What does every fantasy league have in common? Every one has a commissioner, and why shouldn't it be you everyone calls The Commish? It's easier than you might think. Below are 5 tips that'll put you on the right path to running a successful fantasy football league.

1. Round up the troops: Find 10 to 12 people to participate in your league. From friends and family members to co-workers and friends of friends, you want to recruit people who are going to be enthusiastic and active in the league. By finding team owners who remain involved and engaged in the league, you will have the makings of a highly competitive league.

2. Choose the right Web site: There seems to be an endless galaxy of Web sites eager to host your league. Some of the usual suspects include espn.com, foxsports.com, yahoo.com, nfl.com, cbssportsline.com, homegrownsports.com, etc. You can find a lot of free sites, but some will charge a fee to host your league. Do your homework, and you'll be able to find a site that fits your needs.

3. Customize your league: As commissioner, this is your first, and perhaps most important chance to put your stamp on the league. You'll be able to select a scoring system, like how many points are awarded for a sack or an interception; or whether special teams touchdowns actually count. With one click of the mouse you can make Devin Hester an invaluable asset or virtually irrelevant. You'll also be able to determine roster size, from selecting the number of wide receivers on each roster to choosing between an Individual Defensive Player (IDP) and a Team Defense.

4. Determine a draft format: The most popular style is a straightforward draft in a snake format. This means in a 10-team league, teams draft 1 through 10 in round one - with draft order chosen at random. Then in round two, the draft order is "snaked" back, with the next 10 picks chosen in reverse order, from 10 through 1. This gives the team that draws the short straw and drafts in the 10 spot, a competitive chance with back-to-back picks. Another draft format is an auction league. In this format, each team is given a salary cap and you have to fill out your roster without going over budget. Typically in an auction format, people take turns nominating players for auction, and the highest bidder wins the player.

5. Pick a draft time (and location): This might be easier said than done, as it is hard to get everyone together at one time and in the same location. Getting everyone together in the same room is the best way to run a draft. If that's not possible, most sites have user-friendly draft rooms that will facilitate the draft for you online. All you have to do is get everyone to agree to be logged in at the same time, and reserve that time with the host site. Most sites only allow a certain amount of drafts to be conducted at the same time, so if you don't want to be drafting at 3 a.m. the Tuesday before the start of the season, then make sure you reserve your draft time as soon as possible as it's usually first come first serve.

There is far more involved in being the league commissioner than making sure the Web site runs as promised. You'll have to be a good communicator to keep everyone involved while also being a voice of reason. Below are 5 tips to help you keep the season running smooth all the way to the league championship game.

1. Decide what's at stake: The simplest way to run a league is to find a free site to host the league and then just compete against your friends for bragging rights. If you want to kick it up a notch, then you can have everyone ante in an agreed to amount at the beginning of the season, and then decide on the payouts. It could be a winner-take-all format, or the top three teams could finish in the money, with the league champ taking home a proportionately higher amount.

2. Encourage trash talk: It's a great way to keep everyone involved throughout the entire season. Even teams that have one win, might not lose interest if they can exchange in some friendly banter. And fantasy leagues are a great way to stay in touch with friends you may not see regularly due to schedules or geography, so keep the lines of communication open.

3. Communicate regularly: As commissioner, it's not necessary, but it's a good idea to send out a weekly e-mail to the entire league updating them on trades, key showdowns or on the latest free agent pick ups. And at the start of the season, it's recommended that you introduce everyone with a quick e-mail. And if not everyone knows each other, then this works as a nice icebreaker to explain how each owner is connected to the league with perhaps a little tidbit or fact about each person.

4. Stay on top of transactions: Most sites are pretty much hands-off once the season gets underway. But sometimes trades and transactions can get held up because the site has a grace period or sometimes the site can get bogged down with heavy traffic. If there are technical difficulties, everyone is going to be looking at you to fix the problem. So if you can monitor transactions, as commissioner you are usually able to override the site and push through a move that might otherwise not take place before the start of games for the week.

5. Put on your zebra uniform: As commissioner, you're going to be called on to settle disputes as a referee. For example, if a computer error prevents a team from fielding a full roster, then that team's owner will be upset, as it will affect wins and losses. Stripping one team of a win and rewarding another team with a win will only upset the other owner, computer error or not. There could be a scoring discrepancy between the official NFL stats and the league scoring. Whatever you decide, trying to be fair and consistent in your rulings will help you keep tempers in check. The last thing you want to do is lose friends over a fantasy sports league.