Improving Draft Clock

Post constructive ideas here and let's stop hijacking that other thread.

So how can we improve the draft?

My idea was something like make it at least 10 picks per day, so on day 1 all ten picks must be done by say 11:59 PM EST.

Those who are on and ready to pick can just pick on their own, while others who won't be back before the deadline can send a list. Maximum 10-player list isn't hard IMO.

I think a 10 pick per day schedule could work. It gives players a definitive day where they MUST have their pick in by so there's no excuses with time constraints and whatnot. Makes it east for everyone with a structure schedule like that.

Is this discussion even necessary? Make sending in a list when you're 5-10 spots out mandatory and the draft runs smooth.

Draft schedule. Every team gets a slotted time spot. 3 hours to pick, release the schedule well before the draft so that people can plan to either be on for their pick or send in a list.

1. Orlando 12AM-3AM
2. Boston 3AM-6AM
3. Chicago 6AM-9PM
4. Utah 9AM-12PM
5. Portland 12PM-3PM
6. Dallas 3PM-6PM
etc etc

It helps move the draft along. You know when your time will be up, the commishs will let you know what time zone they are going off of (EST/PST/etc). If you think you're not going to be around or you know you wont be around for your pick (IE early morning picks), send in a draft list. This worked great with my league, people loved having time slots, the draft would last 2-3 days at the longest. For the second round, you give quicker time slots, IE 1-2 hours.

bestnamezRtaken (DAL) wrote:Draft schedule. Every team gets a slotted time spot. 3 hours to pick, release the schedule well before the draft so that people can plan to either be on for their pick or send in a list.

1. Orlando 12AM-3AM
2. Boston 3AM-6AM
3. Chicago 6AM-9PM
4. Utah 9AM-12PM
5. Portland 12PM-3PM
6. Dallas 3PM-6PM
etc etc

It helps move the draft along. You know when your time will be up, the commishs will let you know what time zone they are going off of (EST/PST/etc). If you think you're not going to be around or you know you wont be around for your pick (IE early morning picks), send in a draft list. This worked great with my league, people loved having time slots, the draft would last 2-3 days at the longest. For the second round, you give quicker time slots, IE 1-2 hours.

Easily the best idea so far. The other ideas aren't bad either just the list thing can be kinda iffy if a commish or whomever happens to also have multiple picks in a draft then it kinda tips a team's hand.

I vote time slot but this of course is unofficial until the commishes decide if there is in fact an issue with the draft as is.

The time slot's an interesting idea, but it has two major drawbacks:

1. Draft trades will be dramatically cut down.
2. It's going to make most of the draft a list picking situation, because it completely ignores the worldwide time zones that the 24 hour clock addresses.

So if we're going to go the time slot, we may as well just go live draft and dispense with the forum draft altogether, because if we're going to have a situation where it's list-heavy, we should just go live draft.

^ Guys will have to be more prudent and punctual when negotiating draft day trades which may actually make it more exciting if several GM's are negotiating with said GM.

I love the thought of a live draft, participated in only 2 (fantasy football/ basketball) and it was exciting but realistically getting all the GM's on here to participate in a draft would be pretty tough I'd think.

WillyJakkz (HOU) wrote:^ Guys will have to be more prudent and punctual when negotiating draft day trades which may actually make it more exciting if several GM's are negotiating with said GM.

I love the thought of a live draft, participated in only 2 (fantasy football/ basketball) and it was exciting but realistically getting all the GM's on here to participate in a draft would be pretty tough I'd think.

Yep pretty much impossible I'd say.

Yeah in the 2nd round live drafts I run, I get about maybe 2-3 GMs per year. But it's an enjoyable time nonetheless.

Draft slots won't work. We have people from all over the world here. In some cases you'll be asking an individual to wake up in the middle of a dead sleep to pick, or to step away from work somehow to pick.

Like I said...make lists mandatory.  If they care enough about who they want to draft, it's only in their best interest. If they don't send a list, they get BPA'ed immediately.

If lists were to become mandatory, I'd recommend shortening the amount of time for each pick considerably as well.

Make the times 6 hours, whatever. Time slots work. Like I said, it worked in my league and I had people from all over the US and 3-4 different countries. Everyone was 100% okay with it. Like I said, if you know you aren't going to be around, send in a list. Having the draft take a week and a half is pretty tough, lol.

LakeshowAK7 (LAL) wrote:Draft slots won't work. We have people from all over the world here. In some cases you'll be asking an individual to wake up in the middle of a dead sleep to pick, or to step away from work somehow to pick.

Like I said...make lists mandatory.  If they care enough about who they want to draft, it's only in their best interest.  If they don't send a list, they get BPA'ed immediately.  

If lists were to become mandatory, I'd recommend shortening the amount of time for each pick considerably as well.  

They don't have to physically pick at that time. If they see that they won't be on then they can send a list.

Whatever is decided, a mandatory master list from every GM in the top 30 would help with BPA situations. You could then shorten the clock and GM's that don't pick within the allotted slot would be given the BPA on their master list. All 30 lists would be in with a time frame around the end of the playoffs and 24 hours before the clock begins. 

Of course as the draft progresses trades open up, or you might want a best fit guy over BPA in which case you'd have that extra incentive to pick live. It's more of a worst case scenario kind of thing, all GM's are guaranteed to get the best player available to them from their perspective and in a way it takes the onus off of the admin team to determine who that GM would take, or who the consensus BPA is. 

It's more likely GM's would send in updated short lists as well.

bestnamezRtaken (DAL) wrote:Make the times 6 hours, whatever. Time slots work. Like I said, it worked in my league and I had people from all over the US and 3-4 different countries. Everyone was 100% okay with it. Like I said, if you know you aren't going to be around, send in a list. Having the draft take a week and a half is pretty tough, lol.

6 hour time slots don't work that means the draft would take 15 days. That's what we're trying to avoid. With 3 hour time slots, the draft takes 7.5 days, which still might be long.

Everybody just send in lists! Especially if you cant check in today/tomorrow. Lets finish the draft fast. Just send in my list for my 3 second round picks. If everybody does Myles could post all picks today/tomorrow..

Just make it like 10 a day rather than time slots IMO.

Jake0890 (MIN) wrote:

bestnamezRtaken (DAL) wrote:Make the times 6 hours, whatever. Time slots work. Like I said, it worked in my league and I had people from all over the US and 3-4 different countries. Everyone was 100% okay with it. Like I said, if you know you aren't going to be around, send in a list. Having the draft take a week and a half is pretty tough, lol.

6 hour time slots don't work that means the draft would take 15 days. That's what we're trying to avoid. With 3 hour time slots, the draft takes 7.5 days, which still might be long.

Yeah, that's absoulte worst case scenerio, which has never happened. Worst case scenerio, the draft will take 4-5 days, which is still a lot shorter than it's currently been.