| FAQ: rec.sports.football.pro
Last Updated 04/01/2002
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.pro
Subject: FAQ -- rec.sport.football.pro
Distribution: world
Followup-To: rec.sport.football.pro
Archive-name: http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/index.nsf/Documents/0-faq-txt
Posting-frequency: bi-monthly (1st and 15th of each month)
This FAQ is archived as:
http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/index.nsf/Documents/0-faq-txt
and in hypertext format as:
http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/index.nsf/Documents/0-faq
Maintained by John M. Troan
Originated by Adriene L. Nazaretian
All entries in this FAQ have been submitted by RSFP readers. This FAQ
will be posted the first and fifteenth day of each month. The version of
each posting will be represented by the "Last Updated" date just under the
FAQ's heading.
Please send me mail (jtroan@jt-sw.com) if you have a correction or addition.
This FAQ is not intended to replace the NFL rules book. Some information
listed here may not be complete. The information is only as accurate as
the source, some of which are listed.
* in the index means the area is incomplete -- 'netters please contribute
whenever possible.
0. MISC NFL YEARLY INFORMATION
0.1 Recent NFL Rules Changes
0.2 Important Dates
1. WHERE TO GET ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
1.1 Newpapers
1.2 Mailing Lists/Newsgroups/WWW Pages/IRC
1.3 NFL Archives
1.4 Obtaining an NFL Rules Book
1.5 NFL Offices (Phone & FAX)
1.5.1 Team Addresses
1.6 Getting Scores
1.7 NFL Merchandise
1.8 NFL Films
2. PLAYOFFS
2.1 Playoff structure
2.2 Tie Breakers
2.3 SB winners/MVP's
3. STADIUM INFORMATION
4. NUMBERS, STATS, RATINGS....
4.1 QB rating formula
4.2 Jersey Numbers
4.3 NFL Scheduling (Determing Opponents)
4.4 Compensatory Draft Picks
4.5 RFA Compensation Formula
5. NFL DRAFT NOTES
5.1 Overall first round draft choices
5.2 1995 Expansion Draft
5.3 1999 Expansion Draft
5.4 2002 Expansion Draft
6. NFL BROADCAST INFORMATION
6.1 NFC Games
6.2 AFC Games
6.3 Playoff Games
6.4 Superbowl
6.5 Pro Bowl
6.6 Non US Coverage *
7. HALL OF FAME ENSHRINEES
8. PRO BOWL SELECTIONS
9. TERMINOLOGY/SPECIAL REFERENCES
9.1 IMHO/IMO
9.2 BTW
9.3 SB
9.4 Ob
9.5 FYI
9.6 :-)
9.7 HFA
9.8 FA
9.9 RFA/UFA
9.10 FP
9.12 Lose/Loose
10. FANDOM, POOLS AND OTHER RELATED INFORMATION
10.1 Olivers Woofing Theorem
10.2 Football Cards, Trading/Collecting
0. Misc Yearly NFL Information
0.1 NFL YEARLY RULES CHANGES
Can be found at
http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/index.nsf/Documents/0-rules.
0.2 IMPORTANT DATES
The 2002 timeline can be found at
http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/index.nsf/Documents/2002-timeline.
1. Where to Get additional information
1.1 IS THERE A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO MY FAVORITE TEAM?
From one of the '97 Pre-season Magazines
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bal -- Ravens Report
Buf -- Buffalo Bills Shout! 800-93-BILLS
Car -- Panthers Insider 800-637-2583
Chi -- Bear Report 800-728-6501
Cin -- Bengals Report 513-941-9021
Cle -- Browns News/Illustrated 713-261-6077
Dal -- Dallas Cowboys Official Weekly 972-556-9972
Det -- Lions Report
Lions Roar! 800-240-0313
GB -- Packer Insider 414-733-1545
Packer Plus 800-846-PACK
Packer Report 800-728-6501
Ind -- Hoof Beats
Jac -- Jaguars Inside Report
KC -- Chiefs Report 800-578-2624
Mia -- Dolphins Digest 800-334-4005
Min -- Viking Update 800-256-7110
NE -- Patriots Football Weekly
NO -- Saints Digest 800-334-4005
NYG -- The Giants Newsweekly 800-562-2198
NYJ -- Jets Confidential 800-932-4557
Oak -- Silver & Black Illustrated 888-6-RAIDER
Phi -- Eagles Digest 800-334-4005
Pit -- Steelers Digest 800-334-4005
SD -- Chargers Football Weekly 619-584-2976
SF -- 49ers Report 281-261-6077
Sea -- Inside the Seahawks 206-781-3291
StL -- Rams Update 800-578-2624
TB -- The Buccaneer Magazine 800-881-BUCS
Was -- Wash. Pro Football Illustrated
Some can be ordered through the Professional Football Publication
Association at 800-310-7047 or through www.nflpublications.com.
1.2 IS THERE A MAILING LIST FOR MY FAVORITE TEAM?
Go to http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/teams/www.html for the
information on web pages, mailing lists, newsgroups, etc.
1.3 IS THERE AN ARCHIVE OF NFL STATS?
http://www.jt-sw.com/football
The web interface to the football information now at JT-SW.com.
It contains (or will contain) stats & box scores, fantasy
football stuff, draft/free agency notes, and whatever else can
be located or is sent in.
The maintainer is John Troan (jtroan@jt-sw.com).
(This was the site housed at Vnet (users.vnet.net/troan/football)
and has been moved to a new permanent home.)
1.4 WHERE DO I GET AN OFFICIAL NFL RULES BOOK?
Call or FAX the NFL offices and request one. See section 1.5 below
for phone numbers.
1.5 NFL OFFICES
Phone Numbers for the NFL Offices:
(212) 421-3774
(212) 758-1500
(212) 872-5200
FAX Numbers:
(216) 826-3454
(216) 758-1742
The FAX should ask for any information about the NFL teams that you
want, including addresses.
Publications available upon request. example: THE NFL AND YOU
1.5.1 Team Addresses
Mailing addresses for the teams are available at
http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/index.nsf/Documents/0-addresses.
1.6 GETTING SCORES
Stats mailing list: Send mail to nfl-stats-subscribe@list.vnet.net.
After a brief automated confirmation process, you'll receive a
"Welcome to List" message when you've been added.
1.7 NFL MERCHANDISE
To access the NFL store on-line, go to http://nflshop.com.
1.8 NFL FILMS
To obtain a catalog write to:
NFL Films
330 Fellowship Road
Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054
(609) 778-1600
You can also reach NFL Films at http://nfl.com/multimedia.
2. Playoff Structure
This will hold true through the 2001 post season. Once the official
advancement paths are determined, they'll be added to the FAQ.
In each conference (AFC and NFC), the three division winners are
seeded 1-2-3 with tie-breakers applied as needed. The best two
division winners get a bye-week into the Divisional Playoffs.
The best three of the remaining teams in each conference get the wild
card slots for the conference and are seeded 4-5-6 with tie-breakers
applied as needed.
2.1 CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS (SAME FOR BOTH CONFERENCES)
Wild Card Playoffs
Divisional Playoffs
Conf Championship
Wild Card#1 \
> _____________ \
Wild Card#2 / \ ________ \
/ \
Div Winner 1 or 2 / \
> _____________
Wild Card #3 \ / Conf Champion
> _____________ \ /
Div Winner #3 / \ ________ /
/
Div Winner 1 or 2 /
NOTE: The highest seed playing each week always plays the lowest seed
playing that week.
Conference Champions play each other in the SUPERBOWL!
2.2 TIE BREAKER RULES
Definitions
Tie -- counts as half a win and half a loss.
Common Games -- the teams that all of the tied teams have played. This is
based on winning percentage since there will probably a different number
of games against the common opponent opponents.
Wild Card ties
If necessary to break ties to determine the three wildcard teams from
each conf. and the site of a first-round playoff game, the following
steps will be taken:
1. Apply division tiebreaker to eliminate all but the highest ranked
club in each division prior to proceeding to a step 2. The original
seeding within a division upon application of the division tie-
breaker remains the same for all subsequest applications of the
procedure that are necessary to identify the three Wild Card
applicants.
2. If the tied clubs are from different divisions, use the
following steps.
TWO CLUBS
1. Head to head, if applicable.
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games within the conference.
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four.
4. Best average net points in conference games.
5. Best net points in all games.
6. Strength of schedule.
7. Best net touchdowns in all games.
8. Coin toss.
THREE OR MORE CLUBS
1. Head-to-head sweep (applicable only if one club has defeated
each of the others, or if one club has lost to each of the
others).
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games within the conference.
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four.
4. Best average net points in conference games.
5. Best net points in all games.
6. Strength of schedule.
7. Best net touchdowns in all games.
8. Coin toss.
NOTE: If two teams remain tied after a third or additional teams are
eliminated, the tiebreaker reverts to step 1 of the applicable two-
club format. When the first wildcard team has been identified, the
procedure is repeated to name the second wild card, i.e., eliminate
all but the highest-ranked club in each division prior to proceeding
to step 2, and repeated a third time, if necessary, to identify the
third wild card. in situations where three or more teams from the same
division are involved in the procedure, the original seeding of teams
remains the same for subsequent applications of the tiebreaker if the
top-ranked team in that division qualifies for a wildcard.
Division ties
If two or more clubs in the same division finish with identical best
won-lost-tie percentage, the following steps will determine a cham-
pion. The same steps are used to determine sites of postseason games.
TWO TEAMS
1. Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games between
the clubs).
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games within the division.
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, if applicable.
(Changed March 2002.)
4. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games within the conference.
5. Best net points in division games.
6. Best net points in all games.
7. Strength of schedule.
8. Best net touchdowns in all games.
9. Coin toss.
THREE OR MORE TEAMS
1. Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games among the
clubs).
2. Best won-lost-tie percentage in games within the division.
3. Best won-lost-tie percentage in common games.
(Changed March 2002.)
4. Best won-lost-tie percentage in games within the conference.
5. Best net points in division games.
6. Best net points in all games.
7. Strength of schedule.
8. Best net touchdowns in all games.
9. Coin toss.
NOTE: If one team wins multiple-team a tiebreaker to advance to playoff
round, remaining teams revert to step 1 of applicable two-club format,
i.e., either in division tiebreaker or wild-card tiebreaker. If two
teams in a mutiple-tie possess superior marks in a tiebreaking step,
this pair of teams advance to the top of the applicable two-club format
to break the tie. One team advances to playoff round, while other returns
to original group and step 1 of applicable tiebreaker.
2.3 SUPERBOWL WINNERS HISTORY
Web page at http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/superbowl.html.
3. Stadium Information
Web page at http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/stadiums.html.
4. Statistics
4.1 QB RATING
The formula:
+- -+
| (COMP% - 30) (GAIN - 3) TD% (9.5 - INT%) |
| ------------ + ---------- + --- + ------------ |
RATE = 100 * | 20 4 5 4 |
| ---------------------------------------------------- |
| 6 |
+- -+
Where COMP% = Completion percentage (divide by number of attempts)
GAIN = Average gain (per attempt)
TD% = Percent touchdowns (divide by number of attempts)
INT% = Percent interceptions (divide by number of attempts)
The minimum a passer can receive from any of the four categories is
0.000; the maximum a passer can receive is 2.375. Thus, the lowest
possible rating is 0.0, the maximum possible is 158.3.
4.2 JERSEY NUMBERS
The NFL's rules for player's jersey numbers can be found at
http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/index.nsf/Documents/0-jers-nums.
4.3 NFL SCHEDULING (DETERMINING OPPONENTS)
The formula used to determine each team's opponents the following year
can be found at
http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/index.nsf/Documents/0-sched-opp.
4.4 COMPENSATORY DRAFT PICKS
Under terms of the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, a team
losing more or better compensatory free agents than it acquires in
a year is eligible to receive compensatory draft picks.
Compensatory free agents are determined by a formula, developed by
the NFL Management Council, based on salary and performance. Not
every free agent lost or signed by a club is covered by this
formula. The number of picks a team receives equals the net loss
of compensatory free agents up to a maximum of four. In some cases
team receive picks even though they did not suffer a net loss of
compensatory free agents. Under the formula, the compensatory
free agents these teams lost were ranked higher than the ones they
signed (based on salary and performance). No compensatory picks
are higher than the third round.
Beginning in 1993, the NFL usually announces compensatory picks
several weeks before the NFL draft.
4.5 RFA Compensation Formula
Salary Tender Compensation
~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
$ 437,000 First refusal and a draft pick based on the
player's original draft position
950,000 First refusal and a first round pick
1,268,000 First refusal and first & third round picks
5. NFL Draft Notes
5.1 FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICKS
The list of each team's first round picks (since 1970) is at
http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/index.nsf/Documents/0-draft-picks.
5.2 1995 EXPANSION DRAFT
The 1995 Expansion Draft (Carolina and Jacksonville) results are at
http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/index.nsf/Documents/1995-draft-exp.
5.3 1999 EXPANSION DRAFT
The 1999 Expansion Draft (Cleveland) results are at
http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/index.nsf/Documents/1999-draft-exp.
5.4 2002 EXPANSION DRAFT
The 2002 Expansion Draft (Houston) results are at
http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/index.nsf/Documents/2002-draft-exp.
6. NFL Broadcast Information
NFL TV rules for the US:
1. On Sundays (and Saturdays when the full Sunday slate is moved due
to a Holiday), either CBS or FOX (but not both) is allowed to show
a doubleheader (2 games on the same network affiliate) UNLESS a
home game is being played within the TV market of the affiliate TV
station. If a team from the TV market is playing on the road, then
its game MUST be televised OVER-THE-AIR within the TV market. (Note:
Green Bay Packers home games at Milwaukee County Stadium were con-
sidered to be played in the Milwaukee TV market rather than in the
Green Bay TV market.)
2. If a game is being played within the TV market of the affiliate TV
station, then each affiliate is only allowed to televise ONLY one
game (this rule applies even if the game is being played at night
since a third over-the-air TV station in the TV market has paid
the NFL a rights fee to carry the game over-the-air to viewers
without cable (ESPN) provided that the game was sold out 72 hours
before kickoff).
+ In TV markets with only one home team: if the home team is
playing an AFC opponent that week, then the CBS affiliate has
first choice in Sunday afternoon time slots. If the home team
is playing an NFC opponent that week, then the FOX affiliate
has first choice in Sunday afternoon time slots. The CBS and
FOX affiliates in these markets may NOT carry games in the
same time slot without a special dispensation from the NFL.
+ Special rules regarding the choice of Sunday afternoon time
slots by the CBS and FOX affiliates apply in the two-team TV
market New York when both teams in the TV market are playing
on Sunday afternoon: if one team in the TV market is playing
on the road, then its game MUST be televised (Giants' road
games on the FOX affiliates, Jets' road games on the CBS
affiliates). As a result, the other affiliate in the TV
market MUST televise a Sunday afternoon game in THE OTHER
time slot UNLESS: a) the other team in the TV market is also
playing a gsme on the road in the same time slot, or b) the
other team sold out its Sunday afternoon home game at least
72 hours prior to kickoff and both teams in the market are
playing games in the same time slot (this usually doesn't
happen since both New York teams NEVER play games in the same
afternoon time slot).
3. If a home game is not sold out 72 hours prior to kickoff, then
that game may NOT be televised with a 75-mile radius of the
stadium in order to comply with FEDERAL LAW (the NFL is considered
interstate commerce and is subject to federal regulation since the
NFL does not have an anti-trust exemption). This law affects all
TV stations whose TV markets encroach any part of the 75-mile
radius even if the TV station is located outside the 75-mile
radius.
4. New for 1994: in TV markets where FOX does not have an over-the-air
affiliate, FOX should be offering its games to another over-the-air
TV station. If FOX has offered games to a TV station in these mar-
kets, then cable systems in these markets MUST blackout the NFL
games being shown on FOXNET in order to protect the revenue of the
over-the-air TV station showing the FOX games.
6.1 NFC GAMES
NFC regular season games are broadcast by FOX. Their website is
www.foxsports.com.
6.2 AFC GAMES
AFC regular season games are broadcast by CBS. Their website is
cbs.sportline.com.
6.3 PLAY-OFF GAMES
Play-off games are split up between FOX, CBS, and ABC. Check your
local listings for air times and stations.
Typically, ABC broadcasts the first two games of the wild card
playoffs (Saturday). FOX and CBS boardcast the remaining playoff
games for the NFC and AFC respectively.
6.4 SUPERBOWL
The Superbowl will be broadcast by ABC in 2003.
Based on the recent history of rotating coverage of the Superbowl and
the number of Superbowls each network got with the current TV con-
tracts, CBS gets 2004; FOX gets 2005; and ABC also gets 2006.
6.5 PRO BOWL
The ProBowl is broadcast by ABC. Their web site is www.abcsports.com.
6.6 NON US COVERAGE
With ESPN International holding most of the broadcast rights outside
the United States and Canada, the best place to check coverage is at
http://www.international.espn.com.
7. Football Hall of Fame Enshrinees
Pro Football Hall of Fame
2121 George Halas Dr. N.W.
Canton, OH 44708
(216) 456-8207
The complete listing of the Football Hall of Fame Enshrinees is
available at: http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/index.nsf/Documents/0-hof.
8. Pro Bowl Selections
The Pro Bowl selections are made by balloting of the fans, players, and
coaches of the NFL. Selections are announced in mid-December. The
list of players named to the Pro Bowl for the 2001 season are at
http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/index.nsf/Documents/2001-probowl.
9. Terminology - commonly used phrases or acronyms
1. IMHO/IMO - In My Humble Opinion/ In My Opionion
2. BTW - By The Way
3. SB - SUPERBOWL
4. Ob - Obligatory
5. FYI - For Your Information
6. :-) - and other forms of it such as ;-) and :-P refer to humor
7. HFA - Home Field Advantage
8. FA - Free Agent
9. RFA/UFA - Restricted Free Agent / Unrestricted Free Agent
10. FP - Franchise Player
11. Lose/Loose - LOSE (opposite of win)/ Loose (opposite of tight).
"Loose" is frequently used in place of "Lose" for the RSFP
grammatically-challenged readers.
10. Fandom and Other Related Information
10.1 OLIVER'S WOOFING THEOREM
To view it, jump to
http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/index.nsf/Documents/0-oliver-faq.
10.2 FOOTBALL CARDS, TRADING/COLLECTING
Information about Football Trading Cards and Collectors information
can be obtained by monitoring the following newsgroups:
* rec.collecting.sport.football
* rec.collecting.cards.discuss
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