I have been contacted by a number of GMs who have expressed their dissatisfaction with the direction in which the league is going as it relates to players playing out of position. I happen to agree with them.

Despite what has been said about its lack of unsportsman-like behavior, I am now aware of two GMs who are using WRs as DBs. Sorry, but this tactic (among others) is totally unacceptable.

I remind everyone that although the majority of GMs agreed that players should be limited in terms of positions on the filed, there was slight disagreement about the timing of adopting the new rule. Nevertheless, at the risk of losing one or more GMs, beginning with upcoming Game 4, Paydirt will have a ZERO TOLERANCE for violations of any of the following rules during the regular and post season:

1. CBs may only include players whose primary position is CB or S. (If a GM wants to employ a WR at either of these positions during a game, he may do so only if he changes the WR's primary position to CB or S prior to that game.)

2. Defensive line players may only include players whose primary position is defensive lineman or LB. (With the same freedom/limitation described above to change a player's primary position prior to a game.)

3. LBs may only include players whose primary position is LB or S. (With the same freedom/limitation described above to change a player's primary position prior to a game.)

4. Special team rushers against punts shall exclude players whose primary positions are CB, FS, SS or WR.

Any GM who is shown to violate any of the above will be immediately removed from the league and such GM's team will be offered to the first person who asks to take it over.

I encourage all GMs to assist in enforcing this mandate. As the next game is not played until Sunday night (three days from now), each GM now has the weekend to examine his depth chart to avoid being penalized. Please take advantage of this opportunity.

I also ask each GM to be ready to recruit new players if we lose one or more GMs after we implement the new rules. A primary goal should be to always have a full roster of GMs rather then to have the AI take over a tem.

Is this the perfect way to deal with the issue? Possibly not. But we shouldn't allow our pursuit of perfection impede our quest for something better than what we have.

As always, please also do not hesitate to give me feedback. Thanks.

P.S. I will post this announcement on several threads. Please bear with the redundancy.

I appreciate the feedback.

What you are saying is true about changing WR to CB and continuing to play him at WR. That being the case, it makes sense to adopt the entire position limits which were under consideration earlier, i.e., the proposal on which we voted.

Therefore, we'll adopt immediately the entire proposal on which we voted (and most GMs supported). Please note this allows for Defensive Linemen to play Linebacker and visa versa, among other things.

Sorry for the confusion, but my (our) goal is to try to make PFL as realistic as it can be made given the coding limitations and deficiencies. However, if a case can be made in the future to alter any of the rules to make the game more realistic, we will do so.

For the sake of clarity, the entire new rule is set forth below:

Position Limits

A GM shall NOT insert a player into a position on the depth chart (including overrides) during the regular or post season which deviates from the following:

1. RB may include only players whose primary position is RB, FB, TE or WR.

2. FB may include only players whose primary position is RB, FB or TE.

3. TE may include only players whose primary position is FB, TE, WR or an offensive lineman.

4. WR may include only players whose primary position is RB, FB, TE or WR.

5. Offensive line players may only include players whose primary position is offensive lineman or TE.

6. Defensive line players may only include players whose primary position is defensive lineman or LB.

7. LB may only include players whose primary position is LB or S.

8. S may only include players whose primary position is S, CB or LB.

9. CB may only include players whose primary position is CB or S.

10. Special teams rushers against punts shall exclude players whose primary positions are CB, FS, SS or WR. Such players may only be used as Gunners in punt return situations.

Any deviation from this rule shall result in the immediate removal of the offending GM from the Paydirt Football League (PFL), who shall be prohibited from rejoining PFL for a period of not less than 30 days, and otherwise at the discretion of the League Administrator or by the vote of a majority of GMs.

Thank you all for hanging in there. We have apparently lost two GMs in response to the new rule. Perhaps we will lose more over time. Nevertheless, those who remain and join in the future can at least know and appreciate that our first priority is to honor the spirit of the game - which is to enjoy playing a simulation of a real life experience in a virtual world devoid of exploiting AI limitations.

I will reach out to the GMs in our other league to try and fill the empty GM spots. However, if you have any additional candidates, please reach out yourselves.

BTW - If anyone wants to switch franchises and take over the team of a departed GM, please let me know. If more than one person seeks to make a switch, I will give preference to the most experienced GM in terms of how long he has played the game, I.e., when he first joined MFN. And so on until all switches are accommodated.

Lastly, let’s all remember that the game is just that. A game. And a respite from all that plagues our society and personal lives. It should be something that we enjoy doing. So, let’s have some fun. Good luck the rest of the way.

Can I play LBs as the CB3 in the Nickel? I do this frequently when I use the Nickel to cover the 212.

Yes, it seems to me that it does not detract from the realism of the game or exploit the AI any more than subbing a safety in at linebacker or CB. Thanks for asking.

If anyone has any objections or questions, please post them or let me know via PM.

Oh, I thought of one more nuance to this. In the GL defense, the two "deep backs" are the SS and MLB. If I wanted to sub a DB in for those sets, does that player HAVE to be a S?

PM me if you want a more detailed explanation of this question.

Actually i would like to know the answer, can the MLB be sub with a DB?

Per rules, the sub would HAVE to be a S. I'm fine with that, but it changes how I set up my positions on that set.

Over time, there will be nuanced situations which need to be fleshed out. However, for the time being let's stay with the rules as written. I'd like everyone to get used to using them (most GMs already are). Then, we can address exceptions. I'm all for allowing flexibility where it reflects real life and doesn't take advantage of the AI. I'd also like to acquaint all GMs with the impact (perceived or real) of implementing exceptions to the rules.

Thanks for asking.

Definitely reasonable. The reason why I asked about that particular play is because one of the few ways to disrupt the 221 exploit passing plays (i.e. Deep Corners) is to drop a CB into the blitz MLB position.

The reason that this works is that the CB is the one position that can hit the 96 SP break point, which is as fast as a player at normal weight can move. The only players that move faster are < 191#.

For full disclosure, how this works in the GL Attack (my favorite is the #1) is that the DB comes blitzing after the OL engages. You can disrupt most passing plays with an 88-89 SP LB in that position, but he's a bit too slow to get to the QB against the Deep Corners. A 95-96 SP DB will get to the QB or force a bad pass on most plays.

Now, since I've said this, y'all can go out and beat Smirt.