Proposed Rule Changes

The following ideas could go into effect for the 2022 season (or beyond):
No new rule change proposals at this time.


Instituted Rule Changes

The following ideas were implemented for the 2010 season:
1. The number of franchise players will increase from two to three per team.

2. With regards to roster maximums, franchises will now be allowed to keep up to six running backs on their team instead of five.

3. Running backs will get one point for every 10 points rushing, instead of every 20 points rushing. (Wide receivers will continue to get one point for every 20 points receiving, because they also get one point for every reception.)

4. An "add/drop deadline" has been created (Week 16), to prevent owners from gutting or massively overhauling their rosters heading into the offseason. This effectively puts a freeze on all player movement until the draft, with the exception of trades being proposed and executed between March and August. The trade deadline will continue to fall at the end of Week 13.

5. The flex position in the starting lineup can be used for any running back, wide receiver or tight end. Prior to this year, only running backs and wide receivers could be used as flex players.

6. UFFL Pro Bowl rule change: Effective with the 2010 Pro Bowl (to be held in January 2011), head coaches will have the opportunity to select players who do not appear on the ballot from an "emergency players list," at the discretion of the commissioner. The emergency players listed for each division will consist of two quarterbacks, two running backs, two wide receivers, two extra tight ends and one placekicker. The list will feature the highest-scoring players at their respective positions who were not included on the original Pro Bowl ballot. This list should only be consulted if all of the players on the ballot at one or more positions are injured, inactive or are expected to play a limited number of snaps.

The following idea was implemented for the 2012 season:
1.  Players will remain on waivers for 24 hours instead of 48 hours.

The following idea was implemented for the 2015 season:
1.  Points will be credited to team defenses for conversion returns (due to the new NFL rule regarding the allowance of returns on two-point conversions and extra points). This adjustment was automatically instituted by Fleaflicker and was not voted on by the league.

The following idea was implemented for the 2016 season:
1.  Individual defensive players were reinstituted to fantasy lineups, after it became possible for Fleaflicker football leagues to support formats which use individual defensive players and team defenses. This setup was used by the UFFL from 2004 to 2007, during the league's final years on Yahoo! Sports, but was dropped prior to the 2008 season because it didn't appear that both IDPs and team defenses could be supported simultaneously. Starting lineups will include two spots for IDPs and an extra bench spot has been added to each roster.

The following ideas were implemented for the 2017 season:
The scoring system for individual defensive players (IDPs) was adjusted, to give more weight to areas such as tackles and assisted tackles. The following rule change proposals were approved by a majority of owners on the annual league questionnaire:

1. Solo tackles for IDPs were increased from 0.5 fantasy points to one fantasy point, while assisted tackles were increased from zero points to 0.5 points.

2. Sacks for IDPs were increased from one fantasy point to three fantasy points. (They were worth three points each from 2004 to 2007 and one point when IDPs were reintroduced to the league in 2016.)

3. Passes defended for IDPs were increased from zero fantasy points to one fantasy point. (They were worth one point each from 2004 to 2007 but worth nothing in 2016.)

The following idea was implemented for the 2018 season:
1. Punters were added to the Ultimate Fantasy Football League, since the rostering and statistical infrastructure was put into place on Fleaflicker. As a result, rosters expanded from 19 to 20 active slots, with teams being allowed to carry no more than two punters.

The following idea was implemented for the 2020 season:
1. The number of injured reserve slots was increased from three players to five players at the beginning of the season, to give roster flexibility to owners who had multiple players sidelined due to having COVID-19 or being a close contact to someone who tested positive. This rule was adjusted in mid-October, with the number of IR slots increased to six players, so that players who had games abruptly postponed by the NFL could be protected without having to occupy active roster space.

The following idea was implemented for the 2021 season:
1. One fantasy point will be awarded for every 10 return yards accumulated (through kickoff returns, punt returns, interception returns or fumble returns). Previously, one fantasy point was awarded for every 25 kickoff or punt return yards, while there were no points awarded for interception return yards or fumble return yards.
 

Rejected Rule Changes

The following ideas were not implemented for the 2011 season:
1. Using a draft lottery (similar to the system used for the NBA draft) to determine slotting for the first four selections of the UFFL draft. This would have given the worst franchise in the league a greater chance of ending up with the top pick in the draft than the next three worst franchises without guaranteeing that they would receive the No. 1 selection.

2. Re-seeding after each round of the playoffs (so that the highest remaining seed will always face the lowest remaining seed, like the NFL playoffs); currently, the UFFL postseason structure is similar to the NCAA tournament bracket system, where re-seeding does not occur.

3. A proposal to turn the Ultimate Fantasy Football League from a free league to a pay league.

4. The implementation of doubleheaders (teams playing two games in one week).

5. Expansion (to 10) or reduction (to six) of the number of playoff-bound teams. Both scenarios would have necessitated the creation of first-round byes for two teams. Expanding the number of teams would have also resulted in the regular season schedule being reduced to 12 games (from 13), or the 17th week of the NFL calendar being used for the championship game, thus leading to the elimination of the UFFL Pro Bowl.

The following ideas were not implemented for the 2012 season:
1. The implementation of weekly or monthly transaction limits. Teams will continue to be allowed to make an unlimited number of transactions.

2. The transition from a priority list waiver system to a blind-bid waiver system.

3. A proposal that would have allowed players acquired in offseason trades to be protected from being drafted without occupying any franchise player slots.

4. The contraction of two to four UFFL franchises (or the reduction of roster sizes) to increase the amount of available talent in the free-agent pool.

5. The movement of the league from Fleaflicker Fantasy Sports back to Yahoo! Fantasy Sports.

The following ideas were not implemented for the 2013 season:
1. The reduction of roster sizes to increase the amount of available talent in the free-agent pool.

2. The addition of defensive player flex positions (defensive linemen, linebackers and defensive backs) without eliminating the concept of defensive teams. (In 2004, teams were required to have one defensive team and four defensive players in their starting lineup. From 2005 to 2007, the requirements were changed to one defensive team and two defensive players. The defensive players idea was scrapped in 2008 when the UFFL moved from Yahoo! to Fleaflicker because it was initially believed that Fleaflicker was unable to handle such a setup.)

The following ideas were not implemented for the 2014 season:
1. A proposal which would have changed the tiebreaker system for postseason contests. The system that had been in place was as follows: (A) most total starter combined touchdowns, (B) highest individual starter score, (C) higher bench points total.

The following ideas were not implemented for the 2015 season:
1. The implementation of a non-snaking draft order, similar to that used by the National Football League.

2. The elimination of keeper players, which would have given a clean slate to all franchises.

3. The proposal to make successful extra-point attempts worth more than one fantasy point, based on the distance for attempts being increased from 20 yards to 33 yards.

The following ideas were not implemented for the 2016 season:
1. Team defenses could have earned points for three-and-out scenarios (forcing an opposing offense to go without picking up a first down on their offensive drive and not scoring any points). Effective with the 2015 season, Fleaflicker made this option available to all fantasy leagues.

2. A proposal where team defenses could have earned points for stopping opponents on fourth-down conversion attempts. Effective with the 2015 season, Fleaflicker made this option available to all fantasy leagues.

3. Team defenses and individual defensive players could have earned additional points for fumble return yards and interception yards. Effective with the 2015 season, Fleaflicker made this option available to all fantasy leagues.

4. A proposal where offensive players could have earned points for targets (times a quarterback throws a ball in an intended receiver's direction). Effective with the 2014 season, Fleaflicker made this option available to all fantasy leagues.