Manual history

Established in 1987, the PAFFL-OG is one of the oldest and most complex fantasy football leagues. The league began when the four founding owners, all middle school students in Palo Alto, came together to draft NFL players and pit their imaginary squads against one another weekly during the NFL season. The NFL players' performances in their real games determined the points scored in the PAFFL-OG games. It was a novel concept at the time. Before ESPN, Yahoo!, and Sportsline brought the game online, and to the masses, the founding members would score games by hand; transcribing stats from the weekly sports section in USA Today. Imagine that.

The league has expanded 30+ years since its founding, and the rules have been complied. We've broken, lobbied, and convinced websites to change scoring systems. We invented the 50-yarder, 3-year contracts, negative points for pick-sixes, developmental squads, the topper/holdover, The rookie tournament cage match, and much more. So. Much. More. Hundreds of hours of research, analysis, and debate have gone into this league over the years. The PAFFL-OG introduced most of us to the awesome power of Excel and taught us how to negotiate -- some of us more so than others. The league has called us to travel tens of thousands of miles to parties, weddings, and our annual auction weekends. And, without exaggeration, we've collectively invested (not wasted) hundreds of thousands of dollars on magazines from Mac's, NFL Sunday Ticket subscriptions, website fees, league dues and side-bets.

While much has changed in our rules and lives, the PAFFL-OG has endured. Not the fights (emotional, verbal, and once physical), nor the failed business ventures, nor even The Great Schism of 2019, has broken the bonds that back this league. Unsurprisingly, three leagues have spawned from this concept, leveraged the rules outlined herein, and been inspired by the relationships we've built over the years. These bonds make the insanity of it all seem pretty sane. Undeniable even.

The league has expanded in the nearly 40 years since its founding, and the rules have 'complified'. We've broken, lobbied, and convinced websites to change their scoring systems. We invented the 50-yarder, 3-year contracts, negative points for pick-sixes, developmental squads, the topper/holdover, the rookie tournament cage match, and much more. So. Much. More. Tens of thousands of hours of research, analysis, and debate have gone into this league over the years. The PAFFL-OG introduced most of us to the awesome power of Excel and taught us how to negotiate -- some of us more so than others. The league has called us to travel many thousands of miles to parties, weddings, family vacations, and our annual auction weekends. And, without exaggeration, we've collectively invested (not wasted) hundreds of thousands of dollars on magazines from Mac's, NFL Sunday Ticket subscriptions, website fees, league dues and side-bets.

While much has changed in our lives, the PAFFL-OG has endured. Not the fights (emotional, verbal, and once physical), nor failed business ventures, nor even The Great Schism of 2019, has broken the bonds that back this league. Unsurprisingly, three leagues have spawned from this concept, leveraged the rules outlined herein, and been inspired by the relationships we've built over the years. These bonds make the insanity of it all seem pretty sane. Undeniable even.

II. League Structure & Play

The PAFFL-OG consists of 14 (with a target to grow to 16) teams. There are no divisions or conferences, though there once were. The teams battle head-to-head during a 13-week regular season, hoping to advance to a 3-week, single-elimination playoff. The season culminates in the Week 17 championship known as the Jankster Cup. ← Trumpets sound and clouds part here 🎺🌤

The PAFFL-OG consists of 14 (soon expanding to 16) teams. There are no divisions or conferences; though there once were. Teams battle head-to-head during a 13-week regular season, hoping to advance to a 3-week, single-elimination playoff. The season culminates in the Week 17 championship known as the Jankster Cup. ← Trumpets sound and clouds part here 🎺🌤

Weekly Starting Lineups

2 Flex (RB/WR/TE)

Less experienced players refer to our league structure as "super-flex". To us, it's just the way we've done things for years.

Less experienced players refer to our league structure as "super-flex". To us, it's just the way we've done things for decades.

Improper Lineups

Lineup Integrity

Each team must submit their most competitive lineup each game. While there is always some judgment involved, egregious errors such as not subbing out players injured on a bye week will not be tolerated. If a team leaves their 'studs' on the bench, they will be penalized. We don't have a published honor code; just don't be that guy. If a league member suspects foul play from another league member, he may escalate the situation to the Commissioner. The Commissioner may call for a vote, and if a simple majority of the league agrees, the Commissioner will swap in the highest-scoring bench player on behalf of the offending owner. If the same owner repeatedly fails lineup integrity checks, s/he will be kicked out of the league.

Each team must submit their most competitive lineup each game. While there is always some judgment involved, egregious errors such as not subbing out players injured on a bye week will not be tolerated and will be corrected by The Commissioner. If a team leaves their 'studs' on the bench, they will be penalized. We don't have a published honor code; just don't be that guy. If a league member suspects foul play from another league member, he may escalate the situation to the Commissioner. The Commissioner may call for a vote, and if a simple majority of the league agrees, the Commissioner will swap in the highest-scoring bench player on behalf of the offending owner. If the same owner repeatedly fails lineup integrity checks, s/he will be kicked out of the league.

Scoring

TD Run/Catch

6 pts. - 19 yards or less

7 pts. - 20 yards to 29 yards

8 pts. - 30 yards to 39 yards

9 pts. - 40 yards to 49 yards

10 pts. - 50 yards to 59 yards

11 pts. - 60 yards to 69 yards

12 pts. - 70 yards to 79 yards

13 pts. - 80 yards to 89 yards

14 pts. - 90 yards to 100 yards

No bonus; 6 total pts. - 19 yards or less

+1 = 7 pts. - 20 yards to 29 yards

+2 = 8 pts. - 30 yards to 39 yards

+3 = 9 pts. - 40 yards to 49 yards

+4 = 10 pts. - 50 yards to 59 yards

+5 = 11 pts. - 60 yards to 69 yards

+6 = 12 pts. - 70 yards to 79 yards

+7 = pts. - 80 yards to 89 yards

+8 = 14 pts. - 90 yards to 100 yards

TD Pass

4 pts. - 29 yards or less

5 pts. - 30 yards to 39 yards

6 pts. - 40 yards to 49 yards

7 pts. - 50 yards to 59 yards

8 pts. - 60 yards to 69 yards

9 pts. - 70 yards to 79 yards

10 pts. - 80 yards to 89 yards

11 pts. - 90 yards to 100 yards

No bonus; 4 total pts. - 29 yards or less

+1 = 5 pts. - 30 yards to 39 yards

+2 = 6 pts. - 40 yards to 49 yards

+3 = 7 pts. - 50 yards to 59 yards

+4 = 8 pts. - 60 yards to 69 yards

+5 = 9 pts. - 70 yards to 79 yards

+6 = 10 pts. - 80 yards to 89 yards

+7 = 11 pts. - 90 yards to 100 yards

FGs

3 pts. - 39 yards or less

4 pts. - 40 yards to 49 yards

5 pts. - 50 yards to 54 yards

6 pts. - 55 yards and up

No bonus; 3 total pts. - 39 yards or less

+1 = 4 pts. - 40 yards to 49 yards

+2 = 5 pts. - 50 yards to 54 yards

+3 = 6 pts. - 55 yards and up

If a player in a starting lineup scores a TD on special teams, or on defense, six points are awarded, however the distance & yardage bonuses are not applied.

Toppers & Holdovers

Upon the expiration of a 3-year contract, a PAFFL-OG team has a contractual right to "top" or "'holdover" to renew the contract for an additional three years at the rates outlined in this table:

[DYNAMIC TABLE: Rookie Holdover Rates]

This table will automatically display current holdover rates from the database.

Continuing the example above, Team Naughty Thoughts would be able to 'holdover' Russell Wilson as follows:

2015 - Wilson - $60

2016 - Wilson - $60

2017 - Wilson - $60

To exhaust this example, if Wilson had been signed by Naughty Thoughts in 2012 for $40 and put on a 3-year contract, his contract renewal holdover price for 2015-2017 would be $65 ($40 + $25 for QBs).

In addition, the team will have the following "Topper" right for every expiring contract. A topper allows the contractual owner to pay $1 more than the final bid on a player in the auction. IF the player is not bid on in the auction, the team may announce they "top" said player, and get them for $1.

Using the Wilson contract example, if Naughty Thoughts had Wilson on an expiring contract at $90, he could be held over at $115, or he could be a restricted free agent, open to bidding at the auction when the bidding ends, Naughty Thoughts would be able to top him for $1 more.

Rosters

(2 roster spots) Injured Reserve (IR) player, who has been declared inactive by his NFL team

(N roster spots) Developmental squad players (see DS players, below).

(N roster spots) Practice Squad (PS) players (see PS players, below).

IR players must be listed as 'Doubtful' or greater by the NFL team for which they play. When a player comes off IR, the owner must ensure their roster stays capped at 20 spots. This may mean they need to drop a player to conform.

PS player do not count toward the roster limit of 20. Adding a player to the practice squad essentially adds a 4th year to their 3-year contract (see below). An owner may pull a player off of PS and insert them into their lineup any time during the season. This voids the 4th year of their contract. This may mean that an owner needs to cut another player to conform with the roster limit of 20 players.

Long-term Contracts

Players on long-term contracts are not available for bidding in The Auction.

3-year contract designations must be made between The Auction and the roster cut-down date.

Each team may add as many 3-year contracts as it desires.

3-year contract designations must be made between The Auction and the roster cut-down date before the first game of the season kicks-off.

Each team may add as many 3-year contracts as it desires so long as it conforms with the roster limit of 20 active players.

All 3-year contracts are fully guaranteed and count against the $500 salary cap.

To buy-out the contract as per the provisions below

Transactions

Toppers & Holdovers (T/H, 'Toppers', 'Holdover')

There are three scenarios in which an owner may 'top', or 'holdover' a player on their roster:

When an existing 3-year contract expires

During a rookie pick selection

When they've been granted a T/H asset because they didn't make the playoffs the prior year (we're all about parity in the PAFFL)

Upon the expiration of a 3-year contract, a PAFFL-OG team has a contractual right to "top" or "'holdover" the player.

'Topping' the player means that the owner has the option to 'win' the player during the auction by adding +$1 to the final bid

'Holding over' the player means that the owner is securing the player 'before' the auction by signing them for one of two amounts based on position.

QBs may be held over for $60, or their expiring contract value +$25 - whichever is higher

RBs may be held over for $50, or their expiring contract value +$25 - whichever is higher

WRs may be held over for $40, or their expiring contract value +$20 - whichever is higher

TEs may be held over for $30, or their expiring contract value +$20 - whichever is higher

Ks may be held over for $15, or their expiring contract value +$10 - whichever is higher

Note: the owner may, or may not choose to add the player to a 3 year contract after topping, or holding the player over. See the section below for more info

Continuing the example from above: Team Naughty Thoughts had Russell Wilson on a $8 contract expiring in after the 2014 season. In 2015, TNT would be able to 'holdover' Russell Wilson for $60. To illustrated the other side of holdovers, let's say Horse & Pepper had Josh Allen on a robust $122 contract expiring in 2024. In 2025, TNT would have the option to 'holdover' Josh Allen for $147 ($122 + $25 > $60)

Rookie picks are also supported by Topper / Holdover options; though they work a bit differently. When an owner selects a rookie pick during the rookie slow draft, they are automatically granted a topper / holdover right on the rookie. The holdover amount of this option works on a sliding scale by position by rookie pick number. Higher picks at premium positions cost more to hold over. Please see the table below for details. The owner may choose not to holdover the rookie for the amount listed in the table, and may instead choose to hold a 'topper' right on the player during the auction.

[DYNAMIC TABLE: Rookie Holdover Rates]

This table will automatically display current holdover rates from the database.

A Topper / Holdover is also granted to non-playoff teams to help foster parity in the league. This is a 'tradable' asset - and is highly coveted. A non-playoff owner who receives a T/H may use that T/H option on any player (who is not on a 3-year contract) who is on their roster at the end of the season. For example, let's say The BeaverCats won Trey McBride in the 2023 auction for $3, but didn't put him on a 3-year contract (oops!). If The BeaverCats didn't make the playoffs in 2023, they would have the option to use their T/H to hold McBride over for $30 in 2024 (see the positional bullet points above for the amounts). Similarly, let's say Puka Doncic won Derrick Henry at the auction for $121 before he rushed for 28 TDs in 2023. Despite this massive point total, if Puka's missed the playoffs in 2023, Puka's ownership group could choose to either hold King Henry over for $146 ($121 + $25) in 2024, or 'top' him for +$1 after the last bid in the 2024 auction.

All toppers, and holdovers, must be declared before the auction.

Transactions (Trades, Cuts, and Buy-outs)

Trading among teams is strongly encouraged. We pride ourselves on exotic exchanges of value.

Through any trade, exchanged players carry any pre-existing contracts with them to their new team, so long-term contracts must be strongly considered in any trade. All trades are unofficial until they are reported to the league website and transaction form. In the spirit of keeping the league a fun, social outlet between friends, team owners are expected to conduct trades in an ethical manner.

Through any trade, exchanged players carry any pre-existing contracts with them to their new team, so long-term contracts must be strongly considered in any trade.

All trades are unofficial until they are reported to the league website via the transaction form.

In the spirit of keeping the league a fun, social outlet between friends, team owners are expected to conduct trades in an ethical manner.

Trades must not violate 'the burrito rule'. Larry Centers was once traded for a Señor Taco Super Burrito which violated perverted the league economy, and was outlawed.

Pre-Auction Cuts

Conditional Cuts

Unconditional Cuts

Each franchise who did not qualify for the previous year's playoffs are granted one Unconditional Cut (it may be used on any player contract, effectively erasing all remaining payment due to that player).

Unconditional Cuts are among the most tradable assets in the PAFFL-OG. They offer significant salary cap relief to owners who put players on rich contracts and then have them retire.

Conditional Cuts

Every franchise is granted one Conditional Cut that may be used on a 3-year contracted player. If exercised, the player is cut from the franchise's roster and returned to the player pool. Unlike the Unconditional Cut, the player's salary continues to count against the current year's salary cap. However, the contract will not count against any future years' salary caps.

Unconditional Cuts - Each franchise who did not qualify for the previous year's playoffs are granted one Unconditional Cut (it may be used on any player contract, effectively erasing all remaining payment due to that player). Unconditional Cuts are among the most tradable assets in the PAFFL-OG. They offer significant salary cap relief to owners who put players on rich contracts and then have them retire.

Conditional Cuts - Every franchise is granted one Conditional Cut that may be used on a 3-year contracted player. If exercised, the player is cut from the franchise's roster and returned to the player pool. Unlike the Unconditional Cut, the player's salary continues to count against the current year's salary cap. However, the contract will not count against any future years' salary caps.

III. The Auction Weekend