In January of 2006, after more than a decade of being the commish of my 12 team money league, I decided to step down from the job. I hadn’t been "just an owner" since the early 90s and wanted to relax and enjoy the season by concentrating on my team and my team only. Six days later I celebrated this personal milestone in the most sane and rational way possible.

I helped formed a new, 48 team league and became the commissioner of that.

Why yes, I do know I have a sickness. Thank you for asking.

I don't know what it is though. It's in my blood or something. I'd like to think it's simply that I'm a born leader...unfortunately; the truth is I am probably just a perfectionist with control issues. Either way, I know that I (and many other similarly afflicted souls) absolutely thrive on it. Like IDPs or Auction Drafts do for some Fantasy Football players, being the commissioner of my league adds some intangible element to the game. It's an additional challenge that if done well can be as great of an accomplishment as actually winning the league.

Eh....alright, I admit that last line is a bunch of crapola.

It does feel good however to know you did a good job running a league and that your owners are appreciative of your efforts. There is something great about knowing that you are in many respects responsible for the direction and progressions your league takes. Over the years I've seen my money league go from using the USA Today as our Bible... to incorporating spreadsheets and e-mail… to downloading stats for the first time… to using an online website as our league host... to live, online drafts for owners literally scattered around the world. I believe you have to be proud of what you do if you plan on continuing to do it well.

Every year, thousands of guys take on the challenge after looking around the room at their friends and uttering the words that ultimately change their perception of Fantasy Football forever.

"Sure. What the Hell. I'll be the commish. How hard could it be?"

How hard can it be? Well, by years end many of these same guys will find themselves being voted out of the position. Many will find themselves looking for another league altogether. Some can even  get burnt out on Fantasy Football after just one year of being a commish. And as sad as it is, some guys will also unfortunately find themselves with fewer friends then they had six months ago. The reasons for this vary. Whether its apathy or over-involvement or even a simple and lack of understanding of what the job entails, some guys find out the hard way that they are just not cut out for the role.

The goal of any commish should be to form a league that will stand the test of time and will retain its members from year to year. Over the years I've seen and heard of countless leagues that have chronic member turnover issues and of those that have ultimately disbanded due to poor leadership. As the popularity of the game continues to grow, we see these types of failures more and more. Neither online leagues like those found here in the Tank nor leagues in the three dimensional world are immune. It takes a great group of players to form a great Fantasy Football league. It takes a solid commissioner to keep it running.  

For those of you who are new to the role, I thought I would pass on a few tidbits of wisdom from my experiences that I feel might help you succeed. Also, if you are considering taking on the responsibilities of commissioner in your league, perhaps some of this might help you decide if you are the right man for the job. If you are a veteran commish, you most likely have learned all this years ago and probably have additional suggestions of your own for the newly in-charge. Remember, these are just suggestions and ideas. They won't guarantee a great league, but along with quality members perhaps they will help get you there.


* For God's sake, get organized. If they are not already, the owners in your league are going to start asking you about the draft, lineup requirements, trade rules, deadlines, waiver guidelines, and everything else under the sun. You are going to need to know the answers. The smoother things run, with as few hiccups or unexpected turns as possible, the more confident your members will be in your ability to handle the job.

* I don't care if it takes you 10 minutes or 10 years, start developing your league's rules and regulations (also known as a League Constitution) now. Get everything... and I mean everything... down in writing so that there is no confusion later on. Be sure to promote it as a "living document"; one that can be amended to in-between seasons in order to account for the issues you encountered that weren't previously addressed. Be sure to include items that state what is expected of the owners as well. Submitting weekly line-ups, responding to trade offers, and paying dues on time may sound like common sense topics, but you'll save yourself a lot of headache by addressing the penalties for not doing these types of things ahead of time. Brevity is not a virtue in this case. Be detailed.

* The key to dealing with your leaguemates is to be decisive, consistent and fair. Do what you think is right for the league, regardless if it's going to make someone upset. If your goal is to please everyone every time....well, you might want to try Fantasy Golf or something because it isn't going to happen here. A wishy-washy commish is a useless commish.

* With that in mind, having thick skin is very important. When things go bad for an owner, they will direct their frustration and anger in one direction every time....at the commish. They may not like a rule or a decision and may take it out on you, but you have to be diplomatic in your response. Don't make it personal. Ever. Even if they do.

* In most cases, you will be a team owner in the league as well as a commissioner. Never let the two intertwine. Perception is everything. The first time the other owners even think you are using your commish powers to do something to benefit your team, you are done. Nothing kills a league quicker than an unethical commissioner. If you are not sure you will be able to keep the two roles separate, don't bother trying.

* You run the league....but it's not YOUR league. Always remember that you have 11, 15, or maybe even 47 other owners that have a say in how the league rules are written. You will have to make some decisions on your own, but save the big ones, the important ones for a league vote. Some owners will want the league to vote on every single minute change that comes along. If you hold out hope that your league will progress and mature over the years, don’t allow that to happen. Your league has to be able to trust that you will make the right choices on your own in most situations or you will all get bogged down in the details. Fantasy Football is no fun when the whole league is bogged down in the details. Too many cooks.

* From what I've seen, leagues that allow the commissioner to approve or disapprove every trade rarely last. As a commissioner, you do not want the pressure of having the final say on any week to week transactions that can ultimately affect the outcome of the league. Nothing good can come of this. If you make a completely impartial decision that ultimately costs a team a game or worse - a championship, that owner will often blame you for a long time and could try to paint you as "corrupt". Count on it. I have my own take on how trades should be processed of course, but I'm not going to bore you with how I do it....or how anyone else does it. There are many acceptable ways that take the ultimate final responsibility out of the commissioner's hands. Just remember, don't go it alone.


I hope this helps. If you find you still have questions (if you are a new commish... you should have LOTS of questions by the way), feel free to look me up in the Tank. Myself or one of the many other Sharks with commissioning experience will be glad to help you out.

Good luck!