I'm playing something like 10 to 15 games per week right now (my in-game alias at the moment is "Briareos", BTW; subject to change) and I can happily report that the game is not unplayable
The bizarre arrangement (I wouldn't call it "rule", and I wouldn't call it "bug" either because it seems deliberate) implemented by Cyanide with automatic concessions on pitch clearances should be changed.
It's a matter of basic common sense, devs. There should be no such thing as a concession imposed automatically by the program. That opens the door to abuse.
While we are at it, a match that reaches a pre-determined number of turns (24, say) without a score should be declared a 0-0 draw. The whole business with players that start vanishing and whatnot is, again, clumsy and a tad bizarre.
All fine and dandy, but...
That's no excuse to behave like a *ç%&.
We all have wretched games. Games in which nothing goes right in spite of not doing much wrong. Games in which the opponent pounds our team into the dirt. Games in which the opponent ignores the ball and pounds our team into the dirt some more. Games that are just no fun. "Lame duck" endgame scenarios are common, both in BB and DB. They would still occur, even without Cyanide's bizarre arrangements.
That's what concessions are for.
Contrary to the macho posturing that is so prevalent in our community, there's no shame in conceding a match that is going nowhere. Just do it properly, don't disconnect. And above all, don't throw a tantrum and start griefing your opponent. Even when he is taking his sweet time to pound you into the dirt. Even when he's trying to "steal" your precious MVP.
Digression: at this point, a mention of the need to implement the "any players with 51 SPPs or more will leave the team on a roll of 1-3 on a D6 if you concede" rule would be right on cue. OK, why not. Lots of luck with that.