AFSN Auction Procedures

Auction Procedures

1. Each owner, in reverse order of finish from the previous year, nominates a player to be placed on the auction board. Each player's name is followed by the owner's/team's initials. Example:
    

   Barry Bonds JG Jeff Bagwell DS Pedro Martinez MA Stubby Clap MC Kevin Brown DT Sammy Sosa DD Jamie Moyer JT Kenny Lofton JC Jose Guillen CW Shawn Green BC

   
    
2. The nominating owner opens the bidding with a bid of at least $1. Bidding proceeds at minimum increments of $1 until only one bidder is left. The highest bidding owner acquires the nominated player at a salary equal to the final bid amount.

   Example: Jack George nominated Barry Bonds to be placed on the auction board and it's Bonds' turn to be bid on, so Jack starts the bidding. The bidding continues until Drew Dockery bids $42. No one else bids as the auctioneer says, "Going once, going twice, sold," so Drew gets Barry Bonds for $42.

   Barry Bonds JG 42 Jeff Bagwell DS Pedro Martinez MA Stubby Clap MC Kevin Brown DT Sammy Sosa DD Jamie Moyer JT Kenny Lofton JC Jose Guillen CW Shawn Green BC

   
    
3. After an owner acquires a player, he must choose the position that player will fill. Players eligible at more than one position may be shifted throughout the Auction.

   Example: Drew Dockery places Barry Bonds into one of his OF roster spots.

4. The winning owner then nominates a player for the bottom of the auction board before bidding can begin on the next player on the board.

   Example: Drew Dockery got Barry Bonds so he has to nominate a player for the auction board. Drew nominates Jason Giambi.

   Barry Bonds JG 42 Jeff Bagwell DS Pedro Martinez MA Stubby Clap MC Kevin Brown DT Sammy Sosa DD Jamie Moyer JT Kenny Lofton JC Jose Guillen CW Shawn Green BC

   Jason Giambi DD

   
    
5. The auction continues this way until all of the players on the left side of the auction board have been bid on...
    

   Barry Bonds JG 42 Jeff Bagwell DS 18 Pedro Martinez MA 55 Stubby Clap MC 1 Kevin Brown DT 14 Sammy Sosa DD 25 Jamie Moyer JT 3 Kenny Lofton JC 8 Jose Guillen CW 10 Shawn Green BC 19

   Jason Giambi DD Derek Jeter MA Bernie Williams MA Woody Williams DT Richie Sexson JT Wil Cordero JT Frank Thomas CW Magglio Ordonez MC Vernon Wells JC Raul Mondesi JC

   ...then the left side of the auction board is removed to make room for newly nominated players...

   Jason Giambi DD Derek Jeter MA Bernie Williams MA Woody Williams DT Richie Sexson JT Wil Cordero JT Frank Thomas CW Magglio Ordonez MC Vernon Wells JC Raul Mondesi JC

Other Auction Rules

Generally speaking, these rules only come into play toward the end of the auction.

1. An owner that nominates a player may revoke his opening bid for that player and allow someone else to open the bidding on that player. However, if no other owner wants to bid on that player, the nominating owner is forced to start the bidding.
    
2. An owner may not bid for a player it cannot afford. For example, an owner with $3 left and only two open roster positions is limited to a maximum bid of $2 for one player. (Leaving $1 for the other unfilled roster position.)
    
3. An owner may not bid on a player if an open position does not exist.
    
4. If an owner has a player on the auction board that it cannot bid on because no open position exists, that player must be taken off the board.
    
5. If there are no players left on the auction board to bid on, each owner with positions yet to fill, in reverse order of finish from the previous year, nominates a player to be placed on the auction board (just like at the start of the auction).
    
6. You may call a timeout during the bidding for a player. There is no set number of timeouts per owner, but please use your discretion. If too many timeouts are being taken, a limit will be put in place.

Keeping Track

An official auction spreadsheet is used to keep track of the auction (snapshot below). The two most important things it keeps track of are: (1) what positions a team has filled and (2) what a team's maximum bid amount is.

Maximum Bid

A team's maximum bid is the amount of money they have left minus one less than the number of roster spots they have left. Example using the roster below: $54 left - 14 (one less than "Players Left") = $40 maximum bid.

Another way to look at it... If you know a team's maximum bid and they win another player, their new maximum bid is their previous maximum bid minus one less than the salary of their new player. Example: If a team with a maximum bid of $40 wins another player for $6, their new maximum bid is $35... 40 - 5 = 35.