FAN FAVORITE PLAYER PROGRESSIVE LEAGUE (FFFPL) GUIDELINES AND RULES*

FRANCHISE PROGRESSIVE LEAGUE guidelines
A. FFFPL is a 24 team league.
1. There will be two 12 team leagues.
2. There will be no interleague play.
3. There will be no interleague trading
4. The West division of both leagues will be made up of 4 alternate teams from the opposite league.
4. a. Because there were only 16 teams in MLB in 1950 four additional AL and NL teams will be allowed to enter
4. b. These teams will be determined by the first dual sign-ups in the FFFPL.
4. c. If these alternate west division team drops a FFP that player is just gone.

B. UNIQUE RULES FOR MAKING THE FFFPL YOUR FAVORITE PROGRESSIVE LEAGUE
1. FFP (Fan Favorite Players) are the nine core Franchise players from your favorite franchise.
1. a. The original nine are picked from any players on your Franchise's 1950 roster. (same concept later if we have expansion teams)
1. b. 3-3-9 Rule: There must always be at least 3 pitchers and 3 hitters on the roster at the season's outset. (the other 3 are owners choice)
1. c. AMMENED NO LONGER USED It is possible that some rookies will be claimed by two teams....only fair to allow dual ownership when WIS had dual MLB stats.
1. c. 1. AMENDMENT 1 FOR FFFPL.
AS VOTED BY OUR 1951 OWNERS....
Definition of Rookie Rights. Rights will be held by the 1st team for which WIS has individual team stats meeting rookie PA or IP requirements. Season totals or future years service are of no matter. Rookies who appear in MLB, have combined WIS team stats in their rookie season but no individual team stats, will belong to the first team for which said rookie appeared in MLB.

2. Each season thereafter, an owner may select incoming rookies from their franchise.
2. a. This will happen approximately game 125.
2. b. Another FFP to be dropped must be designated at the same time for each player claimed.
2. c. There is no limit to the number an owner may add....0-9 okay.
2. d. FFP count must be at 9 prior to the draft or the owner's 1st draft selection will be dropped 6 PER INFRACTION. (heavy penalty but the FFP is basis of league).
2. e. Once a player is traded or released he is not considered any owner's or team's FFP.

3. All players not designated as FFP are eligible in each league.
3. a. This ensures plenty of roster talent...ie PA and IP... in both leagues.

4. Select your own AAA players (and in some years roster fillers).
4. a. A random 5 year period will be selected prior to draft (ie. 40-44, 45-49, 50-54).
4. b. AAA players will number * 8....6 fielders and 2 pitchers. *AMENDED TO ANY 4 PLAYERS BY LEAGUE VOTE
4. c. Any players from your franchise with in those years and have a salary of **less than 500k may be selected to fill AAA or final roster spots. **AMENDED TO LESS THAN 1 MILLION BY SAME LEAGUE VOTE
4. d. All AAA players will be dropped following season.
4. e. AAA may be traded.
5. Trading FFPs:
5. a. You may trade FFPs until each season's trade deadline.*
5. b. You cannot trade FFPs after the trade deadline ("YOU CAN'T HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO." rule) You either must release them at the end of the year or keep them as FFPs for the next season. this rule is clarified as it was formerly considered covered above in 2. d and the Keepers deadline*
5. c. A traded FFP (or dropped) may be reacquired but cannot be renamed an FFP. Said player cannot be reacquired until the next draft in the case of a dropped player or until the next season has started and the trade is submitted through the general mangers trade post. (Clarification edited in Feb 1, 2022 to avoid manipulation of the FFP concept).


STANDARD RULE REVIEW
C. FOLLOWING ARE SOME STANDARD RULES WE FOLLOW OR USE OPTIONS
1. Teams have 25 man rosters with additional 8 AAA players all selected through draft and AAA format.
1. a. 120 million cap
2. NO DH
3. NO WW
4. NO Live
5. NO max on eligible IR
6 Four votes are required to veto trade.
6. a. You cannot vote on trade in opposite league (NL doesn't vote on AL and vice versa)
7. Injuries on
8. YES Transaction Deadline at game 120.
9. Ball parks must match team to season.
10. Team names must include at least one recognizable trait. (ie. Bronx Bombers, NY Pinstripes, Northern Yankees, but not Flatbush Flyers)
11. Keepers are to be posted by Keeper Deadline.
11. a. Owners will be given a 48 hour notice to verify their keepers versus the available players list prior to draft startup.
11. b. if a player is left off the keeper list by an owner he cannot be reclaimed once the Keeper Deadline is passed
11. c. if a player is on a Keeper list but missed by Commissioner when removing players for the Available Players List that player may be reclaimed up until he is drafted by another team.
11. d. SNOOZE YOU LOSE RULE if a player is selected by another team and the original team did not verify the available players list and the player is taken....Snooze You Loose... the player belongs to the new owner.
12. Realignment by geographical zones will only occur every 5 seasons (55,60,65 etc) to accomidate new owners, new parks, expansion teams, etc.
12. a. teams who change parks like Dodgers, or Giants in 50's, will need to change stadiums but will not change divisions until the 5th year noted above.

D. GOOD OF THE LEAGUE RULE: This is a commissioners discretion rule and meant to be used seldom. Cases such as an owner not showing up for draft, not entering league, missing excessive picks, being rude or abusive towards another owner, tanking, or doing absurd things. Any of which may require the rare commissioner input/decision.

SEASONS AND DRAFTS IN 1951 AND FOLLOWING:
Before the season starts, approximately game 125, owners will be given the opportunity to look at the next season's incoming rookies on their MLB Franchise.
1. The owner may claim any incoming rookie with WIS stats from his Franchise's MLB roster designating the player as a FFP.
2. At the same time a player is claimed, another must be designated to be dropped, when the current season ends.
3. The minimum and maximum numbers of pitchers/hitters must be maintained between 3 and 6.

DRAFT ORDER
1. Draft order in each league will be worst to first.
2. Ties for draft order will be determined by the team who picked higher the previous draft picking lower in the current.
3. The commissioner will make missed 1st round picks in the event an owner does not. This will be done in the last hour prior to the next round, are permanent, and based solely who the Commissioner has rated highest the time.
4. Draft positions for playoff teams are last four being determined down as they are eliminated to W.S. Champs picking 12th.

DROP AND ADD ONE PLAYER ALLOWED. After the last round schedule has been completed for appox. 24 hrs there will be a drop one player per team and add 1 player per team opportunity (as voted and amended rule July 2018 to start with the 1953 draft).

1. This round will be strictly first come first served.

1. b. players selected in that draft cannot be dropped
1. c. players traded during that draft (after the official word that off the clock drafting may start) cannot be dropped.
1. d. dropped players may be picked up by another team BUT are not allowed to be picked up for an hour. (don't pick early you will not get the player!)
1. d. 1. This means any player dropped after 11:01 pm eastern in the 23rd hour of the drop/add round will be ineligible to be picked up.

2. No proxies.
3. Drop/Add round will be one single 24 hour period.
3. a. If drop/add is not done within the 24 hour window the transaction will not be recognized as a legal transaction and therefore disallowed!


Progressives are meant to progress. We will move from one season to the next quickly. I have found this very effective for keeping owners interested, involved and long term. Please join if you can commit to doing this.

THERE IS A CHANCE THAT WE WILL HAVE TO MODIFY ABOVE RULES IF THE NEED TO FINE TUNE ARISES.

*amended February 19, 2018 for the first season.
*3-3-9 note added to B 1. b March 17, 2019
*trading FFP's clarification added in B 5., 5. a and B 5. b
**amended rule 4 and 4 a from 8 AAA player and .500 k max. May 23 2020

ANNOTATIONS:
New Owner Joining league at any time in future.
Basically new owners have three options:
1) Take over team as it stands in its entirety including FFF (MLB affiliate)
2) Take over team but change his MLB Affiliate to an unused same division team.
2. a. must add rookies from new FFF until 9 is reached (three seasons with commissioner dispensation for 4th if franchise dictates)
3) Take over team by selecting to take an expansion team. (ie Angels, Expos, Mets, Mariners, Rockies)

a. Note that once we hit the expansion years only unused MLB franchises will be allowed to be chosen unless all MLB teams are currently in use.
b. Note that once an owner established he wants to switch FFF that 1st draft all current FFP's must be dropped and then replaced by 9 new players from the newly chosen FFF by the new owner. ie in 1969 new owner comes in.
b. 1. ie: Going to take over Pirates but switching to Montreal. Clemente, Stargell, Oliver, Hebner, Sanguillen, Ellis etc (the 9 Pirate FFP's) must be dropped to the draft pool.
b. 2. The new owner will designate 9 1969 Montreal players, at least three which will have to be rookies, over the next three seasons. franchise FFP's ie adding rookies CoCo Laboy, Steve Renko and Carl Morton, Donn Clendenon, Staub etc..... Clendennon may have been a Pirate FFP but would qualify to continue on as a Montreal FFP.
b. 3. Any players on the previous franchise/season's roster that is on the new Franchise roster can be named as an original FFP. (using above example if the Pirates had Rusty Staub in the outfield, a non-ffp, and Montreal replaced Pittsburgh in our league then the Montreal owner would be allowed, in the first year, to name Staub as an ongoing FFP)