The Commissioner Mailbag: How Do I Pass a New Rule?

I've heard all of your cries of confusion, collusion, and contempt. But please, save your blood, sweat, and tears for Sundays. We can easily hash out the logistical league bullsh*t together. Right here. Right now.

You've got problems? Yo, I'll solve it.

Let's see what we've got in today's mailbag:

💌 From: New Rule, Who Dis?

Q: “How do we get new rules passed? Anytime there's a new rule that would benefit the whole league in the long run, but it benefits certain teams more in the short term, the majority of the league won't approve it. HELP?”

This is more common than you think. Change can be scary and oftentimes a league needs to have time to think through the pros and cons of a rule change before voting. The timing of your vote is crucial (more on that in just a minute).

First, let’s look at the positives: You’re not running your league into the ground by forcing rule changes that no one wants. While it can be frustrating to have every idea shot down immediately, it’s never good to pass a rule change without a majority ruling in favor.

When the league doesn't approve, you don’t enforce. YLTSI.

But like I was saying… When it comes to rule changes, the timing of your vote matters.

It sounds like you’re trying to make changes mid-season. If the rule change has the ability to help someone in the short term, it’s likely because the rule change would be implemented in the short term. Instead, you should set a precedent for utilizing the offseason as the league's time to propose changes and take votes.

If the change truly is going to benefit the whole league “in the long run,” then you should still be interested in voting in favor of it once the season concludes. Right? Because it was always about the good of the league in the long term…

Right?

It's fine to keep track of rules that might need adjustments during the season, but save the official rulings for the offseason. All changes should be decided upon before the draft starts.

💌 From: Is It Casual Now?

Q: “I run a 16-team league for my neighborhood. The casuals keep complaining that it's too hard. The diehards complain that it's not hard enough. The casuals are rebelling and want to create two 8-team leagues. Help!”

Woah now. No need for name calling. Casual fantasy football fans are players, too. (Even if they don’t know what “handcuffing” means just yet.)

Sometimes you have to read the writing that's on the wall. If the league wants to split: let them take a vote and let them split.

What good does it serve anyone to be a part of a league that they're miserable in?

It's no good for the managers or the commissioner. And it absolutely sucks the fun out of winning. You’ll never catch me teasing someone for how they choose to enjoy fantasy football. And you’ll NEVER catch me telling someone how they’re supposed to enjoy their fantasy leagues.

It sounds like both parties would benefit from the split. Take a vote and trust the process. You don’t want to run a league with people who don’t even want to be there.

Let the casuals and the diehards have their fun… separately.

💌 From: 2Weird4Me

Q: “How do we stop the friend's brother-in-law who drafts weird, but always wins??”

Stop him from what? Drafting? Winning?

I love a good weird drafter! It keeps everyone on their toes. This is what dreams are made of!

Who wants a league that drafts precisely according to ADP? You may as well just assign everyone their rosters once the draft order is set. (Snoooozefest!)

Chaos is the glue that holds leagues together. (Healthy chaos, that is.)

Weird-Bro isn’t hurting anyone by drafting with the wrong rankings or by trusting his gut. Weird-Bro isn’t cheating. He’s just really bad at drafting and really f*cking lucky. (Or perhaps he’s really good at drafting… He did win, after all.)

The best leagues are the ones with stories. Weird-Bro has given you the gift of great league lore. He's a drafting legend around your parts! Everyone’s going to look forward to his picks during the live draft, and it's great ammo for trash talking later in the season.

If anything, I think we can learn a thing or two from Weird-Bro: It's possible to draft however the hell you want and still win. So don't be afraid to take some chances on your guys this year.

Don’t hate the player, hate the ADP. Because you should at least like the team you’re stuck with for the next four months, right?

💌 From: Overturned & Overstressed

Q: “We had two managers play heads up poker for peak Antonio Brown vs $50 cash years ago… The guy loses Brown, but the commish had to undo the lopsided trade the next day. Should the commish have to approve any trades before they process?”

Yikes, there’s a lot of things happening here. Let me see if I can hit them all.

You cannot allow under the table (read: off-the-app) deals. None. It’s collusion hidden under the thin veil of “a silly poker game.” Trades should be confined to your rosters. Otherwise, what’s stopping someone from buying their way to a better roster?
Commissioners should execute their power to veto trades that are collusion. NOTE: I did not say lopsided trades. I did not say unfair trades. I said collusion. If something dishonest is occurring - Veto.
“Should the commish have to approve any trade?” Hm. That’s asking a lot of your commissioner. My rule of thumb is this: A commish should be someone you trust to use their powers when needed, but they shouldn’t act as a parent for the league. Trades seem lousy sometimes. Trades seem lopsided sometimes. But it's not up to the league or the commissioner to dictate how another manager values a player. Trades should always be allowed as long as there is no cheating involved. If it’s not collusion, let it ride.

💌 Is Your League Looking For Help?

Is your fantasy league falling apart at the seams? Are there signs of collusion or inept leadership? We're here to help.

If your league needs an official ruling: Contact @cooterdoodle and be sure to subscribe to the Fantasy Life newsletter to find your answers in next week's Commish Mailbag.

The Commissioner Mailbag: How Do I Pass a New Rule?

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