After venting, and thinking about the ramifications of this issue, it seems like a definitive course of action is required. We can’t keep dancing around the central issue and be satisfied with massaging something that is really an established rule within this league. A player who is subject to a 60 day trade moratorium simply cannot be traded. It doesn’t need to be a slippery slope, if a player cannot be traded for 60 days, then post-dating trades only circumvents the rule and makes a mockery of things.
The argument that they are rostered players and we should be be able to do with them as we please is not viable. We have a variety of safeguards that monitor roster decisions, such as our Trade Committee, and the 60 day moratorium is simply another one. With that, the argument that FYPD players will be traded regardless of any moratorium may be true, but they will have to wait to be traded until after the moratorium is lifted.
So I am going to remove the post-dated trades on the board and rule them invalid because they violate the spirit of the rule. I will go through the list of FYPD draftees, give them a roster date, and repost all the ProFSL rosters, so there will be no question as to when they are available.
While this may not be a pleasant ruling for all, as the league moderator, I am entrusted with the responsibility of insuring we maintain a degree of stability. I wavered for a bit, but I believe this is the proper course of action for FGM. The recourse for those who disagree is to initiate a referendum. Find 8 GMs who support changing the rule, create a referendum, and call for a league wide vote.
I will also post this on the Transactions Board in a News Flash.
Halloween