SFL sets historic 25th season salary cap, updates debt rules

The Simulation Football League's 24th season has reached its halfway point and per new rules enacted earlier this year, is releasing next season's salary cap today. The league will put in place a 50 million salary cap for the 25th season and a roster minimum of 25 players, up from 42 million and a 24-player minimum this season. 

There is no draft, but currently 50 rookies make up the minor leagues with that number continuing to grow. The average amount of players on a SFL team this season is just under 28 players.

Hitting the roster minimum allows a team to gain team bank money for the amount they come in under the salary cap at Season 25 roster lock.

Moving forward, players will not receive bank money for off-season cuts who play on teams who have debt on the books at the end of the current season's postseason progression. They would receive that money if they signed with a team not in debt. This closes the loophole of maxing out attributes than receiving the cut money when they are ultimately cut and then re-applying the same attributes immediately the next season. This was also a major component of APF progression, which saw a shed of animations every off-season, only for them to be re-applied, inefficient and unrealistic progression for everyone involved.

"Teams cannot rack up maximums and have rich players - there has to be balance to every component of the system for it to work," said Commissioner Cameron Irvine. "Teams are always looking for the next great way to game the system - as is their prerogative but those that constantly do that will constantly be met with the opposition of the league that aims for balance and realism to our product on and off the field, as we have for the last 12 years. Teams can still choose to be financially incapacitated, but they no longer will be able to launder that money through the players themselves."