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How much time to allow between picks? (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter jgrieser
- Start date
delusional
Footballguy
people complain the draft is too long?
babies...
lol usually 3-5 is good. mine went with 5 minutes, only once or twice did someone use the full 5 for a pick ( me )
babies...
lol usually 3-5 is good. mine went with 5 minutes, only once or twice did someone use the full 5 for a pick ( me )
Chess clocks would work great here. Each person gets 15 minutes total. That way the draft for a 12-team league will take no more than three hours. (For a four-hour draft, give everyone 20 minutes total.)
I've never seen a draft that used chess clocks, though.
I personally think two minutes per pick is plenty. I have no idea what people are doing when they take longer than that. Some people do, though.
I've never seen a draft that used chess clocks, though.
I personally think two minutes per pick is plenty. I have no idea what people are doing when they take longer than that. Some people do, though.
TeamSnooki
Footballguy
NYRAGE
Footballguy
Maybe it's from doing too many mocks, but if it were up to me, it would be 30 seconds or a minute tops. You should have several players in your queque/cheatsheet/mind while other teams are picking and coming your way. The only time it should take longer is if unexpectedly there is a run on one position and the last guy goes before your pick. But, that's just me. For most drafts, we go with two minutes.
Futz
Footballguy
I see your point but I think you do have to allow for a chance to trade picks if the need arises. 2 minutes gives you enough time to get the details straight and make a pick.
cheatsheetwarroom
Footballguy
I think it depends on whether or not you're drafting online or live. When drafting online, I think 2 minutes is more than enough. Most of the online draft rooms these days provide supplemental rankings and player suggestions that even a blind person could select an acceptable player within 2 minutes, so there is no excuse.
Live drafts are a little trickier because so many things are going on. Someone may be outside making a burger, someone may be in the bathroom, so you have to be a bit more lenient. I'd still try to stick to something around 3 minutes, just to keep people on their toes, otherwise like others have stated you'll have a 7 hour draft on your hands.
Live drafts are a little trickier because so many things are going on. Someone may be outside making a burger, someone may be in the bathroom, so you have to be a bit more lenient. I'd still try to stick to something around 3 minutes, just to keep people on their toes, otherwise like others have stated you'll have a 7 hour draft on your hands.
netnalp
Footballguy
For a live draft I'd go 2-3 min. For an online draft I would go with 5min because I've had many drafts where someone loses their connection and doesn't realize it before the time is up or more commonly the lag can be so bad that several picks go by before the screen refreshes. There's always a few that don't pre-rank players in case they go on auto-pick or even if you pre-rank it may not take exactly who you want when you want them. For online drafters, I recommend they open up the draft room with two different browsers so they can see which one has less lag.
My experience most people don't take the full time in live or online drafts.
My experience most people don't take the full time in live or online drafts.
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montana_grizzly_bears
Footballguy
Anything over 2 minutes whether its online or live is to much. My current main league gives 5 minutes per pick and its hell. We have 2 guys that take the full 5 minutes just because they can. Yet noone wants to carry the vote to take the time down since they are all there in person and myself + one other person are online out of state.
The Jerk
Footballguy
Two minutes has always seemed comfortable for me and the leagues in which I participate.
For me personally, I spend the most time in rounds 3-8, not in the first two rounds. Unlike the NFL, people aren't needing to talk to the big shot rookies and negotiate big trades early, so fantasy drafts don't need to have longer first rounds and shorter late rounds.
In the first 2-3 rounds, owners tend to draft "best player available" among RBs and WRs and a few select QBs. From the 3rd or 4th round into the 8th round or so, all QB/RB/WR/TE players are in play for most teams, including defense late in that period in some leagues. Considering four positions simultaneously can require more time. Part of making my 4th round pick, for example, is considering likely options in later rounds for my remaining positions in need. And of course, late in this period, in round 8 if not earlier, then bye weeks start to become something to pay attention to.
Some people might say a lot of these decisions could be made beforehand and that owners should be working on their pick as the other teams are selecting. That's all true, but sometimes there can be three or four quick picks immediately before a given owner's turn and that might take a little time to sort out what to do next. As others have said, it's one night a year, so having an extra minute for five rounds for 12 teams makes a maximum increase of one hour, and few teams will use the full time.
Now, once the heart of the draft is over, maybe around the 11th round, the draft seems to slow down for me, and I could handle a shorter window, but it's usually not a problem unless you're drafting with people who are clueless and/or drunk and/or take their full allotted time just to be jerks.
Keep the middle rounds long enough so that owners who actually are trying to be intelligent about the process have the time to do so. If you must cut time, shorten the first two rounds and the last few rounds.
For me personally, I spend the most time in rounds 3-8, not in the first two rounds. Unlike the NFL, people aren't needing to talk to the big shot rookies and negotiate big trades early, so fantasy drafts don't need to have longer first rounds and shorter late rounds.
In the first 2-3 rounds, owners tend to draft "best player available" among RBs and WRs and a few select QBs. From the 3rd or 4th round into the 8th round or so, all QB/RB/WR/TE players are in play for most teams, including defense late in that period in some leagues. Considering four positions simultaneously can require more time. Part of making my 4th round pick, for example, is considering likely options in later rounds for my remaining positions in need. And of course, late in this period, in round 8 if not earlier, then bye weeks start to become something to pay attention to.
Some people might say a lot of these decisions could be made beforehand and that owners should be working on their pick as the other teams are selecting. That's all true, but sometimes there can be three or four quick picks immediately before a given owner's turn and that might take a little time to sort out what to do next. As others have said, it's one night a year, so having an extra minute for five rounds for 12 teams makes a maximum increase of one hour, and few teams will use the full time.
Now, once the heart of the draft is over, maybe around the 11th round, the draft seems to slow down for me, and I could handle a shorter window, but it's usually not a problem unless you're drafting with people who are clueless and/or drunk and/or take their full allotted time just to be jerks.
Keep the middle rounds long enough so that owners who actually are trying to be intelligent about the process have the time to do so. If you must cut time, shorten the first two rounds and the last few rounds.
DoubleG
Footballguy
I am hearing you should take Ben Tate of your ADP list.
Oh and whatever time limit you do pick, stick to the time limit...use a stop watch if you have to or else all hell could break loose. If someone goes over - even by just a few seconds...TOO LATE!!!! SELL HIS FIRST BORN - MAYBE NEXT TIME HE'LL REMEMBER THE RULE!!! OH THE HUMANITY!!!!!
HTH. Have a fun draft.
Oh and whatever time limit you do pick, stick to the time limit...use a stop watch if you have to or else all hell could break loose. If someone goes over - even by just a few seconds...TOO LATE!!!! SELL HIS FIRST BORN - MAYBE NEXT TIME HE'LL REMEMBER THE RULE!!! OH THE HUMANITY!!!!!
HTH. Have a fun draft.
2 minutes is plenty If you have owners drinking during the draft the last rounds get loud and there is alway someone saying "Oh,is it my turn?", "Okay I'll take Portis" who was picked a round earlier. 5 hours for a draft? That would suck.I am hearing you should take Ben Tate of your ADP list. Oh and whatever time limit you do pick, stick to the time limit...use a stop watch if you have to or else all hell could break loose. If someone goes over - even by just a few seconds...TOO LATE!!!! SELL HIS FIRST BORN - MAYBE NEXT TIME HE'LL REMEMBER THE RULE!!! OH THE HUMANITY!!!!!HTH. Have a fun draft.
Neil Beaufort Zod
Footballguy
In my main league it's always been one minute, but it's not monitored with a stopwatch. You get a friendly warning to get going. If you take much more than a minute people start complaining (it's in person) and you're not going to be able to concentrate anyway since everyone is making fun of you. So people are used to taking no more than a minute.
The drafting part of the draft takes a couple of hours. People are often ready to go with their picks, and that's when we get a holdup sometimes. If six people are ahead of your next pick, you might think you've got a few minutes. You might have just a minute.
The drafting part of the draft takes a couple of hours. People are often ready to go with their picks, and that's when we get a holdup sometimes. If six people are ahead of your next pick, you might think you've got a few minutes. You might have just a minute.
DoubleG
Footballguy
Yep, sounds horrible. Just sitting there, relaxing with your buddies,
talking fantasy football and drinking. 
Sounds unbearable. 
Tigerbot Hesh
Footballguy
My online draft has a time limit of 2 minutes per pick, but if you're not signed in the computer autopicks for you in 10 seconds. So depending on who is or isn't there at any moment, you might burn through a 16-team round in 2 to 3 minutes. That's not enough time to keep track of everything.
BroncoFreak_2K3
sucker for Orange
we do 90 seconds...the 1 minute and 2 minute factions are both happy...
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Sweet Love
IBL Representative
Interesting concept. My five year old plays chess and I will tell you, when he is in a tourney and that clock starts banging, people start moving fast. I also like the concept, because if you are prepared for 80% of the picks, yet you get sniped on a pick, sometimes you need the extra time to regroup. With that said, I think those clocks are pretty expensive, so I don't see the average league employing them soon, but I love the concept.Maurile Tremblay said:
socrates
Footballguy
We do a 5 round (primarily rookies) annual draft, and we allow 5 minutes per pick. This promotes draft-day trades. In the event of a trade involving a draft pick, the team receiving the pick is allowed an additional 2 minutes to complete the selection. Most selections are made in considerably less than the allotted time, but we still spend at least a couple of hours drafting.
For our initial startup draft, we allowed 5 minutes per pick for the first 5 rounds, then we reduced the time for all subsequent rounds. By that point, everyone was in the flow of the draft, and trades were very few and far between.
For our initial startup draft, we allowed 5 minutes per pick for the first 5 rounds, then we reduced the time for all subsequent rounds. By that point, everyone was in the flow of the draft, and trades were very few and far between.
Darth Cheney
Footballguy
Two minutes tops....anything more is overkill.
You dont need a chess clock. The whole point of a chess clock is that when you stop one person's time it starts the other person's. But since you have 10-14 people drafting anyways, that wouldnt work well. All you need are timers. Once one person drafts, he stops his timer and the next person starts his.You can get electronic timers for $4:
http://www.goodmans.net/item.asp?n=PR-0421...213&sc=FRGL
I was simplifying.
fightingillini
Footballguy
My commish in one league describes in the rules.... "the length of time it takes to drink a beer efficiently"
Which is 2 minutes. He's a serial drinker
Seriously, 2 minutes is plenty to go over who's available, look at other teams's rosters, rethink alternative strategies, and come up with the appropriate pick. Definitely long enough if you're paying attention to the draft at all times.
Anything longer is overkill, IMO.
Which is 2 minutes. He's a serial drinker
Seriously, 2 minutes is plenty to go over who's available, look at other teams's rosters, rethink alternative strategies, and come up with the appropriate pick. Definitely long enough if you're paying attention to the draft at all times.
Anything longer is overkill, IMO.
Lehigh98
Footballguy
Giving people x number of minutes sometimes makes them think they can or should take all the time. My last live snake draft we would just mercilessly berate people taking too long (>2-3 minutes) until they blurted out a mistake pick under all the pressure.
I set up a new league for people from work last year and set the draft to give each person 3 minutes because most of them were new to FF. One lady had her son helping her who was also new to FF and kept complaining that he should get "the full 15 minutes just like in the NFL".
I set up a new league for people from work last year and set the draft to give each person 3 minutes because most of them were new to FF. One lady had her son helping her who was also new to FF and kept complaining that he should get "the full 15 minutes just like in the NFL".
skinsrule05
Footballguy
ThisYep, sounds horrible. Just sitting there, relaxing with your buddies,and drinking.
When I read things that the draft takes too long or it sucks I have to question why people do FF. I do FF to hang out with my friends and keep in touch. If it is purely just for FF (and you don't think the draft is part of that) why not just do an on-line draft?
Couch Potato
Footballguy
Be sure to allow enough time between picks for the derisive comments about the pick that was just made. That's a mandatory part of any good draft. And of course, the bad jokes.
"I think I'll go Turner, Barber, and Spiller now. Then I'll tell her to make me a sandwich while I make my pick!"
"I think I'll go Turner, Barber, and Spiller now. Then I'll tell her to make me a sandwich while I make my pick!"
Neil Beaufort Zod
Footballguy
I'd rather finish the draft in 2 hours and then drink for 2 hours after the draft and trash talk. I spend too much time preparing to screw it up picking with a buzz on.Yep, sounds horrible. Just sitting there, relaxing with your buddies,and drinking.
That's a good method. It lets people take as long as they want without holding everybody else up.
Birdie048
Footballguy
Live draft, 2 min per pick. The pressure is part of the excitement. Being prepared is part of the fun. Watching your opponents choke and blunder gives cause for joy! 2 min. Plenty of time12 Team, 14 rounds and we average 2 hr and 10 min for a draft in the past 4 years
rolliehouliranson
Footballguy
No time limit. Getting bored? go grab another sandwich or beer, ask a buddy how he's doing, listen to the music in the background, or watch the muted game on the tube.
On The Rocks
Footballguy
I have never understood the desire to have a pick timer. So what if you have a couple of guys that take forever to pick. Draft night is the most fun night of the FF Season. Why not let it last as long as possible.
I agree with rolliehouliranson - if you get tired of waiting for the slow poke to pick, have a drink, grab another slice - put up your feet and enjoy the night.
I agree with rolliehouliranson - if you get tired of waiting for the slow poke to pick, have a drink, grab another slice - put up your feet and enjoy the night.
Futz
Footballguy
While I'm sure a lot of you are young bachelor types that have no one to be responsible for (including yourself), some of us have families to take care of. We can't all stick around for 4-7 hours for just about anything. So make it 2 minutes, get the draft over with, and those who want to stick around to continue to carry on, go right ahead and do so on your time.
Couch Potato
Footballguy
It may depend on circumstances.If a draft is being held on a lazy weekend afternoon, BBQ going, guys just enjoying the day, I'd say relax and enjoy and don't sweat a guy taking a little while. Usually if someone is taking too long, mob rule kicks in and he starts getting grief from guys and the problem sort of gets policed that way.
But let's look at another kind of situation. I have a draft in 3 weeks in which I travel and hour to San Francisco, and guys are going into the city from the East Bay and the South Bay and the North Bay (it's our 31st year together, it was once a company league but things have long since changed). We hold the draft on the Tuesday night before the season, and allowing time for everyone to arrive and get settled in, we usually begin drafting between 6:30 and 7 PM. We've all worked a full day already. I actually have a 2nd job too for which I get up at 1:30 in the morning. Guys have the trip back home ahead of them after the draft. We've tried some years without a timer and the draft will go an hour longer than if we use a timer. That's honestly an important hour to guys under those circumstances. And the truth is, those guys who take so long without a timer do no better with the extra time than they would have with one. Sometimes you just have to have a timer, especially if you know how slow certain owners will be otherwise.
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