White Isle League rules

These are the rules for the British Isles-based White Isle League.

Recruitment

The league only actively recruits new coaches between seasons (roughly every two and a half months). However, we are always looking to have more coaches on our Reserve List, who can replace any league coaches who drop out. Also, we try to guarantee coaches on the reserve list an automatic spot in the league next season. For more information, please read the top post in our recruitment thread

Entry requirements
This is an English-speaking, UK time zone league, so coaches wanting to join should be either:
a) British Isles residents;
b) citizens of the British Isles living abroad but within two time zones of UK/Irish time;
c) any English-speaking coach within two time zones of UK/Irish time whose home country does not have its own national league.

However, we have been known to bend these rules ... quite frequently. ;))


Approximate Annual Schedule

January-March - League Season A
April-June - League Season B
July-September - League Season C
September-November - League Season D
December-January - FA Cup

League Regulations

Dead-lines
Each round of matches will have a 10-day dead-line, but coaches are very much encouraged to complete matches faster than that as often as possible. So, the deadline for the next round will be set as soon as all the matches in the previous round have been played.

Team Categories

To ensure that a variety of types of roster are represented, the league uses the race categories adopted by the SWL (as listed below).

In the league as a whole, approximately one-third of the member teams should be drawn from each of the three main categories (Rock, Scissors, Paper). (There is no minimum on Dynamite teams.)

In individual divisions, things are a little more complicated, as a team will never be denied promotion (or saved from relegation) just because there are already a lot of teams from its category in its new tier. However, as far as is possible, teams from each category will be spread as evenly as possible across the divisions in each tier when they are drawn.

The teams in each category and the current (accurate for the start of the present season) breakdown of our membership is listed below:

Category Rock teams - Dwarf: Chaos Dwarf; Orc Chaos; Nurgle; Chaos Pact;
Category Scissors teams - Lizardmen; Necromantic; Norse; Skaven; Undead; Khemri
Category Paper teams - Dark Elf; High Elf; Wood Elf; Elf; Human; Amazon; Slann
Category Dynamite teams - Ogre; Vampire; Goblin; Halfling Underworld

(Note that teams are broken down into these categories on the basis of the potential damage they can inflict, not how much they can take. Any system chosen will always be somewhat imperfect and arbitrary - this is just our one!)

Individual Roster Cap

There is also a cap on the total number of teams in the league that can be drawn from any single roster, which is 10% of the total teams (rounding to the nearest). With 74 teams at the moment, this means no more than seven teams of any particular type (the lists which are currently maxed out are marked in italics in the list above).

Please note that this means that there may not be a completely even mix of teams in the league with all rosters represented. This is intentional. I consider it normal, fitting to the Blood Bowl fluff, and in fact desirable, for more popular teams like Orcs and Humans to be (relatively) over-represented compared to niche teams like Pro Elves and Khemri.

Khemri and Ogre teams were not eligible for the first season of the league. Khemri are now invited after a vote by coaches, but Ogres were rejected. After a second vote, Ogres are now allowed.

Birthday Potions/Kick Start Gifts

For the purposes of maintaining a level playing field, please do not use birthday healing potions in the WIL.

Wizards and Stars

Both are allowed in the White Isle League.


Scoring and the Divisional system

Scoring System

5 points are scored for a win (or win by forfeit)
2 points for a draw
1 point for a loss
0 points for a loss by forfeit or concession

(Note on forfeits: If both coaches are judged to be equally responsible for the match failing to be played, neither team will get any points from the match.)

So: play your games! Just turning up and hanging on for the final whistle will get you a point!

Coaches who consistently forfeit or concede matches will be kicked from the league. Concessions will be judged on a case-by-case basis. Whilst they are allowed in the league, they are also frowned upon, we expect coaches that play to complete their games. In the event of a concession, each case will be judged on it's individual merits, and if it is felt the concession was unnecessary or a game was being avoided, staff reserve the right to take action (no cap on penalty) against that coach / team.

Both forfeits and concessions will be treated as 2-0 victories for the purposes of TD scored and for TD diff.

If a team begins play in a season and then is deemed to have left the league due to site inactivity (3 missed games in a row withour communication); the remainder of that team’s games are forfeit, and the team kicked. In addition; games that the kicked team had played in the league earlier in the season would also be treated as forfeited.

Ties on final league position are broken by:
1. Head-to-head result
2. TD difference
3. TDs scored
4. CAS difference
5. CAS caused
6. 'Coin toss'

Promotion and Relegation

In Season Fifteen we have three tiers: the Premier division; four Conferences; and four Regional divisions.

Promotion to the Premier division is automatic for the four Conference winners. The four second placed teams will take part in a straight KO playoff for the final Premier division spot.

The bottom five Premier division teams will be automatically relegated to the Conferences and the bottom three teams from each Conference will be automatically relegated to the Regionals. The top three teams in each Regional win promotion to the Conferences.

(All the above is subject to change should teams withdraw from the league.)

For the moment, there is no relegation from the Regionals.

Team Retirements

During a season, coaches may be permitted to retire the team with which they are participating, and rejoin the league with a replacement TR 100 team. Please consult with staff before doing this, however! Just one death or permanent injury from an opening match is not generally considered reason enough to retire. Multiple RIPs and permanent injuries and no cash with which to re-build is another matter though. The Westwood Warriors, who suffered three deaths and two niggling injuries (including one to their Wardancer) in their opening two matches, are our current benchmark for acceptable retirement. A new team retains the points accrued by the previous team, minus a 5 point 'administration fee' (to a minimum of 0 points).

A Premier Division team which drops out will not be replaced during that season.

A Conference team may be replaced by a Regional team judged best able to compete at the higher level, but not automatically. If a team begins play in a season and then is deemed to have left the league due to site inactivity; the remainder of that team’s games are forfeit, and the team kicked. In addition; games that the kicked team had played in the league earlier in the season would also be treated as forfeited.

TR Caps

TR caps must be adhered to at the start (only) of each season, so that a team may be entered into that tier of the league for that season. Teams that fail to trim to their cap before the draw for a season may be subject to an administration fee.

Current season's TR caps: -
Tier 1 (Premier): Uncapped
Tier 2 (Conferences): Uncapped
Tier 3 (Regionals): (1600) -2 point penalty for failure to comply

All skills are to be picked pre draw for a new season.



Off-season friendlies

In any off-season that is not the season where an F.A. Cup is held (end of Season D if we're on schedule!), each team is permitted one friendly with another team from within the WIL group. If playoffs are held at the end of that season, playoff teams are not permitted friendly matches.


Rule Changes

Do you think that Wizards and/or Stars should be banned? That there should be a limit on the number of DPs per team?

If so, the procedure you need to follow goes like this: first, make sure that the rule change you want is within the power of the league to effect - some things are fixed by the client or the site, and are impossible or impractical for us to do; second, get a total of five league coaches (including yourself) together who agree with you; third, all of you PM me (Prez).

When it gets to me, I may choose simply to veto it. That's just the prerogative of being Commissioner! More likely, I will put it to a vote of all league coaches at the end of the next season, and will do whatever the majority decides. Note that I don't want to waste time putting the same motion to the vote after every season, so motions which have been voted on and dismissed recently are quite likely to be vetoed.


Fimir All-comers Cup

As a break from the usual menu of league matches, the White Isle League teams occasionally participate in the Fimir All-comers (FA) Cup. This is a chaotic, completely unseeded competition, which runs in stark contrast to the more regulated league season. Typically, it only takes place over the busier parts of the year (such as Christmas) when not all coaches are able to honour the usual league commitments.

(What is a Fimir?)


Official List of Dormant League Teams

These are former league teams which have gone inactive for one reason or another, but are welcome to come back at the start of a future season in the Conferences or Regionals as available/appropriate.

benninstein - Exterminatus Rebirth (Con)
hotspurstu - 'Moving Shadow' (Reg)
pac - Storm Warriors (Con)
dbaker3923 - Portbury Royal (Reg)
koadah - Monarchs 91 (Con)
BlackNWhiteDog - British Beauties (Reg)

(Currently incomplete)