Playoff Doubleheader Rules

Some of you have been around long enough to remember doubleheaders in the FNFT. If you are, these rules are pretty much like they used to be back then.

Game 1 of the playoffs is Friday, August 22. Game 2 of the playoffs is Saturday, August 23. For the most part, these are treated as two separate and distinct games. You may submit separate lineups for each. You are allowed one pickup for each. The deadline for picking up players and submitting lineups is still on noon of game day, so you could (and in some circumstances, it would make sense to) change your Saturday lineup based on Friday results.

Hitters are fairly straight forward. Their Friday night game counts toward Game 1 and their Saturday game counts toward Game 2. The exception is if they don't play on Friday night. Then their Saturday game counts toward Game 1 and their Sunday game counts toward Game 2. This is an important point to be aware of. If one of your hitters does not play on Friday night, it might make sense to replace him in your Game 2 lineup, or else run the risk of not getting points for him for Game 2. If a hitter plays on Friday and not on Saturday, or if his Saturday game is used for Game 1 on Friday, you still get his Sunday stats toward Game 2.

For starting pitchers, the pecking order for Game 1 is #1 SP on Friday, #2 SP on Friday, #3 SP on Friday and so on down to the bottom of your rotation, then #1 SP on Saturday, #2 SP on Saturday, and on down the line. So basically, if any of your starting pitchers pitch on Friday night, you will get one of them for Game 1. Game 2 works like any other game with the exception that you can not use the pitcher who counted in Game 1. The order goes #1 SP Friday, #1 SP Saturday, #2 SP Friday, #2 SP Saturday, and so on. Relief pitchers work pretty much the same way as starters. It would be a good idea to just figure out who you want your starting pitcher for each game to be and put them in as your #1 starter. You can stack the others up behind him just in case.

Once we get past the doubleheader, everything goes as normal from there. The first round of playoffs is best 3 out of 5. The World Series is best 4 out of 7.

I will do real-time blogging through the playoffs and World Series to the extent that I can. As I mentioned, I will be out of town during the first weekend of the playoffs - returning on Monday.