BuzzerBeater Forums

Here's a brief compilation of the most essential aspects of the league, part 2/2:

Pickup (PU) matches:

- All matches in HGL will be played as PU (Pickup) matches, so participating teams need to have Pickup tokens saved for the season so that they'll be able to send PU challenges to opponents. Theoretically it's enough to own 8 tokens in order to participate to HGL (but we recommend having saved 15 or more). You can always gather more during season by not playing other PU matches during HGL season, but all 15 regular season matches are organized at once before the season starts (no exceptions!)

- If you're not familiar with how PU matches function and how to organize them, you may want to check out a post written by MrJ, here: (326327.1). However, basic information on what is necessary to know about PU's and how they are utilized in HGL also follows as you keep on reading

- All regular season matches will be organized (sending and accepting PU match invitations) during one time window before regular season starts, and for playoff matches (for teams still in competition) every single week during playoffs

- It is of utmost importance to understand and remember, that every participating team arranges their own Pickup (PU) matches and also take care of sending box score links to appropriate place, on their own season box score post (links to posts here: (327516.5)) and are fully responsible in complying with these important rules which ensures the optimal functionality of the league. In other words it means managers are responsible for sending and accepting correct Pickup (PU) game requests.

- When sending and accepting PU challenges, it's important to remember that all regular season games will be played on neutral court, and all playoff games on either home or away court (no exceptions!). Please do not accept match with incorrect details as it won't count if played with wrong court setting!

- Managers are required to confirm on this forum thread when they have fully completed organizing matches for the regular season, and therefore can see all regular season matches on their team schedule/fixtures page. For the second season of HGL with 16 participants, this means 15 regular season (PU) matches for each team.

- Matches are organized based on the official league schedule that is sent on 'HGL Scores Season 2 Official Thread'

- In practice match organization window will take place approximately between your "regular Buzzerbeater league's" semifinal matches and season draft deadline (about 7-8 day period)

- One team is always responsible for sending the PU game challenge, and name of team responsible for sending challenge is bolded to a league schedule, so team with that marking besides their team name abbreviation knows it's their responsibility to send a challenge for that match.

- If you haven't received a PU match challenge/request from your opponent that you should have received, please send message here on this this thread. You may also send me BBMail so we all try to sort it out so that match will be played in time. (Sometimes it's worthwile to double check schedule to ensure if it was after all your responsibility to send challenge).

- Every team sends their box score links and scores of HGL Pickup matches to their own Season 2 box score post. In playoffs it is important to do this quickly after matches. (If you notice it being sent to wrong thread/post, please send it to the correct thread).

- If you also want to play other Pickup (PU) matches in addition to HGL matches, it is important that:
A) you save enough tokens for HGL playoffs (1/week), as non-Supporters get 1, and Supporters 2 tokens/week.
B) you send only HGL match box scores to the 'HGL Scores Season 1 Official Thread'.

More essential info in posts below ("Additional rules and penalties for violations"; 4 posts).

Last edited by Wagner at 6/28/2025 1:44:20 PM

Additional rules and penalties for violations, 1 of 4 (effective as of April 5th, 2025):

These additional rule/penalties posts (4) might appear long and complicated, but I think are only that for some of us due to conversatory nature and many examples provided.
Also some exceptions made for your convenience that lessen the impact of penalties, lengthen the rules.

However, there are practically only 4 additional categories on how one will get penalized:
A) become non-homegrown team during any part of HGL season
B) play too small roster, or cause a forfeit by dressing less than 3 players
C) not arrange or accept a correct Pickup match on time, which would cause match to be cancelled/postponed and/or leave another manager insufficient time to set lineups for match
(D) not sending PU match results to your own season box score post; possible penalties TBA)

Foreword on additional rules and penalties for HGL to come; if you want to jump straight into facts, go to the part "Penalty Levels" below.

As for rules and penalties for the HGL, opinions seem to differ vastly from one manager to another. I have always been (and still are) in a favor of (a lot) more strict and therefore simultaneously complicated rules and penalties, and while this is in a way major compromise for me - as rules/penalties are important part of league, ensuring functionality and fairness to all and effectively discouraging unwanted actions. - after having listened our HG communitys' opinions I have now made the decision to start HGL Season 2 with more simple rules and penalties (vs. my original rule proposition).

And as for penalties: Most of you guys have at least glanced through my earlier proposition of HGL rules (324689.336) (that post and 3 following posts, which actually is not even the whole proposed rule set) so you know there would've been applicable penalties planned for many other possible violation situations.

However, I can't stress the importance of being worth the trust, as functionality (and fun aspect of it - there's no fun in it if for instance people don't organize half of their playoff matches and they end in forfeits due to that; and in the worst case, we might not even be able to prove which team would be guilty of match not being played and which team would then proceed to next round due to forfeit in which case possibly neither of the teams couldn't proceed, and on next round team also would have a free ticket to next round as neither of those teams could let to proceed, and so on... I'm sure you guys see my point - commitment and trust is everything here).


Penalty Levels:

Please note: I have used penalty level numbers from my previously suggested rule set, in order to avoid massive reorganization of the earlier proposed rule set (which will not be applied in full to Season 2 of HGL), and to retain the possibility of taking parts of it easily into use in the future if need arises.
Therefore it might seem that some Levels of penalty (such as Level 1 and Level 6) seem to be "missing" from the following listing of penalty levels, meaning that we just don't apply them on HGL Season 2.

Level 2: 0-50 forfeit loss for the match in question.

Level 3: 0-50 forfeit loss for the match in question, and ineligibility for the current season playoff play no matter how good the team regular season success is. (In general, team is eligible continuing regular season play normally if it doesn't violate rules that trigger more serious penalty)

Level 4: Immediate disqualification from the current season, including playoffs; match in where violation occurred, and all the future scores for the current season will become 0-50 forfeit losses.

Level 5: Immediate disqualification from the current and for the full forthcoming season; match in where violation occurred, and all the future scores for the current season will become 0-50 forfeit losses.

Last edited by Wagner at 6/29/2025 7:20:43 AM

Additional rules and penalties for violations, 2 of 4 (effective as of April 5th, 2025):

Voting:
- Based on his discretion (for instance if it's a critically important decision that affects most/all teams significantly) is possible for league Commmissioner to arrange a voting.
About voting:
A) Voting would be announced on this HGL Thread, on 'Announcements'-post, here: (327516.2).
B) Voting is open for a restricted time (TBA; 14 days?) during which only participating managers of HGL could vote.
C) Depending also on whether a change we are voting about would be major one or not, it might be required that at least certain part of managers are voting for a certain option (for example: at least 3/4 majority, or 15/16, or 16/16 managers).
D) league Commissioner reserves the right to decide which issues are decided by voting

Roster changes and methods on how to inform on your own (and observed) roster changes:
- You can not become non-homegrown team (by buying HGL-ineligible players) on any part of the season, including whole duration of HGL playoffs , if you wish to participate in HGL on the next season. Becoming non-HG team will cause an immediate Level 5 penalty. (Certain exceptions that would only take effect after regular season has ended, and would only be meant for teams not reaching playoffs at all could be considered for further Seasons of HGL, but such rules won't be in effect at Season 2 of HGL).
- You are asked to inform league Commissioner before first regular season match of HGL, and during the season:
A) if you have purchased back any of your previously owned player(s) from other team(s).
If you have, please inform who/which players have you bought.
List of teams who have purchased back their previously owned player will be kept and updated by league Commissioner, with information on whether or not this team has received "salary benefit" by making such purchases. (This is legal in HGL to have purchased back own draftees, but listing of such players is being kept and updated nevertheless).
B) if you sell or fire a player.
This B) is not totally mandatory information for managers to disclose if you absolutely don't want to, but HGL strongly encourages/urges you to publish such information as it will make it possible for us to update top8-salaries listing, and also update such changes to official HGL threads so that all participating teams will be informed of any interesting changes that takes place within the HGL.

- Please remember: it is your responsibility to inform HGL (league Commissioner) of your roster changes, as league Commissioner can not (/will not in practice) check out all teams rosters prior to all matches.
This above mentioned changed roster-information can be sent as a post to this official Thread of HGL, or as a BBMail to league Commissioner.

All teams rosters (transfers, dismissals) will be updated throughout the season by league Commissioner and will be found from here: (327516.4).

- Violations (becoming non-homegrown) that are noticed later on will cause just as harsh penalty, starting from the moment violation is noticed.
Please note that any team, participating in HGL or not, are welcome to inform league Commissioner by BBMail or posting on this official HGL Thread, if they notice that:
A) team has purchased 'illegal' players (and therefore immediately becomes ineligible to play in HGL)
B) such illegal players have been dressed for HGL match (same effect as in A))
C) team has total of less than 5 players in their team roster (same effect as in A), unless corrected before 4th affected match of season)

Last edited by Wagner at 6/29/2025 7:43:27 AM

Additional rules and penalties for violations, 3 of 4 (effective as of April 5th, 2025):

TLDR: This whole post likely doesn't apply to you, if don't have a team with very small rosters (7 or less) and are going to set up your lineups/tactics properly for each match.

Minimum roster depths and match lineups, injury exceptions and penalties for roster violations:

Important: remember to setup your default roster again, if you have sold/fired players, so that you will have enough players on your (default) roster for each match if you don't remember to set up each lineup separately for each match!

- It's necessary to have at least 5 players in your home-grown team roster in order to participate to HGL. However, if you run a team with such a small roster, you are risking separate penalties for not dressing at least 5, or not at least 3 healthy players to the match, which both have different penalties, A) and B), as follows:
A) not dressing at least 5 players: You must do all you can to dress at least 5 healthy players for the match; lucky fans do not count, but see exceptions below.
Level 2 penalty: 0-50 forfeit

Injury situation example #1:
You have total 6 players in your team of which 1 is injured, but you decided to dress only 5 players in your match lineup/roster (and leave 6th, healthy player out of the match lineup). In this example 1 of those 5 players that you dressed for the match is injured (replaced ultimately by lucky fan). So therefore you have had a chance to select 5 healthy players to roster, but have failed to do so, which will lead to Level 2 penalty, a 0-50 forfeit loss.

Injury exception/example #2:
Please note that for instance if you'd have only 5-6 players in your team and 1-3 of them are injured, it is possible/acceptable for that reason only (this exception applies only to absolutely necessary injury situations!) to dress also injured players to the starting lineup to fill all the 5 positions.
It is therefore possible to get away from this situation with only 0-50 forfeit loss, and without triggering more strict Level 3 penalty (see below, B)).
If you will, for any reason during season dress 0-2 players to the match lineup/roster, it will cause at the very least Level 3 penalty (ineligibility for playoff play for the current season).

B) not dressing at least 3 healthy players or
dressing less than 3 players to a match in total (whether injured or healthy) for the match:
Level 3 penalty; ineligibility for the current season playoffs.
And, if situation is not corrected by the team before 4th affected match of the season; Level 4 penalty - immediate disqualification from the season.
If you run a team with very small roster, please get at least a decent level doctor to minimize occurrence of such Level 2 or 3 penalties.

NOTE: If for any reason homegrown team has "accidentally" fired/sold player(s) and therefore have less than 5 players in their roster, and yet still would wish to participate in competitive play for the current regular season of HGL (they are excluded from the current season playoffs!), they can try to remedy this situation by buying back their own drafted players if they have sold/fired players previously.
In the case of firing, checking out transfer list immediately might yield results - if player(s) on the other hand has been sold, announcing your interest to current owner of the player to purchase him back immediately might yield results. This must be done practically immediately, as playing 4th match of the season with less than 5 player roster will cause immediate Level 4 penalty (out for the current regular season and playoff play).

NOTE #2: While 5 players is the absolute minimum for acceptance to/participation of the league, it is recommended that you'd have at least 6-8 players (and decent doctor) due to possible injuries affecting the league games and penalties as little as possible.

Last edited by Wagner at 6/29/2025 7:48:32 AM

Additional rules and penalties for violations, 4 of 4 (effective as of April 5th, 2025):

- In playoffs, the higher ranked team (home team) is always responsible of sending the challenge to PU matches.

- Due to the need to arrange match every week during playoffs, it is important that managers send challenge at the latest on Thursday (note: this time frame could be changed during Season 2), so that team accepting challenge has enough time to accept it.
Remember: last regular season match will take place on Monday at 14.30, or 02.30PM EET Normal Time, (15.30, or 03.30PM EET DST, Daylight Savings Time, a.k.a. Summer Time), so after that match:
A) during rest of season there will be 3 days time to send the Playoff match challenge (Mon->Thu; during Playoffs Sun->Wed)
B) there´s (about) 2 days time to accept match challenge (if it's been sent at the latest possible time, on Wednesday, it needs to be accepted on Friday at the latest, before your designated HGL match time).
However, the sooner you send a challenge (or accept it) the better, as it allows more time to set the lineups/tactics.

- To make organizing Playoff matches smoother, an away team has permission to challenge home team (while home team always remains officially responsible for challenging) if they want to speed up the match organizing process and are willing to use 1 extra token for sending challenge (remember: these tokens won't be replaced by HGL, and it is voluntary for an away team to use them).

- In Playoffs designated match times remain same (as in HGL regular season; 14.30, or 2.30PM EET Normal Time, not DST), so the team sending the challenge (home team in playoffs) will choose correct time and court balance when sending Pickup game challenges. For correct time refer to same participating teams-listing at the beginning of official HGL thread, that you used when organizing matches for Regular Season.

- If Playoff match is not played and it can be clearly proven which teams' fault this was, penalties will apply.; Level 2 penalty (0-50 forfeit loss) for the team committing the violation

- It remains to be announced/decided on how HGL is going to deal with situations in where neither of managers admit or can't be proven to be the guilty part. It could lead to critical situations, in where neither of managers could be let to advance to next round of Playoffs, so team that either of them would've faced next round of Playoffs also would receive a free ticket to the next round.
If this would for instance happen to a team that has already secured place to 2nd round, they would reach semifinals (a.k.a. Medal games) without playing a second - that´s far from optimal.

- I will be very clear about this upfront; if we are going to make changes due to managers not willing to follow league practices/be committed enough, it will in first place happen through enforcing rules that are more strict (that therefore discourage violations from appearing, and aim to help to keep HGL running optimally), and not through changing this league and playoff system of 12 teams (or possibly more if league expands in future) reaching Playoffs-format. Format itself is very functional, and it will show it's worth as long as nobody tries to exploit/wreck the system (or become very uncommitted to HGL).

- There are "million" things one manager could do to screw up the league for many others, so please don't do those things that destroy the fun for others and smooth operation of the league. Having said that, I completely realize applying stricter penalties won't alone remove the need for commitment or trust.

- Please note, that while the clear goal is to finish the Season 2 of HGL with these rules only (together with rules published earlier on official HGL threads), as this is second season and many things could occur that can't yet be predicted, league Commissioner reserves the right to make additions/changes to rules during the season.

Last edited by Wagner at 6/29/2025 8:00:41 AM

As you may have noted, all participating teams of HGL will be required to send box score links for all of their regular season games to this HGL Scores Season 2 Official Thread before Season 2 starts.

First notes A)-F), and then instructions on how to complete the process.

Notes:
A)these score links will be added to one post per manager, that can then be edited throughout the season if needed.
Links will be added to one post/manager to avoid overcrowding of HGL Scores thread, and for being easily searchable.
B) links to every match box scores (from your post) will be copied to the official HGL Scores Thread's 'Schedule/scores'-post, so that each team has access to box scores of every match easily
C) in Playoffs, we will use that same box score post created by each team
D) please never delete box score post then created by you, we might need it a lot later in order to confirm things.
E) to see what filled box score post should look like: (326590.44). Please still read through instructions below before proceeding.
F) to create your own teams' box score post for Season 2, copy-paste everything to your own post (below * * * *) from here: (327517.14)

Instructions on how to proceed with writing one post about your HGL box score links:
Remember: you can't finish this process completely before all HGL matches for regular season are organized properly and visible in your team schedule page.

(Season 1 info post: (326590.43)).

1. Go to your official BB schedule page, which is found from https://www.buzzerbeater.com/team/XXXXXX/schedule.aspx
(where X is your team number)
2. Click "Tactics/match instructions"-link (between team names) on your HGL match that you wish to link. (It is the link what you use to set up your lineup and tactics for the match).
3. Once you enter on tactics/line up setting page, match number of that Pickup (PU) match is revealed to you in the browser's address line. It looks like this: https://www.buzzerbeater.com/match/XXXXXXXXX/tactics.aspx and number in place of this XXXXXXXXX is your match number.

Now at this point, you have two ways to proceed, described below as 4A (that all managers used during Season 1) and 4B.
Choose a preferable way for you and please stick with it for the whole season.
Method 4A would be preferable.

In your box score-post on HGL Scores Season 2 Official Thread, you enter links for 15 matches.
For each game include Round number, a day game is played on, and name of your opponent (like in my box score post).

So to your post, link the box score in either way:

4A):By following above instructions you are on the match tactics page already, so copy/make note of the number of the PU match (visible at web browsers' address line). Then on this thread update it to your box score link post, and do so by using 'a basketball button' on the page into where you write text to be sent to forum; that is located above the text frame. Pressing a button will automatically create a string of text such as '[match=XXX.XX]', and as you replace XXX.XX with your match number, the box score link will be automatically created. It will create a functional link to a match box score, which will look like this: (132386153).

4B) by a direct web page link to box score, such as: https://www.buzzerbeater.com/match/XXX/boxscore.aspx (in where XXX represents the match number). You can simply access this by visiting above mentioned match tactics page. By following above instructions you are on the match tactics page already, so Pickup match number is visible to you. If you choose to use this 4B-method, you can copy-paste https://www.buzzerbeater.com/match/XX/boxscore.aspx-link to your season box scores link 15 times (one for each match) on every line, and then for each line replace XX with your Pickup match number.

5. Do this with all matches.

Last edited by Wagner at 6/29/2025 8:27:40 AM

TBA #14

Season 2 HGL Threads (main and scores thread) have now been set up, so HGL related conversation will mainly take place in those Threads from now on.

What everyone who participates to Season 2 of HGL needs to do now:

1. at least briefly check out your season schedule (posts 5 and 6 on Season 2 Scores Thread, link at the end of post); I didn't notice anything special/faulty in it, but having another eyes to check it too doesn't harm. (Basically we should be good to go, as I re-used Season 1 Schedule by editing it as little as possible considering we have 4 joining teams, but anyone possibly spotting any problems please let me know).

2. create an own box score post for their team, just like during Season 1.
As an idea for your convenience (and to retain preferred standard for HGL) you can respond to this message (327517.14) and from that post of mine copy-paste everything below * * * * * * to your own box score post (and only change your team name/abbreviation and add match links to it as soon as matches for Season 2 have been organized).
If you need a memory refresher on how your box score post for the season works/how you edit it once you have box score links to add, you can read this post: (327516.13).

3. Familiarize yourself with match organization process if it's new thing for you or if you need a refresher (guide currently available on 'Announcement'-posts on both Official Threads) and ask questions (if needed) preferably before you'll start the process.

As you all have likely noticed (when being on this Thread), you'll find Official Season 2 HGL Threads from here:
Home-Grown League (HGL) Season 2 Official Thread: (327516.1)
HGL Scores Season 2 Official Thread: (327517.1)

Progress of match organizing process, updateable team list for Season 2:

Wagner College *GTG*

Les Gueux du Marais *GTG*

Elan Demars *GTG*

BC Eos *GTG*

Swan River Serpents *GTG*

Buckner Bandits *Buckner Bandits dismissed from Season 2, Swan River Serpents replaces BUC. Please don't send PU match challenges to BUC, but instead send challenge to SRS (Swan River Serpents) on the same day when you were supposed to play against BUC!*

Madrid Chotis *GTG*

WiMaOlca ****Please note****: Publishing of box score post likely expected to be "on last minute"/just prior to Season 2, but WiMaOlCa will normally send and accept match challenges for Season. EDIT: All matches organized despite box score post not yet published; will be published July 14th. *

Rajdersi *GTG*

Santa Eufemia Ducks *Santa Eufemia Ducks will withdraw from Season 2, please don't send PU match challenges to SED. Freccia Azzurra (FRE) replaces SED.*

Freccia Azzurra *GTG*

Hårdboll *GTG*

Lielupes Melnas Sirdis *GTG*

Suuret Muinaiset *GTG*

Virtus Portici *GTG*

Svätý Jur Snakers *GTG*

KK Stihija *GTG*

Club Trouville *GTG*


Abbreviations used on the table above:
(BP:OK)= own box score post for Season 2 created
S2S:OK= season 2 schedule; all match links sent to own box score post (which are not yet verified by Commissioner)
*GTG*= team good to go for Season 2, because all above done, plus league Commissioner has confirmed/verified that match days and times are correct.

Last edited by Wagner at 7/13/2025 6:16:23 PM

@ all HGL managers:

Like some of you may have noticed, Santa Eufemia Ducks has decided to withdraw from Season 2 of HGL due to intention of becoming non-HGL eligible team in the future.

While timing of this announcement is definitely not optimal due to match organization process being in progress and league schedule locked in place, it's still better this way around (than if team would just become non-HG team without announcing that and without withdrawing/resigning from HGL first, which he luckily did).

Therefore please do not send Santa Eufemia Ducks PU match challenges if league schedule says you are responsible for doing that during Season 2.

This announcement leaves us with two options:
1. Continue with 15 teams and play with partly crippled schedule, meaning that every week one of us managers doesn't play. That would leave us with 14 matches each, after 15 weeks of play.

2. Another option, which I would favor (and have already sent a BBMail to see if that'd be possible) is to add 16th team to replace Santa Eufemia Ducks for Season 2.

If any other home-grown team (than the one contacted by BBMail) wants to join for Season 2 with such a short notice, I'm all ears, because we are pressed in time.

Last edited by Wagner at 6/30/2025 10:21:12 AM

I will if need be, Wagner. However, I have no tokens.

So, would have to set games starting next Monday when I receive 2 again...then set upcoming games 2 weeks in advance at first, then a week in advance going forward using 1 token per week (I am using the other this season). If that is acceptable, I can play.


EDIT: I literally just used all of mine to do some tactics testing. Bad timing. But as a Supporter, I get 2 tokens each week.

Last edited by MrJ at 7/1/2025 1:30:31 AM