Smokey Friendly League – Overview & F.A.Q’s regarding rules etc…
The Friendly League (FL) started out as a Private League between some of the top teams on the Planet Football server a few years back. The first season was such a success that the following season the number of teams increased and then divisions were added.Word got round the other servers and pretty soon most of the main servers had there own Friendly League all with their fair share of banter. Now we have just the One server but what a server!!. The very best managers from all over Sunday League are now here and we have seen in Season 0 just how competitive this friendly league is going to be. Managers will do well just to reach the Premiership never mind win it. After Season 0 we see still more managers wanting to get in on the act so it wouldn't surprise me to see 8 Divisions in the not too distant future.
In order for the whole shebang to function efficiently.Therefore there is a need for some rules and regulations.Please take some time to have a read. You'll only need to do it the once so it'll be worth it
The Friendly League has attracted most of the ‘top’ managers on the Smokey server and will give the managers of sides in the lower leagues an opportunity to pit their wits against the old heads in leagues X-1-1. We also believe that the Friendly League is a great place for new managers to develop their skills/tactics in order that they can win their actual conference divisions. The Friendly League gives a new boost of life to our forums and can bring about some good friendships and banter between players from across the globe.
People can PM (Personal Message) the members of the Board to ask questions/advice on how the Friendly League works. Most are simple questions with simple answers and the following few examples are just to save people time and effort;
Here goes with the most ‘Frequently Asked Questions’:1. How do I join the Friendly League?
2. How much does it cost to join?
3. What division will I start in?
4. How many divisions are there?
5. So, is it 4 teams promoted and 4 relegated then?
6. What about relegation/promotion to/from the fifth and sixth levels?
7. How does the Smokey FL Cup work? Do I have to join?
8. Who sets up the divisions in the Private Competition section?
9. Who will send me my pass-code to enter?
10. What should I do when I receive my pass-code?
11. When does the new Friendly League season start?
12. Who is responsible for the write-ups and reviews posted to the forums?
13. Am I allowed to adopt any tactics I wish?
14. What happens if a manager has 2 teams in the same division?
15. What happens if I take on somebody else’s team?
16. What happens if the manager breaks those rules laid out in Q14/15?
17. As not all the lower level teams can be accommodated in the Spirit Of Anfield FL Cup is there a competition for teams outside Divisions 1 to 4?
18. What about other cup competitions within the Friendly League?
19. So, who “lives” at Friendly League HQ and what are their responsibilities?
20. Can new members get onto the Board?
21. How does the board communicate with the FL members?
22. I have heard that some of the Friendly League Divisions and the Friendly League Spirit Of Anfield Cup are “Sponsored”, is this correct?
23. What other prizes are on offer?
24. What milestones are there to remember?
25. What if I have a good idea to improve the FL?
1. How do I join the Friendly League? – To join the league you must state your interest in a PM to any member of the board or keep an eye on the forums - there will be a thread started by the board towards the end of each season (around day 30) where new managers can register their interest in next season’s competition. The Board will endeavour to include everybody who expresses an interest in joining and will communicate via the forums the new FL structure when entries are confirmed (around Day 46 – deadline for entries in to the next seasons competition is Day 44). If accepted, you will be sent a pass-code to join a certain division. You must then join that division (via ‘Private Leagues’) as soon as you receive your pass-code.
2. How much does it cost to join? – As with any other ‘Private League’, it costs 500 credits to enter the Friendly League Division & 500 credits to enter the Friendly League Smokey Cup. Therefore, to join the “Friendly League” you should have at least a spare 1000 credits.
3. What Division will I start in? – You will start in the lowest league where places are vacant. If demand is sufficiently high, the Board will endeavour to create extra division(s). If a vacancy exists in a higher division, the Board will promote from the next highest division until vacancies are filled.
4. How many Divisions are there? – There are four divisions in the structure ‘proper’ and a maximum of two ‘feeder’ levels below that. The fifth level (often referred to as the Conferences) will not constitute more than three divisions. The Board will not look to expand the League to any more than those six levels, as we want new members to feel that they can make their way up through the leagues relatively quickly if they are sufficiently successful. The structure, and promotion/relegation between each level, is confirmed via the announcements thread, shortly after the closing date for entries.
5. So, is it 4 teams promoted and 4 relegated then? – Yes. The Board has adopted the principle of '4 up, 4 down' in the Friendly League, although this is not always possible with teams dropping out and new teams joining. The board will never relegate anybody who has finished outside of the bottom three and, in the event of an higher division not being filled to it's capacity, will look to invite the team finishing 5th to step up, rather than relegate one less team.
These rules cannot be set in stone, as we can never fully predict who is going to join/resign from the league, but these are the principles that are adopted.
6. What about relegation/promotion to/from the seventh and eighth levels? - As the structure below Division 6 will change each season to accommodate new managers, promotion and relegation from and to the lower levels will depend on the number of divisions that exist. The Board will communicate who goes up and who comes down to and from the fourth division/any fifth or sixth level divisions, via the ‘Announcements’ thread on the forums, when they confirm the forthcoming seasons format.
7. How does the Smokey FL Cup work? Do I have to join? – The Smokey FL Cup is a 64 team knock-out competition. Although not mandatory, teams are expected to join.
Sometimes there are more Friendly League members than there are spaces in the cup. Because of this, the pass-code will be PMed to the teams in the top four divisions initially. In the likely event that not everybody enters, the passcode will be PMed to the teams in levels 5 and 6 of the structure who have expressed a desire to enter, and entries will be on a first-come first-served basis. If you are not in Divisions 1 to 4 and would like to join in the event of there not being enough teams, the Board will communicate via the ‘Announcement’ thread on the forums and your entry PM how to express an interest in joining.
8. Who sets up the divisions in the Private Competition section? – The Board member with responsibility for co-ordinating set-up activity will ask an appropriate team manager to set up the division. He will inform him what the division should be called and what the pass-code should be.
9. Who will send me my pass-code to enter? – Shortly after the Divisional structure has been announced you should receive a PM with
• the passcode for your division
• the passcode for the Smokey FL Cup (if you are in Divs 1 to 4, instructions on how to register your interest in joining if not)
• the passcode for Conference Cup (if you are not in Divs 1 to 4, and if there is one)
• link to the FAQs
• link to your division’s discussion thread
• link to the ‘Announcement’ thread
The various Board members do actually have day jobs and sometimes these can impact on their ability to help with the sending out of passcodes etc. Should this be the case, the director with responsibility for co-ordinating entry activity etc. will approach trusted managers, or start a thread in the forums asking for volunteers, and ask them to help out with this activity. You should receive your PM on or shortly after Day 47, either from a board member or a trusted manager. If you do not do so, then please contact the Board member with responsibility for co-ordinating this activity (see Question 19).
10. What should I do when I receive my pass-code? – Please register (join the league) as instructed. Do not wait, please enter as soon as you can unless instructed to 'hang back'. In previous seasons we have had to delay the start of certain divisions because people have not registered on time. This disrupts the enjoyment of every other player involved with the friendly league. We now ask each 4th and 5th placed manager from the previous season to hold back from entering their pass-code to register to the division until day 6 of the new season (every other manager within that division would have joined up by then.).
This has two benefits …… we can accommodate any late withdrawals from an higher division by asking the 4th and/or 5th placed teams to move up, and we can ensure that all divisions kick off on the same day. Obviously, the person asked to start the division will not be the previous season’s 4th or 5th placed manager (as he/she has to be the last to enter).
11. When does the new Friendly League season start? – The new Friendly League Season starts on Day 7 of the Smokey season. All teams must be registered to play by day 4 of the new Smokey season in order that it starts on day 7. It is of utmost importance that you register to the Private League prior to Day 4 of the season, failure to do so will result in you losing your place. If this presents you with a problem, then please contact the board ASAP.
12. Who is responsible for the write-ups and reviews posted to the forums? – The onus is on us all to have input into the forums and create banter with the other managers. At the start of the season, the board will create a thread entitled "Friendly League Division X - Season YY", which you are all encouraged to contribute to throughout the season …… whether that’s posting profiles of yourselves, posting the daily results/fixtures/tables or simply mocking an opponentfollowing a convincing victory! There is absolutely nothing to stop you contributing - throughout the season you will notice established managers compiling lengthy write-ups and reviews etc, feel free to do the same.
13. Am I allowed to adopt any tactics I wish? – Yes, you can play any formation, aggression level etc. you want (even Psycho – if you dare).
14. What happens if a manager has 2 teams in the same division? – That cannot happen. Unfortunately any manager who has more than one team will not be permitted to enter his/her additional team(s) into the FL structure. Any managers found breaking this rule risk having their team expelled from the Friendly League, at the discretion of the FL Board. If a manager is baby-sitting a team for a friend, and the teams happen to have a fixture against each other during that baby-sitting period, the manager must inform the Board immediately so that alternative arrangements can be made.
15. What happens if I take on somebody else’s team? - If a manager takes on somebody else's team (e.g. if the other manager has quit the game) they will have to decide which team is to stay in the FL and which will go. If they want their new team to be part of the FL structure proper they will need to start over again at the lowest level, regardless of their strength and previous division. The board does not feel that it is fair, or in the interest of the league, to have managers taking on teams higher in the structure ahead of managers who have built their teams up and got them promoted over a number of seasons.
16. What happens if the manager breaks those rules laid out in Q14/15? – Any manager who breaks any of the rules outlined above risks having all his teams suspended or expelled from the Friendly League, at the discretion of the Board.
17. As not all the lower level teams can be accommodated in the Smokey FL Cup is there a competition for teams outside Divisions 1 to 4? – Sometimes. This competition is usually referred to as the Conference Cup (as we refer to our fifth level as the Conferences). The size of this competition will depend on the number of teams outside of the FL structure ‘proper’ (i.e. Divs 1 to 4). The Board will announce the size of the competition, prize monies etc via the ‘Announcements’ thread. As the number of teams outside of the FL structure proper is often not a number conducive to the setting up of a cup competition (i.e. 16, 32, 64) entry is usually on a first-come, first served basis, although the Board will endeavour to ensure that all appropriate teams are informed of the passcode for the competition at the same time.
18. What about other cup competitions within the Friendly League? – If you have an idea for any other cup competitions, approach a member of the Board. We at Friendly League HQ don’t have any plans to introduce new cup competitions at this point, as we don’t want to be continually asking members to dip in to their pockets for credits, but we are open to suggestions.
19. So, who “lives” at Friendly League HQ and what are their responsibilities?* Board Directors =
Deca - (Decabox) - Cubana Villains/Aston Villains
Russ - (Basketcase) - The Lost Sheep
Gavin - (Name) - Screaming Vengeance
Dan- (Booksie) - In Wenger We TrustResponsibility for announcements, co-ordination of board - TBA
Responsibility for Sponsorship – TBA
Responsibility for Cup Competitions - TBA
Responsibility for co-ordinating league set-up etc -TBAAll of the people listed above will be able to answer any questions you may have regarding tips and getting the most out of your Friendly League Experience, but please direct specific queries to the people listed.
20. Can new members get onto the Board? – Generally the Board will remain as it is, but now and again a member will have to leave for various reasons. If it is felt that a replacement is required then the Board have a number of options available to them in addressing this. Obviously those that help keep the FL forums active and enjoyable, and those that help out when required will be at the forefront of the Board’s minds when and if this decision has to be made.
21. How does the Board communicate with the FL members? - At the start of every season, an ‘Announcements’ thread is set up. Although various members of the Board will always contribute to daily banter etc. the important stuff will always be posted here. This includes new season structure announcements, prize money announcements, rule changes, rules governing situations that arise (that aren’t currently covered by these FAQs) etc. etc. This ‘Announcement’ thread will always by a ‘sticky’ at the top of the ‘General’ forum (as is the FAQs thread) so that it is easily accessed by FL members and doesn’t drop off the first page.
22. I have heard that some of the Friendly League divisions and the Friendly League Smokey Cup are sponsored. Is this correct? – Yes. From time to time individual divisions will be sponsored. Sponsorship comes in the form of generous credit contributions from FL members that will be allocated to the top three teams at the end of the season. If you are interested in sponsoring a division you should contact the member of the board highlighted as having responsibility for sponsorship earlier in these FAQs, or respond to the thread in the ‘General’ forum that will be started on or around Day 30 inviting teams to sponsor the FL. Usually the Board will endeavour to get the lower divisions sponsored first - the lower divisions often contain newer members and less experienced managers. If providing them with a financial incentive to do well keeps them interested then we feel it's an approach worth maintaining. The FL Board will confirm prizes around the time they announce the next season’s structure.
23. What other prizes are on offer? - Unless your division is sponsored (see Q22) none apart from the standard 2000/1000 credits normally awarded to PL winners other than the prestige of appearing in the ‘Friendly League Roll of Honour’!!!!
You can also see previous final tables in the FL history thread.
NB: Cat Games will often ‘up’ the number of credits up for grabs in the FL Cup on the request of the FL Board. It is the usual policy of the FL Board to spread these credits more widely than normal PL comps (i.e. you won’t only get some if you reach the final!).
Cup/League prize money will always be communicated via the ‘Announcements’ thread.
24. What milestones are there to remember?Day 2 - Smokey Cup code will be distributed to Conference clubs.
Day 4 3pm - Target for filling of Cups.
Day 4 3pm - Dead-line for joining FL divs.
Day 6 3pm - Designated 'last entries' will confirm participation in FL.
Day 7 - First FL fixtures.
Day 11 - Smokey Cup Round 1 (64 teams).
Day 18 - Smokey Cup Round 2 (32 teams).
Day 25 - Smokey Cup Round 3 (16 teams).
Day 30 - Entry opens for next seasons FL.
Day 30 – Invite Sponsors for next season’s FL comps.
Day 32 - Smokey Cup Q-Finals (8 teams).
Day 36 - Last FL fixtures (16 team league).
Day 39 - Smokey Cup Semi Finals (4 teams).
Day 44 - Dead-line for entry in to next seasons FL.
Day 46 - FL Board will confirm structures for next season and relegation/promotion criteria between each level, via ‘Announcements’ thread.
Day 46 - FL Board will confirm divisional and cup prizes for next season (incorporating sponsorship) via Announcements thread.
Day 46 - Smokey Cup Final (2 teams).
Day 47 - Divisional codes will be distributed.
Day 47 – FL Cup/Conference cup code distributed to Division/Conference teams.
NB: Although the Board endeavour to always meet these dates they are used as a guideline only. Things like bank holidays can have an impact on when certain tasks manage to be completed.
25. What if I have a good idea to improve the FL? - Feel free to PM one of the Board members with any ideas you may have. Be aware though that the Board will often debate any ideas behind the scenes for a number of days before communicating any decisions to the masses – we are not ignoring you! The Board has shown itself to be willing to listen to its members, and have made a number of changes to rules based on what they have had to say, in the past.
We trust this covers any questions you may have had, please feel free to contact any of the Board members if we haven’t covered everything you need to know.** This F.A.Q was brought to you by
Cliche@smokey.com who is no longer in SL1. I, Turner, had no doing in all this hard work!
