S7 State of the League

[Canadice]

<div align="center"><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'><!--emo&:ssl:--><img src='https://files.jcink.net/uploads2/simsoccer/Emoticons/SSL_Logo_30px.png' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='https://files.jcink.net/uploads2/simsoccer/Emoticons/SSL_Logo_30px.png' /><!--endemo--> Start of S7 <!--emo&:ssl:--><img src='https://files.jcink.net/uploads2/simsoccer/Emoticons/SSL_Logo_30px.png' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='https://files.jcink.net/uploads2/simsoccer/Emoticons/SSL_Logo_30px.png' /><!--endemo--></span></div><br>Today marks the start of the seventh season in the league. <ul><li>- All players whose contract expired can now sign with any team in accordance with their transfer value. </li><li>- All players on their final season of the contract may now sign an extension.</li><li>- All players (not unclaimed prospects) may claim the <a href='https://simsoccer.jcink.net/index.php?showtopic=2802' rel='nofollow noopener' target='_blank'>S7 Training Camp</a></li><li>- The <a href='https://simsoccer.jcink.net/index.php?showtopic=563&view=findpost&p=26166' rel='nofollow noopener' target='_blank'>Waiver Wire</a> is now open for teams to claim newly approved prospects.</li></ul><br>Be on the lookout for more tasks to show up this week as we are getting ready for the new season.<br><br><div align="center"><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'><!--emo&:ssl:--><img src='https://files.jcink.net/uploads2/simsoccer/Emoticons/SSL_Logo_30px.png' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='https://files.jcink.net/uploads2/simsoccer/Emoticons/SSL_Logo_30px.png' /><!--endemo--> Rule Changes <!--emo&:ssl:--><img src='https://files.jcink.net/uploads2/simsoccer/Emoticons/SSL_Logo_30px.png' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='https://files.jcink.net/uploads2/simsoccer/Emoticons/SSL_Logo_30px.png' /><!--endemo--></span></div><br>Once again, there are some rule changes that has been passed by the BoD and the Team Managers. The following additions can now be found in the <a href='https://simsoccer.jcink.net/index.php?showforum=24' rel='nofollow noopener' target='_blank'>Rulebook</a>:<br><br><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Changes to the SSL Cup</span><br>With the addition of the two expansion teams, the league consists of 16 teams in total. As such we have changed the way the SSL Cup is played. Instead of a first round, the cup will start off with a group stage where four teams are randomly placed in four different groups and play one game against one another. The top two teams of each group advance to the Cup Quarter Final. With this change all teams get three guaranteed cup games to play instead of the previous two.<br><br><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Automatic change to Inactive status contracts</span><br>A change in Section 5 Subsection 1 Rule 2.b sets the active contract status of players who have gone inactive to an inactive contract. With an inactive contract, the player in question does not have to meet the activity requirement. This status change is automatic and checked at the start of the season.<br><br><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Manager Loans</span><br>Manager players are still required to have their rights on the team that they draft, but in order to give managers some flexibility in the skill of their team vs their player, a manager player may now be loaned to a team in a different division than theirs.<br><br><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Contract Bonuses</span><br>Instead of having the ability to re-negotiate a contract during a season for more money, a manager may now issue bonuses to players for their remaining cap. The bonuses must be paid out after the trade deadline and there is a maximum of 2 million per player.<br><br><span style='font-size:21pt;line-height:100%'>CHANGES TO PT STRUCTURE</span><br>One of the major things we have changed in this off-season is the PT structure. It is now only required to write 200 words for an article compared to the old 300 words, and you are also able to earn 6 capped TPE from a reply to an article. The reply also needs to have at least 200 words. This change comes as an effect from last season's state of the league where we addressed the casual nature of this league and our hopes to make the league viable for a single sim-league user. <br><br>We also hope that the addition of replies as a source of TPE provides a chance to engage with the articles posted (for instance the <a href='https://simsoccer.jcink.net/index.php?showtopic=2693' rel='nofollow noopener' target='_blank'>British Isles World Cup</a> teams that <a href='index.php?showuser=99' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-10'>@Aleris</a> wrote about) more than what is currently happening. Another example are press-conferences where someone might post some weekly questions related to the league that another user then can answer as a reply.<br><br><div align="center"><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'><!--emo&:ssl:--><img src='https://files.jcink.net/uploads2/simsoccer/Emoticons/SSL_Logo_30px.png' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='https://files.jcink.net/uploads2/simsoccer/Emoticons/SSL_Logo_30px.png' /><!--endemo--> League Updates <!--emo&:ssl:--><img src='https://files.jcink.net/uploads2/simsoccer/Emoticons/SSL_Logo_30px.png' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='https://files.jcink.net/uploads2/simsoccer/Emoticons/SSL_Logo_30px.png' /><!--endemo--></span></div><br>We are working on other things behind the scenes that can hopefully facilitate the day-to-day activities of the users, one of which is adding functionality to the SSL Bot. More information about these changes will be posted once they are published. <br><br><br>/Commissioner Canadice