Rulebook

Founded in 2013 on Madden NFL 13, the Champions Football League is the premier realistic football franchise on XBOX. The League was established to bring a community together through high-level competition and realistic gameplay on Madden and we’ve now moved on to College Football. By committing to the CFL, you are joining an immersive experience both on and off the field. While winning is everyone’s number one goal as a competitor, we strive to have a League that is deeper than just playing the games.Welcome to the Champions Football League.

General

Appreciate this League for what it is – a highly competitive and immersive football league driven by the community.
Take your losses and move on. If you are the type who cannot handle a string of losses or some rough seasons, this is not the place for you. This League strives to keep the community engaged throughout every season regardless of individual success with general discussion, content, recruiting, and gameplay.

Conduct

We do not tolerate personal attacks. You will receive up to 2 one hour timeouts if you cross the line, and the third offense will result in immediate removal from the League.

Activity

You must participate to be a member of this League. That does not just mean show up and play your games, it means being a part of the community. Interact with the other users on the discord server, post game screenshots and stories, vote on the polls and watch our content, or you may just find yourself replaced.

Responsibility

You must clearly communicate with your opponent to schedule a time to play your game. Ensure that you have the correct time and date and are scheduling within the advance window. Once the league advances, you should begin communicating with your next opponent to schedule a date and time for kickoff. If you cannot play your game or make a previously scheduled start time, let your opponent and an admin know. Laziness will not be tolerated

Settings

Game Settings

  • Heisman Difficulty
  • Custom Sliders
  • 11 Minute Quarters
  • 20 Second Accelerated Clock

User Settings

  • Switch Stick – DISABLED
  • AI WR For User – ON
  • Tackle Feedback – HIDDEN
  • Tutorial Popups – OFF
  • Auto Recruiting – OFF
  • User Coach Auto-Progression – OFF
  • Defensive Ball Hawk – OFF
  • Defensive Heat Seeker – OFF
  • Defensive Switch Assist – OFF
  • On Field Visual Feedback – OFF
  • On Field Trainer – OFF
  • Defensive Pass Coverage Assist – OFF
  • Drive Goals Feedback – OFF
  • Coaching Tips – OFF
  • Auto Progress Players – ON

Advance Schedule

  1. The league will advance every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday night at 9pm EST.

Streaming

  1. Every game is required to be streamed on Twitch, including all CPU games.
  2. When the game goes live, a link to the stream should be posted in ⁠cfl-live
  3. For user games, both teams are required to stream the game. Users must set their Twitch channel to archive their streams so that any gameplay issues may easily be reviewed and clips can be created for league content.

CPU Games

  1. You may only play the CPU once. Stat padding will be monitored in these games, and should not be abused. Utilize your depth in blowouts!
  2. Super Sim is banned.

Playbooks

  1. Offensive playbooks must match your head coach or offensive coordinator’s scheme exactly with the exception that Multiple and Pro Style are interchangeable and Veer and Shoot and Run and Shoot are also working in tandem. Schools are required to lock in one offensive playbook for the entirety of the season during Week 0. If you do not want to use your team’s default offensive playbook, that playbook will be entered into a playbook pool and your school will be entered into a random order playbook draft.
  2. Defensive playbooks must match your head coach or defensive coordinator’s front scheme. Schools are required to lock in one defensive playbook for the entirety of the season during Week 0.
  3. Custom playbooks and generic playbooks are banned.
  4. Custom audibles are banned.

Offense

  1. You must use revamped passing.
  2. Switching to catch a pass and the use of the pass catch buttons is banned, with the exception of the LB / L1 one hand catch mechanic.
  3. Quarterback play should be as realistic as possible. If a play is not a designed rollout and there is little to no pressure, you should not be instantly rolling out to the sidelines. You should also not be drifting in your drop back beyond 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage.
  4. Quick snapping is not tolerated. You must give ample time to your opponent for defensive adjustments (minimum 5 seconds after breaking the huddle unless the play clock will expire or you are in the hurry up). Wait for the defense to get set if they have players shifting around on the field pre-snap due to audibles, unless the play clock will expire.
  5. Turbo and no huddle offense is to be used sparingly for a change of pace, or in the two minute or four minute drill. You may not snap the ball before 32 seconds on the playclock when running up tempo offense, unless the game clock is in danger of expiring at the end of a half or the end of the game.
  6. Winning tackle battles on the offensive side is banned. If accidentally triggered, end the play as soon as possible and give the extra yardage gained back. If the play in question results in a first down conversion on a third or fourth down, punt the ball to your opponent.
  7. You may not throw a quick slant to the opposite side of the field after the route clears the opposite hash. The zone coverage logic for carrying and defending this route is broken, and is viewed as a game exploit when thrown “late”.
  8. If you call a play-action pass, you must go through the animation. You cannot cancel the play action animations, or hot route the running back’s route.
  9. If you call a hb screen play, you must either throw the pass to the hb or throw the ball away. You cannot scramble with the quarterback.
  10. Playmaker is banned.

Defense

  1. You may not switch players while the ball is in the air or to make a play on the football. You may switch players to make a tackle on the ball carrier.
  2. You must user your defender in a realistic manner. If you have a zone assignment, you must strafe and play within your zone. You may carry a route past your zone, but in doing so you must defend that offensive player for the duration of the play, unless the quarterback scrambles. Post snap, you cannot run around and cover any route that comes open which makes for unrealistic reads for the quarterback and unrealistic pass coverage by taking advantage of the game’s camera angle. You must strafe (LT) to change directions and stick to your assignment within the defensive play call.
  3. User control of pass rushing defensive lineman and edge players (4-3 DE, 3-4 OLB) is banned. If the defensive lineman or edge has a pass coverage or spy responsibility within the play design then you may user that player.
  4. You must rush a minimum of three players every play.
  5. Switch Stick is banned and should be disabled in your settings.
  6. Run Commit is banned.

Ball Carrying

  1. Left stick swerve cutting is banned. If you want to make a defender miss with a drastic change of direction, use a juke or spin. This is a subjective rule as we want to have some freedom with left stick movement, but you shouldn’t make a 60 to 180 degree cut (drastic change of direction) with the left stick.

Play Calling

  1. Mix up your play calling on offense and defense. You should not be running the exact same formations and sets of plays throughout the game.
  2. Continuously throwing streaks will not be tolerated. As stated above, mix up your playcalling. Utilize your playbook, route concepts, and schemes to drive the ball down the field. Do not rely on bombing the ball down the field all game with streaks. This is not to say you cannot throw streaks, it is to say you shouldn’t be throwing 5-10+ of them in a game.
  3. Running drop zone coverage on defense the entire game will not be tolerated. If you run a primarily zone based defensive system, you must at minimum mix in zone blitzes throughout the game.
  4. Offensive hot routing is to be used in a controlled manner. You should not hot route regularly, nor should you exceed one hot route in a single play unless you are making pass blocking adjustments. Utilize your playbook, scheme, and execute against what the defense is doing rather than creating a game breaking play with hot routes. Quarterbacks generally don’t change routes at the line of scrimmage in college. If you don’t like the look then audible to a different play at the line similar to the “check with me” sideline looks you see in real life.
  5. Defensive hot routing is to be used in a controlled manner. You should not hot route regularly, nor should you exceed one hot route in a single play. Secondary shading or defensive line rush adjustments do not count as hot routes.
  6. The offense is allowed one trick play per half. Trick plays include HB Direct, Flea Flicker, HB Pass, Reverse Pass, and Double Pass plays.
  7. You may not run quarterback sneak on consecutive plays.

Coaching Adjustments

  1. Changing the option defense read key is banned (must be set to balanced)
  2. Changing the tackling setting is banned (must be set to balanced).
  3. Changing the strip ball setting is banned (must be set to balanced).
  4. Changing zone drops is banned (must be set to default).

4th Down

  1. Teams may go for it on 4th down in any scenario inside of the opponent’s 50 yard line.
  2. Teams may go for it on 4th down in any situation on the field when the clock is inside of ten minutes remaining in regulation while trailing the game.
  3. Each team has one “coach’s decision” that they may use to go for it on 4th down in any other instance during the game. If you convert the first down, you will keep the coach’s decision for use later in the game. If you fail to convert on your coach’s decision you will not have one for the remainder of the game. Please declare in ⁠the-shoutbox before using it.

Special Teams

  1. Scum kicking and punting is banned.
  2. Backspin punting is banned.
  3. Special Teams are allowed one fake field goal or one fake punt per game.

Roster Management

  1. Your roster must meet all in-game position minimum requirements.
  2. Your roster building, recruiting, and position changes must adhere to the rules below.

Roster Count Maximums by Position

  • Quarterback (5)
  • Running Back (6)
  • Fullback (2)
  • Wide Receiver (10)
  • Tight End (6)
  • Offensive Tackle (8)
  • Offensive Guard (8)
  • Center (4)
  • Edge (8)
  • Defensive Tackle (8) (7 if running a 3 front defense)
  • Outside Linebacker (8)
  • Mike Linebacker (5) (6 if running a 3 front defense)
  • Cornerback (10)
  • Safety (10)
  • Kicker (2)
  • Punter (2)

Roster Ratings Rules

  1. If you have a back-up that is listed in the Encourage Transfer screen as a Junior (so they will be a Senior in the upcoming season) who is rated higher than your projected starter at their position, that player must be sent to the portal.

Redshirts

  1. You may not redshirt a player who is a Junior or Senior unless they suffer a long term injury during the season.

Position Changes

The following position changes are the only situations where it is allowed. No exceptions.

  1. OT to OG – Maximum Height of 6’5″
  2. OG to OT – Minimum Height of 6’5″
  3. OG to Center – Maximum Height of 6’3″
  4. Center to OG – Minimum Height of 6’3″, Maximum Height of 6’5″
  5. WR to TE – Minimum Height of 6’2″, Minimum Weight of 210, Maximum Speed of 86
  6. EDGE to DT – Minimum Weight of 270
  7. DT to EDGE – Maximum Weight of 270
  8. S to LB – Minimum Height of 6’0″, Minimum Weight of 210, Maximum Speed of 87
  9. LB to S – Maximum Height of 6’1″, Maximum Weight of 230
  10. You may swap sides of the same position (EDGE, OG, OT)

Recruiting

  1. You may not sign more than five (5) five star high school players in a single recruiting class.
  2. You must sign a minimum of three (3) three star high school players in each recruiting class. This does not include kickers and punters. These players must also remain at your school for a minimum of two years.
  3. Incoming Athlete recruits may change to any position if they meet the minimum size requirements as an incoming Freshman. This is a one time position change, choose wisely.

Persuade Players

  1. You may not persuade a player who has a first through fourth round draft grade.

Gameplay Sliders

Player Skill

  • QB Accuracy – 40
  • Pass Blocking – 51
  • WR Catching – 52
  • Run Blocking – 56
  • Ball Security – 43
  • Pass Defense Reaction Time – 74
  • Interceptions – 31
  • Pass Coverage – 78
  • Tackling – 93

CPU Skill

  • QB Accuracy – 31
  • Pass Blocking – 41
  • WR Catching – 46
  • Run Blocking – 56
  • Ball Security – 43
  • Pass Defense Reaction Time – 80
  • Interceptions – 30
  • Pass Coverage – 80
  • Tackling – 97

Special Teams

  • FG Power – 28
  • FG Accuracy – 35
  • Punt Power – 52
  • Punt Accuracy – 35
  • Kickoff Power – 44

Game Options

  • Injuries – 39
  • Fatigue – 77
  • Threshold – 89
  • Precipitation Catch Chance Scale – 60
  • Precipitation Pass Accuracy Scale – 53
  • Precipitation Pass Strength Scale – 52
  • Precipitation Broken Tackle Scale – 58
  • Precipitation Kicking Accuracy Scale – 60
  • Precipitation Kicking Strength Scale – 55
  • Precipitation Movement Penalties – 58

Penalties

  • Offside – 65
  • False Start – 82
  • Holding – 54
  • Face Mask – 47
  • Defensive Pass Interference – 50
  • Offensive Pass Interference – On
  • Kick Catch Interference – On
  • Illegal Block in the Back – 50
  • Intentional Grounding – On
  • Roughing Passer – 40
  • Roughing Kicker – On
  • Running Into the Kicker – On
  • Illegal Contact – On

Wear and Tear

  • Normal Tackle Impact – 45
  • Catch Tackle Impact – 48
  • Hit Stick Impact – 55
  • Cut Stick Impact – 52
  • Defender Tackle Advantage Impact – 50
  • Sack Impact – 37
  • Block Impact – 45
  • Impact Block Impact – 50
  • Per-Play Recovery – 47
  • Per-Timeout Recovery – 57
  • Between-Quarter Recovery – 60
  • Halftime Recovery – 68
  • Week to Week Recovery – 60
  • In-Game Healing Reserve Pool – 50