Fantasy Football League Rules Template
A complete rules template covering every section you need — copy the parts that fit your league, fill in the blanks, and you're done. For a shareable PDF version, use the constitution generator.
📋 Roster & Lineup📊 Scoring🎯 Draft🔄 Waivers & Free Agency🤝 Trades🏆 Playoffs💵 Dues & Prizes⚖️ Commissioner & Conduct
📋Roster & Lineup
Roster size
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Each team carries [15/16/17] players. Starting lineup: 1 QB · 2 RB · 2 WR · 1 TE · 1 FLEX (RB/WR/TE) · 1 K · 1 DST.
FLEX eligibility
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FLEX slot: RB/WR/TE eligible. Superflex leagues: QB also eligible.
Lineup lock
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Lineups lock at kickoff of each player's game. Players in early games (1 PM ET Sunday) lock at 1 PM ET. Late-game players lock at their respective kickoffs.
IR slot
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Each team has [1/2] IR slot(s). Only players on the official NFL IR list (or designated as "Out" for [2+] weeks) are eligible.
📊Scoring
Standard scoring
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Passing: 1 pt / 25 yards · 4 pts / TD · −2 / INT. Rushing: 1 pt / 10 yards · 6 pts / TD. Receiving: 1 pt / 10 yards · 6 pts / TD. PPR: [0 / 0.5 / 1.0] pt per reception.
DST scoring
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Points allowed: ≥35 = −4; 28–34 = −1; 14–20 = 4; 7–13 = 7; 1–6 = 10; 0 = 12. Sack: 1 pt. INT: 2 pts. Fumble recovery: 2 pts. Safety: 2 pts. Defensive TD: 6 pts.
Bonus scoring (if used)
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Bonus TD [50+ yards]: 2 pts. Bonus rushing/receiving game [100+ yards]: 2 pts. Bonus passing game [300+ yards]: 2 pts.
🎯Draft
Draft type
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Snake draft. Order determined by [random draw / inverse finish / commissioner discretion] by [DATE].
Draft clock
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Each pick: [90 seconds] during live draft · [8 hours] during slow draft. Auto-pick from queue if clock expires. Pause: commissioner may pause for [5 minutes max] if a manager is having technical issues.
Keeper leagues
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Each manager may keep [1/2/3] players from their previous roster. Kept player costs the round they were drafted last year [+ 1 round penalty]. Deadline to declare keepers: [DATE]. Free agents kept in round [X].
🔄Waivers & Free Agency
Waiver type
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FAAB (Free Agent Acquisition Budget): each team starts with $[100/200] in blind auction bids. Minimum bid: $1. No rollover. Undrafted free agents process [Tuesday/Wednesday] at [10 AM ET].
Waiver priority fallback
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If FAAB bids tie, priority goes to the team with the lower current standings. Free agents not claimed by Sunday kickoff are available immediately (no waiver period).
Adds/drops per week
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No weekly add/drop limit. Managers may not drop a player and add them back in the same week unless they clear waivers first.
🤝Trades
Trade review period
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Accepted trades process after a [24/48]-hour review period. The commissioner may veto a trade only if it is demonstrably one-sided to the point of collusion. Trades are not vetoed because one manager "got the worse deal."
Trade deadline
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Trade deadline: [Week 10 / Nov 1 / Tuesday of Week 11 at 11:59 PM ET]. No trades after the deadline except for the commissioner to correct system errors.
Anti-collusion
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Collusion (trading for the purpose of helping a manager into or out of the playoffs rather than improving your own team) is grounds for disqualification at commissioner discretion. Burden of proof: clear pattern + intent.
Draft pick trades
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[Draft pick trading is / is not] allowed. If allowed: picks from [next season only / up to 2 seasons forward] may be traded. Picks must be posted in the trade offer system — no side deals.
🏆Playoffs
Playoff format
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[4/6/8] teams make the playoffs. Top [2] teams receive a first-round bye. Weeks [14–15]: semifinals. Week 16: championship. Week 17: [consolation bracket / not played].
Playoff seeding
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Seeding: division record first (if divisions exist) · then overall record · then points scored. Tiebreakers: head-to-head record · then points scored (season total).
Championship scoring week
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Championship game is played in Week 16. If a player's game is postponed due to weather or other NFL action, their points count when the game is played (no substitution allowed).
💵Dues & Prizes
Entry fee
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Annual dues: $[AMOUNT] per team. Due by [DATE — typically 2 weeks before the draft]. Teams that have not paid by draft day will not be allowed to draft until payment is confirmed.
Prize structure
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1st place: [50%] of the pot. 2nd place: [25%]. Regular season points leader: [10%]. Weekly high score: [$X each week]. Remainder: rollover to following season / divided by commissioner decision.
Last-place penalty
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Last-place finisher: [describe punishment or penalty here — see punishment ideas page]. Penalty must be completed by [DATE — typically before the next draft].
⚖️Commissioner & Conduct
Commissioner authority
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The commissioner's rulings on rules disputes are final. The commissioner may not make a ruling that directly benefits their own team. In case of commissioner conflict of interest, [backup commissioner name / majority vote] decides.
Inactive teams
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Any manager who fails to set a lineup for [2] consecutive weeks, or does not respond to league communications for [1] week during the season, may be replaced at the commissioner's discretion. Replacement manager inherits the roster as-is.
Rule changes
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Rules may not be changed mid-season. Rule change proposals must be submitted before [DATE — typically 2 months before next draft] and require [majority / 2/3 supermajority] vote to pass.
New managers
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New managers joining an existing league must be approved by [majority vote / commissioner]. New manager inherits an orphan team or enters through an expansion draft at commissioner's discretion.
Put it in writing
A rules document only works if it's shared before the season. Use the league constitution generator to build a formatted, shareable version — or paste these rules into a Google Doc and pin it in your group chat.
- Share rules before the draft — disputes about Week 1 trades shouldn't be the first time everyone reads them.
- Brackets in [square brackets] are blanks to fill in. Don't leave them — pick one.
- Put your prize and penalty rules in writing. Handshake agreements about last-place punishments don't hold.