2026 DFL Rules Voting Results

The results of the 2026 DFL rules voting are in! There were six rule proposals on the ballot — with one contingent vote — and only three of them have passed.

Let’s take a look at the results and my analysis of each one.

Note: As a reminder, all new rules go into effect in the following calendar year, so none of these rules will take effect until 2027.

Proposals Passed

1. Should we award points for special teams touchdowns?
   
   By almost near-unanimous consent, the owners voted to award points for special teams touchdowns. The idea behind the proposal is that if you have a player in your lineup and he scores a touchdown, he should be getting points regardless of whether it was an offensive or special teams play. Despite the points coming from a special teams play, they are still only rewarded to specific players, and not a “team”, keeping the DFL free of defenses and special teams — and kickers.
   
   
2. Should owners have to pay 50% of the entry fee for the season from which he trades a first round pick?
   
   By a narrow, 7-5 margin, owners approved the mandatory payment of 50% of the league’s entry fee if an owner trades a first-round pick in a future year. Due to the — dare I say, reckless? — trades of future draft capital, if an owner decides to sell the team, he leaves the next owner in a poor position as far as building a team through the draft. Now, if an owner decides to trade his future first-round draft pick, he’s committing — at least partially — to participating in the league that year. Or else the next owner will get a discounted entry fee as compensation that season.
   
   
3. Should we implement tiered NFT compensation instead of current flat rate?
   
   By a comfortable, 9-3 tally, three-quarters of the owners decided to award a better compensation structure for NFT players who depart their teams. Presently, the team with the winning bid on an NFT player would only have to pay the original owner a second-round pick. This was the case whether the player was a $7 tight end or a $23 running back. Now, with a tiered system, cheaper players will cost less in compensation, while better players will return more to the original owner. The two primary benefits to this rule are:
   
   A) Better compensation awarded for better players lost via the NFT auction.
   B) Could help keep down costs on expensive players and thus keep the salary cap and tag prices stable.
   
   

   Salary	Compensation
   < $9.00	4th Round Pick
   $9.00 – $11.90	3rd Round Pick
   $12.00 – $14.90	2nd Round Pick
   $15.00 – $17.90	2nd Round Pick + 3rd Round Pick
   $18.00 – $20.90	Two 2nd Round Picks
   $21.00+	1st Round Pick

Proposals Failed

1. Should we eliminate the fourth round of our rookie draft?
   
   By a substantial, 10-2 margin, owners shot down the proposal to remove the fourth round of the rookie draft. The proposal was brought to the table due to the “thin” amount of players that are often left at the end of the DFL’s auction. In theory, this proposal would have added 12 additional rookie flyers to that auction pool. But owners resoundingly said they like the cheap, and non-guaranteed rookie contracts that the fourth round of the draft provides.
   
   
2. Should we add a fifth round to our rookie draft?
   
   By almost as resounding a vote (9-3), the owners shot down a proposal to add a fifth round to the rookie draft, electing to keep the draft at just four rounds. The proposal was aimed at providing more draft capital to teams for purposes of trade assets or shots at rookies on low-cost, non-guaranteed contracts.
   
   
3. Should we cut down on the number of Taxi Squad players from 10?
   
   Owners voted down a proposal to reduce the number of Taxi Squad slots from 10 by a count of 8-3-1. The proposal aimed at preventing too many players from being stashed on Taxi Squads and thinning the player pool. But only about half of those slots across the league were filled anyway.
   
   Contingent Proposal: If we do reduce the Taxi Squad, how many players should be allowed?
   
   Not that it matters, because the original proposal did not pass, but the owners voted 8-2-2 to only reduce the number of Taxi Squad slots to 9 if the original proposal had passed.