League bylaws

Preamble

Lords of the Lateral is a long-term dynasty fantasy football league founded on competitive integrity, active participation, and good-faith management. This league is designed to be: • Year-round and persistent, not seasonal or casual • Fair but firm, with clear expectations and consequences • Engaging and immersive, with continuity across seasons All rules, procedures, and enforcement actions exist for one primary purpose: To protect the competitive balance, integrity, and longevity of the league. Lords of the Lateral expects team managers to: • Act in good faith • Manage their teams actively • Respect both the letter and spirit of the rules The Commissioner’s role is one of stewardship, not preference. When discretion is exercised, it will be done in the best interest of the league, even when that decision may be unpopular or disadvantageous to an individual team. Participation in the league constitutes acceptance of: • These bylaws • Commissioner authority • Enforcement actions taken in good faith to preserve league integrity

The Lords of the Lateral Manager Compact

This page exists so you don’t need to memorize the entire bylaws to succeed here. If you follow the principles below, you will never have a problem in this league.

What Is Expected of You

• Set a valid lineup every week o No BYE players o No inactive players o No intentional punts • Be responsive o If the Commissioner reaches out, respond • Manage in good faith o Try to win o Make reasonable decisions • Pay on time o Especially before trading future picks • Use the platform o Trades, waivers, and actions must occur on Sleeper

What Will Get You in Trouble

• Intentionally losing games • Dropping startable players to manipulate outcomes • “Player renting” or handshake deals • Trading future picks without paying for that season • Repeated lineup negligence • Disappearing or ghosting communication If something looks like tanking, collusion, or abandonment, it will be treated seriously.

About Commissioner Decisions

• The Commissioner can: o Lock teams

o Reverse trades o Correct lineups o Remove managers • These powers are used to protect the league, not individuals • Disputes may be escalated via the Rules Committee where applicable Disagreement does not excuse non-compliance

When in Doubt

If you’re unsure whether something is allowed: Ask before you do it. Good-faith questions are always welcome. Bad-faith actions are not.

Final Note

This is a serious dynasty league — but it is meant to be fun, competitive, and lasting. If you show up, set your lineup, manage honestly, and communicate: • You’ll never read most of the bylaws again • And you’ll be welcome here for as long as the league exists

Article I: Definitions and Interpretation

For the purposes of these Bylaws, the following definitions shall apply. These definitions are intended to clarify interpretation and enforcement and shall be applied consistently by the Commissioner.

1. League

“League” refers to the specific Lords of the Lateral contest operated on the designated league host platform for a given season.

2. Commissioner

“Commissioner” refers to the individual(s) designated by Lords of the Lateral to administer, enforce, interpret, and steward the league, including any delegated authority.

3. Team Manager

“Team Manager” refers to the individual responsible for managing a franchise, including setting lineups, making transactions, communicating with the league, and fulfilling all financial and participation obligations.

4. Franchise

“Franchise” refers to a team entry within the league, including its roster, draft picks, records, and historical results. Franchises persist beyond individual seasons and managers.

5. Good Faith

“Good Faith” refers to actions taken with an honest intent to compete, comply with league rules, and preserve competitive integrity. Actions that technically comply with rules but violate their spirit may be deemed bad faith.

6. Competitive Integrity

“Competitive Integrity” refers to maintaining fair, honest, and balanced competition across the league, including preventing manipulation of outcomes, standings, draft order, or payouts.

7. Tanking

“Tanking” refers to any intentional action or pattern of behavior designed to reduce a team’s chance of winning for the purpose of gaining future advantage, including but not limited to: • Submitting invalid or intentionally weak lineups • Refusing to replace BYE or inactive players • Dropping startable players without competitive justification • Failing to attempt reasonable roster improvement The Commissioner shall determine whether tanking has occurred.

8. Collusion

“Collusion” refers to any coordinated action between two or more team managers intended to gain an unfair advantage or undermine league integrity. This includes, but is not limited to: • Player renting • Handshake or off-platform agreements • Trading assets with intent to reverse • Offering or receiving anything of value outside the league Collusion may be found even if one party benefits more than another.

9. Player Renting

“Player Renting” refers to the temporary transfer of a player or asset with the understanding—explicit or implied—that the asset will be returned at a later date. Player renting is always considered collusion.

10. Startable / Starting-Caliber Player

A “Startable” or “Starting-Caliber Player” is a player who, based on league format, roster depth, and platform rankings, would reasonably be expected to be rostered or started in a competitive lineup. Determination is at the Commissioner’s discretion.

11. Abandonment

“Abandonment” refers to a pattern of inactivity, non-responsiveness, or refusal to manage a franchise, including but not limited to:

• Failure to set lineups • Failure to communicate • Failure to pay required fees • Explicit declaration of withdrawal Abandonment may be declared at the Commissioner’s discretion.

12. Orphaned Team

“Orphaned Team” refers to a franchise without an active, approved team manager due to abandonment, removal, or non-renewal.

13. Reasonable Time

“Reasonable Time” refers to a timeframe appropriate to the situation, considering league schedules, platform deadlines, and competitive impact. Determination of reasonableness is at the Commissioner’s discretion.

14. Platform / League Host

“Platform” or “League Host” refers to the fantasy service provider designated by Lords of the Lateral (e.g., Sleeper). Platform rules, designations, and system limitations are binding.

15. Best Interest of the League

“Best Interest of the League” refers to actions taken to preserve fairness, integrity, continuity, and credibility of the league as a whole, even when such actions may negatively impact an individual franchise.

16. Interpretation

In all cases: • The Commissioner’s interpretation of these bylaws is controlling • Ambiguities shall be resolved in favor of league integrity • No loophole shall supersede intent Failure to explicitly prohibit an action does not imply permission.

Article II: League Host

1. Lords of the Lateral uses Sleeper as our game play provider. The league will be run

on that site.

2. Team managers will receive a link and login information to their league.

3. We are at the mercy of the league host for their players and designations. This

includes but is not limited to available players, positions, injury or suspended designations, etc.

4. We will not manually change a designation or add players to the player pool. That is

designated and done by the league host.

5. In most cases, Lords of the Lateral will be bound by what the league host does and

what their system allows. Certain abilities/features allowed by the host may be turned on or off for a league or specific user for various reasons at the sole discretion of Lords of the Lateral.

Article III: Important Dates

1. League Renewal Deadline:

• Each team manager must make their payment for the upcoming season prior to the above-listed deadline. If payment has not been received by the above-listed deadline, Lords of the Lateral reserves the right to declare a franchise as abandoned. We need to sell orphans before the early May rookie drafts to ensure all leagues are filled and ready on time. This is a dynasty league, year-round interaction and activity is expected.

2. Annual Rookie Draft:

• The annual rookie draft will be held after all league members have renewed for the upcoming season and/or after all orphaned teams have been sold. This will be approximately the first Monday in May after the NFL draft. If there are still orphans to be sold, the draft will be delayed until the league is full. • If a league is not full by the annual rookie draft date, the rookie draft will take place on the first Monday after seven days from the date of the league filling. Meaning once a league fills. there will be a 7 day wait. Then the draft will be held on the nearest Monday after that 7 day wait.

Article IV: Fees and Payouts

League Treasurer: Matthew Diamond-Jones All league finances will be administered and collected by the League Treasurer

1. League Entry and Payouts

Commissioner’s Year Entry 1st 2nd 3rd Cup Winner 2026 $52 $400 $100 $50 $50

2. Winnings Allocation

• All league winnings will be allocated into a league manager’s Venmo Account or a similar service. • This will be done after the contest has concluded. The contest concludes after Thursday morning stat corrections following the championship week of the fantasy season.

3. Trading of Future Picks

• Trading of a future pick requires payment of that future year regardless of having any deposit. • Future pick trades will not be valid until payment is received.

4. Progressive Pots

• Each year, starting in 2024, a $25 pot will be established. This will cost each manager an additional $2.00 with the commissioner contributing an additional $3.00. This cost is built into the League Entry Fees and withheld from yearly payouts. • The pot will increase continuously and will be paid when there is a back-to-back champion. • Progressive pots are paid out separately from the normal league prize payouts. • If the league is won by a back-to-back champion, the pot is won and will no longer exist.

• Progressive pots can only be won by the team manager twice in a row. If a team manager leaves or is removed after winning the league, the throne is abdicated and there is no reigning champion. • If a league disbands for any reason without a double champion winning the progressive pot, it will be forfeited and not pay out.

Article V: Scoring System

1. Basic Scoring Rules

Stat Fantasy Points Passing TD 6 for each Passing Yards .04 for 1 yard (1 point for every 25 yards) Passing 2-point Conversion 2 for each Interceptions Thrown -4 for each Receiving TD 6 for each Receiving Yards .1 for each (1 point for every 10 yards) Receptions .5 point for each Receiving 2-point Conversion 2 for each Rushing TD 6 for each Rushing Yards .1 for each (1 point for every 10 yards) Rushing 2-point Conversion 2 for each Rushing Attempt .2 for each Fumbles Lost -2 for each Kickoff or Punt Return TD 6 for each Offensive Fumble Recoveries for TD 6 for each Running Back PPR .5 for each Wide Receiver PPR 1 for each TE PPR (TE Premium) 1.5 for each

Article VI: Commissioner’s Cup

Commissioner’s Cup These rules are for Commissioner’s Cup only and supersede any rules in this page that correlate with them • At the end of the year, a Cup Champion is crowned and wins the Commissioner’s Cup and a Commissioner’s Pot. Scoring for crowning the champion is as follows: o Regular Season Points Champion This is paid out separately from the normal league prize payouts. No owner has a claim to this pot if they leave or are removed, even if they were reigning champion the prior year.

Article VII: Rosters

1. Starting Lineup Requirements (10 starters)

• 1 Quarterback • 2 Running Backs • 3 Wide Receivers • 1 Tight End • 1 Superflex (QB/RB/WR/TE) • 2 Flex Player (RB/WR/TE)

2. Bench spots

• Each team has 18 Bench Spots

3. Undroppable players

• There may be players deemed “undroppable.” Start-worthy players and players ranked high enough they should be rostered in dynasty leagues are generally considered undroppable given the depth of rosters allowed. Lords of the Lateral will determine if a player is undroppable and correct if done. Lords of the Lateral will

also decide whether a player was dropped in an attempt at collusion or tanking. This is an anti-collusion and anti-tanking measure, but there are other reasons for it as well.

4. Roster rules during the offseason

• You are NOT required to have all starting lineup requirements filled in the offseason or during the draft/auction (start-up or rookie). However, your starting lineup must be filled by the start of Week 1 and you must have a valid lineup.

5. Weekly Starting Lineup

• You must submit a valid starting lineup weekly. There may not be an empty spot in your lineup o An empty lineup spot will result in a $10 FAAB fine. • Team managers are responsible for making sure they have a set lineup. They should check to make sure their lineup is set and there were no errors. Team managers are responsible for and must personally submit a lineup each week. Failure to do so will be seen as league inactivity and potentially lead to a team being deemed abandoned. • Starting lineups are not allowed to have players on BYE or players who had been listed as OUT with a reasonable amount of time to for the team manager correct the lineup. If notified of BYE, injured, or obviously inferior players in lineups, Lords of the Lateral correct. This is usually only done if the starting of such a player appears to be an attempt to intentionally tank or if the team is potentially abandoned. In most cases, Lords of the Lateral will contact the owner. Acts of this may be considered intentional tanking, or inactivity and lead to a team being deemed abandoned. Repeated offenses may result in being removed from all leagues without refund and banned. • Players in your starting lineup will lock at their scheduled kickoff. That means you can add/remove a player from your starting lineup if their game hasn’t started.

6. Roster Limit

• You must always stay within your roster limit. It is a hard roster limit. If you offer a trade, it is wise to make the players even by including the player you could drop. If you are drafting and your roster is full; you must either drop a player and pick a new one, trade the pick, let your timer expire, click to skip your pick, or even drop one of the players you drafted - wait a minute - then re-draft them. (Added for clarification regarding the offseason roster limit increase below -- The one exception to this is during the offseason between the rookie draft and start of the season. You are allowed to be over, but cannot make moves until back at or under the limit)

7. Taxi Squad

• Taxi Squads will be implemented at the beginning of the 2025 Season • This will coincide with the Supplemental Rookie Draft. • Taxi Squad players must be rookies, no veterans allowed • Players on your taxi squad do not count towards your overall roster limit. • A player can be activated from the taxi squad at any time, so long as a concurrent roster move is made to keep the owner’s roster within roster limitations. • Once a player is removed from the taxi squad, he may not be put back onto the taxi squad.

8. Injured Reserve Rules

• 2 injured reserve spots • For players on the PUP List or IR only.

9. Roster Freezes

• No free agent pickups are allowed between the end of the fantasy season and the annual rookie draft.

Article VIII: Trading

1. Trading Basic Rules

• Trading is permitted. • All trades will be automatically processed. • They must be done on the league host. We cannot process agreements in chats or emails. Nothing is official until done on the site.

2. Trade Deadline

• Trading will be allowed for a team once they have paid for the league for that season and up until the trade deadline. • The final trade deadline is the kickoff of week 13. (kickoff of the first Thursday game)

3. Protesting Trades / Reversals

• If you believe that there is collusion involving a trade or a trade is far too unbalanced, email the commissioner. If possible, provide evidence as to why you think the trade may be collusive. • Once we get 3 protests for a trade, we’ll go through our process of looking for collusion. • If a trade is protested, the owners of the teams whose trade is protested may have those teams locked until we have finished investigating. • In some instances, the commissioner may even reverse a trade if the team is removed from the league. • The Commissioner will make the final ruling • If the league is not in agreement with commissioner’s decision, they may enact the Rules Committee for a vote. Enactment of the rules committee will require 4 protests of the Commissioner’s decision. The Rules Committee can overturn the Commissioner’s decision by a 2/3 Vote. (THANK YOU CHUCK NORRIS)

4. Trade Accidents

• If a team manager contacts us via email within a reasonable amount of time and says a deal was accepted in error or made an accident in the trade they offered (which often isn't noticed until the trade is accepted and sometimes not until the next morning if a trade is made overnight), we will reverse that trade as well. • On rare occasion moves (trade/waiver move/pick) may be undone as well when reversing another move. This would be due to a move being made that either includes assets in the move being reversed or made due to the belief the move being reversed would stand. • It is always best to alert the other party and the league along with the commissioner as well as trying to trade back with the other party.

5. Trading Future Picks

• Future year draft picks can be traded three years in advance; however, you must pay for the year in which that pick resides to trade those picks. • Trading future picks without paying for the future year will lead to your rights and lineups in the league to be locked/removed. • If you have had your rights removed, they will be reinstated after payment.

Article IX: Waivers / Free Agents

Basics • A player may be dropped at any time, regardless of when or how they were acquired.

1. Free Agent Blind Bidding Waivers

• Lords of the Lateral utilizes a Free Agents Acquisition Budgets (FAAB) Blind-Bidding waivers system. • Each team manager begins the year with a $100 FAAB budget to place blind bids on waived players. This is for in season and off-season waivers. It’s all you get for the entire year. • To get a player who is on waivers, a minimum bid of $0 must be made. All bid amounts must be made in $1 increments. • The team manager with the highest bid will acquire the player, and for the exact dollar amount that was bid. Since this is blind-bidding, other team managers will not be able to see your bid amount (and for what player) until waiver claims are processed. • Blind bidding is not conditional. Simply bid the amount you want on a player along with the player you want dropped (if you have an open roster spot you don’t need to drop a player). • In the event two or more team managers bid an equal amount on the same player, the following criteria will be used to break the tie: o Waiver Order

2. In-Season Acquisitions

• After the conclusion of Week 1, the first in-season blind-bidding period will run on Wednesday at 3:00 AM EST. It will run weekly on that day and time. • After each waiver claim period is processed and complete, all unclaimed players will become available for pick up on a First Come, First Serve (FCFS) basis until their respective game kicks off for that week. All FCFS transactions are $0, and nothing will be deducted from your FAAB balance. • Once a player’s game kicks off, they will be put on waivers until the next waiver run on the following Wednesday at 1:00 PM EST. This schedule/cycle will continue a weekly basis for the remainder of the fantasy season. The blind bidding process continues during the fantasy playoffs, even for teams that have not made the playoffs.

• A player who is dropped may be picked up immediately if the drop does not take place between the kickoff of that player’s game and that week’s waiver run. If the player is dropped in that time frame, he will be available for and subject to that next waiver run.

3. Waiver Accidents

• Accidental add/drops can be fixed if notified quickly and in a reasonable amount of time. With waiver runs, accidents are less likely to be fixed, but may be fixed in some cases if emailed quickly and in a reasonable amount of time and if we are able. It may also be fixed if the accident is clear and obvious. • On rare occasion moves (trade/waiver move/pick) may be undone as well when reversing another move. This would be due to a move being made that either includes assets in the move being reversed or made due to the belief the move being reversed would stand.

Article X: Divisions and Schedule

1. Schedule

Schedule will be randomized each year. The regular season begins on Week 1 of the NFL season and will end upon the conclusion of Week 14 unless the NFL has a shortened or lengthened schedule, in which case Lords of the Lateral will go by all-play record or total points for that season.

2. Divisions

There will be 2 divisions, randomized every 3 years.

3. Standings

Standings order will be set this way • Winnings Percentage (win-loss record) • Total Points Scored • All-Play Percentage (best wins the tiebreaker) • Reverse Order of Opponent Total Points Scored (Points Against) Tie scores are permitted during regular season play which may cause a tie in a team's record.

Article XI: Playoffs

1. Two Top Seeds (Byes)

• Six teams qualify for the playoffs, as follows: the two division winners will receive byes. In the event of a tie, the spot(s) will be determined by the following tie- breaking criteria: o Total Points Scored (most wins the tiebreaker) o All-Play Percentage (best wins the tiebreaker) o Reverse Order of Opponent Total Points Scored (Points Against)

2. Four Wild Card Teams

• The four wild card spots will be decided by record (highest winning %). In the event of a tie for wild card spot, the wild card spots will be determined by o Total Points Scored (most wins the tiebreaker) o All-Play Percentage (best wins the tiebreaker) o Reverse Order of Opponent Total Points Scored (Points Against)

3. Bracket Setup

• The top two seeds (top two best records) receive a bye in the first week of the playoffs, while the #3 seed plays the #6 seed, and the #4 seed plays the #5 seed. The bracket will reseed after each round with the highest seed playing the lowest seed throughout the playoffs.

4. Playoff Game Tiebreaker

• In the event of a tie score in a playoff game, the following tie-breaking criteria will be utilized to determine a winner: o Bench Points o Highest seed

5. Advancement

• Once winners have been determined for the opening round of the playoffs, the #1 seed will face the lowest remaining seed and the #2 seed will face the highest remaining seed. • The winners of those matchups will then compete in the championship game held the following week.

• The losers of the semifinal matchups will compete in the consolation game for the third-place prize (also in the final week of the playoffs).

Article XII: Startup Draft

1. Startup Hybrid Snake Draft Rules

• Live Online Draft o First 12 picks o 3 minutes per pick o 07.19.24 6:00PM • Slow Draft o Picks 13-28 o Timer: 4 hours per pick o Overnight Pause: 8 hours daily (Midnight to 8am EST) • General Information o Each franchise will be assigned a draft slot randomly for snake drafts once the league is full. o The startup draft will include rookies both before or after the NFL draft. o There will be a 3rd round reversal of draft order. The draft’s snake style format will return for the remainder of the draft. o Trades are not allowed before or during the startup draft o You must always stay within your roster limit. It is a hard limit. o You are NOT required to field a full roster or a valid starting lineup. You must, however, have a valid starting lineup for week 1. o If a team manager does not make a pick before the timer expires, the system will automatically pick a player for the team manager based on the highest- ranked available player remaining. o Timeouts - picks made by the system due to a timer expiring - will almost never be changed. o Should there be unforeseen system problems, the draft may be delayed at the commissioner’s discretion. The league commissioner will notify everyone if this situation arises.

Article XIII: Rookie Drafts

Each subsequent year after the startup draft, a draft will be held to distribute rookies. This draft will be held in May after the NFL Draft assuming the league is full. • Timer: 5 minutes per pick • Overnight Pause: None

1. Rookie Draft Order

• Picks 1-6 will be decided by regular season finishing standings. 12th place team receives pick #1, 11th place team receives pick #2 and so on. • Picks 7-8 will be decided by consolation winner’s bracket game. • Pick 8 goes to the winner of the consolation winner’s bracket game • Pick 7 goes to the loser of the consolation winner’s bracket game. o This game will be decided my maximum possible points to prevent tanking without the incentive of a cash prize for winning. • Pick 9 goes to the 4th place finisher • Pick 10 goes to the 3rd place finisher • Pick 11 goes to the 2nd place finisher. • Pick 12 goes to the league champion.

2. Rookie Draft Order Tiebreakers

• Total Points Scored (fewest gets the higher pick) • All-play winning % (lowest % gets the higher pick) • Divisional Winning Percentage (worst gets the higher pick) • Reverse Order of Opponent Total Points Scored (Points Against)

3. Rookie Draft Rules

• The annual rookie draft is an NFL-style linear draft, meaning the draft order will be the same as shown above for all rounds. • Trades are allowed before and during the rookie draft. • All other rules from the Startup Draft apply to the rookie draft with the exception of 3rd round reversal.

Article XIV: Franchise/Team Manager Rules

1. No team manager may have a stake in, manage, or have control of more than one

franchise in the same league. Violation may result in removal from all leagues.

2. If a team manager abandons their franchise (either by declaring that they have given

up their team, failing to pay by the payment deadline for the upcoming season, non- responsiveness, or not actively managing their team) -- that team manager gives up their claim to any and all prize winnings, forfeits any deposits, and forfeits any future entry fees they have paid.

3. If a team manager abandons a team after the draft has started or after making

transactions, they will not be eligible for a refund and will not be allowed to buy new teams (in new or existing leagues). Only in rare circumstances will a refund be allowed.

4. If a franchise is deemed to have been abandoned, that franchise reverts to

Commissioner control.

5. If a team manager abandons a franchise, that team manager may not re-join the

same league as a team manager or co-team manager of a different franchise.

6. If a team manager is caught cheating by collusion, tanking, or any other means;

Lords of the Lateral reserves the right to remove that team manager from the league..

7. Co-team managers are not allowed for the purposes of paying the annual entry fee

or receiving prize money. I.e. one team manager must pay the entire entry fee, and only one team manager will receive winnings due to the franchise. Co-team managers are allowed.

8. Team managers may not give/sell their team to another person. Giving/selling of a

team from one team manager to a new person without approval from Lords of the Lateral is strictly prohibited,

9. If an owner is removed, they forfeit any prizes the team had won up to that point and

are not eligible for prizes that team would have won.

10. A user's teams may be locked while we investigate a potential rules violation.

11. Violation of any rules or terms may result in removal without refund.

Article XV: NFL Season Game/Schedule Issue Rules

1. If a game is cancelled or postponed, that game will not accrue stats in the original

week it was scheduled. The only exception to this is if it is postponed within the same NFL week and MFL has the scoring count for that week. Team managers must be aware of these potential situations. Starting a player in a game with the potential to be cancelled will be treated like starting a questionable (injury) player. The manager understands the risk and Lords of the Lateral can’t allow potential replacements for such an event.

2. If there is no NFL season, the payments for teams in existing leagues would be

pushed to the following year. For example, a 2020 payment would become a 2021 payment if the 2020 season is cancelled.

3. In the event of a shortened season Lord of the Lateral, depending on the length of

the shortened season, will design a regular season and playoffs that fit, or it will become a total points league for the shortened season.

4. If the NFL season is cut short (cancelled) after a head to head schedule with

playoffs is designed for the Lords of the Lateral (the season starts normally and is cancelled before there is a fantasy playoffs or during the playoffs and the playoffs are unable to be played out fully), Winning Percentage (W-L record) at the time the season is cut short will be used to decide the places of the teams with Total Points as the tiebreaker. Total points leagues will be determined by total points of all completed weeks at time of cancellation.

5. If the season is interrupted, they start and stop and restart... Lords of the Lateral will

finish out the fantasy season along with the NFL. We will work with Sleeper to figure out the best course for schedule, and/or playoffs. It is possible there will not be enough games for the playoffs.

6. If there is no season, Lords of the Lateral will figure out the best way to design rookie

draft order after that cancellation of season is decided.

7. If the season ends early, trading will be turned off for those unpaid for the future

year. Trading will be reinstated once that year is paid for.

8. If the NFL season completes 6 weeks, that will be considered a valid season.

Season Ends Winners Determined Rookie Order Determined After potential points from all completed Week 1-5 season cancelled regular season weeks Week 6- 1st, 2nd, 3rd in win-loss record; total potential points from all completed 14 points tiebreaker regular season weeks with 1st, 2nd,

3rd picking 12th, 11th, 10th respectively 1st, 2nd, 3rd in win-loss record; total potential points from all completed points as tiebreaker based on regular regular season weeks with 1st, 2nd, Week 15 season standings among 4 remaining 3rd picking 12th, 11th, 10th teams respectively 1st and 2nd based on win-loss record; total points as tiebreaker based on regular season standings among two potential points from all completed teams in champ game. regular season weeks with 1st, 2nd, Week 16 3rd picking 12th, 11th, 10th 3rd place based on win-loss record; total respectively points as tiebreaker based on regular season standings among two teams in 3rd place game.

Article XVI: Abandoned Teams / Refunds

A team may be deemed abandoned for several reasons including but not limited to failure to actively manage the team (set lineups, make moves required at certain deadlines, etc.) or a non-responsive team manager who has not responded to our attempts to contact. A team may be deemed abandoned even if they respond to our attempts to contact, but still do not begin actively managing their team. If a team has abandoned their team in season, they may be removed from all leagues and banned from Lords of the Lateral

1. There will be no refunds for an abandoned team. If you abandon a team all deposits

and entry fees (past, current and future) are forfeited. If an owner abandons a team, they may be removed from all teams due to rules violation.

2. A team manager may leave a brand new startup league and get a refund before a

startup draft begins. After the draft begins, the team can not be refunded.

3. A team manager is not allowed to abandon a team during/after the draft, in season,

or after moves have been made. Doing so may result in banishment from future leagues.

4. Once you pay for a contest/league there are no refunds after you have made any

moves (draft picks, waivers, trades, trade offers, add/drops, etc).

5. When a team has been deemed abandoned, either because of a suspected

cheating owner, being a non-responsive owner, and/or no longer actively managing their team, Lords of the Lateral will look for a team manager to take over that team for the remainder of the season. This may also be due to a team being inactive due to not paying for their future season after trading future picks.

6. If you do not respond to contact from the commissioner after disappearing in a

league, you may be replaced without refund.

7. Lords of the Lateral maintains the right to remove any team manager from a team,

with refund, for any reason. Lords of the Lateral also reserves the right to refuse their services to any person for any reason. Lords of the Lateral also reserves the right to not allow a user to re-join a league, all leagues, contests, or all contests. This could be a yearly ban or lifetime ban.

8. When a team is abandoned or orphaned or owner removed, recent transactions

(add/drops, picks, trades, etc) may be reverted. This is done as they may have been made in bad faith, a collusion protection, and also so the new owner has the right to make these decisions on the team

Article XVII: Illegal Starting Lineups / Throwing Games / Tanking

We are dedicated to ensuring all Lords of the Lateral contests are competitive throughout the entire season. The act of “throwing games” (i.e. losing on purpose by submitting a lineup containing injured players, inactive players, free agents, players on bye, or obviously under-performing players) is strictly prohibited. Although the draft order will not be affected by such a move, it creates a win-loss imbalance in the league.

1. Lords of the Lateral reserves the right to take whatever action is deemed necessary,

including inaction or retroactively setting a lineup, to rectify a situation related to throwing games. If you believe a team in your league is deliberately throwing games, you must notify your Lords of the Lateral commissioner via email to address the issue. It is solely up to Lords of the Lateral to determine whether a team is deliberately throwing games, and to determine the appropriate course of action. In a situation where such a determination has not been made until after games have already started for that week (or previous weeks, in the event the tanking team manager is not identified until after they have submitted intentionally bad lineups for several weeks), Lords of the Lateral retroactively set the tanking owner’s lineup for the previous week. Lords of the Lateral will be unable to set the lineup for a week earlier in the season. Players on that team may have changed and may not be available for retroactively setting that lineup. Lords of the Lateral may also reverse any recent trades made by a team being removed from the league. If part of that trade involved a draft pick where a selection was made, Lords of the Lateral may send that player back to the in lieu of the draft pick that was traded.

2. Dropping starting caliber players can be considered tanking as it can sometimes

create an win-loss imbalance. This also falls under our "Undroppable Players" rules. The team dropping the player will be more likely to lose their matchup and a team potentially acquiring a starter has a better chance in theirs. This is seen as

intentionally tanking for a higher draft pick as well. Lords of the Lateral reserves the right to immediate remove any team manager deemed to be deliberately throwing games from the league without refund. Teams that are abandoned in this way -> See the section entitled “Abandoned Teams” for further details.

3. Dropping starting caliber or most/all players to hurt the integrity of the league can

also result in removal from the league or all leagues without refund. Making trades to hurt the integrity of the league of good assets for poor assets to ruin the team / help other teams is also forbidden. This action can also result in removal from the league or all leagues without a refund.

4. Bye week players cannot be in starting lineups. If you have no replacements

available on your roster, you must pick up a replacement. Refusal to pick up bye week replacements may be considered tanking and may be cause for removal from the league. Rosters may be adjusted by the commissioner at any time using pregame Sleeper projections rankings. This means the commissioner will make and necessary add/drops and starting lineup adjustments necessary. Players will be added and started based on Sleeper projections.

5. In some instances, a team may need to at least start a non-starting caliber player.

That may mean you need to pick up a NFL team's backup QB to start if all starting QBs are rostered. If a starting caliber QB is available in free agency, a team must try to acquire and start that player over a backup QB. Teams are not required to attempt to trade for one. This is considered tanking and can lead to removal from the league or all leagues without a refund.

6. A user's teams may be locked while we investigate a potential rules violation and

their ability to join new leagues be blocked. They may be removed and refunded from a league that has yet to start as well. Collusion

1. Player renting is always collusion. It is two teams working together at the detriment

of one other team and/or the league. Player renting can be trading a player or players for picks or players and then trading back within the same season. Even if one team acquires slightly more benefit. An example. Team A trades McCaffrey for 1st and 4th to team B. A week or two later Team B trades McCaffrey back for that 1st. Team A keeps the 4th. Even with benefit, player rentals are always collusion in any league. Trading players not on bye for players on bye and then trading back also falls under this. Trading players to one team making a playoff run and then trading those players back after the season also falls under this. Player rentals are always collusion in any league and cannot be allowed even once.

2. Offering anything: money, food, goods, or services, draft picks that aren't

accessible yet, or benefits of any kind outside of the actual league in exchange for assets within the league constitutes collusion as well. Such trades will be reversed,

and owners may be removed from the league without refund. Only trading available picks, players, blind bidding money is allowed.

3. Intentionally and knowingly trading better assets in a trade they know is bad to load

up another team can be considered collusion.

4. The behavior of dropping and adding players between two teams may be considered

collusion.

5. Behavior of routinely having most or all trades with one other franchise and

generally favored towards one team.

6. Any working together between two teams in move(s) to help another team win their

matchup or the league may be considered collusion.

7. A user's teams may be locked while we investigate a potential rules violation and

their ability to join new leagues be blocked. They may be removed and refunded from a league that has yet to start as well.

Article XVIII: Code of Conduct / Terms of Service

1. In addition, attempts to negatively impact the integrity of the league (for example

but not limited to threatening or outright refusal to submit lineups, partaking in bogus trades, disruption of a draft -- usually by intentionally dropping players to other teams, intentionally dropping startable players or too highly ranked players, intentionally drafting bad players which may help other teams and tank that team, or any other actions that go against the integrity of the draft, etc.) will result in an immediate expulsion, without refund, from Lords of the Lateral.

2. Lords of the Lateral maintains the right to remove any team manager from a team,

with refund, for any reason. Lords of the Lateral also reserves the right to refuse their services to any person for any reason. Meaning a yearly ban or lifetime ban.

3. Tanking is prohibited. A team manager caught tanking could result in removal from

the league without refund.

4. Failing to submit a lineup multiple times during the season can also result in

removal without refund and the team being deemed abandoned.

Article XIX: Rule Changes

When you pay, you enter the contest. We hold spots in the next season's contest for people who played in last year’s contest until the payment deadline. Once that deadline passes, if someone doesn’t return, we find new manager to enter that season's contest. Given these are dynasty leagues, we don’t change most things. We try to avoid things that affect scoring, roster size or things that affect how people have constructed a roster. Current Rules Committee Members – • John Luongo • Brandon Cummings • Matthew Diamond-Jones • Rule changes will occur in the following order: o Commissioner meets with rules committee and determines possible rule changes (Managers are encouraged to submit feedback and/or changes prior to this meeting) o Commissioner poses each individual proposal into sleeper chat o Managers vote anonymously on rule changes o Once a single vote is cast “No” or “Against” the rules is considered to have not passed and the next rule is posed in the Sleeper chat. o Any rules change that passes unanimously will be immediately instated and ratified into the Bylaws. • Some rule changes may happen in season if there is a loophole that needs closing or something is not worded correctly for the intent of the rule. This is partially covered under the best interest clause. • Each season, there will be a poll to increase the buy-in amount by $10.00.

Article XX: Disbanding Leagues

• After each season, if Lords of the Lateral has 7 paid teams, it will continue. It is treated as the league voting 7 out of 12 to continue. If it does not, Lords of the Lateral approach the remaining teams in the league to discuss whether to continue. If the decision from the users is to close the league, it will close, and any future payments and deposits will be refunded. Lords of the Lateral will make the final decision.

Article XXI: Best Interest Clause

Should circumstances, issues, or problems arise for which a remedy is not stated in the rules… The Commissioner reserves the right to take whatever actions they deem necessary.