The time has come and you want to create your own fantasy football league. Maybe you have played before in leagues run by someone else. Perhaps you have never even owned a fantasy team, but still want to be the architect now.
Either way there are some procedures to follow when attempting to construct a league. Deciding exactly how you want to organize it is one major aspect of this that needs attention. Establishing all of the details is another key factor that is involved.
Before attempting to build a league, please read the following steps and allow them to help guide you through the process.
1. Determine Desired Team Amount
Choosing the number of teams you want should be the first step toward establishing a league. Generally some leagues may have as little as six teams while others may contain 12 or more. Keep in mind that an even number is needed for the head-to-head format.
A new league should start out small and have about six-eight teams. This makes everything easier to manage for the commissioner and all team owners. A low team number is also a good building block since it makes drafting quicker and leaves more popular players available.
2. Pick a Hosting Site
Choices are endless when it comes to finding a league hosting site. Some fantasy sites are free and basic. Others charge to join and can be full of special features.
Using a site with no cost and simple options is best for a new league. Pay sites are usually designed for more established leagues with veteran players.
3. Recruit Friends and Co-Workers First
Once a team total and hosting site are decided, you have to find guys interested in playing. Start by gauging interest among a core group of friends or co-workers. Ideally all of your members will know each other.
Competitors in such a situation will quickly create friendly rivalries, making things more interesting throughout the season. Aside from this, leagues of close friends and/or associates are less likely to have owners quit during the season.
4. Fill Empty Spots if Necessary
If more players are still needed, you have two main choices to fill a league. One is inviting guys that you may not know very well. The other is allowing strangers to join online via the hosting site.
Those already signed up can sometimes recommend others that are willing to play. If that doesn’t work, most hosting sites have an option to go public. This means anyone interested in playing can find your league on the site and join.
5. Set Rules and Regulations
Once everyone is on board, the next move is going to your hosting site and setting rules and regulations. Mainly this deals with the point scoring system, trade deadlines and free agent limitations. However, there are several variations in how things can be set.
In a league’s first year it is best to use standard settings. Examples of standard scoring are touchdowns counting for six points and ten rushing yards equaling one point. Straying too far from normal rules can make things confusing and might really frustrate team owners.
6. Try to Reward Success
The final step to creating your league concerns a cash prize for the overall winner. Members must decide if they want to contribute money towards a championship pot. This could get complicated with strangers or strict workplace regulations, so keep that in mind.
If a first place payout is deemed feasible, a good idea is to implement it. New leagues should generally keep required prize contributions low, maybe $10-$20 per person. The concept of rewarding a winner can make your league more exciting and help to retain owners for another season.