NBA:In-Season
| Reference | Contracts · Rosters · Salary Cap · League Spreadsheet |
| Transactions | Waivers · Trades · Options · Re-Signing · Draft · Free Agency · G League · Injured Reserve |
| Timeline | Off-Season · In-Season |
| Governance | League Structure · GM Responsibilities · Rule Changes |
| Tools | Re-Sign Calculator · Free Agency Bid Calculator |
The schedule
A season is 22 matchups, numbered as Weeks 1 to 22 in Fantrax.
| Weeks 1–18 | Regular season. Week 18 is the last one |
| Weeks 19–22 | Playoffs |
Most matchups run one calendar week. Three run two: NBA All-Star, the NBA In-Season Tournament, and the final matchup of the playoffs.
Two matchups each season are doubles — you play two separate opponents in the same matchup.
Lineups
Every team must field a legitimate lineup every week. You cannot rest your better players, the same as in the real NBA.
Your seven starting slots and the positions that fill them are on Rosters.
What counts as a violation
The rule has leeway, and the benefit of the doubt goes to the GM. It exists to stop teams throwing games, not to police every daily lineup.
| Not a violation | Violation |
|---|---|
| Letting it ride — not maximizing your lineup every day | Purposely not playing your best players |
| Benching players when you are safely ahead in categories going into the weekend | Leaving lineup spots open |
| Setting a legitimate lineup of your best players and never subbing | Starting a player who is not on an NBA roster when you have alternatives |
| Missing a day or two |
Tanking itself is not banned. If you want to tank, sign bad players — the rule is about fielding the team you have, not about trying to win every week.
Enforcement
| Step | Penalty |
|---|---|
| 1 | Warning by PM |
| 2 | Warning by PM |
| 3 | Loss of a 2nd-round pick |
| 4 | Loss of a 1st-round pick |
New GMs are asked to post an acknowledgement of this rule. Failing to post does not exempt you from it.
Key dates
| End of week 4 | Waiver priority switches from last season's final standings to the current season's |
| End of week 17 | Trade deadline — no trades after week 17 concludes |
| End of week 18 | Regular season ends; the playoffs begin |
Playoffs
Eight teams per conference, over four matchups — weeks 19 to 22. Run like the real NBA: 1 plays 8, 2 plays 7, 3 plays 6, 4 plays 5.
There are no brackets. After each round the highest remaining seed faces the lowest remaining seed.
The final runs two calendar weeks.
Two different tie-breaker sets apply:
| To make the playoffs | Within the playoffs | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Head-to-head | Head-to-head |
| 2 | Total categories won in the regular season | Win % |
| 3 | Division record | Total categories won in the regular season |
| 4 | Least categories lost | Division record |
Note that seeding uses total categories won before division record, while the in-playoff set matches the regular-season order.
Carrying fewer than 12 active players disqualifies you from the post-season. See Rosters.
What binds now
Roster size applies. From opening day you must carry 12 to 15 active players. Above 15 your most recently acquired player is waived by default; below 12 you are disqualified from the post-season.
The salary cap applies, as it does year-round.
Bidding at capacity requires a declaration. At 15 active players you must state how you will create the spot for a bid to count — this requirement is in-season only.
A G League player who crosses 164 career games mid-season may finish the season down, but must be active by the start of the next one.
Still running
Free agency, waivers and G League moves all run through the season, and free agency continues through the playoffs.
See also
- Rosters — starting slots and roster limits
- GM Responsibilities — the obligations that carry consequences
- Waivers — the week 4 priority switch
- Trades — the week 17 deadline
- League Structure — scoring categories and the standings
- Off-Season — what happens once the season ends