MSR M20 Rules

2. GAMEPLAY SETTINGS
•GAMEPLAY - SIMULATION
•DIFFICULTY - ALL MADDEN
•QUARTER LENGTH - 6 MINUTES
•ACCELERATED CLOCK - OFF
•GAME SPEED - NORMAL
•INJURIES - ON
•PRE-EXISTING INJURIES - OFF
•FILL ROSTER - OFF
•CUSTOM COACH
•CUSTOM PLAYBOOKS

3. PUNISHMENTS
• OBVIOUSLY SOME PENALTIES/INFRACTIONS WILL BE MORE SEVERE THAN OTHERS, BUT FOR THE
MINOR RULES THAT ARE BROKEN, THE FOLLOWING WILL BE USED TO ENFORCE PENALTIES:
• 1ST OFFENSE: WARNING
• 2ND OFFENSE: 1-2 GAME SUSPENSION
• 3RD OFFENSE: 3-4 GAME SUSPENSION
• 4TH OFFENSE: 6 GAME SUSPENSION AND LOSS OF TRADING PRIVILEGES FOR 1 SEASON
• 5TH OFFENSE: REMOVAL FROM LEAGUE
• ALL PENALTIES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON THE SEVERITY OF RULES BROKEN

4. OFFENSIVE GAMEPLAY
• YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO INTENTIONALLY CHEW CLOCK UNTIL THERE IS LESS THAN 3 MINUTES
LEFT IN 4TH QUARTER.
• YOU CAN NOT FLIP A PLAY WHEN BREAKING THE HUDDLE. IF YOU DO FLIP A PLAY AFTER
REACHING THE LOS YOU MUST GIVE YOUR OPPONENT A CHANCE (2-3 SEC) TO RESET THEIR
DEFENSE.
• IF YOU MANUALLY MOTION PLAYERS THEY MUST BE SET FOR AT LEAST 1-2 SECONDS PRIOR TO
HIKING THE FOOTBALL.
• THE PLAYMAKER FEATURE AND ALL SHOTGUN MONSTER FORMATIONS ARE PROHIBITED

5. NO RUNNING UP THE SCORE, WHEN TO KNEEL
• THE FOLLOWING RULES ARE IN PLACE TO KEEP
THE STATISTICAL NATURE OF THE LEAGUE AS
SIM AS POSSIBLE, WHILE ALSO PROMOTING
LEAGUE SPORTSMANSHIP.
• CHEW CLOCK IS PERMITTED AT 3 MINUTES, OR
IF YOUR OPPONENT REQUESTS IT SOONER.
• YOU CANNOT PURPOSELY RUN UP THE
SCORE. THIS DOES NOT MEAN YOU HAVE TO
RUN THE BALL ALL THREE PLAYS, YOU MAY
ALWAYS ATTEMPT TO GAIN THE FIRST DOWN.
• THE FOLLOWING MUST HAPPEN IF IT MATCHES THE SITUATION
DESCRIBED:
• FIRST HALF: LEADING BY ANY AMOUNT - PLAY AS NORMAL
• 3RD QUARTER: LEADING BY 5 TDS - NO OFFENSIVE TOUCHDOWNS
ALLOWED. ONLY FIELD GOALS AND DEFENSE TOUCHDOWNS ALLOWED
UNTIL LEAD SHRINKS UNDER 5 TDS.
• 4TH QUARTER: LEADING BY 4 TDS - NO OFFENSIVE TOUCHDOWNS
ALLOWED. ONLY FIELD GOALS AND DEFENSE TOUCHDOWNS ALLOWED
UNTIL LEAD SHRINKS UNDER 4 TDS.
• UNDER 2 MINUTES: LEADING BY 3 TDS - OFFENSIVE KEY STARTERS (QB,
RB, WR) MUST BE PULLED. ONLY FIELD GOALS AND DEFENSE
TOUCHDOWNS ALLOWED UNTIL LEAD SHRINKS UNDER 2 TDS.
• QB KNEELING: IF UNDER 2 MINUTE WARNING, AND YOUR OPPONENT
DOES NOT HAVE ANY TIMEOUTS OR IS NOT USING THEM, YOU MUST QB
KNEEL.

6. SCRAMBLING
• QB SCRAMBLING IS ONLY ALLOWED IN THE FOLLOWING SITUATIONS LISTED BELOW
• READ-OPTION AND DESIGNED QB ROLLOUT PLAYS
• RECEIVERS CAN'T GET OPEN (MUST BE A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME TO SCAN PROGRESSIONS)
• POCKET IS COLLAPSING AND/OR THE QB IS ESCAPING A SACK
• QB ARE NEVER ALLOWED TO STAND NEAR THE SIDELINE WAITING TO THROW THE BALL

7. OFFENSIVE PLAY CALLING
• STRATEGICALLY MIX UP YOUR PLAY CALLING. NO ABUSING CERTAIN FORMATIONS, ROUTES, OR CONCEPTS.
• WHEN CALLING OFFENSIVE PLAYS YOU MAY ONLY USE A PLAY TWICE PER GAME AND THAT IS TRACKED STRICTLY BY PLAY NAME. FORMATION DOES NOT MATTER.
• FOR EXAMPLE: IF YOU CALL HB STRETCH OUT OF SINGLE BACK AND THEN AGAIN OUT OF IFORM YOU CAN NO LONGER USE A PLAY NAMED HB STRETCH. YOU MAY USE
OTHER STRETCH RUNS WITH DIFFERENT NAMES THOUGH.
• IE HB SLANT 18, ACE STRETCH, STRETCH, ETC.
• MIX UP RUNS AND PASSES NO MORE THAN 70% EITHER WAY. THIS WILL BE MONITORED OFTEN.
• RUN PLAYS SHOULD ALSO BE RAN AS DESIGNED. INSIDE RUNS SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN STRAIGHT TO THE SIDELINE
• DO NOT RELY ON GO-TO PLAYS IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS REPEATEDLY.
A PATTERN OF OVERUSING ANY PLAYER IS NOT ALLOWED.
• YOUR #1 PASS CATCHER SHOULD NOT HAVE MORE CATCHES THAN YOUR #2 AND #3 COMBINED AT ANYTIME DURING OF THE SEASON. THIS WILL BE MONITORED
AFTER WEEK 4.
• HOT ROUTES CANNOT DEEMED EXCESSIVE AND/OR MECHANICAL. HOT ROUTES ARE PART OF THE GAME THAT SHOULD BE USED STRATEGICALLY AND NOT MECHANICALLY.

8. PLAY-ACTION
• PLAY-ACTION MUST SET UP BY UTILIZING THE RUN.
• PA IS ALLOWED ON THE FIRST PLAY OF THE GAME.
• DO NOT USE ON OBVIOUS PASSING DOWNS.
• DO NOT USE ON 2ND AND MORE THAN 15
• DO NOT USE ON 3RD OR 4TH AND 6 OR MORE.
• DO NOT USE PA IN 4TH QUARTER UNDER 1 MINUTE WITH 0 TIMEOUTS.
• IF THE HB IS BLOCKING IT IS STILL CONSIDERED PLAY ACTION

9. NO HUDDLE OFFENSE
• YOU MAY ONLY USE NO HUDDLE OFFENSE IN THE FOLLOWING SITUATIONS.
• ONCE PER DRIVE AT ANYTIME
• DURING THE FINAL 2 MINUTES OF THE 1ST HALF.
• LOSING BY 10 POINTS OR MORE ANYTIME IN THE FOURTH QUARTER
• MIXING UP PLAY CALLING IN STILL REQUIRED

10. 4TH DOWN RULE
• YOU MAY GO FOR IT YOU ARE IN ANY OF THE BELOW SITUATIONS ONLY
• 4TH AND 1 INSIDE OPPONENTS 40
• ANY TIME INSIDE THE 2 YARD LINE
• TRAILING BY 17+ POINTS AT ANY TIME
• TRAILING BY 10+ POINTS IN 4TH QTR
• TRAILING BY 1+ POINT WITH UNDER 4 MIN TO GO IN THE 4TH QTR
• ONE FREE COACH'S CHOICE

11. DEFENSIVE PLAY CALLING
• YOU MUST RUSH A MINIMUM OF 3 DEFENDERS
• YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO MOVE A PLAYER PRE-SNAP ON DEFENSE ASIDE FROM THE PLAYER YOU ARE USERING.
• WHEN USERING A DEFENDER IN ZONE COVERAGE YOU MUST INITIALLY STRAFE (HOLD LT) AND YOU MUST REMAIN STRAFING UNTIL THE BALL IS THROWN.
• THE EXCEPTION TO THIS RULE IS IF YOU CHOOSE TO "MAN UP" ON A RECEIVER WHO PASSES THROUGH YOUR ZONE. AT THAT POINT YOU MAY STOP
STRAFING, BUT IF YOU DO SO THEN YOU ARE COMMITTING TO THAT RECEIVER UNTIL THE BALL LEAVES THE QUARTERBACKS HAND. YOU CANNOT GO
BACK TO YOUR ZONE OR FOLLOW ANOTHER PLAYER
• ONCE THE QB LEAVES THE POCKET.
• YOU DO NOT HAVE TO STRAFE WHEN USERING MAN TO MAN COVERAGE BUT MUST REMAIN ON THE MAN FROM THE PLAY ART.
• YOU ARE USERING AND THE OPPONENT RUNS A PLAY ACTION PLAY AND YOU BITE ON THE PLAY ACTION, YOU ARE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE AFTER THE
QB OR YOU CAN DROP BACK INTO YOUR ASSIGNMENT.
• IF YOU CHANGE A PLAYERS DEFENSIVE ASSIGNMENT, THEN YOU CANNOT USER THAT PLAYER.
• YOU MUST RUN A MIXTURE OF MAN AND ZONE DEFENSE THROUGHOUT THE GAME. NO MORE THAN 70% EITHER WAY.

12. DEFENSIVE PLAY CALLING CONT.
• YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED TO CALL THE SAME NAMED DEFENSIVE PLAY WITHIN A SET OF
DOWNS. IF YOUR OPPONENT GETS A 1ST DOWN YOUR PLAY CALLING IS RESET.
• EXAMPLE :
IF YOU CALL COVER 2 MAN ON 1ST DOWN YOU MUST WAIT UNTIL YOUR OPPONENT GETS A 1ST
DOWN IN ORDER TO CALL THAT PLAY AGAIN.
• THIS RULE IS AVOID WHEN YOUR OPPONENT CALLS NO HUDDLE ON OFFENSE
• YOU MUST MIX UP YOUR DEFENSIVE PLAY CALLING IN TERMS OF MULTIPLE FORMATIONS AND SETS.
• YOUR DEFENSIVE PLAY CALLING SHOULD ALSO BE REALISTIC IN TERMS OF PERSONNEL. (YOU SHOULD
NOT BE IN 3-4 ON 3RD AND LONG WITH 3-4 WRS)

13. KICK/PUNT RETURNS
• KICK RETURNS
• DO NOT MANUALLY MOVE PLAYERS TO SET UP BLOCKING.
• PUNTS
• ALL PUNTS SHOULD LAND IN A CATCHABLE AREA, UNLESS THE BALL GOES OUT OF BOUNDS PREVIOUS
TO THE 20 YARD LINE. NO COFFIN CORNER PUNTS.
• NO POOCH PUNTS OR EXTREMELY SHORT PUNTS THAT CAUSES THE CAMERA TO GLITCH AND MAKES
THE KICK UNCATCHABLE.

14. ROSTER MANAGEMENT
• USER TEAMS NEED 53 PLAYERS PRIOR TO WEEK 1 OF THE REGULAR SEASON TO PLAY. USER TEAMS MAY NOT HAVE LESS THAN 53 PLAYERS AT ANY GIVEN TIME DURING THE
REGULAR SEASON.
• IF YOU SIGN A PRACTICE SQUAD PLAYER YOU MUST CARRY HIM ON YOUR ACTIVE 53 FOR THE WHOLE SEASON.
• THE FOLLOWING ADJUSTMENTS ARE ALLOWED:
• FB > HB
• TE, FB <> TE, FB
• T, G, C <> T, G, C
• DT, DE <> DT, DE - 280 LBS. MINIMUM
• OLB, MLB <> OLB, MLB
• DE, OLB <> DE, OLB - ONLY WITH LEAGUE ADMIN APPROVAL.
• FS <> SS
• YOU MAY NOT USE A FORMATION SUB (RIGHT STICK ON THE PLAY CALL SCREEN) IF IT PLACES A PLAYER OUT OF POSITION.
• EXAMPLE :
46 SPEED PACKAGE - THIS FORMATION SUB PUTS CBS IN AT THE LB POSITION.

15. ROSTER MANAGEMENT CONT.
• DO NOT CUT FREE AGENTS DURING THE PLAYOFFS.
• NO TEAMS SHOULD SIGN FA AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THEIR WEEK 17 GAME.
• IF A PLAYOFF TEAM HAS INJURIES OCCUR IN WEEK 17 THAT THEY MUST FILL, IT SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO
COMMISSIONER'S ATTENTION AND MUST BE APPROVED TO SIGN ANYONE AFTER WEEK 17 GAME IS COMPLETED.
• YOU CANNOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, CHANGE A PLAYERS NAME.
• ALL EQUIPMENT AND PLAYER NUMBERS MUST MEET NFL REGULATIONS.
• CONTRACT LENGTH
• THE MAX NUMBER OF YEARS YOU CAN SIGN A PLAYER FOR IS CAPPED AT 5. THE ONLY EXCEPTION TO THIS RULE IS IF THAT
PLAYER IS ASKING FOR 6 OR 7 YEARS, AND YOU MUST PROVIDE A SCREENSHOT OF THEIR DESIRED CONTRACT TO YOUR
CONFERENCE ADMIN.

16. ROSTER MANAGEMENT CONT.
• PRE/REGULAR SEASON FREE AGENCY
• PRESEASON WEEK 1: 1 FA TOTAL
• PRESEASON WEEKS 2-3: 1 FA OVER 70 OVR & UNLIMITED FA 70 OVR AND UNDER
• REGULAR SEASON: NO RESTRICTIONS

17. ROSTER MANAGEMENT CONT.
• CUTTING PLAYERS
• YOU ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO CUT PLAYERS WHO ARE UNDER 80 OVERALL DURING THE SEASON TO MAKE
ROOM FOR CAP. ANY PLAYER THAT IS HIGHER THAN 89 OVERALL MUST BE RELEASED DURING THE
OFFSEASON (RE-SIGN STAGE OR FA STAGE) TO PREVENT COLLUSION AND ALLOW FOR ALL TEAMS TO BID
THROUGH FREE AGENCY. THESE OVERALLS WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE PLAYERS RATINGS ON
DADDYLEAGUES.
• YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO CUT PLAYERS AND THEN RE-SIGN THEM TO A CHEAPER CONTRACT. ONCE A
PLAYER IS CUT A TEAM MAY NOT RESIGN THAT PLAYER FOR ONE FULL SEASON (UNLESS IT IS TO PLACE THEM
ON THEIR PRACTICE SQUAD THEN THEY MAY NOT BE PUT BACK ON THE MAIN ROSTER UNTIL THE
OFFSEASON.)

18. ROSTER MANAGEMENT CONT.
• FREE AGENCY
• ALL BIDS MUST BE REALISTIC AND FAIR. YOU MAY NOT OFFER LESS THAN 50 POINTS ON A PLAYER.
• IN THE FINAL HOUR OF A FREE AGENCY ROUND YOU CANNOT PLACE A NEW BID. YOU MAY ONLY INCREASE AN EXISTING
BID TO MATCH THE HIGHEST BID.
• IF YOU RELEASE A PLAYER TO SAVE CAP ROOM THEN ATTEMPT TO RESIGN THEM, YOU MAY NOT OFFER ANY LESS THAN
WHAT THE PLAYER IS ASKING FOR IN YEARS, SALARY OR BONUS.
• NO TRADING OF FREE AGENTS DURING THE SAME SEASON YOU SIGNED THEM.
• STAFF RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MAKE CERTAIN PLAYERS INELIGIBLE FOR BIDS BASED ON CONFIRMED GLITCHES WHERE
PLAYERS FAIL TO RESIGN AND OTHER ISSUES THAT MAY OCCUR.
• IF STAFF DETERMINES WINNING BIDS ARE UNREALISTIC, WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CANCEL OR NULLIFY THOSE BIDS AND
THE TEAM WILL BE STUCK WITH THE SUBSEQUENT CAP PENALTY.

19. TRADES
• MEMBERS ARE ONLY ALLOWED 2 PLAYER TRADES PER SEASON (THESE INCLUDE PLAYER FOR PICKS OR
PLAYER FOR PLAYER TRADES) AND AN UNLIMITED NUMBER OF PICKS FOR PICKS TRADES PER SEASON.
IF AN OWNER CHOOSES TO TRADE TWO PLAYERS IN ONE TRADE, THIS WOULD STILL ONLY COUNT AS
1 OF THEIR 2 PLAYER TRADES PER SEASON.
• TRADES MUST NOT BE MORE THAN 3×3 (PLAYERS).
• ALL TRADED PLAYERS MUST REMAIN WITH NEW TEAM FOR REMAINDER OF SEASON.
• TRADE COMMITTEE APPROVAL OF TRADES IS DETERMINED ACCORDING TO FAIRNESS, CAP
PENALTIES, BIG NAMES, DRAFT ROUND, LOGIC, MEMBER STANDING AND WELFARE OF THE TEAMS
AND THE LEAGUE.

20. TRADES CONT.
• TEAMS MAY ACQUIRE NO MORE THAN THREE 1ST ROUND PICKS FOR A SINGLE DRAFT.
• PLAYERS WHO TRADE A FUTURE 1ST ROUND PICK CANNOT ACQUIRE OR MOVE BACK INTO THE FIRST ROUND FOR
THAT YEAR.
• PLAYERS 84 OVERALL AND BELOW ARE ELIGIBLE FOR TRADING AT ANYTIME.
• PLAYERS 85-90 MAY BE TRADED IN THE FINAL YEAR OF THEIR CONTRACTS.
• PLAYERS 30 YEARS OR OLDER MAY BE TRADED AT ANYTIME.
• ALL ROOKIES ARE NOT PERMITTED TO BE TRADED FOR 1 SEASON. 1ST ROUND PICKS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO BE
TRADED FOR 3 SEASONS. (MUST BE IN THE 4TH YEAR)
• NO TRADING OF PLAYERS SIGNED FROM FA POOL, OR DURING OFF SEASON FA PERIOD

21. TRADES CONT.
• IF YOU ARE TRADING A DRAFT PICK IN A FUTURE DRAFT THE FOLLOWING DEVALUATION WILL BE
APPLIED TO THAT PICKS POINT VALUE.
• S1: 80%
• S2: 75%
• S3: 70%
• S4: 65%
• S5: 60%

22. OPEN DISCUSSION