2010 Trench Fantasy Rules

If you’ve ever dreamed of owning a professional sports team and truly value the entire game … not just the all-stars … then Trench Fantasy is for you!

Much like traditional fantasy sports, real athletes and their real-life performances are used to generate points for Trench Fantasy Football (TF). However, TF is focused on the overlooked aspects of the game as well as real team play … unit by unit … and puts you in the Coach’s seat and in the trenches where the game is decided.

In TF, your league can have up to 10 teams that follow a unique scoring method which values unit play of real NFL teams. We’re not ignoring the "skill positions," – far from it. There’s a reason that successful QBs and RBs give linemen expensive watches and cars. There’s also a reason that 65% of the 1st round NFL draft picks over the past few years have been trench players … the guys who are the foundation of their team’s success. Similarly, Trench Fantasy recognizes that the success of the 7 or 8 players that typically touch the ball is dependent upon all 53 guys on their team. Yes, there is no “I” in Trench Fantasy.

You and your fellow team owners hold a draft to fill your fantasy roster with real-life NFL team units — Offensive-Line, Defensive-Line, Defensive Secondary, Defensive Special Teams, Punting Unit, Kicking Unit and Kick-Off Squad. The statistics your units generate in their real-life games are collected, and fantasy points are awarded based on these numbers. The better your units perform, the more fantasy points accrue for your fantasy team.

Each week throughout the regular season, you will set your lineup based on how well you think your units will perform that week. Ultimately, these points determine which teams enter their fantasy playoffs.

The Commissioner

The Commissioner of a Fantasy Football league is responsible for coordinating and managing the league. Individual private league commissioners will be responsible for resolving any disputes that arise between league owners regarding rules, trading, or other issues. Trenches, Inc. will serve as the Commissioner for Trench Fantasy public leagues.

Live Draft Leagues or Automated Draft Leagues

Your Trench Fantasy Football team will acquire its units through a draft. Trench leagues can draft units via an Online Live Draft, an Automated Draft or a Manual Draft. In Online Mode you use the Draft Manager to control the draft. During the Live Draft, all participants in your league ("owners") will log in to an on-line "draft room" at a scheduled time. Each owner, in draft order, has just 90 seconds (subject to Commissioner customization) to select an available NFL unit for his or her team. You can use the Draft Manager if all league owners are sitting in one room, or located throughout the world. This has the advantage of allowing everyone to participate live regardless of their location.

You may prefer to participate in an Automated Draft league where you will arrange units in advance of the draft, using Rank Lists in the order that you'd like those unit selected for your team. The Automated Draft is then processed using your lists. The highest-ranked unit on your lists who is available, and fits the roster needs of your team, will be selected for you during each round of the automated draft.

In Manual Draft mode you enter the results of the draft after the actual draft has completed. This keeps track of who was drafted in what round.

Public league members will select a roster from all NFL teams.

Commissioner (Private) Leagues, Public Leagues, or Trench Prize Leagues

If you know all the owners who are going to be in your league, or you want to recruit individuals, you may want to join or create a Commissioner (Private) league. The Commissioner who creates a Private league will have the ability to control certain league functions and specify certain customizable parameters during league set-up. All Private leagues can have up to 10 participants, or team "owners." Team owners can be notified to join their league and set up their teams via e-mail from the Commissioner.

The Trench Public League is open to all eligible participants and filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Public league play is individual, and your team is ranked based on total points against all Public league members. Trench Prize Leagues are also available. For a fee, individuals may join a Trench Prize League and play in a season-long commissioner-style league, with a prize awarded to the Trench Prize League winner.

League Joining Deadline

After you become a Registered User, you may join a league anytime up to 11:59 PM ET on September 7, 2010. The first day of the NFL season is set for September 9, 2010. In order for your league's season to start with the first day of the NFL season, you must sign up by 11:59 PM ET on September 7, 2010 and your draft must be started by 11:59 pm ET on September 8, 2010. There will be no drafts held between the first day of the season, September 9, 2010 and the first Sunday of the season, September 12, 2010.

1. Divisional Win-Loss
2. Head to Head Results
3. Total Points

For teams that do not qualify for the playoffs, the season will effectively end. No further add/drop transactions will be permitted for any team that does not make the playoffs, or for any team that is eliminated from the playoffs.

Weekly Lineups
Each week, owners have the opportunity to select their starting lineup for the coming week. If an owner doesn't set a lineup before the weekly lineup deadline (explained in the "Deadline to Change Status" section below), the owner's lineup from the previous week will be used. If an owner has an incomplete lineup, their team will score zero points for the unspecified units.

Deadline to Change Status
An owner may change the status of the units on his/her team (i.e., "active" or "reserve") as specified by their Commissioner during league setup. Trench Fantasy will not be responsible if your watch or clock and our system clock are not synchronized. Trench Fantasy’s system clock will mark the official time for all deadlines.

1. Worst Win/Lost Record
2. Least Points Scored YTD
3. Most Points Scored Against YTD

If a team's highest pending transaction becomes invalid because another team received the requested unit, the transaction gets deleted and the team's next waiver request, if one exists, becomes that team's highest. If a team doesn't have any pending transactions because all units requested were taken by other teams, or the owner simply didn't request any units, there isn't any penalty and the Waiver Rank will not be changed for that week.

Waiver Schedule
The waiver period will begin either on Wednesday evening at 8PM EST or at Thursday Noon EST depending on the Commissioner setup.

Preseason
Once a league's draft is completed, units can be added and dropped subject to the Free Agent and Waiver rules discussed above. The initial Waiver Rank after the draft will be the reverse of the Draft Order. After the draft, all units not drafted will be placed on Waivers.

Trade Approval Process
In an effort to ensure fair competition and to prevent collusion among team owners, a trade approval process is used. After two owners agree to a trade, the trade may be put in a pending status. Trade approvals can be handled several ways at the decision of the Commissioner during league set-up including:

• Commissioner handles and approves all Trades
  
• Owners Vote where trades can be voided if an agreed number of team owners object
  
• Owners Propose/Accept/Trade without Restrictions

If you make a trade offer, be sure to monitor the status of that offer as the weekly lineup deadline approaches, to ensure that acceptance of that trade does not cause your team to have an illegal lineup for the current week's games.

All trades between owners must be made before the first game day of the week in order to be effective for the current week.

Multi-unit Trades
Owners can enter unbalanced multi-unit trades such as a 3 unit for 1 unit trade. A trade that results in an illegal roster will be allowed, however you will be required to enter the necessary transactions to correct your roster before your lineup is due for the coming week.

The Trench Fantasy offers leagues (“Trench Prize Leagues”) where individuals may pay an entry fee to play in a season-long, commissioner-style league for a first place cash prize.
Leagues will consist of six teams in one division, with head-to-head play during the season to generate a win-loss record. The top 2 teams go to a one-week playoff to determine the winner of the Trench Prize League. Rules specific to each league are found in the rules section of the league.

Signup/Overview
To enter the Trench Prize League via the Trench Fantasy website, click the appropriate navigational link on the Trench Fantasy website to register and agree to abide by the official rules governing the Terms of Use and Trench Prize League Rules, then follow the instructions to submit your entry, which includes payment, selecting your league, team name and team. Upon successfully entering your team, you will see your team in the “My Leagues” section of the website when signed in. All rules on the Trench Fantasy website apply to Trench Prize Leagues.

Deadline
Your Internet entry must be paid by credit card, using either MasterCard, VISA, American Express or Discover, and be received by 11:45 AM ET, Sunday, September 12, 2010. Trench Fantasy reserves the right to open additional Trench Prize Leagues under new pricing and terms after the NFL season has begun.
Mailed entries are not accepted.

The Trench Prize Leagues begins with games on Thursday, September 9, 2010, and ends with games up to Sunday, January 2, 2011, spanning the entire pro football season. The actual start and end date of each league depends on league entered, and the number of weeks played and playoffs structure are specified in each league.

Costs
To enter a Trench Prize League, there is a one-time entry fee. There are different levels of entry fees, selected by the player. There are no additional fees for modifying your team. All fees are payable in U.S. funds.

Enter by: September 11, 2010:
Entry Fees:
$10 or $25

Prizes
At the end of the Trench Prize League, prizes are awarded to the winning team in each league as follows:

Leagues will consist of 6 teams that have paid the same entry fee.

Cash prizes are awarded in U.S. dollars. Please allow 6-10 weeks from the conclusion of the Trench Prize League to receive your prize. If you are required to sign an affidavit of eligibility and liability release, please allow 6-10 weeks from the time your signed affidavit and release is returned. All prizes are awarded regardless of the number of entrants or amount of entry fees received. No substitution or transfer of prize is permitted, except that Trenches, Inc., reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal value or greater if the advertised prize is unavailable.

All prizes are awarded "as is" and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, (including, without limitation, any implied warranty of merchantability for a particular purpose). All taxes associated with the receipt or use of any prize are the sole responsibility of the winner. A 30% U.S. income tax withholding will be applied to all non-U.S. prize winners. In the event that the awarding of any prizes to winners of the Trench Prize League is challenged by any legal authority, Trenches, Inc. reserves the right in their sole discretion to determine whether or not to award such prizes.

Notification
Winners are notified by email within 30 days after the official final league and overall results (and associated winners) are posted at the conclusion of the Trench Prize Leagues. Winners are also posted on the Trench Fantasy website. Winners must return via email or regular mail an affidavit of eligibility and a liability/publicity release (unless prohibited by law) within 15 days following attempted notification. Failure to comply with this requirement can result in disqualification. Any prize notification returned as undeliverable may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner. After 12 months, any unclaimed prize will be forfeited.

By accepting any prize, the winners grant permission to Trenches, Inc, to use their names and/or likenesses for publicity and promotional purposes without further compensation, unless prohibited by law, and agree to execute a written consent. In the event of dispute about the identity of any entrant, entries made online are declared made by the authorized account holder of the email address submitted at time of entry. "Authorized account holder" is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an email address by an Internet access provider, online service provider or other organization that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address. A potential winner can be required to provide the sponsors with proof that the potential winner is the authorized account holder of the email address associated with the winning entry.

Select Team
Upon entry, an automated draft date is provided. Players will have the opportunity to adjust their pre-draft rankings for their team, which will determine the results of the automated draft. Upon completion of the automated draft, players will have their initial starting line-ups set based on the results of the draft. Players have the option to change teams in their starting lineup prior to each week, including week 1 of the Trench Prize League. Trades and Waivers are allowed in Trench Prize leagues, with Trade Control determined by a league vote.

Starting Lineup
Your starting lineup must consist of all 7 Trench Fantasy Positions. In Trench Fantasy, your starting lineup consists of team units, not individual players. For example, the Denver Offensive Line Pass or the Tennessee Defensive Line. In all Trench Fantasy Leagues, starting line-ups may not include more than 4 team units from the same NFL team in order for Trench Fantasy to remain consistent with the definition of fantasy football games and contests of skill versus chance.

Here are the Trench Fantasy Team Units:

• Offensive Line – Run
• Offensive Line – Pass
• Defensive Line
• Defensive Secondary
• Defensive Special Team/Return Team
• Punting Unit
• Kicking Team

Available Team Units
The draft pool consists of all 32 NFL teams at each of the 7 Trench Fantasy positions, for a total of 224 potential team units to play. Players may choose to add or drop or trade units from their teams, subject to specific league rules.

Modify Team Overview
To modify your team via the Internet, click the appropriate navigational link on the Trench Fantasy website, login using your user email and password (if you haven't already done so), modify your starting lineup as needed, submit the modifications.

The number of modifications you may make are limited in Trench Prizes leagues, are specific to each Trench Prize League’s rules.

Deadlines and Stat Week
During the Trench Prize Leagues, modifications must be made before game time of the team units being modified.
The team units will be frozen once their respective game time has started.

Bye Week Switch
A bye week switch occurs when you replace a team unit from your starting lineup whose team has a bye with a team unit from your team whose team doesn't have a bye. Bye week switches are unlimited during in Trench Fantasy Leagues, including Trench Prize leagues. and must involve team units listed at the same position.

Modify Team Costs
There are no fees for modifying your team.

Scoring Overview
Statistics are accumulated each week for all team units in your starting lineup using the standard Trench Fantasy scoring system.
Scoring System

To determine standings, teams are placed in head-to-head weekly matchups of the respective starting lineups. The team with more Trench Fantasy points at the end of the week earning a win. The team with the fewer Trench Fantasy points earns a loss. The teams with the two best Win-Loss records at the end of the season time frame will face head-to-head in a playoff one week after the Trench Fantasy regular season ends. Tie-breaker rules are specific to each league, and are found in the league rules for each league.

In the event that any game is postponed or canceled for any reason and the game is not played on or before the following Wednesday, players on the teams in the postponed/canceled game will receive no stats for that week.

Results Overview
To determine standings, teams are ranked based on Win-Loss record. Tie-breaker systems are found in each league’s rules.
Team, league, division, and overall reports are updated on the website each Tuesday (see statistics corrections, above) and reflect statistics through the previous weekend's games.

Prizes Overview
Trench Prize Leagues offer a cash prize. Prizes are awarded at the end of the Trench Prize Leagues season to winning team of the Trench Prize League.
In the unlikely event of a tie, prizes are divided evenly among those who have tied. Tie-breaking methods such as coin-flip and other ‘chance’ options are not used in Trench Fantasy because this is a game of skill, much like all other fantasy football leagues.

Entry
To enter Trench Prize Leagues via the Internet, you must complete the registration and entry forms available at the Trench Fantasy website. There is no limit to the number of paid entries per individual, although an individual may have only one team in a given league. All Internet entries must be paid by credit card, using MasterCard, VISA, American Express, or Discover, and must be registered for a league with a draft time no later than 8 AM ET, Sunday, September 12, 2010.

Eligibility
The leagues are open to individuals who have reached legal age in their respective jurisdiction. Individuals who have not reached legal age in their respective jurisdiction can enter only with permission of a parent or legal guardian. Void where prohibited by law. Employees and immediate family members of Trenches, Inc, its sponsors, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotional agencies are not eligible to win prizes.

Game of Skill
The Trench Prize Leagues and all Trench Fantasy games are games of skill. Winners are determined by the objective criteria listed on this website. From all entries received, winners are determined by the individuals who use their skill and knowledge of relevant professional football information and fantasy football rules to accumulate the highest point totals or winning records during the Trench Fantasy season according to the official Trench Fantasy rules.

Trench Prize League Term
The Trench Prize Leagues begin with games on Thursday, September 9, 2010, and ends with games on Sunday, January 2, 2011, spanning the entire pro football season. Specific league season lengths vary and are listed in each league’s rules.

Notification
Winners are notified by email or regular mail within 30 days after the official final league, division and overall results (and associated winners) are posted at the conclusion of the Trench Fantasy season. on the Trench website or its affiliate websites. Winners must return via email or regular mail an affidavit of eligibility and a liability/publicity release (unless prohibited by law) within 15 days following attempted notification. Failure to comply with this requirement can result in disqualification. Any prize notification returned as undeliverable may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner. After 12 months, any unclaimed prize will be forfeited.

By accepting any prize, the winners grant permission to Trenches, Inc. to use their names and/or likenesses for publicity and promotional purposes without further compensation, unless prohibited by law, and agree to execute a written consent. In the event of dispute about the identity of any entrant, entries made online are declared made by the authorized account holder of the email address submitted at time of entry. "Authorized account holder" is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an email address by an Internet access provider, online service provider or other organization that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address. A potential winner can be required to provide the sponsors with proof that the potential winner is the authorized account holder of the email address associated with the winning entry.

Official Rules
The Trench Prize Leagues and other Trench Fantasy leagues are subject to all United States laws, and to the Trench Fantasy official rules, and cannot be used in connection with any form of gambling. By entering the Trench Fantasy leagues, you agree to abide by the terms of the official rules and by the decisions of Trenches, Inc., which are final on all matters pertaining to the Trench Fantasy Leagues. Trenches, Inc. reserves the right to change the official rules at any time, in its sole discretion. Official rules can be obtained on the Trench Fantasy website.