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<img src="http://fumbbl.com/teams/101756.jpg">
<center>
<i>The Old World is bounded by the immeasurably high Worlds Edge Mountains in the east, by the dark and deep Great Ocean to the west, and by the forbidding Troll Country in the north. To the South lies a broad arm of the Great Ocean and beyond this the shores of the land of Araby.
Through time much has changed in The Old World, bitter conflicts and endless War have broadened the differences between the races and fuelled the hatred and lust for mortal revenge.
In one thing though, they still gather together, some for fun others to fight disputes – The fields of Blood Bowl!
</i> </center>
Credits and respect goes to the good people ‘down under’ who run the Southern Wastes League. The OWL have adapted the rules of the SWL to mimic one of the most successful and respected leagues on fumbbl.
<big><b>Quick Start Guide for Greenskins (Newbie’s!)</b></big>
<blockquote>
<b>Requirements</b>
<i>You must be an European coach or living in Europe
You must be ready to play more blood bowl than you probably have spare time for!</i>
<b>Fringing it!</b>
The OWL Fringe is a freeform group set up where you may find games against other OWL coaches without the need to actually be in a tournament. In this way it works a lot like fumbbl 'ranked'. This is your first stop for games in the OWL! Get active and meet some of the coaches! Participation and enthusiasm is in fact something we look for before we consider including you for our main competition and for newbie’s it will also ensure you get a slightly better chance in the draft for our main divisions (more later). It's also a great place to experiment and practice against some of the best without the cheesiness of the ranked environment.
Apply with as many LRB compliant teams as you wish to the OWL Fringe group. Just go to the bottom of the group page and apply with your team using the button provided. Once you have applied, join us in IRC at #owl and ask if there are any fringe admins who can accept your team to the fringe group. Look for games simply by asking "Anyone up for a game of fringe?" in #owl. While not always busy, you should find games readily enough with a little patience.
<b>OWL Divisions</b>
If you are dead set on entering the OWL Divisions, be sure to get active in the Fringe. The most participative and enthusiastic newbie gains a wild card that makes your entry into the OWL Divisions more favourable. About two weeks before the end of the current season there will be a call for new or restarting players to enter the Draft this is your call!
</blockquote>
<big><b>OWL Affiliated Groups</b></big>
<big><b>The Fringe</b></big><blockquote>As you've probably already picked up, OWL Fringe is an experimental group designed to be many things, but mostly a bit of fun and a place to find regular games against coaches you can enjoy playing against so you don’t get withdrawals as the main OWL Division creeps along at one game a week. It's also a good place for greenskins (newbie’s!) to meet the OWL coaches and experiment with your latest team. In many ways, it runs just like the FUMBBL Ranked environment runs (but hopefully without the cherry picking that goes on there - do that in the fringe and you'll be mercilessly hounded by your fellow owl coaches!). All teams existing in the group do not have to be in a tournament to play each other – feel free to look for games in #owl anytime.
In addition to this, coaches may apply to the one of the admins to create a small tournament (think sharp and short here – not looking for 32 round tournaments!) of their own design. You may even be temporarily promoted to look after your own ‘baby’ while it runs. </blockquote>
<big><b>OWL Divisions</b></big><blockquote>This is the “heart and soul” of the league with its promotions and relegations and the chase for the ultimate title of "OWL Premier"! Do you have what it takes?
<b>Entry</b>
Your first team in the OWL will be either as a substitute or via the draft for the coming season. Potential substitutes and draftees need to show that they are enthusiastic enough about the OWL to commit to the OWL Divisions proper (dropouts cause havoc!) this is where we check for active participation in the Fringe group.
Entry into the group is with a brand new (TR100) LRB compliant team; however your choice of race for this team is not automatic. We strive to ensure that there is a diversity of races within the divisions so that the league remains practical in the long term and also encourages variety. Since this affects what races you can ultimately choose for entry into the OWL Divisions, we'll digress and yabber on about this a little before we proceed.
<b>Racial Restrictions</b>
To ensure we have a balanced competition, the following restrictions are imposed:<blockquote>• Races are divided into 4 distinct groups “Rock” (brutal), “Scissors” (medium), “Paper” (soft) and "Dynamite" (bb-challenged). <blockquote><TABLE BORDER><TR><TD><b>Rock</b></TD><TD><b>Scissors</b></TD><TD><b>Paper</b></TD><TD><b>Dynamite</b></TD></TR><TR><TD>Dwarf</TD> <TD>Lizardman</TD> <TD>Dark Elf</TD><TD>Ogre</TD></TR><TR><TD>Chaos Dwarf</TD><TD>Necromantic</TD> <TD>High Elf</TD> <TD>Vampire</TD></TR><TR><TD>Orc</TD> <TD>Norse</TD> <TD>Wood elf</TD><TD>Goblin</TD></TR><TR><TD>Chaos</TD> <TD>Skaven</TD> <TD>Elf</TD><TD>Halfling</TD></TR><TR><TD>Undead</TD> <TD>Nurgle's Rotters</TD> <TD>Human</TD> </TR><TR><TD>Khemri</TD> <TD></TD> <TD>Amazon</TD> <TD></TD></TR></TABLE></blockquote>• There is a group cap for each of the first three categories – this will fluctuate with the league’s size.
• No one will ever be forcibly drafted with a Dynamite race. They are there if people wish to take up the challenge.
• There is also a race cap – this usually means we only allow a maximum of 3 or 4 teams of any particular race.
• Availability of a race is at the discretion of the admins, and is balanced by the draft (see below).
• The balance of the races in the OWL may be adjusted from time to time.</blockquote><b>Racial Balance Roster</b>
Do not worry too much about the details. If asked to step in as a substitute, an admin will give you a choice of races that you may choose from. Unfortunately this will probably be a very small list! If you are forced to take a race that doesn't tickle your fancy, take the chance to enjoy a shortened season with them and get used to the OWL Divisions (better than not getting any games at all!). Then sign up for the 'draft' for the next season you'll have a better chance of getting a race you enjoy in the draft.
<b>The Draft</b>
At the end of every OWL Divisional season, a draft call is issued. New coaches or existing coaches wishing to restart with a fresh team are required to enter the draft if they wish to play in the coming season. The drafting process usually takes approximately 1-2 weeks. The forums will notify you of the Draft deadlines. To enter the draft, you must send a PM to the admins listing the preferred races you wish to play (in descending order). You will be appointed your highest preference through the following process:
• Coaches in the draft will be randomly ordered into a draft list save for the following caveats:<blockquote> • Coaches holding ‘wild cards’ are given priority and place at the top of the draft list.
• Newbie coaches who’ve participated actively in fringe or regionals are given slightly better chances in the draft.
• More experienced/successful OWL coaches are given a slightly tougher run in the draft process (it should be challenging!)
• Coaches that dropped out midseason or forfeited too many games are placed at the bottom of the draft list.
• In order of the draft, each coach’s preferences are checked against current race/group constraints. They are then awarded their first available preference that satisfies these constraints.</blockquote>Coaches will then be advised by PM and via Forum Post the result of the draft and will be invited to enter a fresh TR100 team of that race. The team must be entered 7 days from the posting of the TR100 Draft results or the coach runs the risk of being excluded from he next season.
<b>Tip:</b> Try and give as complete a list as possible! Providing only 3-4 teams runs a risk of finding none of your preferences being available and subsequently leaving you out of te competition. If you want to ensure you get a team, then either give a complete list including all paper, rock and scissor races, or finish your preference list with a dynamite team (we always make these available).
<b>Tip:</b> If you luck out and get a team you aren’t completely happy with, dig in, get some experience in the divisions and just enjoy the ride for a season. There’s always next season’s draft!
<big><b>OWL Divisions Structure</b></big>
<b>Note!! - The structure will be different in the 1st season, where there will only be regional divisions. The structure of the 2nd season will depend on how many coaches apply. The below structure is what it should be like in the future if all goes as planned.</b>
<b>Premier Division (Uncapped TR)</b>
Premier Division is the top division of the OWL. The winner of the Premier Division is crowned OWL Champion. The TR is unrestricted. The Premier Division consists of 8 teams. The bottom 4 teams at the end of the regular season are relegated to the Conference Leagues.
All Premier Coaches also have an obligation to participate actively in the “fluff” of the OWL match reports.
<b>Conference Divisions (TR Cap 200)</b>
The Conference League consists of 2-4 equal divisions of 8 teams each. A TR Cap of 200 is applied at the start of each season. Teams may progress higher than this during the course of the season. The top four teams in this structure are eligible for Promotion to the OWL Premier Division. The 7th and 8th placed teams in each Conference are relegated to the Regional League.
<b>Regional Divisions (TR Cap 150)</b>
The Regional League is rather dynamic and usually consists of one or two divisions, but there may be more. A TR Cap of 150 is applied at the start of each season. Teams may progress higher than this during the course of the season. The number of teams and structure of the Regional League will vary dependent upon the number of coaches in the OWL. This is so we can accommodate new coaches from season to season. The top finishers in this structure will then earn promotion to the Conference Divisions to replace the relegatees in the following season. If there are also dropouts in conferences, promotion will go to the next highest finishers in regionals.
New teams to the OWL coming through the draft or filling in as a replacement start in the Regional League at TR100. It should be noted that coaches should consider survival and building up the team as its main priority in its initial season a some teams will be up to 50TR higher in strength. However, to deal with the issue of teams getting mangled early on, a coach in the Regional League may choose to replace their team with a brand new TR100 team of the exact same race. This may only be done <b>ONCE</b> per season and <b>ONLY</b> after permission has been requested and granted. Permission will only be granted in reasonable circumstances. The death of one player or the loss of a Fan Factor point is not deemed “retirement” worthy. Conversely, 3 SI’s and 2 RIP’s and no cash is a reasonable case for replacement. A reset team will lose all league points achieved to date.
<b>TR Caps</b>
All OWL leagues are subject to a TR cap. These caps are flexible from season to season and are reviewed as part of the end of season rules review. In addition, the TR Cap may operate slightly differently depending on which division it is. Note that the TR Caps are effective only at the Start of the Season! Teams may progress normally throughout the season. However, once the season is over and the next season’s placements are allocated, all coaches must cull their TR to satisfy their respective groups before they play their first game.
<b>Tip:</b> it is wise to wait until season’s placements are allocated before culling – due to dropouts you may find yourself promoted and if you’ve already culled, this could make for a difficult season!
<b>Divisional Scoring</b>
OWL Divisions run with a scoring structure of 5 pts for a Win, 2 for a Draw, 1 for a Loss and 0 for a Forfeit. In the event of a team(s) being tied on league points, tie breakers will be used to resolve the deadlock. These tiebreakers in order are:
<blockquote>• Head to Head result for that season
• TD differential
• Most TD’s
• CAS differential
• Most CAS’s
• Toss of Coin / Random Number Draw</blockquote>In the case that there is no head to head result (e.g. in a tiebreaker across separate groups in the conferences), then an immediate playoff match is arranged which then counts as the head to head result.
<b>Promotions and Relegations</b>
Promotions and Relegations may not be avoided or turned down! Sometimes this is a difficult burden promotion can be a tough ask after your team has been mangled, and relegation with a large TR cull is probably almost as tough. But we insist on maintaining these to keep groups dynamic and to keep it fair for all involved (turning down promotion will only result in someone lower down having to face promotion). So take the knocks on the chin like a champ! It's all about how you get up afterwards!
<b>Schedule of Play</b>
Each round takes one week and the season will run for 7 consecutive weeks.
<b>Games must be commenced by 10pm fumbbl time on each Monday night during the regular season.</b>
Coaches are expected to have arranged a mutually acceptable time to play by Thursday evening of every week. If nothing has been arranged at that point, or a coach is having difficulties finding time to meet their opponent, a PM should be sent as soon as possible to an admin explaining the difficulty.
Extensions of time are permitted (see Extensions below) but it is best to raise the issue of scheduling difficulties early rather than just before the Monday deadline.
<b>Extensions</b>
Where an extension is asked for and reasonable circumstances apply, the Admins may choose to grant an extension, but will ask for the game to be organized in advance. Extensions are generally no longer than 24 hours, but Admins will use discretion on the basis of reasonable excuse.
<b>Forfeits</b>
Unless a PM has been sent to an admin by 10pm on the Monday night a game is due, a forfeit will occur. If neither party has communicated in this manner then zero points will be awarded for the match. If one player has sent a PM, that player will be given the win. A coach who forfeits two games in any given season may be excluded from divisional play in subsequent seasons.
<b>Dropouts</b>
One of the main problems in any league is coaches losing interest or having computer/real life issues etc. and dropping out midseason. Dropouts that occur in premier will not be replaced. A bye will be accorded to all teams, including those who have already played that team, and may have lost – to ensure fairness in the hunt for the OWL’s ultimate prize. Dropouts at conference level will not be replaced automatically. When a conference team drops out, regional coaches will be invited to apply for promotion. When choosing between different teams, the Admins will choose the team they believe will be able to best compete in that particular conference.
A coach who is promoted for the good of the league is destined to move from a lower division where he/she was doing well into last place in a higher division where games will be a struggle. We acknowledge this and all coaches who gain promotion will be offered immunity from relegation, being treated at season's end is if they had only just promoted from the regionals, essentially filling the place of one of the top four placed teams for that season. Of course, a coach may refuse this if they want. It may be better for the team to go back from where they came!
Should there be no available coaches for promotion into the Conference, then a bye will be awarded.
Regional dropouts will be replaced immediately with a new team chosen from a potential recruit in the Fringe if one is available. If no coach is available, then a bye will be awarded for all past and future matches of the dropped team.
Any coach dropping out because they think their team is “trashed” or “has no chance” is deemed to have forfeited their rights in the Draft and will be placed at the end.
To drop out midseason unnecessarily is being a bad sport, creates a forfeit and denies your opponents the opportunity for SPP’s.
<b>Post Season Order of Events</b>
The post season will be conducted in this fashion:<blockquote>1. All team changes for current coaches to be notified to admins by end of prior season (in response to PM)
2. Admins to promote and relegate teams based on the final standings and also to fill any holes left by retirements.
3. Draft call is made.
4. Draftees submit their preference list.
5. Draftees are notified of the race they have been allocated.
6. New teams submitted to the group page.
7. Tournaments Divisions are set up.
8. All coaches to cull TR’s to suit their respective divisions’ TR Cap.
9. Season Commences!
</blockquote></blockquote>
<center>
<i>The Old World is bounded by the immeasurably high Worlds Edge Mountains in the east, by the dark and deep Great Ocean to the west, and by the forbidding Troll Country in the north. To the South lies a broad arm of the Great Ocean and beyond this the shores of the land of Araby.
Through time much has changed in The Old World, bitter conflicts and endless War have broadened the differences between the races and fuelled the hatred and lust for mortal revenge.
In one thing though, they still gather together, some for fun others to fight disputes – The fields of Blood Bowl!
</i> </center>
Credits and respect goes to the good people ‘down under’ who run the Southern Wastes League. The OWL have adapted the rules of the SWL to mimic one of the most successful and respected leagues on fumbbl.
<big><b>Quick Start Guide for Greenskins (Newbie’s!)</b></big>
<blockquote>
<b>Requirements</b>
<i>You must be an European coach or living in Europe
You must be ready to play more blood bowl than you probably have spare time for!</i>
<b>Fringing it!</b>
The OWL Fringe is a freeform group set up where you may find games against other OWL coaches without the need to actually be in a tournament. In this way it works a lot like fumbbl 'ranked'. This is your first stop for games in the OWL! Get active and meet some of the coaches! Participation and enthusiasm is in fact something we look for before we consider including you for our main competition and for newbie’s it will also ensure you get a slightly better chance in the draft for our main divisions (more later). It's also a great place to experiment and practice against some of the best without the cheesiness of the ranked environment.
Apply with as many LRB compliant teams as you wish to the OWL Fringe group. Just go to the bottom of the group page and apply with your team using the button provided. Once you have applied, join us in IRC at #owl and ask if there are any fringe admins who can accept your team to the fringe group. Look for games simply by asking "Anyone up for a game of fringe?" in #owl. While not always busy, you should find games readily enough with a little patience.
<b>OWL Divisions</b>
If you are dead set on entering the OWL Divisions, be sure to get active in the Fringe. The most participative and enthusiastic newbie gains a wild card that makes your entry into the OWL Divisions more favourable. About two weeks before the end of the current season there will be a call for new or restarting players to enter the Draft this is your call!
</blockquote>
<big><b>OWL Affiliated Groups</b></big>
<big><b>The Fringe</b></big><blockquote>As you've probably already picked up, OWL Fringe is an experimental group designed to be many things, but mostly a bit of fun and a place to find regular games against coaches you can enjoy playing against so you don’t get withdrawals as the main OWL Division creeps along at one game a week. It's also a good place for greenskins (newbie’s!) to meet the OWL coaches and experiment with your latest team. In many ways, it runs just like the FUMBBL Ranked environment runs (but hopefully without the cherry picking that goes on there - do that in the fringe and you'll be mercilessly hounded by your fellow owl coaches!). All teams existing in the group do not have to be in a tournament to play each other – feel free to look for games in #owl anytime.
In addition to this, coaches may apply to the one of the admins to create a small tournament (think sharp and short here – not looking for 32 round tournaments!) of their own design. You may even be temporarily promoted to look after your own ‘baby’ while it runs. </blockquote>
<big><b>OWL Divisions</b></big><blockquote>This is the “heart and soul” of the league with its promotions and relegations and the chase for the ultimate title of "OWL Premier"! Do you have what it takes?
<b>Entry</b>
Your first team in the OWL will be either as a substitute or via the draft for the coming season. Potential substitutes and draftees need to show that they are enthusiastic enough about the OWL to commit to the OWL Divisions proper (dropouts cause havoc!) this is where we check for active participation in the Fringe group.
Entry into the group is with a brand new (TR100) LRB compliant team; however your choice of race for this team is not automatic. We strive to ensure that there is a diversity of races within the divisions so that the league remains practical in the long term and also encourages variety. Since this affects what races you can ultimately choose for entry into the OWL Divisions, we'll digress and yabber on about this a little before we proceed.
<b>Racial Restrictions</b>
To ensure we have a balanced competition, the following restrictions are imposed:<blockquote>• Races are divided into 4 distinct groups “Rock” (brutal), “Scissors” (medium), “Paper” (soft) and "Dynamite" (bb-challenged). <blockquote><TABLE BORDER><TR><TD><b>Rock</b></TD><TD><b>Scissors</b></TD><TD><b>Paper</b></TD><TD><b>Dynamite</b></TD></TR><TR><TD>Dwarf</TD> <TD>Lizardman</TD> <TD>Dark Elf</TD><TD>Ogre</TD></TR><TR><TD>Chaos Dwarf</TD><TD>Necromantic</TD> <TD>High Elf</TD> <TD>Vampire</TD></TR><TR><TD>Orc</TD> <TD>Norse</TD> <TD>Wood elf</TD><TD>Goblin</TD></TR><TR><TD>Chaos</TD> <TD>Skaven</TD> <TD>Elf</TD><TD>Halfling</TD></TR><TR><TD>Undead</TD> <TD>Nurgle's Rotters</TD> <TD>Human</TD> </TR><TR><TD>Khemri</TD> <TD></TD> <TD>Amazon</TD> <TD></TD></TR></TABLE></blockquote>• There is a group cap for each of the first three categories – this will fluctuate with the league’s size.
• No one will ever be forcibly drafted with a Dynamite race. They are there if people wish to take up the challenge.
• There is also a race cap – this usually means we only allow a maximum of 3 or 4 teams of any particular race.
• Availability of a race is at the discretion of the admins, and is balanced by the draft (see below).
• The balance of the races in the OWL may be adjusted from time to time.</blockquote><b>Racial Balance Roster</b>
Do not worry too much about the details. If asked to step in as a substitute, an admin will give you a choice of races that you may choose from. Unfortunately this will probably be a very small list! If you are forced to take a race that doesn't tickle your fancy, take the chance to enjoy a shortened season with them and get used to the OWL Divisions (better than not getting any games at all!). Then sign up for the 'draft' for the next season you'll have a better chance of getting a race you enjoy in the draft.
<b>The Draft</b>
At the end of every OWL Divisional season, a draft call is issued. New coaches or existing coaches wishing to restart with a fresh team are required to enter the draft if they wish to play in the coming season. The drafting process usually takes approximately 1-2 weeks. The forums will notify you of the Draft deadlines. To enter the draft, you must send a PM to the admins listing the preferred races you wish to play (in descending order). You will be appointed your highest preference through the following process:
• Coaches in the draft will be randomly ordered into a draft list save for the following caveats:<blockquote> • Coaches holding ‘wild cards’ are given priority and place at the top of the draft list.
• Newbie coaches who’ve participated actively in fringe or regionals are given slightly better chances in the draft.
• More experienced/successful OWL coaches are given a slightly tougher run in the draft process (it should be challenging!)
• Coaches that dropped out midseason or forfeited too many games are placed at the bottom of the draft list.
• In order of the draft, each coach’s preferences are checked against current race/group constraints. They are then awarded their first available preference that satisfies these constraints.</blockquote>Coaches will then be advised by PM and via Forum Post the result of the draft and will be invited to enter a fresh TR100 team of that race. The team must be entered 7 days from the posting of the TR100 Draft results or the coach runs the risk of being excluded from he next season.
<b>Tip:</b> Try and give as complete a list as possible! Providing only 3-4 teams runs a risk of finding none of your preferences being available and subsequently leaving you out of te competition. If you want to ensure you get a team, then either give a complete list including all paper, rock and scissor races, or finish your preference list with a dynamite team (we always make these available).
<b>Tip:</b> If you luck out and get a team you aren’t completely happy with, dig in, get some experience in the divisions and just enjoy the ride for a season. There’s always next season’s draft!
<big><b>OWL Divisions Structure</b></big>
<b>Note!! - The structure will be different in the 1st season, where there will only be regional divisions. The structure of the 2nd season will depend on how many coaches apply. The below structure is what it should be like in the future if all goes as planned.</b>
<b>Premier Division (Uncapped TR)</b>
Premier Division is the top division of the OWL. The winner of the Premier Division is crowned OWL Champion. The TR is unrestricted. The Premier Division consists of 8 teams. The bottom 4 teams at the end of the regular season are relegated to the Conference Leagues.
All Premier Coaches also have an obligation to participate actively in the “fluff” of the OWL match reports.
<b>Conference Divisions (TR Cap 200)</b>
The Conference League consists of 2-4 equal divisions of 8 teams each. A TR Cap of 200 is applied at the start of each season. Teams may progress higher than this during the course of the season. The top four teams in this structure are eligible for Promotion to the OWL Premier Division. The 7th and 8th placed teams in each Conference are relegated to the Regional League.
<b>Regional Divisions (TR Cap 150)</b>
The Regional League is rather dynamic and usually consists of one or two divisions, but there may be more. A TR Cap of 150 is applied at the start of each season. Teams may progress higher than this during the course of the season. The number of teams and structure of the Regional League will vary dependent upon the number of coaches in the OWL. This is so we can accommodate new coaches from season to season. The top finishers in this structure will then earn promotion to the Conference Divisions to replace the relegatees in the following season. If there are also dropouts in conferences, promotion will go to the next highest finishers in regionals.
New teams to the OWL coming through the draft or filling in as a replacement start in the Regional League at TR100. It should be noted that coaches should consider survival and building up the team as its main priority in its initial season a some teams will be up to 50TR higher in strength. However, to deal with the issue of teams getting mangled early on, a coach in the Regional League may choose to replace their team with a brand new TR100 team of the exact same race. This may only be done <b>ONCE</b> per season and <b>ONLY</b> after permission has been requested and granted. Permission will only be granted in reasonable circumstances. The death of one player or the loss of a Fan Factor point is not deemed “retirement” worthy. Conversely, 3 SI’s and 2 RIP’s and no cash is a reasonable case for replacement. A reset team will lose all league points achieved to date.
<b>TR Caps</b>
All OWL leagues are subject to a TR cap. These caps are flexible from season to season and are reviewed as part of the end of season rules review. In addition, the TR Cap may operate slightly differently depending on which division it is. Note that the TR Caps are effective only at the Start of the Season! Teams may progress normally throughout the season. However, once the season is over and the next season’s placements are allocated, all coaches must cull their TR to satisfy their respective groups before they play their first game.
<b>Tip:</b> it is wise to wait until season’s placements are allocated before culling – due to dropouts you may find yourself promoted and if you’ve already culled, this could make for a difficult season!
<b>Divisional Scoring</b>
OWL Divisions run with a scoring structure of 5 pts for a Win, 2 for a Draw, 1 for a Loss and 0 for a Forfeit. In the event of a team(s) being tied on league points, tie breakers will be used to resolve the deadlock. These tiebreakers in order are:
<blockquote>• Head to Head result for that season
• TD differential
• Most TD’s
• CAS differential
• Most CAS’s
• Toss of Coin / Random Number Draw</blockquote>In the case that there is no head to head result (e.g. in a tiebreaker across separate groups in the conferences), then an immediate playoff match is arranged which then counts as the head to head result.
<b>Promotions and Relegations</b>
Promotions and Relegations may not be avoided or turned down! Sometimes this is a difficult burden promotion can be a tough ask after your team has been mangled, and relegation with a large TR cull is probably almost as tough. But we insist on maintaining these to keep groups dynamic and to keep it fair for all involved (turning down promotion will only result in someone lower down having to face promotion). So take the knocks on the chin like a champ! It's all about how you get up afterwards!
<b>Schedule of Play</b>
Each round takes one week and the season will run for 7 consecutive weeks.
<b>Games must be commenced by 10pm fumbbl time on each Monday night during the regular season.</b>
Coaches are expected to have arranged a mutually acceptable time to play by Thursday evening of every week. If nothing has been arranged at that point, or a coach is having difficulties finding time to meet their opponent, a PM should be sent as soon as possible to an admin explaining the difficulty.
Extensions of time are permitted (see Extensions below) but it is best to raise the issue of scheduling difficulties early rather than just before the Monday deadline.
<b>Extensions</b>
Where an extension is asked for and reasonable circumstances apply, the Admins may choose to grant an extension, but will ask for the game to be organized in advance. Extensions are generally no longer than 24 hours, but Admins will use discretion on the basis of reasonable excuse.
<b>Forfeits</b>
Unless a PM has been sent to an admin by 10pm on the Monday night a game is due, a forfeit will occur. If neither party has communicated in this manner then zero points will be awarded for the match. If one player has sent a PM, that player will be given the win. A coach who forfeits two games in any given season may be excluded from divisional play in subsequent seasons.
<b>Dropouts</b>
One of the main problems in any league is coaches losing interest or having computer/real life issues etc. and dropping out midseason. Dropouts that occur in premier will not be replaced. A bye will be accorded to all teams, including those who have already played that team, and may have lost – to ensure fairness in the hunt for the OWL’s ultimate prize. Dropouts at conference level will not be replaced automatically. When a conference team drops out, regional coaches will be invited to apply for promotion. When choosing between different teams, the Admins will choose the team they believe will be able to best compete in that particular conference.
A coach who is promoted for the good of the league is destined to move from a lower division where he/she was doing well into last place in a higher division where games will be a struggle. We acknowledge this and all coaches who gain promotion will be offered immunity from relegation, being treated at season's end is if they had only just promoted from the regionals, essentially filling the place of one of the top four placed teams for that season. Of course, a coach may refuse this if they want. It may be better for the team to go back from where they came!
Should there be no available coaches for promotion into the Conference, then a bye will be awarded.
Regional dropouts will be replaced immediately with a new team chosen from a potential recruit in the Fringe if one is available. If no coach is available, then a bye will be awarded for all past and future matches of the dropped team.
Any coach dropping out because they think their team is “trashed” or “has no chance” is deemed to have forfeited their rights in the Draft and will be placed at the end.
To drop out midseason unnecessarily is being a bad sport, creates a forfeit and denies your opponents the opportunity for SPP’s.
<b>Post Season Order of Events</b>
The post season will be conducted in this fashion:<blockquote>1. All team changes for current coaches to be notified to admins by end of prior season (in response to PM)
2. Admins to promote and relegate teams based on the final standings and also to fill any holes left by retirements.
3. Draft call is made.
4. Draftees submit their preference list.
5. Draftees are notified of the race they have been allocated.
6. New teams submitted to the group page.
7. Tournaments Divisions are set up.
8. All coaches to cull TR’s to suit their respective divisions’ TR Cap.
9. Season Commences!
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