8. Playoffs.

A. The 15th and 16th weeks of the NFL schedule shall be the DNFL playoffs, the 15th week consisting of the semifinals and the 16th week consisting of the DNFL bowl.

B. The playoff teams will consist of the winning teams from the East, Midwest, and West divisions, with a wildcard team being the next team with the best record of the remaining teams.

(1981 revision)
C. Wildcard teams The wildcard team will not play the regular season champion from its own division in the playoffs in the first round.

(2002 revision)
D. DNFL tiebreakers (for determining playoff appearances and drafting position).

1. Head to head
2. Division/conference record
3. Total points scores
4. Coin toss

(1983)
E. Playoff tiebreakers For each playoff game, those teams involved will choose four players from their active roster, none being a quarterback or kicker, and list in an order of preference. In case of a tie the first tiebreaker, pitting the individual performance of scoring by one player from one team against the other, will go into effect. If still a tie, then the second tiebreaker will go into effect, and so on until a winner is determined. If all four tiebreakers are exhausted, then a winner will be determined by pitting one team's kicker scoring against the other. If still a tie, a coin will be flipped for draft positioning and winner (repealed 1984, see 8E1).

(1984 revision)
1. If still a tie, each owner will in a lottery select a random week during the regular season, and those points will be compared to the points the other owner picked from a random week in the lottery. If still a tie, another selection will be made until the tie is resolved.

Example: 1980 DNFL Bowl tiebreaker

F. Roster changes during playoffs

The same rules as in the regular season will be in effect, except trades with other teams are prohibited during the playoffs.

(2002 revision)
G. Tie games count as half a win and half a loss.

9. Drafting by-laws.

A. The DNFL draft shall be held on or about two weeks before the DNFL and NFL seasons begin.

B. The draft will consist of unclaimed players and those drafted in the NFL.

C. The draft will consist of six rounds by all teams. Later amended in 1993 to three rounds.

D. At draft time, all rosters will consist of nine players, six active and three alternates.

E. All injured reserve players must be either dropped or incorporated into the nine-man roster.

F. Before the draft, a 30-to-60 minute trading period will be held, for any last minute trade of players or draft choices.

G. After the draft, the 15-man rosters will be kept until one week before the DNFL season begins, when four players will be dropped. The 11-man roster will consist of a six-active and five-alternate squad going into the regular DNFL season. This was later amended to 12-man rosters are kept through the second week, after which the 9-man roster, 6 active plus 3 alternates, plus rookie reserve must be set.

H. Kuziel Tag: After the second game of the DNFL schedule, two more players will be dropped, setting the rosters at six active and three alternate players. No longer in force due to amendment to section 9G above.

I . Carrano Amendment: If an owner is not present, or does not have a representative present, or is not present by telephone or internet, or does not have a representative present by phone or internet, at the draft, the league may vote not to let that owner draft.

(2005 revision)
J. At the DNFL draft, any player on a DNFL roster who is listed as suspended or injured (on injured reserve) for the entire year shall be allowed to remain on that roster and will not count toward the final count of nine players to which that roster must be reduced before the draft commences.

10. Injured reserve.

A. Gary Danielson Injured Reserve Rule Any player in the NFL that is injured and so designated by the NFL can be put on the injured reserve list by his DNFL team. This player can be either on the active or alternate lists and must be taken off when activated by the NFL club and when this action comes to the attention of the DNFL. ONLY ONE player is allowed on the list and if another player is to be put on the list, the player already on must be dropped or put on the active or alternate rosters. (The portion in italics was amended in 1983. See B1 Below.)

(1983 revision)
B. Injured Reserve
A player when injured may be put on the Injured Reserve.

1. Two player limit.

(2004 revision)
a. Section 10 B 1 is hereby repealed. There is no player limit to the injured reserve.

2. Can only be placed on if the player is placed on the injured reserve by his NFL team.

11. Rights rules.

(1982 revision)
A. USFL Rule
DNFL teams may not draft players in the USFL or another pro football league other than the NFL to retain their rights. (1983 revision)

B. Riggins-Ferragamo Non-Player Rule
If an NFL player on a DNFL roster leaves the NFL, the DNFL team can replace him on the roster but still retains the rights to him if he comes back at a later date. If he does, that team has one week from his moment of signing to put him back on their roster, unless his rights have already been traded or relinquished.

12. Roster Freeze.

(1983 revisions)
A. After the DNFL Bowl, all rosters will be frozen for adding unclaimed players. Owners still can:

1. Trade players and/or draft choices.

2. Drop any rostered player.

3. Drop or promote and injured reserve player.

(1992 revisions)
B. Roster moves can be made through the NFL Super Bowl. The waiver period still exists from noon on Sunday through noon on Tuesday through the Super Bowl

13. Rookie Reseve (Valentino).

A. An owner can place one rookie (as designated by the NFL) from the seasonal draft of the DNFL on Rookie Reserve. The player can remain on the Rookie Reserve for his whole rookie season of the NFL or until needed on the active roster. Once taken off the Rookie Reserve, the player cannot be put back on and no other rookie player can be put on it.

B. (1998) The Rookie Reserve must be set by the 4th week. This was later amended to by the beginning of the 3rd week.