As is the case with most things in life, we all must follow a set of rules. We here at the CSL are no different. The league has been created as a source of recreation and fun. We certainly want to promote a competitive environment in our league...but not at the expense of fun & sportsmanship. Unfortunately everyone has a different version of what they think fun is. This, of course, is the reason we need rules. The CSL staff has been working hard on generating basic rules that will keep the integrity of the league intact, while still keeping the games enjoyable. Below is a growing list of rules that have been proposed. Some of these rules, if broken, can mean the end of your term as owner of your team. Please read the rules carefully, so as not to make one of these mistakes. Ignorance of the rules is not an acceptable excuse. It is your responsibility as an owner to become intimately familiar with the rules in place & ensure that you follow them accordingly.

Remember, rules are subject to change and can only be changed by members of the CSL staff. If you feel that a rule is unjust or may need to be rewritten, send our Commissioner an email, and we will be happy to revisit the rule.

NOTE: League rule changes noted in "Red".

I. Fair Play & Sportsmanship

1. Please respect your peers. Offensive gestures & comments are not condoned nor tolerated. Repeat offenders will be excused from the league. Let's have fun.
2. Keep trash talking to a minimum. We emphasize good sportsmanship in our league & trash talking just isn't part of our agenda. If problems persist, disciplinary action will be taken to the offending parties.
3. Play within the spirit of the game. Seeing as this is the most severe rule we have established a 2 strike policy. Any owner who plays against someone who feels that person is not living up to this rule, has the ability to report this person to the Commissioner.
4. Be a good sport. Antics like running up the score are not good for the CSL. There will be no awards given for margin of victory. Therefore if you are ahead by a comfortable margin and your opponent is clearly defeated, try to run out the clock as best you can.
5. Do not abuse “money plays” that take advantage of an AI flaw in the game.
6. DEFENSE RULES:
   1. Pressure - any type of pressure should be allowed from loose to tight. There is no need to restrict how many guys you can play tight D on, since it is easier to do a crossover and blow by a guy when he is using tight D.
   2. Double Teaming (auto, always, in the paint) - I have seen guys use the double team everyone strategy and it can be considered cheap but in most cases can be easily overcome.
   3. Intentional Fouls - This can be abused by some guys and used too much. Players should refrain from abusing the intentional foul to try to get back into games. Keep in mind that while using the All-Pro setting, the AI controlled players will automatically foul at the end of a close game.
   4. Camping Under the Basket on Defense: On defense DO NOT camp out under the basket in an attempt to block shots all game long. Playing as your center on defense is fine, if its done for the purpose of guarding the Center and not as a way to camp out under the basket.
7. OFFENSE RULES:
   1. Shooting 3's - Players should refrain from shooting 3's all game long while making no effort to take any other shots. Some may say why not let a guy shoot as many 3's as he wants. This has proven to be a tactic employed by many of the players online who have become very adept at hitting 3's even with defenders in their face. You may say if he makes them, well he makes them but this distracts from the real spirit of the league. As far as how many 3's we allow during a game, the league hasn't settled on a specific maximum number of threes but players are encouraged to not shoot more than 50% of their shots from behind the 3-point line.
   2. Exploiting the AI - Do not abuse “money plays” that take advantage of an AI flaw in the game.
   3. Cheese Tactics: There are many ways of easy baskets. Here are some of the cheese tactics that shouldn’t be allowed during league games:
      • After a made shot (Inbounds play) you may not throw the ball down court in an attempt to get an easy fast break. However, you may throw the ball downcourt if the shot was missed or if there is less than 10 seconds left in a half.
      • No Isomotion in the paint. This is where you do a juke/isomotion move in the paint to free yourself for an easy dunk or layup. Also inside the semi circle so you can't draw a charge.
      • No running in circles for the sweet spot. This mostly occurs at the baseline of the basket in which the man with the ball will drive to the basket then out of the area then back inside. This is the easiest way to get a layup, dunk or to draw a foul.
8. Handling Substitutes: Each owner is responsible for determining who their opponent is before posting their game. If it is an empty team (no owner) - you are still responsible for posting for that week. The one difference is you need to add the following at the end of the empty team: [SUB]. This will allow the league to quickly see that a sub is needed to play this game.

   For example, if there is no owner for the Lakers - it would read: Week 6: Wizards at Lakers [SUB]. You then post in the message at least two available times/dates you want to play the game. If someone can play for the empty team - it will be first come first serve. If nobody can make the two potential times - you will win by forfeit. The time/dates you post must be reasonable (i.e., 1 am PDT on Tuesday is not acceptable).

9. Substitutions:
   • Guards may play any Guard position or Small Forward.
   • Small Forward may play any position.
   • Power Forward may play Small Forward or Center but may not play any Guard position.
   • Center may play Center or Power Forward

II. Quitting & Pausing

Players are allowed to forfeit rather than "quit". Forfeited games are counted as a loss against the player's record. When doing so please let the other player know what your intentions are. Just disconnecting and leaving the game with no valid reason is prohibited. If an emergency should arise, you should contact the Commissioner & your opponent as soon as possible. If an owner gets angry and just pulls the plug then they will be subject to expulsion from the league. Multiple forfeits will result in league discipline & ultimately dismissal from the league. To avoid forfeits, please do not start any games you know you can't finish.

Please refrain from pausing the game multiple times during a game or pausing for extended lengths of time. If pausing the game is a must, please let your opponent know why you have paused the game via in game communications, online messenging services and/or email. Repeat offenders of this tactic will be subject to league discipline and/or dismissal.

We suggest that if you need to pause the game for an extended period of time (emergencies do happen from time to time)...that you communicate directly via your USB keyboard or USB headset with your opponent & let him know what is going on. At that point, the two of you can decide how you want to handle the situation. If you can't come to an agreement on how you want to complete the game (i.e., starting a new one, using the score at the time of the disconnect, waiting for a few minutes, etc.), then situation will be brought before the Commissioner for a decision.

III. Game Procedures

1. Owners are not allowed to skip games. If circumstances prevent you from playing your games on time, you must notify both the Commissioner & your opponent(s) as soon as possible. You are making a commitment when you join the league. If you can't be an active member in the league, please don't join.
2. Game disputes will be handled by the Commissioner. Records can and will be changed in the event that someone is incorrectly reporting game results.
3. You are required to play the games according to the league schedule. If you are going to be unable to complete your games in a given week, please contact the Commissioner for an extension by midnight on Wednesday of the given game week. Under certain circumstances, teams will be given up to a 1 week extension. If the games are not completed at the end of the extension period, the game will be simulated.
4. All league games are to be played in the online league lobby, with a period length of 6 minutes.
5. Owners have until Wednesday of a given game week to get in touch with their opponent on the Scheduling League Games forum. Failure to contact your opponent via the league forums by midnight Wednesday of the given game week will result in a forfeiture of the game. This will be left to the discretion of the non-offending team. The game will be simulated for statistical purposes.
6. Playing Games Ahead of Schedule: We will follow the same rules as ESPN for playing early. You are allowed to play ahead if BOTH owners have completed the current week. If you are going on vacation, you are allowed to play ahead (please notify the league commissioner in advance, and make reference to it in your scheduling post) to ensure your game is completed. If you need to play a game late (after the scheduled completion date) - you need to notify the league commissioner by Wednesday for an extension. Otherwise, the game will be simulated on Monday morning to determine the winner.
7. Mercy Rule: If at anytime a team gets ahead of another team by 35 points, at that point the winning team is expected to play ball control and slow the game down. Run the clock down & consider letting some of your bench players get in the game.

   If at anytime the losing team scores, than you can bring the game back up to the 35 point margin.

   If a team is clearly beaten, and the winning team continues to run up the score, they will be warned for unsportsmanlike play. The first violation results in a 1 game suspension. Next violation results in 2 game suspensions. Any additional violations warrants removal from the league.

   No team enjoys losing, but we will all experience a loss at one point or another. Just keep the scores respectable. 120-70 isn't acceptable and it makes a mockery of the CSL. Respect the other owners, and realize some teams do not have the talent regardless of how much you really could score.

8. Voice Chat: The use of voice chat during league play is NOT required, but highly encouraged. If voice chat is not used, owners should use a USB keyboard to keep communication lines open during game play.

IV. Vacations & Extended Absences

If you are going to be unable to play your scheduled league games for any extended period of time, be courteous enough to your opponent(s) & to the rest of the league to make an attempt to complete your games ahead of schedule. Especially in those cases when we know well in advance of our absence. Be sure to contact the Commissioner & your opponents regarding your absence and let us know when you expect to return. If you fail to do so, your game will be simulated while you are away & your opponent will be awarded the victory. Undoubtedly emergencies will occur, and these situations will be handled on a case by case basis.

V. Failure To Finish Match

Although it does not happen often, it is possible that you or your opponent may be disconnected from the game or the Internet entirely before your match is finished. If one player was clearly losing at the time of disconnect, then that person should be a good sport & take the loss. If there was no clear winner at that point in the match, you will need to schedule a rematch.

VI. Divergence Issue

If an owner is found to be purposely taking advantage of the "Divergence Issue" error during league play, they will be immediately dismissed from the league with no exceptions.

VII. Cheating

It goes without saying that we won't tolerate cheating of any kind. This includes, but is not limited to, breaking league rules, reporting false results, filing false complaints against owners, or otherwise tampering with the integrity of the league & its members.

If you suspect your opponent is cheating, you can pause the game, and move your cursor to the Gameplan menu item, and leave it there for 20-30 seconds. This notifies your opponent that you question their gameplay and tactics.

If you are certain your opponent is cheating, you should pause the match immediately and take down the applicable stats & game information (i.e., quarter, time remaining, etc.) & then report the suspicious activity to the Commissioner as soon as possible. Quitting a game is no longer condoned as an acceptable way to protest a game. By recording the information mentioned above, you will be able to "continue" the game at the point in which you left off in the event that your complaint against your opponent is found to be an invalid one. You do not need to report the match as a loss. The situation will be resolved by the Commissioner on a case by case basis.

VIII. Fill In The Blank

We can't cover every aspect of gaming in our rules. We have tried to be as thorough as possible and cover all the basics, however, just because something is not listed doesn't mean that it is allowed. Use common sense. If it is something that will adversely effect other players and you might think twice about doing it, it's probably against the rules. The Commissioner has the final say in such matters. If you have a specific question, please feel free to contact him directly.

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  Last updated Monday, October 2nd, 2005