Comprehensive League Rules for 2002 Season

As of October 29, 2001

Additions and revisions made for clarity since the last time the rules were published are shown in bold.

LEAGUE STRUCTURE

1. Our league consists of two divisions as follows:

City Division	Suburban Division
Bardwell	Arnett
Dyche	Callanan
Edens	Danecker
Halgas	Graves
Martin	Lopeman
Vantrepotte/Ahrndt	Piotrowski
Wagner	Seydell
Wilson	Spatafora

The league will expand to four 5-team divisions in 2003. The alignment will be determined by vote later.

2. Divisional changes can only occur if:

a) All managers involved agree to the move.

b) A majority of non-involved managers approve of the move.

REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE & RULES

1. Each team plays a total of 162 games, 14 games against each divisional opponent and 8 games against each non-divisional opponent. Starting in 2003, it will be 18 games against each divisional opponent and 6 each against each non-divisional opponent.

2. A manually created fixed schedule will be published at the beginning of each season based on the results from the previous season. There will be 8 months of games with 2 off days each month and 3 days off between months 4 and 5 to simulate the All-Star break.

3. Our league is a DH league and it would require a 3/4 majority vote to change the DH rule.

4. All regular season games will be played in the computer autoplay mode with manual pitching and line-up selections.

5. All Super-Advanced rules are in effect except for “Force daily injuries” (because we do not use injuries) and “Allow extra pre-1900 errors” (because this is not pre-1900).

6. Injuries will not be used during the regular season or playoffs. Each manager must control player usage through roster, pitching rotation, line-up and strategy maintenance.

7. During the last month you may call up 5 additional players to your major league roster.

PLAYOFF SCHEDULE & SPECIAL PLAYOFF RULES

1. Divisional winners receive a bye in the opening round and the 2nd and 3rd place teams in each division play a best of 7 series to determine which team will advance to the Divisional Championship Series.

2. The playoff begins following one off day after game 162 and is a 2/3/2 format with the 2nd place team having home field advantage. There is one day off after games 2 and 5.

3. Playoff winners play a best of 7 series against their divisional winner to determine which teams will advance to the World Series. The Divisional Championship Series begins following one off day after the previous playoff series ends and is a 2/3/2 format with the divisional winner having home field advantage. There is one day off after games 2 and 5.

4. Divisional Championship Series winners play a best of 7 World Series to determine the league champion for the season. The World Series begins following one off day after the last DCS series game ends and is a 2/3/2 format with the team with the best regular season record having home field advantage. There is one day off after games 2 and 5.

5. All post-season games will be played on the computer utilizing the human manager option.

6. All carded players are eligible with the following restrictions:

a. Starting pitchers may be designated as relievers for the duration of the series, but may not start if so designated.

b. Starting pitchers must have 50+ innings to start any 1 game in a 7 game series, 100+ innings to start any 2 games in a 7 game series, and a (*) to start games 1, 4, and 7 in any 7 game series.

c. Relievers and position players are restricted to 10% of regular season innings pitched or AB's/PA's in each series. As of 2001, starting pitchers are also limited to 10% of regular season innings pitched.

d. Pitchers having both a starter and reliever rating can be used in either or both capacities as limited by the rules above and subject to the fatigue factor shown on the fielding report. A starter/reliever may both start and relieve.

7. A player who reaches the 10% limit for AB/PA/IP must be IMMEDIATELY pulled from the game in progress and may only appear later in the series as a pinch runner or defensive replacement and cannot bat or pitch.

8. Injuries will not be used during the playoffs.

9. Managers must declare their post season roster before the final month of the regular season and all players on the post season roster must appear on their major league roster at that time. Once declared, your post-season roster becomes fixed for all playoff series.

10. When submitting the pitching rotations for month 8 (October), each manager in contention who could possibly tie for 3rd place should declare a 1-game playoff starter. A different 1-game playoff starter could be declared for each potential opponent and for home or away. Then when the pitching rotations go out, all of the possible 1-game playoff matchups will be listed. When the lineups are due, each manager in contention who could possibly tie for 3rd place will designate which of their five standard lineups to use in each possible tiebreaker game. Whether this is necessary is at the discretion of the league secretary. If the secretary feels it unlikely that teams will tie for third place, then it is his option to wait until the end of the regular season and see if any teams actually do tie, at which time the secretary will organize the starters and lineups for a 1-game playoff.

11. In case of a tie for 3rd place (between two teams), the team with the better head-to-head record will host a one game playoff. This one game comes immediately after the end of the regular season; there is no off day. If head-to-head record is even, then the team with the better division record will host the playoff game. This tiebreaker is played in autoplay mode and the statistics count towards the regular season. The winner of the one game playoff advances to the best of 7 series against the second place team, without an off day between the one game tiebreaker playoff and the best of 7 series.

12. There is no tiebreaker playoff game for any spot other than a tie for third. Ties other than for third place will use the following:

a. Head to head record

b. Divisional games record

c. Combined record versus all playoff teams in division

d. Combined record versus all playoff teams

e. Dice roll

These same tiebreakers are used in case of any 3 or more way ties. For example, if there is a 3 way tie for 2nd place, then the two teams with the worst head to head records (combined vs. the other two teams) would be considered tied for 3rd. They would play a 1-game playoff with the winner of that meeting the 2nd place team (the one with the best combined head to head record). If there is a 3-way tie for 3rd place, then the two teams with the best combined head to head records would play a 1-game playoff and the team that had the worst combined head to head record would be out of the playoffs completely.

13. For a 1-game tiebreaker, any player not used up before the last 3 game series can appear. I.E. a player used up by game 159 may not appear, any player that was still available as of game 160 can appear. This also applies to starting pitchers, so the starting pitcher used in the tie-breaker must have a start remaining as per the limits set in the pitching restrictions section of the rules. Except for AB/PA/IP being used up as just described, the entire 30 man expanded roster used in month 8 would be available for a 1-game tiebreaker.

14. At the end of the regular season, the league secretary will create a league for each playoff series, and into each playoff league will copy all of the possible playoff teams for that series but only include the 25 players on the playoff roster for each team. The usage for these leagues will be multiplied by 0.1 (10%) and these playoff leagues must then be used to play each playoff series.

15. Managers must manually check for fatigue and any reliever who is T-2 (2/x in the STATUS column of the fielding report) after the 7th game of a series or at the end of the regular season is ineligible to pitch in game 1 of the next series. If there was a 1 game playoff due to a tie, then any reliever who was T-1 (1/x under STATUS) after that game is ineligible to pitch in game 1 of the next series, T-2 (2/x under STATUS) is ineligible to appear in both games 1 and 2 of the next playoff series. NOTE: If a reliever ever gets T-3 (3/x), then this rule extends accordingly. This fatigue factor also applies to starter/relievers for any start following a relief appearance.

LEAGUE DUES, FINES & PRIZE MONEY

1. For managers using only email, dues would be $40 per year. For managers requiring reports via regular mail dues are $75 per year.

2. League secretary will be paid any balance left over from dues after prize money and expenses as compensation for the time involved in running the league. This is from dues only, not fines or trade fees.

3. The dues will cover all postage not covered by trade fees, and supplies required for the computer gaming format.

4. $20 per team will be segregated for prize money and distributed as follows:

a) World Series Champion 50%

b) DCS Winner 25%

c) Playoff Winners 12.5% each

5. Fines will be assessed at $5 each for managers who fail to submit game materials to the league secretary on time. The fine is $20 each for managers who do not submit a complete voting ballot for all rule proposals following the mid-season meeting. Attendance at the mid-season meeting is optional, but voting is mandatory. The league secretary, as soon as possible following the close of voting, will publish a complete voting record indicating the votes for each manager.

6. Dues for future seasons are required once a manager trades any draft pick in the first three rounds or a total of 5 later picks. If you trade all your picks in the first three rounds you must pay the $40-$75 total in dues, otherwise you will be required to pay the $20 prize money portion of your dues.

BALLPARK REGULATIONS

1. Each manager may design his own ballpark or chose an existing major league stadium.

2. Upon selection of your ballpark, a manager signs an ironclad three year lease which prohibits relocation or redesign during that time. If you select an existing major league stadium, your factors will vary year-to-year with that park, as per the factors provided in the Strat game, but you are still obligated to stay in that park for three years.

3. Ballpark effect factors may not vary from right to left by more than (4) either way if you design your own stadium.

4. Teams which have fulfilled their park lease obligations may redesign their park or relocate prior to the draft. Once any changes are made to your stadium a new three-year lease is in effect.

5. You may not trade your ballpark under any circumstances.

DRAFT REGULATIONS

1. Managers shall designate 20 players from their roster as protected for the upcoming draft after the end of the season. The 20 man protect list may include players promoted from their Taxi Squad.

2. One player from the 35-man roster can be moved to the Taxi Squad as an Injured Reserve. Any player can be designated as the injured reserve, there is no restriction, but once designated all Taxi Squad rules apply to that player.

3. Once the protect lists are published, managers may trade to increase or decrease their protected roster prior to the draft.

4. All Major and Minor League players are eligible for the draft, however, a manager must maintain a minimum of 25 carded players at all times during the season to field a Major League team.

5. Draft order is determined as follows:

a) For 2002, reverse order of finish from 2001. In 2003 and afterwards, order of finish of non-playoff teams (best to worst), followed by reverse order of finish of playoff teams (worst to best).

b) The above sequence is repeated in all successive rounds.

c) Head-to-head record and then division record are used as tie breakers should teams finish with the same overall record.

6. Each manager will be allowed up to 60 seconds for each draft selection. If the time limit is exceeded, the pick is forfeited and the manager obtains a pick at the end of the draft. The official timekeeper and roster keeper will be allowed up to an additional 30 seconds for each selection. Unused time does not carry over to later rounds.

7. Managers are required to have a minimum of 600 at bats per fielding position and 1450 innings of pitching by the end of the draft day.

8. Immediately at the trade deadline prior to the draft, rosters and picks will be counted and anyone having more than 35 total players and picks will have their lowest picks forfeited until the total is 35. For example, if you have 21 players on your roster and 16 picks in the upcoming draft, you will forfeit the two lowest picks. This will prevent the hoarding of picks going into the draft and the confusion that results when those extra picks start getting traded or are accidentally used by the manager as was the case in the 2000 draft. You must trade your excess picks prior to the trade deadline.

9. A 5 man Taxi Squad will be drafted after the conclusion of the regular draft. Teams will draft until they have 5 players on their Taxi Squad.

ROSTER RESTRICTIONS

1. Each team drafts to fill a 35-man roster.

2. After the draft, managers may increase or decrease their rosters through trading.

3. Each team must maintain a 25-man Major League roster and the balance of the players are designated as Minor Leaguers.

4. A Minor League player may only be brought up at the beginning of the month. No roster moves can be made after the pitching matchups have been published.

5. Only pitchers with 20 or more IP and batters with 50 or more AB in MLB can appear on your Strat Major League Roster.

TRADING RESTRICTIONS

1. All trades must be reported to the Dennis' answering machine at 805-659-2554 or via email prior to the 24th of the month to become official for the following month's games.

2. All trades will be published in the league Newsletter once each month.

3. A $1.00 per trade transaction fee will be assessed to each manager involved.

4. Each Newsletter will contain updated rosters and draft listings.

5. All exchanges as the result of a trade must take place at the time of the trade and you may only trade players and picks which appear on your current roster and draft pick listing. The following trades are prohibited:

a) Any player to be named or delivered later stipulations

b) Any future consideration clauses

c) Any conditional stipulations

d) Any compensation for negotiating a deal

e) Any park trades or options on parks

6. "Loaning" of players is prohibited. If a player is traded, that player may not be traded back to the team of origin during the same season through any combinations of trades. A team may only reacquire a traded player through the draft if that player was cut or after the next season's draft is completed. (That means that for the purpose of this rule, "same season" means the time from one draft until the next draft. I.E. You cannot reacquire a player that you have traded since the most recent draft). Remember all trades must stand on their own merit and are subject to league veto and fines (see #11).

7. The trading deadline for the current season is the mid-season meeting that will be held at the end of month 5.

8. Prior to the season trading deadline, the only draft picks a manager can trade are for the upcoming season.

9. After the current season trading deadline has passed, managers may trade draft picks for the upcoming 2 seasons, but must pay all league dues required for the seasons in which picks are traded.

10. Offseason trading starts after the mid-season meeting and concludes at least 10 days prior to the draft.

11. Managers may veto any trade deemed not in the best interest of the league. Any questionable trade may be overturned if 3/4 of the non-involved managers feel that the trade is detrimental or appears to be a "loan" transaction.

12. Managers found to be in violation of any trading rule are subject to league fines.

13. Trades that have more than one part are strictly forbidden.

PITCHING RESTRICTIONS

1. Pitcher usage is limited to actual innings pitched.

2. Starters require 4 days rest between starts unless they have the (*) designation on the supplemental listing from Strat in which case they may start on 3 days rest. The fatigue factor shown on the fielding report is NOT to be used. I.E. no one can ever start on one or two days rest even if the fielding report says they could. And even if the fielding report shows them to have 3 days rest fatigue, they can only start on 3 days rest if they have a (*) rating.

3. Starter/relievers must be designated at the beginning of each month as a starter or a reliever and that may not change during the month. Any pitcher who is designated to start at least one game in any month will be considered a starter for the whole month.

4. If a pitcher has less than 36 IP remaining, then the maximum number of games he can start during a month will be limited based on the following chart:

In order to Start this many games:	At least this many IP must remain: (Without 6 IP Max setting)	At least this many IP must remain: (With 6 IP Max setting)
1	1	1
2	8	7
3	15	13
4	22	19
5	29	25
6	36	31

NOTE: Even if a pitcher runs out of innings before a start, if that pitcher was allowed to start based on this chart, then he will start the game as normal without any penalty.

POSITION PLAYER RESTRICTIONS

1. Position players are limited to actual AB's or PA's. A batter will only be removed from a roster after he runs out of BOTH AB and PA. If a batter has either PA or AB remaining, then they can continue in the next series.

2. Players may not start a game out of position with the exception that an outfielder playing another outfield position with the defensive rating subject to Strat rules: Someone who is rated in CF can start RF or LF without penalty. Someone who is rated in RF can start LF with no penalty but is -1 for CF. Someone who is rated LF only is -1 for RF and -2 range for CF.

3. There have been a couple of occasions where HAL would not allow certain outfield positioning even though it was within the rules as per #2. To correct this, the appropriate outfield ratings can be added to that player's cards. Each team, however, will be limited to adding OF ratings to at most two outfielder cards per season.

4. If a position player is approaching his at-bat limit, a substitute should be declared in the event that he runs out of at-bats during the month. A position player will be eligible to bat as long as he has at-bats or plate appearances remaining at the start of a series. The replacement will bat in the same spot in the order as the player he is replacing in all Line-Ups. Other reasonable defensive changes can be specified in the event of substitution, but manager profile settings cannot be changed. Whatever manager profile is set up at the start of a month will remain in effect for the entire month regardless of usage.

5. To encourage people to maintain adequate usage at the trade deadline, if they run out of players such that then run out of any infield position, or run completely out of outfielders, so that someone must play out of position, then fine them $10. This is a one time only $10 fine no matter how many positions they run out of.

TAXI SQUAD RESTRICTIONS

1. Players on a Taxi Squad are not eligible to play during the season and cannot be called up to the Major League roster.

2. Taxi Squad players and draft picks cannot be traded.

3. At the end of the season, when 20-man protect lists are announced, one of three things can be done with Taxi Squad players:

a) Up to 3 players may be released to free agency.

b) Any or all players can be protected on the 20 man protect list for next year's 35 man roster.

c) Any or all players can be retained on the Taxi Squad.

4. At the same time that 20-man protect lists and taxi squad moves are announced, one player from the 35-man roster can be moved to the Taxi Squad as an Injured Reserve. Any player can be designated as the injured reserve, there is no restriction, but once designated all Taxi Squad rules apply to that player. In order to make this move, however, there must be room on the Taxi Squad. I.E. another Taxi Squad player must be promoted or released. You cannot retain five and add an injured reserve to get 6.

SPLIT CARD PLAYERS

1. Split card use has been eliminated. Only the Interleague card provided in the computer game will be used for players who played in both leagues.

EMERGENCIES

1. For any situation that arises that is not explicitly covered in the rest of the rules, the league secretary has discretion to use his best judgment and make a decision. The league secretary may consult with other managers as time permits, but is not obligated to do so.

2. When the secretary makes such a decision, he shall immediately announce the decision with an optional explanation. If any manager in league disagrees with the decision, then that manager has 15 days in which to call for a vote among the other managers in the league. If a total of 9 or more managers vote to veto, then the decision is overturned and it goes back to the league secretary to render a new solution.

REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPUTER FORMAT

1. After the draft: Each manager must establish a computer manager strategy profile and a 25-man Major League roster.

2. By the 9th of Each Month: Each manager must submit his pitching rotation for the upcoming month's games, along with any roster changes for the month. He may also submit strategy and manager profile changes. If the manager fails to submit a Pitching Rotation Card for a given month, then his rotation will be the last five starters used the previous month, or the last four if only four were used.

3. By the 15th of Each Month: The league secretary will publish the pitching match-ups for the month, including a copy of your updated computer profile, and send out the Line-Up Cards.

4. By the 24th of Each Month: Each manager must submit 2 to 5 Line-Ups on the Line-Up Card. The manager must declare which line-up is to be used for each of the upcoming games that month based on the starting pitchers published in the Newsletter. Final strategy and manager profile changes may also be submitted. If a manager fails to submit a Line-Up Card for a given month, then his lineups will be the default 1 vs LH and 2 vs RH lineups from the previous month, with eligible substitutes used for any players who were sent down to the minors.

5. By the 1st of Each Month: The league secretary will publish the Newsletter including complete stats, standings, league leaders, next month's schedule, trades, rosters, draft listings, your current computer profile and the Pitching Matchup Card.