Fantasy Dispute

 

Text of dispute is :
Week #1: Team A fails to submit their lineup. Team B that is playing Team A would have clearly lost if Team A submitted their lineup. We do not have anything in our rules that currently addresses someone failing to submit their lineup. Who makes the playoffs are determined on our Win/Loss record then we proceed to points in a tie breaker scenario. Therefore, We have an argument that Team B who did submit their lineup should play against someone by drawing a name out of the hat or something like that to determine if they get a win or loss on the week. Argument being made by Team C is I would hate to miss the playoffs or not win my division knowing that Team B was just given a win due to Team A not participating with a lineup submission. Right now up for vote is 1) Team A loss and Team B gets win 2) Team A loss and Team B has to draw out of a hat to determine opponent (So Both teams could end up with a loss) 3) Team A gets win with everyone knowing his lineup would have beat Team B no matter what he submitted giving Team B the loss.
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THE JUDGE RULES AS FOLLOWS:

 

There are rules and there are rules.  Although you state you “do not have anything in our rules that currently addresses someone failing to submit their lineup,” what you mean is your rules do not expressly state what happens in this event.  I have no problem finding that there is an implied rule that if a team does not submit their lineup, they get no points.  Team B surely scored more than zero points, so Team B wins.

 

                Although it is tempting in such a scenario to play the “what if” game, your league must resist doing so.  Whereas Team A would have won no matter what lineup he submitted, this is a dangerous precedent.  You do not want to speculate as to what a team owner would have done (if he hadn’t overslept due to his hangover and missed the deadline).  Team A didn’t set their lineup, Team A gets no points, period. 

 

                Many leagues have rules that state if a lineup is not submitted after week 1, the previous week’s lineup is used.  That should be your league’s default rules in the future, unless otherwise stated.  But there are no excuses for missing week 1, for crying out loud.

 

Team B gets a win, Team A gets a loss.

 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

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