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Official ConstitutionMadden PS5 Franchise
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National Franchise League Official Rulebook

Madden PS5 Franchise League Rules & Standards

The official operating standard for competitive games, scheduling, streaming, trades, conduct, and commissioner decisions inside the National Franchise League.

Advance

Wednesday and Sunday, 3-5 PM EST

Streaming

Required for Game of the Week and playoffs

Trades

Committee approval, no CPU trades

Conduct

Trash talk allowed, no personal insults

Rulebook Index

League Constitution

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01

Rule Section

League Settings

Baseline Madden PS5 franchise settings for every owner and matchup.

  • The National Franchise League is a competitive Madden franchise league played on PlayStation 5.
  • Difficulty is All-Madden.
  • Quarter length is 7 minutes.
  • Play cooldown is 5.
  • Play limit is 4.
  • GroupMe is required for league communication, scheduling, announcements, and commissioner rulings.
02

Rule Section

Advance Schedule

Official league advance cadence and commissioner window.

  • Advance days are Wednesday and Sunday.
  • The advance window is 3-5 PM EST.
  • Owners are responsible for completing games before the published advance window.
  • Commissioners may delay an advance for verified scheduling issues, playoff broadcasts, or league-wide technical problems.
03

Rule Section

Streaming Rules

Broadcast expectations for featured games, playoffs, and league content.

  • Streaming is required for Games of the Week and playoff games.
  • Owners should archive or upload VODs when requested by the commissioner team.
  • Streams must clearly show gameplay, score, and game clock whenever possible.
  • If a required stream fails because of a platform issue, notify the commissioner team immediately in GroupMe.
04

Rule Section

Game of the Week

Featured broadcast matchups and league media standards.

  • The commissioner team selects Game of the Week matchups based on standings, rivalries, playoff stakes, and broadcast value.
  • Games of the Week receive priority promotion on the league homepage, ticker, and social channels.
  • Selected owners must coordinate kickoff times early and be prepared to stream.
  • Game of the Week updates may include matchup graphics, owner notes, and postgame highlights.
05

Rule Section

Scheduling Rules

How owners must communicate, confirm, and document game times.

  • Games must be scheduled with proof.
  • Scheduling proof can include GroupMe messages, screenshots, direct messages, or other commissioner-approved records.
  • No response within 10 hours can result in a force win.
  • Owners should offer realistic availability windows and communicate early if a conflict appears.
  • Repeated scheduling avoidance may lead to strikes, force losses, or removal from the league.
06

Rule Section

Gameplay Rules

Competitive play standards for sim-style Madden franchise football.

  • No quitting.
  • No excessive QB dropbacks.
  • Owners are expected to mix concepts, formations, and play calls within the play cooldown and play limit structure.
  • Exploit abuse, glitch play, or intentionally unrealistic gameplay can be reviewed by the commissioner team.
  • Run clock, tempo, and late-game decisions should reflect competitive football strategy, not rule manipulation.
07

Rule Section

4th Down Rules

Situational conversion standards to keep gameplay fair and realistic.

  • Owners should treat 4th down as a realistic football decision based on score, field position, time, and game situation.
  • Excessive or unrealistic 4th down attempts may be reviewed by the commissioner team.
  • Late-game comeback situations, short-yardage decisions, and midfield calls should be explainable if challenged.
  • Commissioner decisions on 4th down abuse are final after review.
08

Rule Section

2-Point Conversion Rules

Conversion attempts should match real game context.

  • 2-point conversions must be tied to a reasonable scoreboard or late-game strategy.
  • Owners may not spam 2-point attempts simply to exploit a play, formation, or defensive look.
  • Repeated abuse of 2-point attempts can result in commissioner review and strikes.
09

Rule Section

Substitution Rules

Position integrity and roster usage expectations.

  • No illegal position subs.
  • Players must be used in positions and packages that fit league standards and Madden franchise integrity.
  • Depth chart manipulation, package abuse, or unrealistic substitutions may be reversed or penalized.
  • Commissioners may request lineup screenshots during review.
10

Rule Section

Trade Rules

Trade limits, approvals, and competitive balance protections.

  • No CPU trades.
  • Trades require committee approval.
  • Each team is allowed 6 trades per season: 3 offseason and 3 regular season.
  • Both owners must confirm accepted trades in GroupMe before committee review.
  • The committee may reject trades that damage league balance, appear collusive, or exploit inexperienced owners.
11

Rule Section

Free Agency Rules

Claiming players and maintaining fair roster access.

  • Free agency activity must follow commissioner announcements and league timing windows.
  • Owners may not dump players into free agency to bypass trade review or roster rules.
  • High-impact free agents may be subject to waiver order, commissioner approval, or temporary holds.
  • Any accidental drop should be reported immediately before another owner claims the player.
12

Rule Section

Roster Rules

Team-building standards across the Madden franchise season.

  • Owners must maintain legal Madden rosters and depth charts.
  • Roster construction should protect competitive balance and avoid obvious cap, position, or gameplay exploits.
  • The commissioner team may require roster corrections before advance.
  • Repeated roster violations can lead to strikes, reversed transactions, or owner review.
13

Rule Section

Disconnect Rules

How owners handle lag-outs, crashes, and interrupted games.

  • Owners must immediately communicate in GroupMe after a disconnect.
  • If both owners agree on a fair restart, replay, or score recreation, the commissioner team can approve it.
  • Intentional disconnects are treated as quitting and may result in a force loss or strike.
  • Commissioners may use score, time, possession, stream evidence, and owner history when deciding outcomes.
14

Rule Section

CPU Game Rules

Stat caps and expectations when playing against CPU-controlled teams.

  • CPU game stat caps are QB 400 passing yards, RB 250 rushing yards, and WR/TE 250 receiving yards.
  • Owners may not use CPU games to farm awards, dev traits, records, or unrealistic stat lines.
  • Blowout CPU games should be managed responsibly with backups, clock control, and balanced play calling.
  • Stat cap violations can lead to player suspensions, stat penalties, or strikes.
15

Rule Section

Strike System

Accountability model for missed games, rule violations, and conduct issues.

  • Strikes may be issued for missed scheduling, quitting, rule violations, poor communication, or conduct problems.
  • Repeated strikes can lead to force losses, transaction restrictions, playoff ineligibility, or removal from the league.
  • The commissioner team may escalate penalties for severe or repeated violations.
  • Owners can ask for clarification, but final enforcement belongs to the commissioner team.
16

Rule Section

Player Upgrades

Development rewards and commissioner-approved upgrade standards.

  • 13+ human games can earn a Normal to Star upgrade.
  • The Super Bowl winner can upgrade a drafted rookie to Star.
  • Upgrade eligibility must be reviewed by the commissioner team before changes are applied.
  • CPU farming, stat padding, or rule violations can make a player ineligible for upgrades.
17

Rule Section

Commissioner Decisions

Final authority for disputes, edge cases, and rule interpretation.

  • Commissioner decisions are final after review.
  • The commissioner team may use streams, screenshots, GroupMe messages, Madden results, and owner history when ruling.
  • Rules can be clarified or amended when league integrity requires it.
  • Owners are expected to respect rulings even when they disagree with the outcome.
18

Rule Section

Owner Conduct

Community standards for a competitive but respectful Madden league.

  • Trash talk is allowed but no personal insults.
  • Harassment, threats, discriminatory language, or repeated personal attacks are not allowed.
  • Owners must represent the National Franchise League with professionalism in streams, chats, and league media.
  • Competitive intensity is encouraged; disrespecting the league, commissioners, or other owners is not.