[PINNED] Depth Chart Rules & Regulations

DEPTH CHART STRUCTURE

C: Starter / Backup / Emergency
PF: Starter / Backup / Emergency
SF: Starter / Backup / Emergency
SG: Starter / Backup / Emergency
PG: Starter / Backup / Emergency

IR: Only and exactly 12 players on your roster can be active at one time

Scoring Options:

1.
2.
3.

Pace: Very Slow, Slow, Normal, Fast, or Very Fast
Trap Frequency: Never, Sometimes, Normal, Often, or Always
Press Frequency: Never, Sometimes, Normal, Often, or Always
Offensive Focus: Inside, Balanced, or Outside

All GM's are required to submit a valid depth chart for a sim to take place. Any depth chart with errors included must be corrected. Some sim events will force you to make an update; the rules in place have been designed to minimize the number of depth chart fixes needed between sims.

ROSTER MINIMUMS

During the regular season, you have to have at least fourteen players on your roster (2 on injured reserve). I will allow an exception of only having 13 on your roster for one sim, so long as it's not the first or last sim of the season.

All 12 players on your active roster must be real players, no exceptions.

POSITION RULES

In general, you can only play players at positions they're eligible to play at. Players' eligibility for certain positions may vary depending on whether you're trying to start a player or not -- smaller roles usually provide additional flexibility. The full position eligibility list can be found here: Position Eligibility List

Under each position, you must have at least 3 unique players listed: Starter, Backup, and Emergency. There cannot be any repeats under the same position. You also cannot list a Starter as a Backup at any position.

FORMATTING

All depth chart updates must be submitted in full. All changes must be bolded, and only changes should be bolded -- bolding the entire thing will not suffice.

INJURIES

If your Starter at any position is injured, the Backup behind him must be eligible to start at that position. If he's not, you will be required to change your depth chart. If the Backup listed is also injured, the Emergency player must be a new player (non-starter) who is also eligible to start at that position. You cannot list three injured players at the same position.

If a player is out for 10 or more days at the start of the sim, he has to go on your injured reserve for that sim. If you want to make an adjustment mid-sim to bring the player back, this option is available for purchase in the League Shop (link).

Once a player returns from injury, you'll be required to reactivate the player from the injured reserve.

If your roster does not comply with any of these rules, you'll be forced to make a roster move.

OFFENSIVE FOCUS

Balanced
If you want to run a Balanced depth chart, you can completely ignore this section.

Outside
If you want to run an Outside-focused depth chart, every point guard in your rotation must have at least a B- grade in both OUT and HAN. If you want to run any of the point guards in your rotation as a scoring option while running Outside, there are even further restrictions:

Option	Minimum Criteria
1st Option	At least B- INS and one of the following: 1) At least B+ OUT and B+ HAN 2) At least B OUT and A- HAN 3) At least A- OUT and B HAN
2nd Option	At least B- INS, B OUT, and B HAN
3rd Option	At least C+ INS, or at least A- OUT and A- HAN

Let me reiterate, this table only applies to point guards if you're trying to run an Outside-focused depth chart.

Inside
If you want to run an Inside-focused depth chart, 2 of your 3 scoring options must be either Power Forwards or Centers on the index, and all three options must have an INS grade of B- or better.

Anti-Tanking Rules

If you're intentionally trying to lose games to better your draft pick, there are still rules you have to follow.

The best players on your roster have to play. If you are actively benching players on your roster for blatantly worse players, you will be flagged for tanking and required to correct this.

Giving significant minutes to players who are minimum-quality players is also a likely flag. I say "minimum-quality" because I do not want you to read this and think signing awful players to contracts higher than a minimum gets you around this flag.

All other tanking flags are my own discretion. I've run enough leagues, I know a depth chart designed to tank when I see it. Also, just because a player was valid in a certain position on one team does not guarantee that would apply for all teams.

All depth charts are subject to the Option Manifesto, which requires a minimum level of quality on your roster to fill the scoring option roles.

Forward Flip

We all know there are certain archetypes in FBB that just do not work like they do in real life. I'm not positive the solution is out there, but I want to try to find it. That's why I'm introducing the "Forward Flip" in TSFBL III. If your power forward is a guy who can knock down the long ball, he might be way better as a small forward in this old game's engine. In previous leagues, you wouldn't be able to try that out. Now, we're going to give it a shot.

The Forward Flip is exactly as it sounds; you can take your starting SF and starting PF and flip them in your depth chart. This does not mean you can play two power forwards at the forward spots. If you use the flip, your starting PF must be eligible to START at SF^a.

The maximum INS grade a PF can have to be eligible for the Forward Flip is C+.

Please note that I'm bringing this in on a trial basis. If it winds up being too overpowered, I will scale it back accordingly, and possibly even remove it entirely.

Notes:
a - Hybrid forwards are fine.

Playoff Depth Charts

When the playoffs start, your injured reserve locks for the entire post-season. If you have a player on injured reserve who won't be back immediately when the playoffs start, you should still pull him off your IR at this time, even if he's out 10+ days.

You will have the opportunity to update your depth chart in between each round of the playoffs. If a player is injured for an entire round, he cannot be on your depth chart for that round.

You must have at least three players who are eligible to start at point guard on your active playoff roster, to account for emergency situations. If this requires you to sign a player right before the playoffs start, so be it.

All other rules apply as normal.