draft. From this list, players will be selected depending on the priority you have given them. The Commissioner will be as fair as possible in making these selections for you if you cannot attend.
==Simulation==
In the UFFL, "simulation" stands for the tool we use to create the game results for each week in the UFFL. Otherwise, we would have to pick and choose who won and who lost!
In 2014, the simulator used was "American Football Simulator 2012 v.2", developed by Timothy Sharpe.
In 2015, the likely candidate for the new simulator is "Pro Football Simulator," developed by Brooks Piggott of Barcode Games.
GMs use their spreadsheets to update roster issues, define their team, and develop a custom coaching philosophy for the upcoming game.
A Team's Coaching Strategy changes how your team is simulated. A team can change this at any time. It is highly recommended that teams tailor this to both your team, and your current opponent! These are the changeable Coaching Strategies:
*<More information will be available once the selection of the simulator is approved by the league.>
==Game Days: How do I football?==
Good question - how do we "football"?
The date of the simulated games is displayed on the Schedule Google Doc, which is linked on the main FurAffinity page for public viewing. Each game is also posted on the Schedule page on the UFFL blog site. If the General Manager needs to edit their roster, it must be done no later than 14:00 PST (17:00 EST) on the day of the game's simulation. For anyone not in North America... you essentially get a few more hours. :)
After the simulations are run, check out the Season Schedule and Season Teams Google Docs for ongoing updates. The game scores will be posted there first. Then, the actual game reports will be shared with the GMs on their Mastersheet document (the 'Game Reports' page), and later it'll be posted on the forum, Wiki, and other locations. These are computer-generated reports, so be forewarned! They are not the easiest to read. However, we are here to help if anyone has questions. The Statistics page on the Wiki will be later updated on the site to reflect the new game results. It may take a few days for it to change, but a full-team statistics page should display the most important player stats for you to make decisions about your players.
After the last Sunday simulation, a FurAffinity journal entry will be posted with the game results and a sentence summary regarding the outcome of the game. This may come in handy, as key players and moments from the game could be mentioned - giving you an idea on how well certain players are performing (rather than having to resort solely to statistics.)
NOTE: Every week, there is a chance that a game could be "showcased" for livestream viewing. Keep in touch with the Commissioner or VP if you wish to have your team's game be livestreamed any given weekend.
==Roster Management==
Starting team rosters can be seen at the following link at any time by anyone: http://faff.wikia.com/wiki/Teams. This is occasionally updated throughout the season and allows non-GMs access to roster information.
===GM Mastersheet===
A Google Doc 'Mastersheet' serves as a portal to every team's most up-to-date team management information, including who is listed on the starting roster. If you are an Agent, it is suggested you keep an eye on your player to ensure they are getting their fair share of game starts! The GM is under no obligation to give you forewarning of their bench status.
===Free Agency===
Over the course of a season, a manager may want to get a new player on their team, or to get rid of a player who is performing poorly. At the moment, any player can be released through the end of the regular season; any player can be traded up through the 3/4-point of the regular season. If the GM wants to release a player, a manager must make note of it on their Transactions page (see below).
===Transactions===
When a GM is unahppy with a player, they may trade or release a player. This is considered a Transaction, and there is a sheet on each Mastersheet for this type of management scenario. In this case, the GM is under obligation to notify the agent of the player if they plan to release or trade a player. Failure to do so will result in denial of the transaction. A trade transaction must be approved by the VP of League Operations and one of two chairmen.
*NOTE: GMs do not need to notify the UFFL if the agent of the player is listed as "UFFL Mgmt" - these are veteran players and can be handled at will.
In the event that the player is owned by an active agent, the released player is held on "Waivers" for three days, during which this time other GMs may make offers or requests to sign the player. If the player is not picked up during that period, they are moved to the available list onf the Free Agency page.
Regarding Trades: Any two managers (or three or more, in a multi-team deal) are allowed to negotiate a trade. When they come to terms, they must simply record the trade on their Mastersheet on the Transactions page. UFFL GMs do not have to directly approve of the trade but do reserve the personal right to deny the trade. No trade would be denied except for in an extreme circumstance, but the right is held to prevent things such as sabotaging one's team to beef up a friend's, making trades that stick a starting player in a bench role in favor of starting a second-string character, or other scenarios that are intended to be detrimental to other GMs of the league. This trade will then be posted to the Transactions List document.
If you believe someone has tampered with your Google Doc, Wiki webpage, or other materials, contact the Commissioner or VP immediately!!
==Player Growth and End-of-season Retention==
It is expected that, over time, your player will become better at playing the game. This is called "player growth" or "progression". Players can progress in a couple different ways.
End-of-season Renew:
*The simulator has a Team Progression button that, if clicked, will progress the entire team (every player) to the next season. Depending on the age and success of the player, some will greatly progress - others will not - and yet others may even degress. Other players may retire due to age.
Player of the Game:
*Each week, the winning team is given a Player of the Game award. The player who acheives this statistic will be bumped up 1 point skill in each category. The Player of the Game is listed on the Schedule Google Doc (under 'Weekly'). If a player tops out at 100 points in any category, the point will be lost.
Week 5, Week 10, Week 15 Point Boosts:
*At the end of Week 5, 10, and 15, the VP and chairmen will analyze the UFFL fanbase to determine if any new content has been generated for certain players or teams. Based on this content, management will boost players. This is an unbiased process - do not fret!
Shutout
*If a team delivers a 'shutout' (This means the team did not allow the other team to score any points in a game), all coaches of the winning team gain +1 skill point experience in their coaching abilities.
Overtime Win
*If a team wins in overtime, whichever player is responsible for making the winning score possible (sometimes this is more than one player) will gain +1 skill points in all categories.
At the end of each season, the GM and its constituents must decide on five (5) players to be removed from your team (2 retire; 3 go to the free agency). Some of these players may be predetermined choices by player's agents. The removed players are decided by the GM; if the GM neglects to define these, the HC will step in (starting in 2015); failure of the HC to define these will result in a randomized process of player removal - which could mean, in theory, that you lose your star player!
The GM must list these choices on their Mastersheet on the Transactions page and set their status to 'End of Season', or via PM (~uffl on FurAffinity), or email the VP (faffmanagement@gmail.com) after the season has concluded. The vacancies can then be filled prior to the Draft in the upcoming season by Free Agents, or by draftees on Draft day.
==Rule Changes==
Similar to the FLB (Furry League Baseball), if a rule is in dispute, a journal entry will be initated/posted on the FurAffinity page. The process is outlined in the Constitution (see above). It involves votes from all GMs and committee members - a 2/3 majority vote is needed to pass the new rule. If 2/3 is unattainable due to voting abstinence, the GM and VP will confer and make a final decision on the matter. If the GM and VP disagree on the matter, the majority vote wins. If the vote is tied, the vote will fail to pass (there MUST be a majority, in other words, that is above 50%).
===2014===
*None at this time.
===2016===
*Added Skype room chat guidelines.
==Skype Room / UFFL Chat==
The UFFL community has created a Skype room / chat for those who wish to participate in discussion about football, furry content, sports in general, or anything, really! You can message the Commissioner or VP on FurAffinity, or send an email to ufurryfootball AT gmail DOT com, and request to be added to the group chat. Please include your Skype profile name in your request, and your online/furry username.
There are some basic guidelines and moderator rules:
GENERAL CHAT ROOM RULES:
#It’s a privilege, not a right, to use the chat.
#Take any personal issues or conversations into a private discussion. Mods will temporarily remove you from the room if this request is given and not met.
#The mods are not always watching (obviously), so do keep it friendly and civil.
#We’re a sport league group, so yes, we have our little battles, and that’s fine. But there’s a line that can be crossed (i.e. online bullying), and it will not be tolerated.
#Do not publicly post or otherwise share PMs with other users unless you have the expressed permission of the sender to do so. Private Messages are intended to be just that - private.
#It's a public chat room with no age limit. Post NSFW if necessary.
MOD RULES:
For the most part, we’re kind and gentle furry fellow. Rules are precautions. So no need to worry! However, the following ones are serious.
#Mods will politely ask you to take conversations to a private discussion, if they are deemed by the moderator as counter-productive, negative, depressive, accusatory, or exclusive to the ideology of a furry sports community. If you disregard this request, the mod will temporarily kick you from the group.
#Repeated offenses will lead to expulsion from chat. Mods are required to provide you with a timeline for returning to chat, and the reasoning for why you were kicked.
#There must be two admins/mods at all times.
#An inactive mod must be removed and replaced with a new mod after 4 months of inactivity.
#If 3 or more people report inappropriate behavior by a mod or user, that will result in a removal of privileges for the mod and potential expulsion from the chat room.
Should any member of the chat break one of these rules, report it to our moderators by accessing and filling out the UFFL Report Abuse Form . 
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD:
Continued offenses after the expulsion ends will lead to a permanent ban from the chat and, depending on the seriousness of the issues, other consequences relating to your participating in the league. You have been warned.
==Rule Enforcement==
The Commissioner always has the final say in every matter, although we like to keep things democratic. It's not to say we won't take suggestions to make the rules better though - we are not perfect. ;)
Depending on the success of the 2014 season and 2015 Draft, we may throw out a search for a couple people to help out with UFFL maintenance (i.e. Content Manager, Wiki Admin, etc.)
We do, however, have the right to BAN you from the league. That's right. So, if you do anything dirty... if you cheat... we will know. We have our resources. A "ban" is a complete removal and dismissal from league operations until further notice. However, we will give you the common courtesy of notifying you as to why you have been banned.
If you feel someone is not playing by the rules, please inform us and let us know in private. Do not make it a public matter. Nobody needs that stress, yo. You must provide indisputable evidence that the person is breaking the rules or is otherwise not "running on all four cylinders" - and then the VP will deal with it from there. We have no problem with being the "bad guy" to some people.
==Player "Holdouts"==
If an Agent feels that their team is misusing their player, portraying them in an unfavorable way, or is not in favor of the general direction that the GM is taking the team, the Agent/player has the option to begin a 'holdout'. When this occurs, the Agent must contact the VP and the VP must then immediately contact the GM about the holdout and update the Transactions page accordingly to reflect this information. For the GM, this means they cannot use this player in their starting roster for any upcoming games, effective immediately.
Depending on the readiness of the GM, the team has fourteen (14) days to find a replacement for the player in 'holdout' status, or to essentially "make amends". If 14 days pass, the player will be released from the team and go to Free Agency. At that point, they can be claimed by any other team/GM.
==FAQs==
To be filled out later.