LEAGUE OFFICIALS

Commissioner: Responsible for simulating games, maintaining and updating website, rosters and transactions, and keeping each owner informed of general league business. The Commissioner, along with the help of the Assistant Commissioner and/or League Presidents, will keep all the teams human owned at all times if possible.

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OWNER RESPONSIBILITIES

General:
- All teams are responsible for their own income and must stay active.
- All owners are registered on the forum as "TeamGM" and must stay active, this is how you will trade!
- The goal of the league is to field a competitive team while making a profitable organization.
- The purpose of the league is to have fun, so any owner who threatens, is abusive, attacks other owners, or, in any way, tries to undermine the league, will be subject to immediate grounds of dismissal.
- The commissioner reserves the right to dimiss an owner for acts detramental to the league (i.e. verbal abuse, fire sales, etc.). Unfortunately I've had issues with this in past leagues, so please try to keep it clean and be respectful to all owners.
- If an owner is going to be away for an extended period of time, the owner can give the right to another owner to update his roster while he is gone. No trades/signings can be made, however.
- Owners are encouraged to write articles about the league or about their team. Each team begins with only $2 million in cash, so it is important to become active in this area to earn cash for your ballclub: up to $250,000 can be awarded for each article written.

100-Loss Rule
- ***New GMs are exempt during their first year and Commissioner discretion would be in place during the entirety of this rule.
- Any team losing 100 games or more for 2 consecutive years will be put on notice.
- A 3rd 100-loss season will result in the automatic loss of their top draft status. The team will instead receive the 15th pick in the draft, with other teams moving up one pick accordingly.
- If there are multiple teams with 100-losses for 3 consecutive seasons, the team with the worst overall record in the 3rd year will be given the 15th pick, with the next worst given pick 16 (and so on).
- Any GM having a 4th consecutive 100-loss season will be fired immediately and replaced by another GM.

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ROSTER MANAGEMENT

General Roster Info:
- Teams must have 25 men on their active roster. Roster may expand to 40 in September.

Refusing Assignment:
- Some veteran players will 'Refuse to take assignment' in the minors, so the owner will either need to keep him in the majors or release him.

Releasing Players:
- When releasing a player, the team is responsible for the full terms of the released player's contract until the player is picked up via waivers.
- If a player has multiple years left on their contracts, the team is still responsible for the full terms of the contract.
- Releasing players must be posted in the forum, e-mails will be discarded!

In-Season Free Agency:
- In-Season Free Agency involves the acquisiton of free agents during the season.
- It is a bidding process where teams may make offers to a free agent to play for their team.
- Free agents signed to a team can only be signed to 1 year contracts.
- The highest offer made to a free agent 24 hours before a sim will be made to the player.
- Offers are made in the free agent claims forum with a message subject line of: FA Offer: (POS) (Player Name), example: SP Player Name.
- In the body of the message, the offer is made, for example: $1.5M. Since they can only be for one year, you need not indicate that.
- If the highest offer is accepted, the player will be placed on that team immediately after the sim.
- If the offer is not accepted, the next highest offer is offered to the player until the player signs
- A limit of two bids per session will be allowed.

Disabled List:
- Injured players can be placed on the DL for at least 15 days.

Waivers:
- Click Here for an extended explanation of waivers.

Designated for Assignment:
- As many of you probably noticed there is a section on the Team Transactions on OOTP called "Designated for Assignment". When a team makes a trade, signs a free agent or selects a draft pick, all players received are put into this section, which means that each team MUST designate the player(s) to ML, AAA, AA, or A (neither the game nor I will set this for you). I've changed the maximum number of days from 10 to 30, meaning that you have 30 (sim days) to designate them or release them. If you fail to export a lineup two consecutive times, the player(s) will be released from you team into free agency. This will emphasize the importance of owner participation and failure to comply on repeated occaisions will result in your firing.

Managers:
- Each team begins with the original Manager from the 1988 Season.
- Although the manager has no real effect on the team, managers can be hired/fired in the offseason only.

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FINANCIALS

Acquiring Cash:
- Each team begins with $2 million.
- Teams can trade cash for players, etc.
Salary Cap:
-There is no salary cap. However, teams are encouraged to spend within their own team’s revenue capability. Teams CAN lose money, and will be barred from spending on FA’s if they have negative cash in-game.

Revenue:
- Teams will receive revenue through ticket prices, and through TV contracts. The TV contract amount can change from season to season. Teams can also LOSE money during a season. Teams will be allowed to go into a negative balance, but if so, will not be allowed to participate in Free Agent bidding. Teams making money can put excess revenue into their bank.

Banks:
- The money made over the 20M mark will go into a team's designated bank account that is kept on the forum as public information so that everyone is aware of each team's financial savings. During the offseason, and only during the offseason, teams that have less than 20M in their current cash amount can (if they have money saved) withdraw the money from their savings into their cash on hand so that they get back up to 20M again. Teams may also use money saved to bring them out of a negative balance, or to spend on other things (like player surgeries, stadium renovations, or NTC buyouts, etc.)

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CONTRACT EXTENSIONS

General:
- Can be offered from May 1 to end of season.
- You will have unlimited on each player, however after a while the player may refuse to sign.
- If a player is offered Arbitration, a team can either choose to do nothing and the player will receive the stated contract for 1 year; a team can also offer the player a multi-year contract; or if a team chooses to do so, release the player.

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TRADING

General:
- Both teams must agree on a trade, one team will begin a thread with "Team-Team Trade" and the other must reply with "accepted" and with a brief explanation of the deal. The deal must be accepted within a 48 Hr period, or it will not count.
- Trades coming 48 hours prior to an owner's quitting or firing will be voided so as to forbid a fire sale.

What you can/can't do:
- You can trade injured players if both teams acknowledge the duration of the injury.
- You can trade draft picks for the current year AND the next season.
- You can trade cash.
- You can't trade after the July 31 deadline unless passing players through waivers.
- The commissioner and assistants can come together to void trades if suspicious within 48 Hrs of the trade.

No-Trade Clauses:
- ALL contracts/extensions for 3-4 years for under 8M/year must be kept for the first full season. (Contracts of just 1-2 years must be kept until July 1st of the first season on the contract.)
- ANY contract for 5 years or more must be kept until the final year of the contract.
- ANY contract for 8M/year or more (for any number of years) must be kept until the final year of the deal.
- Players with an “arbitration” contract are NOT bound by NTC rules.
- No Trade Clauses will not go into effect until the offseason following the extension. EXAMPLE – a player signs an extension in 2001. However, his new contract (which falls under NTC rules) doesn’t actually begin until 2002. So the player can still be traded for the remainder of the 2001 season with no penalty.
- New GMs will be able to freely trade any player regardless of NTC; however, the team who receives a player with an NTC must follow the NTC rules after acquiring the player.
- Players with an NTC can still be traded in 1 of 2 possible scenarios. 1) Player can be placed on waivers. If the player clears waivers he is free to be traded with no restrictions. However, this does NOT erase the NTC. The new team must be bound by the NTC rule in the future. 2) A player’s NTC can be ‘bought out’ in order to trade the player.

NTC Buyouts:
- Teams can spend cash in order to waive a player’s NTC. In order to trade the player, a fee must be paid equal to (years left on contract-1) x (player’s salary). EXAMPLE: Player has a 5 year deal for 10M per season. He is in the 3rd year of the contract. His buyout would be (Years left – 1) x salary = (3-1) x 10M, or 20M.
- Starting in the 2002 offseason, NTC buyouts will be pro-rated for the current year of the salary. Based on the current date of the sim, the player’s buyout amount for the current season will be determined by a percentage of his salary, as follows:

Before May 15 - 100%
Before July 1 - 75%
Before July 31 - 50%
After July 31st – All players must clear waivers before they can be traded. Players who clear waivers can be traded regardless of NTC’s.

- When an NTC has been ‘bought out’ the player is free to be traded in the future with no restriction. However, it is the burden of GM’s to show that the player has previously been ‘bought out’ of the NTC.

This must be done by providing the link to the trade in which the player was previously ‘bought out.’ IF no link is provided, the trade will be processed but the Buyout Fee will be divided equally between the two teams involved in the player trade.

IF either of the teams do not have enough cash to cover their half of the buyout, the trade will not be processed and will be held until 1) the link is provided, or 2) the teams split up the buyout in a suitable manner between them, or 3) the team without the cash raises enough cash through other means.

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AMATEUR DRAFT

General:
- There will be 5 rounds beginning June 1st.
- Before the draft, the commissioner will announce the All-America team of draft entrees. You will also be able to view the entire draft class and each individual player before making your decision. Note: Player ratings are subject to change according to commissioner's discrepancy.
- You can trade picks for the current year AND the following year.
- The draft will be done via e-mail/forum with each team having 24 Hrs for the first round and 12 Hrs for the subsequent rounds.
- The actual computer draft will be completed during the off-season, since you cannot hold a June draft for imported real rookies. In other words, you will not actually have the player until the offseason, but since you cannot trade the player anyways it should not matter.
- The e-mail/forum draft will make it easier for the commissioner as well as the owners during this time.
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STADIUM RENOVATIONS

Renovation:
- Must have at least $15 million in cash.
- Renovation includes changing Ball Park factors--Avg, 2b, 3b, Hr, Avg RH, Hr RH, Avg LH, HR LH.
- 80 is the minimum, 120 is the max.

New Stadium:
- Must have $25 million in cash.
- Changes include: Stadium name, Dome/Open/Retractable roof, Ball Park factors, Seating Capacity, Wall heights/distances, Avg. Wind speed/direction.

Moving:
- Must have $100 million in cash.
- Changes include: Team name and location (must have pre-approval with commissioner) as well as the changes included on the New Stadium above.

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OFFSEASON SCHEDULE

Free Agency:
- After the world series, the free agent bidding process will begin.
- 6 days will be simmed at a time.
- Updates will be each day after 10 PM ET.

Awards:
- Each team should complete an awards ballot to decide the players and managerial awards. We will use this vote rather than the game's selections.

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EXPANSION

OVERVIEW:
- The league will expand to 28 teams in the offseason prior to 1993, with the addition of the Florida Marlins and the Colorado Rockies.
- The teams will have the top 2 picks in each round of the 1992 Amateur Draft.
- The draft will take place during the offseason of 1992 before Free Agency.

ELIGIBLE PLAYERS:
- All players not drafted in our previous 3 Ammy Drafts are eligible (i.e. the 1991, 1992 and 1993 drafts).

PROTECTED PLAYERS:
- From the eligible list, each major league team will protect 15 players prior to Free Agency.
- As a result, each team must send by e-mail a list of 23 protected players because of the stipulations below.

EXPANSION DRAFT RULES:
- The Expansion Draft will last 3 rounds.
- A coin flip will determine the order of the draft. The winner may choose the 1st and 4th picks, or the 2nd and 3rd picks in the first round.
- After the first four picks, the Marlins and Rockies will alternate selections for the rest of the draft.
- A total of 26 players will be selected in the first round from each major league team. Each expansion team will have 13 players.
- Prior to the second round, each team will protect 3 additional players.
- The second round will proceed in the same manner as the first, with each team losing an additional player.
- At the conclusion of the second round, each expansion team will have 26 players.
- Prior to the third round, each team will again protect 3 additional players.
- During the third round, the top nine American League teams and the top nine National League teams by standings will lose an additional player, giving each expansion team 35 total players.

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AMENDMENTS

ARBITRATION COMPENSATION

Free Agent Compensation:
- Prior to the off-season, free agents will be classified as being Type A, Type B, Type C, or no classification.
- Teams will then decide on offering a secondary phase of arbitration to each Type A or Type B player.
- The Arbitration offer will be current salary times 1.25 for 1 season.
- If a team does not offer arbitration, the player can be signed without loss of pick.
- If a team offers arbitration, said team cannot bid on player during free agency.
- After players have been offered arbitration, the following conditions apply:

- If a team signs a Type A player, it will lose:
(a) 1st Rd Pick, if pick falls in bottom 2/3 of draft (11-30), AND their 5th Rd Pick.
(b) 2nd Rd Pick, if pick falls in top third of draft (1-10), AND their 5th Rd Pick.

- If a team signs a Type B player, it will lose:
(a) 2nd Rd Pick, if pick falls in bottom 2/3 of draft (11-30)
(b) 3rd Rd Pick, if pick falls in top third of draft (1-10)

- If a team signs a Type C player, it will lose:
(a) 3rd Rd Pick, if pick falls in bottom 2/3 of draft (11-30)
(b) 4th Rd Pick, if pick falls in top third of draft (1-10)

Teams losing Arbitration FA's will receive the following reward as compensation:

Type A: 1st round pick, AND a Sandwich Pick b/w the 1st and 2nd Rd. OR Two Sandwich Picks b/w the 1st and 2nd Rd (if signing team was protected).

Type B: Sandwich pick b/w 1st and 2nd Rd.

Type C: Sandwich pick b/w 2nd and 3rd Rd.

- If a team signs more than one Type A/B, following the above rules, it will lose:
(a) The original “compensation pick” as stated above, along with it’s next highest draft pick (along with a corresponding financial fee, as outlined below), which will be awarded to the original FA’s team as a sandwich pick, between rounds.
(b) Sandwich order will be determined from highest to lowest by Arbitration Point totals (see formula).

****In order to sign a type A or B FA, a team must make an offer of which the total value must exceed the arbitration offer in order to be acceptable. If no offers are made which exceed the arbitration offer, then the player will stay with the original team. EXAMPLE -- Player X is a Type A FA. His arbitration contract is 8.5M for 1 year from his original Team, Team A. Team B makes an offer of 2.5M for 3 years. Since the total value of Team B's offer is only 7.5M (less than the arbitration offer), Player X would go back to his original team. However, if Team C makes an offer of 3M for 3 years (total value of 9M) then Player X would go to Team C, since the total value of the contract exceeds the arbitration offer.

Additional Rules Regarding the Signing of Arbitration Eligible FA’s
- Each team can sign UP TO TWO Arbitration Eligible FA’s.****
- All teams can sign AT LEAST ONE arbitration eligible FA, even if the team has already traded the corresponding “compensation pick.”
- Teams which have traded the corresponding “compensation pick” are limited to ONE Arbitration Eligible FA signing.
- Any team which has already traded the corresponding ‘compensation pick’ for an arbitration eligible FA, and which then goes on to sign an arbitration eligible FA will forfeit their next-highest draft pick and in addition pay a financial fee. The fee will be deducted from the signing team’s in-game cash level and be deposited into the FA’s original team’s bank.
- The fee will be equal to 10% of the Arbitration Eligible FA’s total contract amount.
- The fee can be NO LESS than $2 million.

****Teams may offer contracts to more than two arbitration eligible FA’s, as it is sometimes necessary to make more offers in order to ensure you get at least one of the players wanted. IF a team has the winning bid on MORE than two arbitration eligible FA’s, the team will be awarded the players to whom were offered the largest contracts, with the other FA’s being re-inserted into the FA pool.

SURGERY FOR CAREER-ENDING INJURIES

OPTION 1: Cost is $3M. The player is placed on the team's 60-day DL, and injury status is changed to INJURED for a period of 60 Weeks. The player's durability is changed to "PRONE" and consistency is changed to "inconsistent."

Pros -- The price is cheap, and the player comes back relatively quickly.

Cons -- Player becomes injury prone, and inconsistent.

OPTION 2: Cost is $5M. The player is placed on the team's 60-day DL, and injury status is changed to INJURED for a period of 67 weeks.

Pros -- Player doesn't suffer any drops in consistency or injury rating.

Cons -- Costs more money, and an extra 7 weeks of rehabilitation.

OPTION 3: Cost is $10M. Player is placed on the team's 60-day DL. The injury status is changed to INJURED for a period of 75 weeks. Player’s current ratings are listed in the surgery posting, and ratings are “insured” to a maximum of 3 talent point drops for the duration of the recovery.

Pros -- Player is protected against massive drops in ratings.

Cons -- EXPENSIVE!! It takes a long time to recover.

AFL
- Each offseason teams can send up to 10 prospects to compete in the Arizona Fall League
- Teams will post a list of players who are not currently on the 25-man roster, who are 25 years old or younger in the designated forum area for the AFL.
- The commish will run a 30-game sim and post the results via BOSI for all GM’s to see.
- Any players listed by teams as AFL participants will receive any ratings boosts or drops they acquire during the AFL sim. These changes will be manually adjusted by the commissioner in the league file.
- Players sent to the AFL will also be susceptible to injuries acquired during the AFL sim.
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