AFHL RULES

1. OVERVIEW
The Alexandria Fantasy Hockey League (AFHL) is a fantasy league which uses results from the players and games in the National Hockey League to simulate head-to-head competition. AFHL owners act like NHL coaches and GMs, drafting, trading for and signing talent and trying to create the best line-up possible.

2. LEAGUE PLAY
a) The format is head-to-head competition over the course of a week, except in special circumstances in which case the period of play may be more or less than one week.
b) Unless specified, each owner has until noon on Monday to submit a line-up of 20 players, respecting positional requirements. If no line-up is submitted prior to deadline, the line-up from the previous week is automatically carried over.
c) Points are accumulated in the following manner -- two points for a goal, one point for an assist and one point for a plus. One point is taken away for a minus. A bonus point is awarded for a game-winning goal. For goalies, scoring is three points for a win, one for a tie, minus-two points for a loss, five points for a shutout, 0.2 points for a save and minus-one point for a goal allowed. To qualify for the bonus points for shutouts, the goalie must be the only goalie of record for the game in question. Goals and assists do not count for goalies.
d) Injury rule: If a player on the official NHL injury list (released on Fridays) appears on an active AFHL roster the following week and does not play a game, his team is automatically penalized 5 points unless the player returns to action after the injury list is released and before the next AFHL week begins. Teams with more than one player in this situation are penalized five points for each player. Teams who carry unsigned players, holdouts or players in the minor leagues will also be penalized five points for each infraction. e) The team with the most points at the end of the week gets a win. Ties are allowed to stand.
f) At the end of the regular season, the top four teams in each division qualify for the post-season. In case of ties for positions having a bearing on playoff match-ups, a one-week tie-breaker will be held. The playoffs then begin with single-game divisional semifinals, best-of-three divisional finals and a best-of-five championship series. The final may also be a best-of-three if time does not allow a best-of-five.
g) For tie-breakers and playoffs, a special "tie-breaker" selection must be made. A 21st player, not on the acitve roster, is chosen by each team. In case of a tie, the extra player accumulating the most points determines the winner.
h) A consolation playoff will also be held after tie-breaker week. The four non-playoff teams will begin with a best-of-three elimination round, with best record playing worst record and second-best playing third-best (points for will act as the tie-breaker). While that happens, the four first-round losers in the regular playoffs will play a single-elimination playoff round. That will leave four teams for a single-elimination semifinal, followed by a best-of-five consolation final.
* Regular season, playoffs Week 1-5: Play everyone in your division Week 6-11: Play the other division Week 12-16: Play your own division again Week 17: Tie-breaker Week 18: Single-game elimination division semifinals Week19-21: Best-of-three division final Week 22-26: Best-of-five final (or best-of-three)
* Consolation playoffs Week 18-20: Best-of-three series between non-playoff teams (1 vs. 4, 2 vs. 3) Week 20: Single-elimination between first-round losers (1 vs. 4, 2 vs. 3) Week 21: Single-elimination between 4 surviving teams (1 vs. 4, 2 vs. 3) Week 22-26: Best-of-five consolation final

3. ROSTER
a) The AFHL roster must consist of 20 to 40 players (not including farm system players).
b) The active roster must always be 20 players, with the following breakdown -- two goalies, six defencemen, eight wingers and four centremen. The reserve squad can include up to 20 other players of any position.
c) Player position eligibility is determined before the annual auction (see auction section). Sportsline.com will be the sole source for determining positions.
d) Once a player is listed on an AFHL roster at a certain position, he remains at that position until he is released and goes up for auction again, even if he is listed at another position.
e) A player not listed can still be brought up for consideration at auction, but it is up for the nominating owner to provide proof of position eligibility.

4. SALARIES
a) Salaries are determined in four ways -- by open auction, by the waiver draft process, by promotion from the farm system or by percentage salary increase (see related sections).
b) In the auction, the salary is determined by the highest bidder. Minimum salary is 20 cents and increasing bids must be made in minimum increments of 10 cents.
c) Waiver picks always have a $1 salary unless that player was previously released earlier in the season. In that case, the player assumes his previous salary.
d) Salaries for players promoted from the farm team have the following salaries -- 60 cents for an AFHL prospect draft first-rounder, 40 for a second-rounder and 20 for a third-rounder.
e) Any player can be retained from one season to the next, but with a 50% salary increase. Salaries are rounded up to the next nickel (e.g. 25 cents becomes 37.5 cents and is rounded up to 40). There is no limit on the number of players that can be kept from the previous season.
f) Maximum total payroll is $40. The salary cap can never be exceeded. There is no minimum salary level. All trades made must respect salary.
g) Players can be released. Players at $1 or less can be released with their entire salary removed from the payroll. Players over $1 can be released but the owner must retain the portion of the salary exceeding $1 on his payroll. If the released player is picked up on waivers, the new team pays the full salary and the original team is released of any salary obligations to that player.
h) Injury exception -- players on the injury reserve list can be released with the full salary being removed from the payroll.

5. TRADES
a) Trades can be made at any time except between the trade deadline and the end of the AFHL playoffs.
b) Both teams must be at or under the $40 payroll after the completion of the trade. Players may have to be released to satisfy these requirements.
c) No 'future considerations' allowed in trades.
d) Players can not be traded back by a team to the same team from which the player was acquired until the end of the next full season. Players can be acquired from any other team if he has been traded again. (e.g. - a player going from Team A to Team B can not be traded back to Team A for the prescribed time but Team A can acquire him from Team C, D, etc.)

6. WAIVER DRAFT
a) A weekly waiver draft will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursdays.
b) Waiver picks have a salary of $1 unless that player was previously released earlier in the season. In that case, the player reassumes his previous salary.
c) Waiver priority is established by the reverse order of the previous year's standings to begin the year. Each time a team picks up a player on waivers, he drops to the bottom of the waiver order.
d) As a player is claimed on waivers, necessary adjustments must immediately be made to respect the $40 payroll. An owner dropping a player can not pick up that same player until after the next waiver period has passed.
e) Players claimed on waivers can not be protected for the following season.

7. PROSPECT DRAFT a) To be held in the off-season.
b) Teams draft in reverse order of previous year's standings. In case of a tie, the team losing the head-to-head series drafts first. In case of a three-way or more tie, the teams draft in reverse order of points for.
c) Draft is three rounds.
e) Only players who are the property of NHL teams but have zero games played in the NHL are eligible for this draft.
f) Once drafted, players can be kept, without salary, until he loses his rookie status. Rookie status is lost once a player plays in 25 NHL games in a season or in at least six games in two different years. Or if he reaches his 26th birthday by September 15 of the upcoming season. The player must be activated or released in the off-season after rookie status is lost.
g) Once activated, salaries are 60 cents for a first-rounder, 40 for a second-rounder and 20 for a player picked in the third round.
h) Draft picks can be traded, before or after the draft.