Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Bugs
    1. I think something is wrong. What do I do? 09/10/2011
    2. Could it be me? 09/10/2011
    3. How do I report a bug? 09/10/2011
    4. How quickly will the bug be fixed? 21/10/2007
    5. Other things to consider 09/10/2011
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  2. My Account
    1. How do I register a change of e-mail address? 24/12/2010
    2. Can I change my password? 23/10/2011
    3. Have I paid my subscription? 11/12/2011
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  3. General Principles
    1. Why do the rules change? What rules will change? 11/02/2007
    2. Can I coach more than one franchise or college programme? 27/07/2009
    3. What is the subscription policy? 15/01/2012
    4. Is it against the Rules to deliberately lose a game? 24/12/2010
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  4. Web Site
    1. Are the rules available in formats other than PDF? 02/11/2005
    2. Why is the web site behaving oddly or slow? 01/11/2009
    3. Why is the game plan or draft shortlist screen misbehaving? 09/02/2006
    4. Can I keep one page in view while I look at another? 03/06/2009
    5. Why hasn't the page changed? What is caching? 13/10/2006
    6. Images are missing! Why? 14/03/2006
    7. Why did my session expire? 15/01/2012
    8. How do I find out about changes to the game? 12/10/2005
    9. Sportswriter won't let me upload my article. Why? 09/04/2006
    10. Are pages or reports available as PDFs? 02/11/2005
    11. What is .ics? 27/07/2008
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  5. Deadlines
    1. Do deadlines vary between leagues? 02/03/2008
    2. Do deadlines times vary between turns? 02/03/2008
    3. How can I find out the deadline? 02/03/2008
    4. What does the status bar message mean 17/05/2008
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  6. New Coaches
    1. What should I be doing as a new coach each turn? 03/05/2009
    2. Previews - predicting results 26/03/2009
    3. Predicting the Superbowl 21/03/2009
    4. Getting a mentor to help me 09/05/2010
    5. Why cant I trade as a new coach 28/02/2011
    6. I am a new coach and I cant see myself on the predictions report 19/06/2011
    7. Can I change my team name? 21/07/2010
    8. What it means to be a mentor 05/06/2011
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  7. New Leagues
    1. I am already playing Gridiron - can I join a new League 18/01/2009
    2. Are there free agents in the first season of a new league? 02/03/2008
    3. How do new teams get allocated and how do gamefees work? 25/04/2011
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  8. Team Building
    1. What are QST categories? 07/02/2009
    2. Quarterback 16/01/2008
    3. Running Back 16/01/2008
    4. Wide Receiver 29/01/2008
    5. Center 29/01/2008
    6. Offensive Guard 29/01/2008
    7. Offensive Tackle 29/01/2008
    8. Tight End 29/01/2008
    9. Defensive Tackle 29/01/2008
    10. Defensive End 29/01/2008
    11. Inside Linebacker 29/01/2008
    12. Outside Linebacker 29/01/2008
    13. Safety 02/02/2008
    14. Cornerback 02/02/2008
    15. Kicker 02/02/2008
    16. Punter 02/02/2008
    17. Returner 07/02/2009
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  9. Established Leagues
    1. Can coaches move between pro leagues? 17/02/2011
    2. How do coaches move up to the GFL? 27/07/2009
    3. What is the XFL? 27/07/2009
    4. What is involved in joining the XFL? 27/07/2009
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  10. The Draft
    1. Online Drafts and Live Drafts 25/07/2010
    2. How is the Draft Order Calculated? 14/06/2008
    3. When is the draft published? 21/01/2012
    4. How many rounds will there be? 08/02/2006
    5. Online drafts: How do they work? 09/02/2009
    6. How many rookies should I shortlist? 25/07/2010
    7. What happens if I run out of players on my draft shortlist? 25/07/2010
    8. How do I use the assignment lists on shortlists? 25/07/2010
    9. Will my shortlist be deleted each round? 25/07/2010
    10. When and how do I name and number the rookies I pick? 02/03/2006
    11. Can I trade picks during the draft? 07/02/2010
    12. Why do we have a Live Draft? 25/07/2010
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  11. Players
    1. Can I change the name of a player? 31/10/2011
    2. Are players levels capped? 22/05/2011
    3. Can two players have the same name? 11/09/2005
    4. What is the "third QST"? 06/03/2011
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  12. Staff
    1. Why can't I create staff for my team? 06/09/2009
    2. When can I assign or reassign staff roles? 12/01/2008
    3. On what turns are new staff available for hire? 12/01/2008
    4. Can I revise my contract offers to staff? 12/01/2008
    5. Where have my staff gone? 22/09/2007
    6. Can I make a contract offer conditional? 18/03/2007
    7. In what order are contract offers resolved? 19/04/2011
    8. What happens if I don't have enough MPs left for an offer? 16/11/2008
    9. Why does the staff recruitment report show contract offers of less than the minimum? 06/06/2010
    10. What happened to my contract offers? 06/06/2010
    11. Can I poach a coach from another team? 30/01/2011
    12. Can I trade staff? 06/06/2010
    13. How does Staff Ageing work? 19/09/2010
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  13. Coaching
    1. If I allocate multiple points to a play, is the chance of a rise the same for each? 20/04/2008
    2. Do you only get a understudy quarterback gain chance on offensive plays? 11/09/2005
    3. Will only one QB benefit from understudy QB bonuses? 11/09/2005
    4. How do I specify my understudy Quarterback? 11/09/2005
    5. Does playing on special teams count as having played for the purposes of coaching chances? 29/09/2005
    6. How does coaching in the playoffs work? 14/10/2005
    7. How do bonus CPs work? 24/04/2010
    8. How can I coach the QB Draw Play? 19/04/2007
    9. Does experience influence the levels of quarterbacks for the purposes of understudy coaching? 13/10/2006
    10. Do understudy level gains count towards the maximum of 4 per season? 19/06/2006
    11. Can a player be improved by more than one level in a week? 14/10/2005
    12. What is the First Win Incentive? 07/01/2012
    13. When do you check whether a QB is an understudy? 05/04/2007
    14. Is there a minimum number of plays needed to quality for a coaching bonus? 05/04/2007
    15. General Information - coaching 15/04/2011
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  14. Formations and Stances
    1. What is the Pro-Set (or Twin Set) offense? 09/04/2006
    2. What are the offensive line positions? 09/04/2006
    3. What are Split Ends and Flankers? 09/04/2006
    4. What is the I-Formation offense? 09/03/2006
    5. How can a 4-4-S formation be in Cover-4? 14/11/2009
    6. Why cant I use Medium Pass in the Goal Line Offense? 19/07/2007
    7. When is the Default Stance selected 29/11/2009
    8. How does the start of game period work? 07/04/2009
    9. What is the Ace formation? 09/04/2006
    10. What is the Shotgun? 09/04/2006
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  15. Game Plan
    1. When should I complete my Gameplan? 14/05/2006
    2. Why aren't my game plan changes saved? 14/05/2006
    3. How can I be sure my game plan is legal? 14/05/2006
    4. What are the icons next to the Game Plan on my roster home page? 27/09/2006
    5. How can I order when I am on holiday? 14/05/2006
    6. Using shotgun option on playcard 28/05/2010
    7. What happens if I run out of players in a position? 11/09/2005
    8. How do I set 100% Blitzing on the gameplan? 09/10/2005
    9. Can I use decimal points when setting 2nd & Eight or 3rd and Eight? 20/06/2006
    10. Can a leader play out of position 08/01/2009
    11. How do I switch off the Long8? 09/05/2010
    12. Can I influence fair catches 14/05/2011
    13. Is it possible to active both pass prevent and rush defense Eights? 13/04/2009
    14. How do I change the plays on my game plan? 11/09/2005
    15. What formation does my team use for 4th down? 11/09/2005
    16. How do I choose the QB Draw play? 11/09/2005
    17. I don't understand how my defense formation can be changed! 13/09/2005
    18. Can I change my players for each different play? 11/09/2005
    19. Can I have the same formation using both Ace and Pro-Set? 11/09/2005
    20. Can I have a single formation use shotgun on only some of its plays? 14/05/2006
    21. Does the position on the screen matter when I choose my plays? 09/04/2006
    22. How do I put my injured players in surgery? 14/05/2006
    23. When is a player benched or rested? 29/09/2005
    24. Why is my Returner not available to play on Offense (or Defense)? 31/10/2010
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  16. Playbooks and designer plays
    1. Why can't I design any plays? 03/04/2007
    2. How is direction set if a play is not a designer play 11/04/2007
    3. How does my team detect offensive play direction? 11/04/2007
    4. Can my defense detect bias even when the offense does not use designer plays? 11/04/2007
    5. One of my designer plays in missing 07/05/2007
    6. Can I change the formation for my designer play? 09/04/2007
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  17. Games
    1. Questions on Fatigue 12/10/2008
    2. Goal Line Stands (the red zone) 23/10/2011
    3. Who is dropped from the special teams on kickoff returns? 06/11/2005
    4. Why does my player suffer from "first game" jitters twice? 02/05/2009
    5. The tackle weightings for defensive players do not add up to 100 - is this right? 09/10/2006
    6. How do standings work? 31/05/2008
    7. How does direction get determined? 20/03/2008
    8. Minimum yardage for passes close to the endzone 25/02/2006
    9. For the Draw, does the P value start the game at 0 25/02/2006
    10. Can I use a QB Draw and the Dive option 02/05/2007
    11. How is a player level calculated - and what is the minimum level allowed 29/05/2011
    12. How does excitement work? 07/06/2009
    13. Can I work out a players QST from his height and/or weight? 11/09/2005
    14. Why does a team flop when it could score? 02/05/2009
    15. Why am I getting a lot of blocked punts? 16/05/2010
    16. What are all of the effects of home advantage? 15/04/2009
    17. What happens to a center technique when he plays out of position 21/02/2010
    18. Does the Set 8 Optimiser make its calculation before or after Blitz effects? 11/11/2005
    19. My team was badly injured by an opponent - why are they not know a rival? 27/12/2007
    20. I dont understand how rivalries work 23/10/2010
    21. Does my rivalries change when there is a change of coach and how? 10/05/2009
    22. The Offensive Optimizer - how it works 07/06/2010
    23. How does the Defensive Optimiser work? 08/03/2008
    24. The Defensive Optimizer - how it works (audibles) 08/03/2009
    25. What do the Gold Stars mean? What are gameTags? 31/05/2011
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  18. Game Reports and My Team
    1. How does time work on play by play? 22/12/2010
    2. More on the subject of time - including Field Goals 22/12/2010
    3. What does redacted mean when I see it in a game report 09/01/2012
    4. Preview - how is big injury determined 28/05/2007
    5. How does rounding work in play by play 25/03/2007
    6. My opponent has statistics for two quarterbacks. Is this possible in one game? 11/09/2005
    7. Coverage too Good - what does it mean? 24/09/2005
    8. Why did my team take a FG when I wanted to go for it on 4th down? 04/11/2007
    9. Why didn't my Kicker go for a field goal on 4th down? 04/11/2007
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  19. Penalties
    1. Why did my defense decline a penalty? 22/10/2006
    2. Why did my defense decline a penalty when he would be 3rd and very long? 22/10/2006
    3. Does the no penalty clause apply to both fatigue and down, or only to down? 22/10/2006
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  20. Experience
    1. Do special teams get experience 04/03/2008
    2. Do special teams suffer from loss of levels 09/10/2006
    3. Why does my playing time not add up to my formation time 14/10/2006
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  21. Injuries
    1. What happens to injuries at the end of the Season? 30/10/2005
    2. My player appears on my injury report as both fully recovered and injured. Why? 29/05/2006
    3. Can I play a player who is badly injured? 01/07/2006
    4. What counts as playing in a game when considering a players status (rested, in surgery etc.) 09/10/2005
    5. Grade A Injuries. What are they? 29/09/2005
    6. My player is shown as injured but this was not shown on the play by play report - is he injured? 05/05/2007
    7. Can I play a player who is badly injured? 13/12/2005
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  22. Injured Reserve
    1. I can't move one of my players to the Injured Reserve. Why? 16/10/2008
    2. Does a player have to be injured to be placed on the injured reserve? 02/04/2006
    3. If both injured reserve and active roster are full, can you still move players between them? 15/10/2008
    4. How do understudy rules work with players on injured reserve? 02/04/2006
    5. Why isn't the injured reserve limited to injured players? 15/10/2008
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  23. Trades
    1. When can I trade? 06/01/2012
    2. Why are trade windows resticted? 06/01/2012
    3. What is a Trade Window? 30/01/2011
    4. What is a breach of trade policy 06/01/2012
    5. How do I find out which players or picks have been traded? 06/01/2012
    6. If I create a trade can I cancel it? 08/05/2008
    7. Why can't I include the player or pick I want in a trade? 08/10/2006
    8. What is the difference between creating a trade and accepting one? 08/10/2006
    9. Do I have to do anything after trading a player out? 15/10/2005
    10. Can I loose 2 levels if a player is traded twice? 24/03/2006
    11. When do traded players join or leave my team? 13/07/2008
    12. Why isn't my newly traded player available? 15/10/2005
    13. During trading, do I have to make room for incoming trades? 30/01/2011
    14. Can players on Injured Reserve be traded out? 10/05/2008
    15. Why does a withdrawn trade still count as a created trade? 11/05/2008
    16. Why is in-season trading restricted? 26/02/2009
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  24. Trade Board
    1. What is the Trade Board? 18/03/2008
    2. When is the Trade Board available? 18/03/2008
    3. Is there a link between the Trade Board and Trade Constructor? 18/03/2008
    4. What happens if I want to give more details about some players than others? 18/03/2008
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  25. Free Agents
    1. What are free agents? 08/05/2008
    2. Why can't I pick free agents immediately after the deadline? 05/10/2009
    3. Does my Free Agent get experience 13/12/2008
    4. Why did my scouting give me different levels to what scouting told another team? 11/05/2008
    5. Why are free agents hired the way they are? 11/05/2008
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  26. Roster Cutting
    1. Why can't I cut players mid-season? 24/10/2009
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  27. The Schedule
    1. Overview of the Schedule 29/12/2007
    2. How does the schedule work? 08/01/2012
    3. Why am I playing the same team from another division two years in a row? 13/05/2008
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  28. The Pre-Season
    1. Is there coaching in the pre-season? 11/09/2005
    2. If I suffer an injury in a pre-season game does this carry on into the regular season? 01/04/2007
    3. Do players playing in the pre-season gain benefit when they are coached in week1? 11/09/2005
    4. What happens to pre-season records? 11/09/2005
    5. How do Exhibition Games work? 19/07/2010
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  29. The Post-Season
    1. How does the Post-Season work 14/06/2008
    2. Can the two wildcards come from the same division 15/11/2005
    3. What happens after the Superbowl 13/07/2008
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  30. Tie-breaking
    1. What is "tie-breaking"? 14/06/2008
    2. What tie-breaking procedures are used in Gridiron? 14/06/2008
    3. Why doesn't Gridiron use head-to-head (and other NFL rules) for tie-breaking? 15/06/2008
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  31. The Probowl
    1. How is a player (or coach) nominated for the Probowl? 07/01/2012
    2. Why are there less than nominees at some assignments than others? 07/01/2012
    3. How does Probowl voting work? 07/01/2012
    4. How do MVP awards influence Probowl Voting? 07/01/2012
    5. How are tie-breaks resolved for Probowl selection? 05/07/2008
    6. How does a Probowl Coach submit a game plan? 08/08/2009
    7. What formations are legal in a Probowl? 08/08/2009
    8. What is the Probowl Deadline? 15/07/2010
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  32. Game Design
    1. Changes to Game Formulae season by season 27/06/2010
    2. Does the game design generate realistic scorelines? 30/05/2008
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  33. GMs Questions and Answers
    1. College Design Considerations 1 - The Head Coach 05/04/2010
    2. Stances (April 2009) 02/05/2009
    3. Free Agents (April 2009) 02/05/2009
    4. The College Game (April 2009) 02/05/2009
    5. What are caretaker coaches 20/01/2012
    6. What happens when the yellow bar goes down on gameday? 16/04/2010
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Categories

  1. Bugs
  2. My Account
  3. General Principles
  4. Web Site
  5. Deadlines
  6. New Coaches
  7. New Leagues
  8. Team Building
  9. Established Leagues
  10. The Draft
  11. Players
  12. Staff
  13. Coaching
  14. Formations and Stances
  15. Game Plan
  16. Playbooks and designer plays
  17. Games
  18. Game Reports and My Team
  19. Penalties
  20. Experience
  21. Injuries
  22. Injured Reserve
  23. Trades
  24. Trade Board
  25. Free Agents
  26. Roster Cutting
  27. The Schedule
  28. The Pre-Season
  29. The Post-Season
  30. Tie-breaking
  31. The Probowl
  32. Game Design
  33. GMs Questions and Answers