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Official Document

WHPL Rule Book

As of 9/2/2025

League Format / General Rules

  • No divisions; schedule is randomly determined each year.
  • Free agent auction waiver system.
  • 13 weeks of regular season, followed by 2 rounds of two-week playoffs.
  • Half-Point PPR Standard Scoring.
  • 6 points for passing TDs.
  • All decisions made by league-wide vote, simple majority wins. Tiebreakers resolved by the commissioner and/or another method approved by 6/10ths of the league.
  • 8 bench, 1 IR, standard roster makeup.
  • A GM must field a full lineup besides defense, unless having the player in risks them losing their matchup.
  • Trophy awarded to the league winner each year as soon as possible after the championship game.

Trade Rules

  • Trade deadline is prior to the first game of Week 10.
  • GMs may only trade one pick from rounds 1–3.
  • The same trade may not be executed by the same two GMs twice (rental rule).
  • You may only trade for picks in the following year's draft.

Keeper Rules

  • One keeper per year.
  • A player may only be kept for two years following their original draft acquisition.
  • No player may be kept more than two years in a row.
  • First keeper year: position is the same round they were drafted in, or the GM's last available draft pick if the player was an undrafted FA.
  • Second keeper year: draft position is half of the original draft position, rounded to the later round.
  • If a team lacks a pick in the keeper's assigned round, they may use a pick in an earlier round.
  • If a keeper gets injured, the GM has one week before the draft to change the keeper. If the injury occurs within 1 week of the draft, the GM has 24 hours. Injury is defined as being on a team's injury report.
  • If a keeper is kept at a higher pick than their original value because a team traded away that pick, the following year the value is still based on the original draft pick.

Drafting Rules

  • Winner of the 3rd/4th place game decides the draft competition.
  • GMs declare their keeper when declaring their draft order selection.
  • Once the window for selecting draft position and keeper is open, the GM on the clock has 24 hours to make their selection. If 24 hours expires, they get bounced to the end of the line.
  • Online draft, snake format.
  • Draft date is the week of the first NFL kickoff, pending discussion in the summer.
  • 60 seconds per pick.

Winnings Rules

  • 1st place: 7/10ths of the pot and creates the punishment for the loser (cannot be monetary).
  • 2nd place: 2/10ths.
  • 3rd place: gets money back and decides the draft competition.
  • Top weekly scorer receives $20 from the low scorer each week (regular season only).
  • 2024 buy-in: $350.
  • $50 added to dues each year for 5 years, starting in 2022 and ending in 2026.
  • If the toilet bowl punishment is not completed in due time, the GM is docked a first round pick in that year's draft.
  • Punishment needs to be accepted by 6/10ths of the league before Week 1. If no punishment is given, it reverts to the previous year's punishment.