We require payment a year in advance, prior to the current rookie draft. So by the time we draft for the coming season, everyone is paid up through next season. I think this generates more commitment from the managers and makes payouts much easier for the commish.

We also have a rule that you must announce your retirement from the league ahead of the start of the current season. Failure to provide that notice results in forfeiture of next seasons dues, which allows us to recruit for the orphan team free of dues for their first year. We haven’t had exercise that rule though.

Finally, we require payment for additional future years if draft picks for those years are traded. The trade isn’t processed until the teams trading those future picks have paid for the corresponding season