Private Guillotine League Rules
General Overview
In a Guillotine League, the lowest-scoring team(s) are eliminated each week. Eliminated team counts vary depending on the specific league configuration. When a team is eliminated, its entire roster of players becomes free agents, eligible to be acquired by the rest of the league.
There are no head-to-head matchups or win/loss records; the league continues until one team remains or a designated playoff format determines the winner. Depending on the chosen cut setting, such as slow chop or double chop, there may be weeks where no teams or multiple teams are eliminated.
In our Guilloteenie leagues, everything works the same as a Guillotine League, except there is no bench.
You are limited to only one (1) team entry per league.
Customization Options
Private leagues have the same core rules as our public leagues. Commissioners also have the ability to customize certain league settings to best fit their league. Private league commissioners can toggle on or off the following settings:
- Chop Speed (Standard, Slow Chop, Double Chop)
- Roster Size (14 players with 6 bench spots or 8 players with no bench spots) Playoff Format (Last Man Standing or Final Four)
- Playoff Format (Last Man Standing or Final Four)
- Allow Trades (league members can trade players and FAAB $)
- Allow FCFS waivers (there is only one waiver run and then free agency done on a first-come, first-serve basis for the remainder of the week)
- Roster Expansion (adds a roster spot to the bench heading into Week 4, Week 8 and Week 12)
- Same Week Pickups (allows players that are dropped to be picked up during the same NFL week)
Playoff Formats
Two playoff options are available. In the Final Four Playoff (F4) format, the last four teams compete over the league’s final three weeks, and the team with the highest total points during that span is declared the winner. In the Last Man Standing (LMS) format, regular eliminations continue through the final week, and the last remaining team wins.
League Size & Duration
Leagues are made up of 2-18 teams and may span varying lengths of time. Contest durations can cover the regular season, the postseason, or a combination of both, depending on the league format selected.
Entry Fees
There are no entry fees or winnings in free-to-play contests, and they are available to users in all 50 US states.
Draft Overview
Guillotine League drafts follow a snake format, where the draft order reverses at the end of each round. Drafts are available in either fast or slow formats and consist of 14 total rounds. Commissioners can also select to have no benches in their league, resulting in an 8-round draft. There is an option to select a Linear draft format for a private league, this means the order is the same for every round and will not snake.
Joining a Draft
- If the league is at least 70% filled but not yet full 10 minutes prior to the scheduled draft time, the system may automatically delay the draft in 10-minute increments up to 30 minutes, to allow additional participants to join. Once the league reaches full capacity, the draft will automatically begin 10 minutes later.
- If the league does not reach full capacity following the 30-minute delay period, commissioners of private leagues shall have the option to manually start the draft, using the teams that have joined the league to that point. Upon doing so, a 5-minute countdown timer will begin within the draft room before the draft officially commences.
- If the draft is still not full after 30 minutes from the originally scheduled draft time and no manual start has occurred, the commissioner will be required to choose one of the following options:
- a- Reschedule the draft for a future date and time, provided the new time is at least two hours in the future;
- b- Select the “Schedule when league is filled” option, which allows the system to assign a draft time no earlier than 1 hour after the league reaches full capacity, and between the hours of 5:00 PM and 9:00 PM ET; this time may be overridden by the commissioner if necessary; or
- c- Disband the league, resulting in the cancellation of the contest.
Draft Types
Fast Draft
Draft Timer: 60 seconds per pick or 120 seconds per pick
All Fast Drafts are held in our online draft room that can be accessed on either a mobile device or through the website on desktop. You can access the draft room at any point after signing up for the league. Your draft order will be randomly generated one hour prior to its scheduled start (or once it fills if start time is under an hour). During the draft, commissioners can pause, resume, rewind picks, or adjust the draft clock and team selections as needed. If you do not make a pick before the draft timer has expired, the system will select the top-ranked player in your queue. Or if your queue is empty, the top-ranked player from the remaining available player pool will be selected. In addition, if you fail to make picks before the draft timer expires in 2 or more consecutive rounds, you will automatically be placed on auto-draft, which must be manually turned off. Also, if you are late to the draft room for the start of the draft, you will be put on auto-draft, which must be manually turned off upon entering the draft room.
It is your sole responsibility to ensure you make it to the start of your scheduled draft. If you think you may be late or miss your draft entirely, remember to utilize the queue to ensure you have the best chance to obtain your preferred players.
Slow Draft
Draft Timer: 1 hour, 2 hours, or 6 hours
Slow Drafts are held in our same online draft room as Fast Drafts, but the difference is that Slow Drafts can take days to complete, not hours. Please note, the draft timer will be suspended every night from 12:00 AM ET to 8:00 AM ET. (For those on Pacific Time, note that the clock will resume at 5:00 AM PT, so be sure to have your preferred players in the queue.)
Just like with Fast Drafts, you can access your draft room at any point after signing up for your Slow Draft. Your draft order will be randomly generated one hour prior to its scheduled start (or once it fills if start time is under an hour). You can enter the draft room at any point while your Slow Draft is in progress, and you will be sent a push notification every time you are on the clock.
Depending on your league’s timer, once the draft has started, you will have either 1, 2, or 6 hours (when on the clock) to make each pick. Throughout the draft, you will be able to move players in and out of the queue for reference, or for use with the auto-draft feature.
If you do not make a pick before your timer has expired, the system will select the top-ranked player in your queue. Or if your queue is empty, the top-ranked player from the remaining available player pool will be selected. In addition, if you fail to pick before the draft timer expires in 2 or more consecutive rounds, you will automatically be put on auto-draft, which must be manually turned off.
Post Draft
Once a draft concludes, participants will receive a summary of their rosters and draft results. Player rosters lock at the start of each player’s scheduled NFL game each week. If a draft finishes after NFL games have already begun for the week, roster locks vary based on game times. For example, if a draft does not finish prior to Thursday Night Football, those players will be locked into the roster spot that they were drafted into. If a player is drafted into a starting spot and their game has already begun, they are locked into that starting spot for the week. If they are drafted to a bench spot, they are locked into that bench spot for the week.
In-Season Drafts (After TNF/FNF)
TNF/FNF players can still be drafted after their game is finalized. But please note, you are only awarded their points if they are drafted into a starting roster position. If any TNF/FNF player is drafted as a reserve/bench player, you will not be able to move them into your starting lineup, and they will be awarded 0 points for the current week.
Roster Requirements
Rosters will consist of 14 players (8 starters and 6 reserves). Starting lineups must consist of the following:
| Quarterback | 1 |
| Running Back | 2 |
| Wide Receiver | 2 |
| Tight End | 1 |
| FLEX (RB/WR/TE) | 2 |
*NOTE: Players in your starting lineup CANNOT be moved from a mandatory positional spot (RB, WR, or TE) to and from a FLEX spot (and back) after their game(s) have kicked off.
**If Roster Expansion is enabled, an additional bench spot is added to each team heading into Week 4, Week 8 and Week 12.
In contests where there is NO bench, all rosters will consist of 8 starters only:
| Quarterback | 1 |
| Running Back | 2 |
| Wide Receiver | 2 |
| Tight End | 1 |
| FLEX (RB/WR/TE) | 2 |
Scoring Format
Below is the scoring format for all private leagues.
| Stat | Points |
|---|---|
| Passing Yards | .04 for each (1 for every 25 yards) |
| Passing Touchdowns | 4 for each |
| Passing 2-Point Conversions | 2 for each |
| Rushing Yards | .1 for each (1 for every 10 yards) |
| Rushing Touchdowns | 6 for each |
| Rushing 2-Point Conversions | 2 for each |
| Receptions | 1 for each |
| Receiving Yards | .1 for each (1 for every 10 yards) |
| Receiving Touchdowns | 6 for each |
| Receiving 2-Point Conversions | 2 for each |
| Kickoff or Punt Return Touchdowns | 6 for each |
| *Interception Returned for Touchdown | 6 for each |
| Fumble Recovery Touchdowns | 6 for each |
| **Lost Fumbles or Interceptions | -2 for each |
*If a player who primarily plays offense registers an interception on defense (for example, Travis Hunter) and returns it for a touchdown, the player will be credited for the touchdown, but no points are awarded for the interception.
**Offensive players will also be deducted 2 points for fumbles lost on special teams (punt and kick returns) or while playing defense (for example, Travis Hunter).
Stat Corrections
Guillotine Leagues do not allow for the NFL's stat corrections (that occur on the following Thursdays) for the previous week’s games. All weekly stats are considered final after the last game of the current week, typically after Monday Night Football.
Guillotine Tie Breakers
In the event of a scoring tie at any point in the season (including Week 1), the following tie-breaking criteria will be used:
- The team with the fewest year-to-date cumulative points is eliminated (excludes Week 1).
- If Step 1 does not break the tie, the team with the starting player who scored the fewest points is eliminated. In the event of a continuing tie, this methodology continues by comparing the second-lowest-scoring player, the third-lowest-scoring player, and so forth until ties are resolved.
- If still tied, we apply the above system to bench players, starting with a comparison of the lowest-scoring backup.
- In the unlikely event that there is still a tie, the team with the lower draft position will win the tiebreaker.
Free Agent Acquisition
All free agents are acquired through a blind bidding system using your Free Agent Acquisition Budget (FAAB). Each team begins the season with a $1,000 FAAB. To place a claim, managers must submit a bid of at least $0. Since this is a blind bidding format, no team can see the amount others have bid on a player until after waivers are processed. When creating bids, you have the ability to adjust your priority order. This priority order will determine the order in which your winning bids are processed.
*Please note: Chopped players are available for bidding throughout the duration of the season, meaning there is no cut-off for acquiring chopped players.
Blind Bidding Periods
Before Week 1, there are multiple preseason blind bidding windows: Wednesday, August 20th at 3:00PM ET; Wednesday, August 27th at 3:00PM ET; after this, it follows the same cadence as the regular season with 3 regular blind bidding periods: Wednesday, September 3, 2025 at 3:00 PM ET; Thursday, September 4, 2025 at 3:00 PM ET; and Sunday, September 7, 2025 at 11:00 AM ET. In-season blind bidding begins after Week 1 results are finalized and continues weekly through Week 18. During this period, the standard three weekly bidding deadlines are Wednesday and Thursday at 3:00 PM ET, and Sunday at 11:00 AM ET.
In Week 13, due to the Thanksgiving schedule, the three bidding periods shift to Wednesday at 3:00 PM ET, Friday at 12:00 PM ET, and Sunday at 11:00 AM ET. If an NFL international game occurs during a Sunday bidding window, players from those teams are not eligible to be added or dropped in that period. This same rule applies to Friday games in Weeks 1 and 13, and Saturday games in Weeks 16 through 18, restricting player movement during those bidding windows.
If Same Week Pickups is enabled, players who are dropped during a blind bidding window become eligible to be claimed in the next available blind bidding period. For example, if a player is dropped during the Wednesday bidding period, that dropped player will become available for bidding for the Thursday bidding period. If the setting is disabled, anybody dropped during the week is not eligible to be added to a roster until the following Wednesday.
Free Agent Processing
A player is awarded to the team that submits the highest bid. In the event of a tie, the following criteria will be used:
- The player is awarded to the team with the lowest total season-to-date points.
- If a tie still remains, the tiebreaker proceeds to the starting lineup: the team whose lowest-scoring starting player that week had the fewest points will win the bid. If necessary, this comparison continues down the lineup—second-lowest scorer, third-lowest, and so on.
- If a tie still persists, the team with the lower original draft position wins the bid.
First-Come, First-Served Acquisitions
In private leagues, commissioners have the option to enable first-come, first-serve (FCFS) acquisitions. If this setting is active, the league will have only one blind bidding period each week, on Wednesday at 3:00 PM ET. After that window closes, all remaining free agents become available on an FCFS basis beginning at 7:00 PM ET that same evening. FCFS additions are allowed until each player’s game time kicks off for the week. Once a player’s game begins, that player moves to waivers and is unavailable until the following week’s blind bidding period. FCFS transactions do not cost any FAAB, meaning even teams with $0 remaining can still make pickups. Additionally, if the commissioner has enabled the Same Week Pickups option, players dropped during FCFS can be re-added within the same week.
Additional Cuts Options Offered
- Slow chop: the lowest cumulative scoring team across 2 weeks will be chopped. This extends the lifespan of each team, making it ideal for smaller leagues or players who prefer a slower pace.
- Double chop: the lowest 2 scoring teams to be eliminated each week, making it suitable for larger leagues and players who prefer shorter overall seasons.
Last Man Standing Playoff Format
In a double chop contest, if the league begins with an even number of teams, the format will begin with double chops, where the two lowest-scoring teams each week are chopped. This continues until the playoff round, where it reverts to a single-chop and the lowest-scoring team is eliminated, to ensure only one team remains as the winner. If the league begins with an odd number of teams, the format will consist of double chops throughout the contest, including the playoff round.
Example: 9-team league contest starting in Week 1
| Contest Week | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Teams Remaining | 9 | 7 | 5 | 3 |
| Teams Cut per round | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Example: 8-team league contest starting in Week 1
| Contest Week | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Teams Remaining | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| Teams Cut per round | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
In a slow chop contest, eliminations occur every two weeks, with the lowest cumulative scoring team across that two-week span being chopped. If there is a scenario where there is an odd number of teams and the NFL season is ending, the format temporarily reverts to a 1-week chop. For example, if three teams remain in week 20 with three weeks left in the NFL season, the league would feature a 1-week chop of the lowest-cumulative scoring team to bring the count to two teams, then resume the slow chop elimination for the final two weeks, leaving one team as the champion.
Example: 6-team league starting in Week 16
| Contest Week | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| Teams Remaining | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Teams Cut per round | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Final Four Playoff Format
If a Final Four playoff format is selected, no teams are chopped during the final three weeks of the contest, regardless of the elimination method in place.
In a double chop contest, if there is a scenario where the league would otherwise result in an odd number of teams before the Final Four playoff begins, the format begins with a double-chop elimination before reverting to the single-week chop format (single lowest scoring team eliminated) when the Final Four begins, to ensure there are exactly four teams remaining prior to the three-week playoff window.
Example: 9-team league contest starting in Week 1
| Contest Week | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Teams Remaining | 9 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Teams Cut per round | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Highest cumulative score wins |
Example: 8-team league contest starting in Week 1
| Contest Week | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Teams Remaining | 8 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| Teams Cut per round | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Highest cumulative score wins |
In a slow chop contest, if there is a scenario where the league would leave five teams entering the final three weeks of the NFL season, the league shifts to a single-week elimination of the lowest-scoring team to reduce the field to four, ensuring there are four remaining teams in the playoffs.
Example: 5-team league contest starting in Week 19
| Contest Week | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| Teams Remaining | 5 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| Teams Cut per round | 1 | 0 | 0 | Highest cumulative score wins |
Players acquired after games are played
Occasionally, a player may be added to a different NFL roster after his weekly game has already been played. In that situation, the players production from the game IS used. An example of this is when Zach Ertz was traded to the Cardinals (in 2021) after he had played for the Eagles on Thursday night. In this scenario, the player would get points for both games, is locked at the start of TNF, and cannot be picked up via waivers because of his TNF play.
Forfeited Games
In rare cases, such as a last-minute forfeiture of a Monday night game, roster adjustments may not be possible. If a game is forfeited, no points will be awarded to any players involved, regardless of their status in your lineup. Bench players who have already played cannot be moved into your starting roster retroactively.
Trades
In private leagues, trading may be allowed if enabled by the commissioner, with no designated trade deadline at this time. All dates and times are subject to change.
Guilloteenies
A Guilloteenie operates the same way as our standard Guillotine leagues aside from one key difference: rosters must consist of 8 starters and no bench. The drafted lineup would consist of the following:
| Quarterback | 1 |
| Running Back | 2 |
| Wide Receiver | 2 |
| Tight End | 1 |
| FLEX (RB/WR/TE) | 2 |
Guilloteenie Drafts
All drafts are serpentine (snake) style, meaning the draft order is reversed after each round has ended. All drafts consist of 8 rounds (8 picks per owner). The draft timer depends on which format is chosen, fast drafts or slow drafts.
All teams will draft 1 quarterback, 2 running backs, 2 wide receivers, 1 tight end, and 2 FLEX eligible players (RB/WR/TE).
Guilloteenie Tie Breakers
In the event of a scoring tie at any point in the season (including Week 1), the following tie-breaking criteria will be used:
- The team with the fewest year-to-date cumulative points is eliminated (excludes Week 1).
- If Step 1 does not break the tie, the team with the starting player who scored the fewest points is eliminated. In the event of a continuing tie, this methodology continues by comparing the second-lowest-scoring player, the third-lowest-scoring player, and so forth until ties are resolved.
- In the unlikely event that there is still a tie, the team with the lower draft position will win the tiebreaker.
Playoff Guilloteenies
Playoff Guilloteenies follow the same rules as our regular season Guilloteenies, but begin with five teams at a normal chop speed, with one team being chopped each week:
- Round 1 - Wild Card Round (lowest scoring team is chopped)
- Round 2 - Divisional Round (lowest scoring team is chopped)
- Round 3 - Conference Championships (lowest scoring team is chopped)
- Round 4 - Super Bowl (final two teams remain, highest-scoring team wins)
If the chop speed is adjusted (Ex: Slow, Double) the number of participants will adjust as well to ensure a champion is named in the final week. Any public Playoff Guilloteenies with a Double Chop speed, will have the below chop schedule:
- Round 1 - Wild Card Round (two lowest scoring teams chopped)
- Round 2 - Divisional Round (two lowest scoring teams chopped)
- Round 3 - Conference Championships (two lowest scoring teams chopped)
- Round 4 - Super Bowl (final two teams remain, highest-scoring team wins)
For Playoff Guilloteenies, commissioners cannot enable Trades, FCFS waivers, or Roster Expansion. Same Week Pickups will be enabled for all leagues. There are three weekly blind bidding periods, running from Round 1 up to the Sunday of the Super Bowl.
Round 1 and Round 2 Blind Bidding
The three weekly blind bidding deadlines are on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 3:00 PM ET, with a third and final weekly bidding deadline at 11:00 AM ET on Saturday.
Round 3 and Round 4 Blind Bidding
The three weekly blind bidding deadlines are on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 3:00 PM ET, with a third and final weekly bidding deadline at 11:00 AM ET on Sunday. The same rules apply for the week in between Round 3 and Round 4, for a total of six (6) Blind Bidding periods between the final two rounds
All dates and times are subject to change.