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$1,000 due by March 1, 2008*Fees may increase yearly. Any team joining this year will be grandfathered at an annual renewal rate of $1,000 each year, regardless of fee increase.
Each Team Will Receive the Following:
1. Schedule
2. World League Logo
3. Discount prices on merchandise
4. Promotional TV and Radio commercial
5. Team representative on Rules Committee
6. 6 WFL official game balls personalized with your team logo
7. Individual team page on the WFL website (list individual sponsors, team
photos, highlights, rosters, stats etc.) UPDATED w/in 24 hours
8. WFL photo I.D.'s
9. Professional Football League -Support, sponsors, recognition, etc.
10. All-Star uniform, t-shirt, team photo, & game DVD for All-Star Players
11. Championship Rings & Trophy for * __TBA____ Bowl winners
12. Awards and catered banquet
13. Rule Book
Game Times:
7:30pm Saturday nights unless approved by both teams and the WFL Commissioner.
Home Team Requirements:
Each field MUST have lights, be marked by NFL standards, sideline & end zone pylons and chains, have showers and locker rooms for the visiting team with separate changing room for officials, a working scoreboard, announcer, and concessions. Home team must designate 1 person to call the Commissioner at the end of each quarter, half time, and the final to update scores across the league. Each stadium MUST be approved by the league. This can be done in person or with a video and/or camera. Home team must provide 75 lbs. of ice, 4 coolers, 2 tables, and benches (enough for 20 players).
Official Equipment:
You must use the official WFL football. Each team must provide 2 game balls for play and 2 for kicking which will be marked with a "K". Officials will approve of all game balls by initialing them before the game. Pants pads are optional for players. Any color visors are allowed. NFL rules apply with exceptions of visors, socks and numbers for the 2008 season only.
Uniforms:
All teams MUST have home & away jerseys. Dark is for home, white is for away. All players must be uniform. Helmets and face masks must be the right color. Under shirts, gloves, belts, chinstrap, socks, shoes must all match.
Owners/Team Conference Call:
Beginning January 15, 2008, we will have a bi-weekly conference call with all team owners and league officials. This is a time to ask questions, voice concerns, give ideas, etc. It is also a great time for everyone to get to know each other. Once the season starts, this would become weekly. Email is also available at any time.
Owners Meeting:
Time, location, agenda TBA
All Star Voting:
Voting will be open to all Owners, Head Coaches, & fans. Each team will receive a formula as to what percent each vote counts. Each Head Coach will turn in a list (like the NFL) and a ballot will be made. Names must be turned in by June 15 and will be on line by July 7 and ballots will be at each stadium by July 12. Voting will end August 10 and results will be announced August 17. We are exploring the idea of doing a live All-Star selection "show" that will play on the INTERNET.
All Star Game:
The league will provide jersey, pants, belt, and socks for each player. Each player will also receive an All-Star team photo, All-Star t-shirt, & DVD copy of the game. Each player will arrive Friday night and teams will be allowed a pre-determined amount of time for practice. The game will be played Saturday night 7:30pm and players will leave Sunday morning. The league will provide the officials. The MVP award will be awarded at the end of the game.
Championship Game:
Each player on the winning team will receive a WFL Champion t-shirt, Championship photo, and a DVD copy of the game. Each team will arrive Friday night and teams will be assigned a practice field and allowed to practice at their discretion. The game will be played Saturday night at 7:30pm and players will leave Sunday morning. The league will provide the officials. The Championship Trophy and MVP award will be presented at the end of the game.
Awards:
Awards will be handed out for various positions and achievements at the end of the year banquet.
Banquet:
There will be a fully catered banquet at the end of the season. All players and staff of the Championship team, All-Star team, Owners, GM's, Head Coaches, & anyone receiving an award will be invited (anyone else will be allowed to attend for a nominal fee).
Video Taping:
All games must be videotaped and sent to the league. These videos will assist in maintaining high standards of officiating, and possibly be used in marketing for the league this year or next year. Videos need to be high quality and a deadline will be set to get the videos in.
Officials:
The FL Director of Officials will assign official crews for each game. Each area will have a pool of officials and neither team will know which crew is going to show. Each crew will consist of 7 officials on the field and 1 running the clock. If you have instant replay capabilities, you will need a separate instant replay official. You have the option of having your chain crew be officials as well but you need to let the Director of Officials know how many you need. Every official, head coach, and anyone else that chooses must attend an official's clinic. The clinic will explain the NFL rules and give video & verbal scenarios and examples. Head coaches must know the rules in order to understand and contend calls whether they have instant replay or not. Officials will be paid by the home team by Thursday at 5pm 1 week prior to their game. We will begin 2 weeks in advance to avoid any mishaps. The league will then pay the officials for the game the following Monday. Complaints will be directed to the Director of Officials for review and must be accompanied by video. Game video's will be randomly checked by the Director to maintain consistency. The Championship & All-Star games will have officials running the chains. Officials need to be Mic'd if possible.
Instant Replay:
Teams will have the option of having instant replay at their home games. We will discuss this in more detail later. It will be NFL instant replay rules with the exception of the press box official making the decision. This official cannot be the clock official. Just like the NFL you receive 2 challenges. If you lose a challenge, you lose a timeout. Inside the last two minutes of each half, a play can only be reviewed by the press box official. This will add plenty of excitement to the game if you have these features. We are currently working on a multi-camera shoot to make this more feasible. We will look into the possibility of doing this by INTERNET as well.
Roster # and Lock Date:
Rosters will consist of a maximum of 50 active players with 10 players on the practice squad. You may dress any 50 per week, but only 50. The 10 practice squad players may attend any games, and are allowed on the sideline but may not enter the locker room at any time. They must also be dressed in some form of team apparel. If it is discovered that one of the 10 practice squad players plays, it will result in a forfeit of that game and fine for that team. Cutoff date will be May 24, 2008. There will not be any exceptions to this rule. You may not add any players to your roster after this date. If you do, you will suffer a heavy fine, forfeit playoff eligibility, and will be subject to being permanently banned from the league with a majority vote.
League ID's:
The league will provide photo ID's for all players and personnel. FL issued ID's are the only accepted ID's. Players will be required to show ID for every game. If your roster changes after the initial ID's are made, the team must pay $10 for each new one. The old ID must be turned in to receive the new one. All Owners, Coaches, Sideline Personnel, and Players must have ID. Each ID will have persons photo, position, and # if applicable. Your 10 practice squad players may be sideline personnel, but must also have ID. Only individuals with an ID will be allowed on the field or in the locker room (practice squad players are not allowed in the locker room). All individuals, except suited players, must wear their ID's at all times and must show ID to any personnel when asked. Failure to abide by these rules will result in being escorted out of the stadium. One specified individual will hold the players ID during the game. Media personnel must also be identified with proper ID from their place of employment.
Personnel:
All personnel must be clearly marked by ID and be uniform. There is not a limit to how many, as each team will be different, but each one must have a title or position. If any personnel are doing anything besides their position they will be asked to purchase a ticket and sit in the stands. We only want people working on the sidelines. The minimum age requirement to work on the sideline is 16. Anyone on the field must sign a waiver and the league must retain a copy.
Territorial Rights:
Cities will only have 1 team initially, but if a city is big enough for 2 in the future, the second team must be approved by the first team if within 50 miles. If the second team is approved, the home stadium must be 25 miles or more away from the first team's home field, unless approved by the first team. Each team will have market boundaries in relation to their nearest opponent. If two teams are very close to each other, the WFL and teams will establish boundaries.
Rulebook:
An NFL rulebook sent to all teams. There will also be a copy available on line.
Board Officials and Process:
We will elect or assign Advisory Board Officials to finalize policies and procedures and they will be put in writing with all Official's signatures. Examples include votes to pass or change a current policy or procedure, etc. The WFL is made up of an Advisory Board and Associations, which allow everyone to have a voice to make positive changes for a professional league. This league is not a dictatorship and decisions will be made by a committee of people, not an individual.
Fines:
Here is a list of fines that will be enforced. Other fines may be added and will be posted as they are introduced. Fines will be paid directly to the league and it is up to each individual team as to who pays the fine. Any person fined will not be allowed to participate in any manner on game day until that fine is paid.
| Low player Court &/or Late roster turn in |
$25 per occurrence + possible forfeit |
| Players not dressed out of same (Helmet, uniform, gloves, shoes, etc) |
$10 per person |
| Player misconduct |
$20 per incident - 1 game suspension (min) |
| Coach or Owner misconduct |
$20-$50 per incident 1 game suspension (Advisory Board) |
| Kickoff delayed |
$20 (Unless emergency prevented) |
| Abusive language to officials, fans, or opposing team |
$20 and/or 1 game suspension |
| Not having official game ball or correct # |
$10 per ball |
| Fighting - 1st offense |
$20 and 1 game suspension (possible league suspension) |
| Fighting - 2nd offense |
$100 and league suspension (permanent) |
Miscellaneous:
There is a minimum of 25 players to play a game. If you do not have 25 players, the game can still be played if the opponent permits. Either way, it is an automatic forfeit for the under manned team. Each team must turn in their roster of players, coaches, and personnel by Wed. at 12pm to the League. These are the rosters that will be used on Saturday night. If it is not turned in on time, there will be a fine. The WFL will determine the stats we keep and every team will be required to turn those in by Monday at 12pm following their game. Each team also needs to turn in injury reports by Thursday at 12pm so they can be posted on line. This is being enforced to possibly set up WFL Fantasy Football for the fans as soon as next year.
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