This post explains how the WAFL allocation draft works and why I set it up this way. Right now we're in the rehearsal, testing it at an accelerated pace, so you can see it in action before it counts.
A preference-lists-only draft
The allocation draft is preference-lists only: nobody clicks a Pick button. Every pick is made at the end of its clock from your lists, and no pick ever goes early. This replaces the earlier plan of a dozen or so live rounds picked by hand, with the site finishing the rest from your lists.
Why it works this way
- You still hand-pick your team. Your Priority List is your pick. Put the player you want at the top, and that's who you get when your clock runs out. Through the first 18 rounds the picks come at a steady daytime pace, so you can easily choose every one of them yourself, and with a little attention most of the 53.
- You know exactly when you're up. Every pick takes its full clock, so the schedule never moves. The site shows the exact time each of your picks fires, so you can plan when to be on the site instead of babysitting a draft room wondering when you'll be on the clock.
- It's done in about a week. 1,696 picks with normal rookie-draft clocks would take months. Short, fixed clocks get us through in about a week and still leave time to react between your picks.
- Light participation still works. If you can't follow along closely, the site's fallback pick gives you sensible players at the positions your roster needs.
How a pick is made
When your clock runs out, the site takes, in order:
- the top available player on your My Priority List (Draft Central);
- if nobody on it is left, your Position list ("best QB", "best CB" …);
- if both are empty or used up, the fallback pick (below).
Every pick must leave your team able to field a legal roster. If I make a pick for a team, the schedule stays the same for everyone after it.
The fallback pick
With nothing usable on your lists, the site picks the best player for your team by My DA's League Default weights, at a position your roster still needs. It doesn't take a kicker, punter or long snapper before round 15. In the real draft you can also choose your own My DA weights for your fallback (Draft Options); the rehearsal uses the League Default only.
Everyone sees the same ratings
The game assigns coaches at random, so for the allocation draft only, every player card and My DA use one scouting file from my reference team. Nobody is helped or hurt by the staff he happened to draw. After the draft you export your own staff's scouting from the game.
Right now: the rehearsal
The rehearsal league's allocation draft runs exactly this way, just much faster: shorter clocks that I adjust on the fly, followed by two seasons simmed back to back. Its player pool belongs to the rehearsal only, so nothing you set there carries over. Use it to play around: build a list, try My DA and Use as My list, watch your expected times on My Draft and the Draft schedule page, and see how your lists turn into picks. Post anything odd in Site Feedback.
The real draft
Once we kick off the actual league, you'll have a couple of days to review the real player pool and build your lists before the draft begins. The tentative plan (all times Central):
- Mon 10/26 — rounds 1–2, 10-minute clocks (round 1 10:00 AM–3:20 PM, round 2 3:20–8:40 PM)
- Tue 10/27 — rounds 3–4, 10 min, 10:00 AM–8:40 PM
- Wed 10/28 — rounds 5–6, 10 min, 10:00 AM–8:40 PM
- Thu 10/29 — rounds 7–10, 5-minute clocks, 10:00 AM–8:40 PM
- Fri 10/30 — rounds 11–14, 5 min, 10:00 AM–8:40 PM
- Sat 10/31 — rounds 15–18, 5 min, 10:00 AM–8:40 PM
- Sun 11/1 — pause: update your lists
- Mon 11/2 – Tue 11/3 — rounds 19–53, 2-minute clocks around the clock from 10:00 AM Monday, about 37 hours, done about 11:20 PM Tuesday
Example: the 5th pick of a 10-minute round that starts at 10:00 AM goes on the clock at 10:40 and is made at 10:50. The site always shows the current schedule, so if anything moves, My Draft and the Draft schedule page show it.
When the real draft opens:
- Build your My Priority List and a Position list. A long list protects you when your favorites go early.
- Optional: set your own weights in My DA, use Use as My list (it replaces your current list), and pick your fallback in Draft Options.
- During the draft, check My Draft for your next time and keep the right guy at the top before then.
- Tick the e-mails you want in Draft Options, but untick them before the 2-minute rounds to save yourself a flood of emails..
- Use the pause after round 18 to update your list for rounds 19–53, which run overnight.
Questions go in Site Feedback or to me directly.
- CMax
