NAPWonline.com

RULES + FAQ

Indie Fed

New Alberta Pro Wrestling in an indie fed based in Alberta, Canada that is slowly branching out on the west coast. Ring Of Honor and other indies are a huge, huge influence in how this place works. We're talking shows with 400 - 600 wrestling fans, sometimes more at big shows. The wrestlers are indie wrestlers, this isn't the big bucks.

NAPW is booked by wrestling fans for wrestling fans. As some of our best talent will attest, it's also a great fed for anybody who wants to creatively write and knows at least something about wrestling. The emphasis is on trying to capture the excitement and drama of pro wrestling.

The best of the old school in a progressive style. Also now with extra salt & vinegar flavor. Anyways, NAPW runs two cards in the second half of every month. Our sister fed with whom we share much talent, REBEL Pro, runs their cards in the first half of every month. Go there now. rebel-pro.com. It's awesome.

Basic Fed Rules

Specialty matches occur at the booker's discretion. Which is to say, regularly, but don't go challenging that TLC match for the first bloody encounter you're having with Joe Shmoe. Run 'em by me first! I like to build to stipulation matches as feud-enders.

Referees in NAPW are somewhat lenient, but don't take kindly to being pushed around. Clean finishes are the norm, but DQs and count-outs are sometimes necessary for storytelling. If you have an issue with your guy tapping out in a submission, get over it! Submission wrestling is king! Triple H tapped out you know. In the main event of Wrestlemania.

TWICE.

Anyways, sometimes guys from REBEL will be booked on an NAPW card. Sometimes the REBEL title might even be defended on an NAPW show. Also, in months with five weeks, NAPW and REBEL will hold a joint card in the middle week of the month. Like comic books. Fifth Week Event.

Match Rules

Regular matches in NAPW can end by pinfall, submission, disqualification or count-out. There is a ten-count on the floor.

Pinfall is a three-count with both opponent's shoulders pinned to the canvas. A wrestler giving up, quitting or tapping our for any reason constitutes a submission.

If two wrestlers are down in the ring, the referee will issue a standing ten-count. Both wrestlers must take their feet before ten or the match will end (in a draw if neither man can answer the count, or a victory for the one wrestler who did stand).

The referee will issue a count of five to any wrestler using an illegal hold such as a choke. If a wrestler does not break the hold at five he will be disqualified. The referee will use his discretion regarding disqualification for any reason. Use of a foreign object, or the physical involvement of another wrestler, is grounds for immediate disqualification. Any wrestler who physically assaults a referee will be fined heavily.

Rope Breaks: If a wrestler is in a submission hold and makes the ropes, the attacker must release the hold. Failure to release the hold by the count of five will result in a disqualification.

Tag Team Matches: When a wrestler makes a tag, the illegal partner has until the count of five to exit the ring. A wrestler must be in his corner holding the tag rope to make a tag. The referee must see the tag for it to count.

Basically your standard wrestling rules.

Shows

NAPW events take place the last two Tuesdays of every month. Cards for upcoming events will be posted at the latest one week before the event, sometimes weeks in advance.

These events are for the live crowd and taped for later DVD release. If you're not booked for a match you may do a run-in or other appearance. In general I try to book every roster member on a card.

Roleplay period begins: Tuesday prior to show (when the RP threads are posted)
Roleplay period ends: 10 pm MST/Midnight EST Sunday prior to show
Results posted between 3-9 pm MST on Tuesday.

*All RP periods are "unless otherwise noted."

Roleplay Guidelines

Everything Is Fair Game
If you write it in a roleplay, it "happened" and everybody else in the fed read it/"saw it." I don't see a point in "this was off-camera, nobody saw it" or "this is just for character development, nobody can comment on it." If nobody sees it, I'm not counting on it. But in general I don't hold to that theory. If you put it in an RP, it's Fair Game to be mentioned, insulted, mocked, et cetera.

Always Stay In Character
Sure, most of ya'll know that wrestling is a "work," it's a show. But in terms of what you do in RPs, your wrestlers should Always Stay In Character. Don't "break KAYFABE." In NAPW's reality, WRESTLING IS REAL. No doing "shoot" interviews or talking about the "worked" nature of the business. Injuries are real, hate is real, the wrestlers are in character in anything you will write on the promo boards.

Roleplay Limit

Singles matches: Four (4) Roleplays (RPs) per wrestler per match. This applies to one-on-one, triple threat, four corner survival, gauntlet, etc.
Tag team Matches: Two (2) RPs per team member. Four (4) RPs for standard tag match, six (6) for six-man tag, eight (8) for Survivor Series matches, etc.) Team members may utilize their total RPs in any combination they choose (Two RPs per partner, 3 - 1, 4 co-written RPs, etc.) so long as they do not go over the team total RP limit.
Battle Royales: Three (3) RPs per battle royale participant.
Non-Match RPs: You are free to write as many post-show or storyline RPs as you wish outside of an RP period.

Roleplay Weighting

Deadline Bombing: Each singles wrestler or team is allowed only one (1) RP within the last six hours of the RP period. No RP bombing at the last gasp.
Procastination Penalty: If a wrestler/team has not managed to RP by 30 hours before the deadline - typically 4 pm MST / 6 pm EST on the day before RP cut-off --- then the first RP they post will only be worth half-value. Typically, waiting until that last minute makes it very hard for a person to win an RP battle. It's also less fun when there is not back and forth going on.
If you're having a bad week (LIFE HAPPENS) then take the thirty seconds to drop me a line via PM or email or messenger to let me know what's up.

Roleplay Judging

Roleplays will be weighted on the values of storytelling, continuity, details, success-in-style (effective drama, comedy, wrestling promo, etc), spelling/grammar, effort (quantity and consistency of RPs). Only when a match is deadlocked but there MUST BE A WINNER will the storyline determine a match result.
Like most feds, NAPW is about quality over quantity. That said, NAPW gets very competitive and it likely will take the entire four-rp limit to really win the biggest matches. All the top guys in NAPW consistently push the RP limit with top-notch stuff. Four great roleplays beat three great roleplays. Three great RPs will beat four "good" rps. Two awesome RPs can beat four good RPs. As said: Quality over quantity, but when the overal quality of RPs is good-great on a regular basis, it can take that extra effort to make the biggest splash.
NAPW does not have a "house style." RP with what brought you to the dance be it trash-talk, screenplay, comedy. The key is: If you're trying for funny, BE FUNNY. If you're trying for serious drama, do it well. Good writing skills will obviously help you, but good writing alone does not win matches. You don't necessarily need to write novels to win. You probably need a bit more than ten lines of content, though.
A couple things to keep in mind:
1) NAPW is an INDIE fed, you're not making hundreds of thousands of dollars wrestling here
2) We're doing fantasy wrestling, not fantasy sci-fi or dragons. Your characters need to be wrestlers. That said there is a lot of room to be unique and creative.

If your RPs have NOTHING TO DO WITH WRESTLING you're going to be hard-pressed to do well. Why is your guy here? Why is your guy trying to win matches? The roleplays should drive the show results. When it comes down to it, your character is an indie pro wrestler! You can do crazy things within that context, you can write the weirdest crap possible, have personal drama, all that jazz, but in the end, your dude is still a pro-wrestler --- even if he is filming the wackiest skits ever. With cross-dressing.
Also, don't do insular storylines that only serve to disconnect your wrestler from the great world at large. There has to be some connection between the wrestler in promos and the wrestler on shows, some way that he is part of the larger "NAPW-verse."
Regarding content: NAPW is a PG-13 promotion. No rape, implied rape, murder, pornography, torture, kidnapping, S&M, etc. Please avoid drug use or drug glamorization. Racist remarks, epithets, slander will not be tolerated. NAPW is not an appropriate forum for slash fiction. If you have an issue with the content of another wrestler's RP, please message the booker.
Do not use any other NAPW wrestlers in your promo without first getting permission from that wrestler's handler.
All roleplays must be done on the NAPW/REBEL boards. No linking to RPs written on another site - they will not be counted. Match RPs are to be done in the appropriate match thread. Other roleplays (for character building or fun) can be done in a new thread.
The booker has the final decision for match results. If matches are really tight a couple trusted NAPW veterans will be asked for votes. Match decisions are rendered from the pool of votes and opinions. If you disagree with your match result, please contact the booker calmly via E-Mail, Private Message (PM) or AIM. Seriously, I don't respond to temper tantrums from grown men about FAKE fake wrestling. Ho ho.

No-Shows

If a wrestler fails to RP for a show, he will not be booked on the next card. If a wrestler fails to RP for two consecutive scheduled matches without communicated reason, he will be removed from the NAPW roster. NAPW management reserves the right to release wrestlers who only show up with a token RP and are not contributing to the competition and fun. Or are just dickheads who nobody wants to deal with anymore.

Submitting Promos, Match Strategies, Etc.

Private Message or e-mail a "show strat" to the booking team member handling the current show. "Show strats" include, but are not limited to, the following:

-In-ring promo/interview
-Request to attack other wrestler
-Specific match strategies
-Request to specifically lose a match (to further storyline)
-Unexpected match stipulation
-Any other idea for an on-show occurence

Typically no more than 1-2 in-ring promos/interviews will occur on one show - NAPW is indie and kind of "old school." We do our storytelling in the ring. There's no video wall to show backstage stuff to the live audience. Note that your ideas may conflict with ideas from other handlers; therefore the booker will edit strats at his discretion to best fit with the show in question and overall storylines. All show strats are subject to final approval from the booker.

Rankings & Championships

Rankings

NAPW has several singles champions and one Tag Team championship. Tag wrestling is important in NAPW --- the Tag Titles main event cards and are nearly as prestigious as the NAPW World title.
A top ten singles rankings exists to determine the #1 contender to the World title. This top ten does not include other singles champions (but may include members of the tag champions.)
Wrestlers are booked in title matches as deserving. Sometimes the booker just wants to give you an opportunity and see how you do when thrown up against the top guys in the fed. In any event. We don't live and die by the Top Ten rankings... this is wrestling. There are lots of reasons and ways to get to a title shot!
When it comes to judging title matches, I go by "The challenger has to beat the champion... the champion does not have to beat the challenger." In real wrestling, it means the challenger needs to pin or submit the champion to get the belt, wheras the champ can retain various ways including draws. If you want a title, you need to roleplay to BEAT the champion. Not sort of beat the champion. Not tie with him. Titles are taken very seriously in this joint!

Championships

World: Defended a minimum of once / 3 shows
Tag Team: Defended a minimum of once / 2 shows
Heritage: Defended a minimum of once / 2 shows

Miscellaneous Stuff

* If you do not RP for a match you're booked for you will be warned and left off of the next show. If you don't RP for two straight bookings you will be released! If you are a champion and you do not RP for your match you forfeit your title.
* If you are going to be out of town or unable to RP for your match, simply PM the booking team and we will take you off the card and replace you with someone else. Let us know ASAP if you're going to have problems or ARE having problems RPing!
* If you want to have a special "gimmick" match, PM the booking team and we'll see what we can do. I'm a big believer in keeping gimmicks "special" by not over-using them, but there is definitely a time and a place.
* Always feel free to submit ideas for your character to the booking team. We might not always use them but your input is valuable!
* If you want to write matches, the help is always appreciated. In fact it's what keeps NAPW going as the fed that never puts up late results. Just sign up when the "Match Writers for the show" thread goes up on the OOC board.
* You can simply Private Message any changes to your character's music, moveset, bio, finisher whatever to the booker. Just try not to change your tunes every show.
* REBEL and NAPW have a working relationship. Many of the wrestlers in REBEL also compete in NAPW - some became names there. Occasionally the other fed's titles may be defended on the other's shows. REBEL and NAPW are two separate feds, but what happens in one can affect the other.