BY-LAWS

HANDBOOK

Constitution

The name of this Association shall be the Playstation Football League. (The PFL/THE LEAGUE)

To establish a forum by which its members may gather and enjoy friendly, but competitive, competition of electronic video football. The Constitution and By-Laws of the PFL exist for the purpose of codifying and facilitating the stated purpose, and to provide the means for change and amendments as needed.

Membership in THE LEAGUE shall beto individuals who meet the qualifications of membership as specified in the By-Laws.

Section 1 - Conferences

The Association shall be organized into two Conferences. The Conferences shall be named the AFC and the NFC. Each conference shall have an equal number of teams. In the event THE LEAGUE expands to at least 16 teams each conference shall be divided into two (2) divisions. 24 or more teams shall constitute three (3) divisions in each conference. Alignment of each conference and division shall be specified in the By-Laws.

Section 2 - Constitutional Authority

The PFL and all of it's franchises shall be governed by the Constitution, By-Laws and PFL Handbook of THE LEAGUE.

Section 1 - OFFICERS

The Officers of this organization shall be:

A. Commissioner

B. Deputy Commissioner

C. Executive Director

D. Secretary

Section 2 - EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

A. The officers of this organization shall constitute the Executive Council of The PFL.

B. The Executive Council as representatives of the membership, shall be responsible for the conduct of the business and finances of THE LEAGUE, except where such authority is specifically assigned by the Constitution, By-Laws, or PFL Handbook.

Section 3 TERM OF OFFICE

The term office for all elected officials shall be one year. Terms shall commence on April 1.

SECTION 1 All Officers

A. Each officer shall be elected annually at the Spring owners meeting.

B. Nominations shall be made from the floor.

C. Votes shall be submitted by secret ballot.

D. All elected officials of THE LEAGUE shall be elected by a majority of the constituency of casting ballots in the election. If such majority does not exist, further elections shall be held between the two (2) candidates receiving the highest number of votes until a simple majority is reached.

E. Members on probation may not hold an office.

SECTION 1 BUSINESS OF THE LEAGUE

Business of The League shall be conducted at general business meetings, Executive Council meetings, and other sanctioned PFL events.

SECTION 2 GENERAL BUSINESS MEETINGS

The membership of The PFL shall have three (3) business meetings each year, one at preseason, one at midseason, and one during the off season.

SECTION 3 EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETINGS

Executive Council Meetings shall be held when deemed necessary by members of the Council. Minutes shall be taken and freely distributed to the membership.

SECTION 4 Quorum

A. Quorum for the conduct of business at the General meetings shall consist of the voting members assembled. This shall be no less than 3/4 of the total membership of THE LEAGUE and the Commissioner. The Commissioner reserves the right to appoint a designee of the Executive Council to preside in his absence.

B. All members of the Executive Council must be present at any council meeting in order for that meeting to deemed official.

SECTION 5 VOTING MEMBERS

Voting members of THE LEAGUE are defined in the By-Laws. Each voting member shall have only one vote and may participate and vote in person or by official PFL absentee balloting.

ARTICLE VIII - AMENDMENTS

SECTION 1 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

Constitutional amendments shall require readings and approval by two thirds vote in one Executive Council meetings, followed by a majority vote at one consecutive General meetings.

SECTION 2 AMENDMENTS TO THE BY-LAWS AND HANDBOOK

Provisions for the amendments to the By-Laws and for the changes in the PFL Handbook are found in the By-Laws.

SECTION 3 COMMENCEMENT OF EFFECTIVENESS

All amendments to and changes to the Constitution, By-Laws and PFL Handbook shall take effect immediately following approval.

SECTION I. Membership in the PFL shall be under two category:

A. Active

B. Honorary

SECTION II. ACTIVE

A. To be eligible for League play each member shall :

1. Be 22 years of age or above.

2. Be actively engaged in PFL competition.

3. Have current PFL dues/franchise fees paid

4. Host up to three PFL event as scheduled by the Executive Director.

5. Own a Sony Playstation and Madden CDRom.

6. Own or have available two 19" or larger televisions for game play.

7. Own or have available two Sony Playstation units.

8. Complete the application process, be voted and accepted by two-thirds majority vote of THE LEAGUE.

9. Sign the official PFL Charter

B. Rights

1. May vote and hold office.

2. May participate in all PFL sponsored activities.

3. Receives all PFL communications and other pertinent information.

SECTION III. HONORARY

A. To be considered an Honorary PFL Member one shall:

1. Have been an active member of the PFL for at least one full season

2. Be temporarily inactive due to just cause.

3. Declared Honorary by the Executive Council

a. submit letter to Executive Council stating nature of request for Honorary Status

b. status must be voted on and approved by two-thirds League majority.

c. state date to return to Active status.

B. RIGHTS

1. May not vote or hold office.

2. May visit PFL sanctioned events.

3. Is still considered a LEAGUE member.

4. Shall receive all League communications if so desired.

SECTION IV. GENERAL STATEMENTS

A. Dues/Franchise Fees shall be submitted to the PFL Office. The membership is from the start of the regular season to the start of the following regular season.

B. Each member shall be morally responsible for adherence to THE LEAGUE CODE OF ETHICS/DECORUM which follows.

Members of THE LEAGUE are expected to:

1. Conduct their business and personal affairs on the highest ethical and professional level.

2. Treat all League members impartially.

3. Refrain from destructive criticism of other franchises.

4. Strive to maintain the highest possible competitive standards and practices.

5. Uphold the Constitution, By-Laws, and Rules of the PFL.

 

ARTICLE II - ORGANIZATION

SECTION I. The PFL shall be apportioned in order to facilitate balance and parity within the organization. Prior year records shall be the determining factor in the creation of the conferences.

A. The PFL is divided into two (2) conferences.

Each Super Bowl contender shall remain in the conference it represented. All other teams will be realigned according to playoff/regular season standings until a competitive balance is reached.

B. In the event that the league expands to 16 teams, each conference shall be divided into an equal number of divisions.

C. In order for a division to be formed, it must contain at least four teams.

D. In the event of a resignation by an owner, that owner relinquishes all rights and powers of the said team to the Executive Council. All games prior to the resignation shall be valid as recorded. For future games the Executive Council shall award each opponent a 2-0 forfeit. For statistical purposes, an average of the season to date stats shall be implemented for the said forfeited game.

E. Honorary members relinquish all rights and privileges to their franchise.

F. A PFL member in good standing may select any franchise that has not currently awarded by THE LEAGUE. Owners may opt to change franchises at the end of a season with the owners of the worst regular season/playoff records given first priority when selecting UNCLAIMED franchises.

1. Owners must register their new team with the office of THE PFL by October 31 in the year of the most current version. (i.e. Madden 99, deadline October 31, 1999)

2. Franchises cannot be changed once the schedule has been compiled.

G. All Time, All Decade, All Madden, Classic Teams or any other teams not included in the NFL during the year of the games issue are not available for selection by any member.

SECTION II. EXPANSION

THE LEAGUE shall expand and incorporate new franchises into it's structure when approved by current franchise owners.

A. Perspective applicants to THE LEAGUE shall meet all requirements as specified in the By-Laws, Constitution and Handbook.

B. Franchise approval requires a two-thirds majority vote at General Business meeting plus a majority passage of the Executive Council.

C. Applicants may only select unclaimed franchises.

D. Current League members shall have priority when selecting unclaimed franchises.

E. All Time, All Decade, All Madden, Classic Teams or any other teams not included in the NFL during the year of the games issue are not available for selection by any member.

 

SECTION I. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Commissioner:

1. Chief executive officer of the PFL.

2. Member of the Executive Council

3. Ex-officio member of all committees.

4. Empowered to:

a. conduct business meetings of THE LEAGUE.

b. establish agendas and conduct meetings of the Executive Council.

c. Call special meetings of the PFL and/or the Executive Council

d. create and appoint special committees or task forces.

e. appoint committee chairpersons.

f. levy fines where empowered in the By-Laws and Handbook.

B. Deputy Commissioner

1. Serves in the absence of the Commissioner

2. Member of the Executive Council

3. Sergeant-At-Arms for all general Business Meetings

C. Executive Director

1. Performs duties as established by the Executive Council as agreed.

2. Such duties may include but are not limited to:

a. maintains membership records

b. schedules all PFL events

c. handles all PFL correspondence

d. records and distributes minutes of the Executive Council and General Business Meetings.

e. prepares league news.

f. serves as a member of Executive Council

g. collects dues/franchise fees for THE LEAGUE.

i. presents THE LEAGUE with all financial statements and documents.

j. serves as chief fiscal officer.

SECTION II. UNCOMPLETED TERMS

If any officer is unable to complete the term of office, an election will be held by league members to select a replacement to fill the uncompleted term. An individual who is elected to complete a term of office may be elected to a subsequent term.

SECTION I. FUNCTION

A. All committees serve in an advisory capacity to the Commissioner and the Executive Council. Committees shall implement policies as directed by the Council.

B. The Commissioner is empowered to appoint special committees and task forces to deal with specific areas of interest not covered by standing committees.

SECTION II. MEMBERSHIP

Where criteria are specified in the By-Laws, committee chairpersons select the membership of committees from members of THE LEAGUE based on a conference representation.

SECTION III. TERM OF SERVICE

A. Membership on all standing committees shall be for a term of two years. The chairperson shall appoint members to fill unexpired terms.

SECTION IV. CHAIRPERSONS

Chairpersons of standing committees shall be appointed by the Commissioner for a one year term commensurate with his term of office. The Commissioner shall appoint chairpersons to fill unexpired terms.

SECTION V. REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Reports of committee proceedings shall be sent to the Executive Director for dissemination to the Executive Council no fewer that seven (7) days prior to the Spring Owners meeting.

SECTION VI. ORGANIZATION AND DUTIES OF STANDING COMMITTEES

A. COMPETITION COMMITTEE

Organization:

The committee shall be chaired by the Deputy Commissioner and be composed of a representative from each conference. When the PFL is divided by divisions, one representative from each division shall be included.

Duties:

1. review and make recommendations concerning all league rules and procedures.

2. review competitive nature of PFL games.

3. act as agent of the Executive Council in reviewing all concerns brought to the Council concerning PFL events and to make recommendations to the appropriate agency.

B. ETHICS/DECORUM COMMITTEE

Organization:

Chairperson and two (2) members, each equally representing the AFC and the NFC.

Duties:

1. to receive and investigate concerns of unethical actions, using adopted procedures.

2. to report concerns of conduct unbecoming a member of THE LEAGUE

3. to report to the Executive Council the findings of the Committee and to recommend appropriate disposition.

SECTION I. Notification of business meetings shall be made at least seven (7) days prior to convening of that meeting via written communication stating the date, time and place of the meeting.

SECTION II. All Executive Council and General Business Meetings shall observe the following agenda:

A. Call To Order

B. Reading of the Minutes

C. Report of the Treasurer

D. Reading of Communications

E. Reports of Standing Committees

F. Reports of Special Committees

G. Unfinished Business

H. New Business

I. Election of Officers

J. Good And Welfare of the Association

K. Adjournment

SECTION III. The meetings of THE LEAGUE shall be governed by Roberts "Rules of Order" in all cases where said rules do not conflict with the Constitution, By-Laws and Handbook of the PFL.

SECTION I. THE LEAGUE sponsors the following activities and events:

PFL Football Games

PFL Meetings

PFL Socials

ARTICLE VII - AWARDS

SECTION I. AWARDS AVAILABLE

Awards will be in the form of a trophy or certificates provided by the PFL.

1. The PFL World Championship Trophy - Awarded to the team that wins the Super Bowl.

2. Conference Championship Trophy - Awarded to teams that win the Conference Championship Game.

2. The John Madden Award - Presented to the outstanding Coach of the Year as determined by vote of the membership.

ARTICLE VIII - AMENDMENTS

SECTION I. AMENDMENTS to the By-Laws of THE LEAGUE shall require readings and approval by majority vote in one (1) Executive Council meeting, followed by a reading and approval by majority vote at a General Business Meeting.

SECTION II. - CHANGES IN THE HANDBOOK

A. Changes in the Handbook shall require approval by a majority vote of the Executive Council , followed by a reading and a majority vote at a General Business meeting.

B. Changes in the Handbook that are introduced by a motion from the floor at a General Business meeting shall require a two-thirds vote of the assembly for passage.

 

SECTION I.

A. APPLICATION

Each member shall complete and submit the required application to the PFL Offices by the March 1.

B. FRANCHISE FEES:

1. Existing Franchises - $25.00

2. New Franchises - $45.00

B. REMITTANCE OF DEPOSIT

All franchise/expansion fees are non refundable and shall be used at the discretion of The PFL and it's owners.

C. HOSTING EVENTS:

Each League member shall be REQUIRED to host up to three PFL event as scheduled by the Executive Director.

II. - A. GENERAL RULES:

General rules for conduct of meetings are found in ARTICLE VII of the Constitution and ARTICLE V of the By-Laws.

II. - B. PROCESS OF MOTIONS

Procedures for the conduct of Business Meetings are:

1. Motions from the floor shall be submitted verbally or in writing to the chair for presentation to the assembly.

2. Voting members may do so by signal or by voting cards if so desired by the chair.

3. Election of Officers require vote by secret ballot.

4. Proxy voting is not allowed.

5. Criteria for passage of motions dealing with Constitution changes are found in ARTICLE VIII of the Constitution.

6. Criteria for passage of motions dealing with By-Laws and Handbook changes are found in ARTICLE VIII of the By-Laws.

II. C. GENERAL CONDUCT OF A LEAGUE MEMBER

Each League member is expected to display conduct that of an exemplirary standard. Good sportsmanship, League honor, respect and pride is to demanded from all members. The Commissioner reserves the right to levy fines of up to $50.00 based on the recommendations of the Ethics/Decorum committee for conduct deemed unbecoming a League member.

ARTICLE III - COMPETITION

I. A. ORGANIZATION

1. ALIGNMENT

Participation in PFL games is set by alignment of two conferences, AFC and NFC, which based on number, may be divided into divisions. Those divisions will be aligned according to geographic representation.

2. PARITY

In an effort to keep competition balanced, THE LEAGUE may vote on realignment on a yearly basis. Such realignment must follow the rules thus set in the Constitution ARTICLE II.

I. B. SCHEDULING

1. Scheduling for THE LEAGUE will be done by the Executive Director. Each team shall be scheduled at least two division games and one conference game against each member of their respective conference.The remaining games will be outer conference.

2. Games must occur on regularly scheduled League Game Nights. In the event that this cannot occur, the Executive Director must be notified at least 3 hours prior to kickoff. In addition the scheduled opponent must be contacted at least three hours prior to kickoff. The game will be rescheduled and must be played with final scores submitted to the Executive Director within exactly 7 complete days from the scheduled kickoff time. Failure to comply with the aforementioned policy will result in a computer simulation of the game. In the event that one opponent does not comply, that opponent will be assessed a 2-0 defeat.

3. Each team is responsible for submitting it's statistics to the Chief Statistician no later than exactly seven days after conclusion of competition. Failure to comply with the fore stated policy, for any reason rather intentionally or inadvertently shall result in a maximum $50.00 fine levied by the Commissioner.

4. THE LEAGUE recommends that all games be played according to the schedule, HOWEVER, if two teams mutually agree to play ahead of schedule, THE LEAGUE shall not be held liable for any misunderstandings or miscommunications that result. Therefore any disputes made to the Executive Council concerning this scenario shall be heard and ruled upon by the Council with that decision being final

I. C. HOSTING EVENTS

1. Each League member shall host up to three PFL event as scheduled by the Executive Director. The host shall have two televisions with screens of at least 19" or greater and two playstation units with two standard League joysticks. Each host will be expected to provide food & beverages for all League members and their guest as a courtesy.

 

II. - A. LEAGUE PLAY

1. HARDWARE

Competition shall occur using Sony Playstation units with the standard manufactures joysticks that are shipped with the unit. Any joystick either than those shipped with the unit or an exact duplicate, must be approved by the Executive Council. Joysticks that create any type of advantage as deemed by the Executive Council, (such as but not limited to infrared remote controls) shall be prohibited from use.

2. SOFTWARE

Official League Sanctioned Seasons can only be played on the most recent version of John Madden Football by EA Sports. Season must be started and completed under the same version. If a new version of Madden Football becomes available to consumers during a season in which the current version becomes the older, the said season shall be completed under the version in which it was initiated.

3. GAME LENGTH

PFL regular season and exhibition games shall be scheduled at six minute quarters. Playoff and Championship games shall be scheduled at ten (10) minute quarters. The Super Bowl shall be scheduled at fifteen (15) minute quarters. Included in each game shall be a five minute halftime. Only if BOTH teams agree to forego the use of a halftime period, shall the game continue without interruption.

4. PLAYING CONDITIONS

All PFL games shall be set to and played on the Madden Level. Games not played on the Madden Level shall be considered null and void. Players can select the weater conditions of their choice prior to kickoff. The weather conditions must be within League guildlines as established the Competition Committee.

• Week 1-16 ------ Day & Nights options are available
• Week 1-6 ------- Fair/Wind options are available
• Week 7-16 ----- Fair/Wind/Snow or Fair/Wind/Rain options would be available
• Playoffs --------Fair & Day Conditions only

Dome Teams - Detroit, Minnesota, Seattle, Atlanta

Fair/Wind/Snow Teams: Green Bay, Denver, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Dallas, New England, New York Giants/Jets, Washington, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland

Fair/Wind/Rain Teams: San Francisco, Miami, Oakland, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville, Carolina, Tennessee, Arizona.

 

5. TEAM ROSTERS

Teams shall play with rosters included on the system when the game was shipped. Manipulated or enhanced rosters are prohibited for use in the PFL.

6. USER PROFILES/MEMORY CARDS

Teams may use user pofile cards to expedite the setting of audibles and substitutions.

7. VIDEO TAPING/SCOUTING

Optional video taping of League games my occur with the expressed consent of the host. All scouting tapes, though optional, become property of the PFL exactly seventy-two (72) hours from the midnight in which the recorded game was played. Host will be allotted seventy-two (72) hours to review game tape that is recorded at their site. At the conclusion of this period the tape must be submitted to whomever request it on a first come first serve basis. Tapes may only be held for 24 hours after receiving them from the host and must be submitted to the next League Member that request it. That last person viewing the tape shall have the responsibility of returning the tape to it's rightful owner.

3. GENERAL DECORUM

a. Coaching, suggestions, or helpful hints whether verbally or by gesture, are not allowed during a PFL game. Violators shall be referred to the Ethics/Decorum committee for disciplinary action.

b. Guest are allowed at PFL sanctioned events but they must be accompanied by a League member in good standing (active or honorary). Guest must not interfere in any way with the operations of a PFL event or they may be asked to leave by the Deputy Commissioner. The accompanying member of this guest shall be referred to the Ethics/Decorum Committee for appropriate disciplinary action.

c. Walking in front of the game monitor (TV) while the game is in progress is considered a MAJOR infraction of League decorum and may result in that individual being recommended to the Ethics/Decorum committee for a fine.

d. Audibles and game substitutions are permissible at the start of the game and at halftime only. Opposing players SHOULD allow for privacy during the setting of audibles.

e. Smoking is prohibited inside the arena of all PFL events.

f. As a courtesy coaches should arrive to their scheduled games at least 15 minutes prior to kickoff.

g. Players may file a grievance with the Commissioners Office at any time should concerns of decorum or of an ethical nature arise.

4. GAME STOPPAGE

Any player stopping the game at any point during the game whether advert or inadvertent must call a time out. In the event that the player committing the infraction does not have any time outs remaining, the following must occur:

1. If the player committing the infraction is on defense he must take a mandatory encroachment penalty until the offense receives an automatic first down.

2. If the player committing the infraction is on offense he must take two mandatory delay of games. (a 10 yard loss) If the stoppage causes the offense to relinquish the ball to the opponent (i.e. fourth down situation or turnover), and the offending player is now on offense, that player must take four stop clock plays to relinquish the ball back to the opponent.

3. If this infraction is at the end of a game whereby the consequences cannot be enforced, the game shall be referred to the Executive Council. The Council shall issue a resolution as to how the game shall end, or if it is to be replayed.

5. GAME MALFUNCTIONS

In the unlikely event of a game system malfunction that is determined to be unavoidable, a winner shall be declared by the following guidelines:

a. there is a 28 point or more lead at any point in the game beyond the start of the fourth quarter.

b. If there is at least a 21 point lead at in point inside the two minute warning.

c. If neither of the above scenarios apply, the game shall be considered null and void and must be replayed.

6. PLAYOFFS

1. Provided that at least 12 franchises are in THE LEAGUE, each team shall complete the 16 regular season schedule as prescribed by the PFL. At the completion of the regular season, the top six teams in each conference will be eligible for playoff play. The first round shall be desginated as the Wild Card Playoff Round. The Division champions shall have a bye in this round. The second round shall be the Division round whereby the highest seed must play the lowest seed, regardless of division or ranking.

2. In the event that less than 12 franchises are available for play, the playoff system shall be redesigned by the Executive Council and brought to the membership for approval.