IR Rules [UPDATED 8/21/23]

IR Rules – [Originally Effective ONLY through the end of 2021 Season – we have decided to make permanent change]

  1. The IR and IL will be redefined as follows:
    1. Injured List (IL) Slots – will be for any short term NFL IR designations. This means that any player on an NFL Reserve/PUP, Reserve/NFI, or ‘short-term’ NFL IR is eligible to place in a BSL IL slot. Short term designations will be available for ANY player on an NFL IR that has NOT been ruled out for the season, regardless of length of announced timeframe to be out. If they have not been ruled out for the season, the short IL slot is available only.
    2. Injured Reserve (IR) Slots – will be for any long term NFL IR designations. Long term designation are ONLY for players announced as ‘out for the season’ and if there is any potential for a return this year, the IR will not be allowed.
  2. New Slot allotments as follows:
    1. IL (short term/non-season ending injuries) – All teams will be allowed UP TO three (3) IL slots as defined above.
    2. IR (long term/season ending injuries) – All teams will be allowed UP TO two (2) IR slots as defined above.
  3. CHANGE to IR activation rules - The IR restriction that you must wait until the NFL team activates the player off the IR/IL before you can activate the player is removed. A player on your IR/IL can be moved back to your active roster at any time, whether you need to make room for a different injured player or if you just want to get ahead of a potential weekend activation. Players can be moved on to the IR/IL however ONLY if they are on an NFL IR list, this hasn’t changed.
  4. CHANGE to IR signings rule - You can ONLY place a player on IR/IL if they were on a team in your league at the time they were placed on the IR. This means you can no longer sign a player to an open IR or IL slot during waivers. The only two (2) ways to place someone in an IR/IL slot is (1) they were on your team already when they went on the NFL IR or (2) you traded for an active player from another team that was on that team when placed on the NFL IR and you can then put them in your IR after a trade. Rules about placing a player on your IR if you traded for a player on another team’s IR remain unchanged.
  5. Eligibility for off-season injury exemptions during the FA period – This will remain UNCHANGED and ONLY players that are on your IR (long term injury slots) by end of the Week 5 Waiver period and remain out on your IR for the remainder of the season thru FINAL roster in the playoffs, will be eligible for FA Injury exemptions. The rule has not changed with regards to PUP/IL players that are never activated either. If you have a PUP player on your IL (the short term list) and they are not activated by their NFL team by the PUP activation deadline and therefore placed on the NFL IR, that player will convert to an additional IR slot on your roster and be eligible for the injury exemption in the offseason. REMEMBER, teams still only have two (2) maximum exemptions to use, even if you have more than 2 eligible players at the end of the season.
  6. Player switches eligibility while on IL - If a player that was placed on the IL already due to a report he may return later in the season subsequently is then ruled out for the remainder of the season, teams are NOT required to move that player to the IR however they can if they wish so they can open up a needed IL spot. If an IL eligible player was NOT placed in an IL slot and then is deemed out for the remainder of the season they will then ONLY be IR eligible for the remainder of the season. As always, IL and IR moves are not mandatory.
Player Notes