NASBL  North American Strat-o-Matic Baseball League

 

NASBL Constitution 2007

01/08/08 revision

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction
Some Expectations

  1. Team Information
  2. League Schedule
  3. Supplemental Draft
  4. Regular Draft
  5. Stats
  6. Player Usage - Batters
  7. Player Usage - Pitchers
  8. Trades
  9. Road Playing Instructions
  10. Playoffs
  11. Rule Changes
  12. Disqualifications
  13. All-Star Team
  14. Dues
  15. Protests
  16. Fines
  17. NASBL Rule Interpretations
  18. League Expansion
  19. League Contraction
  20. Free-Agent Money System
  21. NASBL Hall of Fame

INTRODUCTION

NASBL is a play-by-Internet baseball league that uses the Super-Advanced version of the Strat-O-Matic baseball game with some modifications. The purpose of this league is recreational enjoyment, not cut-throat rivalry; it is intended to provide friendly and HONEST competition among men who follow professional baseball and like to play tabletop sports. Electronic communications via e-mail and the World Wide Web, although not required, is encouraged. Managers using electronic communications will likely receive more information and receive it in a more timely manner than those who do not.

SOME EXPECTATIONS

Managers are expected to have their RPIs (which stands for Road Playing Instructions) by a specified date. Results of games are to be mailed out regularly, thus helping fellow managers monitor player usage and providing them with the enjoyment of getting results on a regular basis. Members are expected to have played all their home games and have mailed out the results to the commissioner and visiting managers by the beginning of the next block, or a specified date which will be determined by the commissioner. Tardiness will not be tolerated.

  1. TEAM INFORMATION
    1. New teams will chose a team name and city and design their ballparks by the roster cutdown date. Existing teams may change names and cities only with approval of 2/3 of the league's teams. Existing teams may make an irrevocable decision to change ballpark singles and homers by a maximum of +/- 2 per year by notifying the commissioner by the cutdown date.
    2. The game schedule will be generated by the computer so that each team plays teams within their own league more often than teams outside of their own league, with a higher frequency of games against teams within their own division.
    3. At the beginning of each year, each team will cut down to a maximum of 17 players, with the remainder going into the supplemental draft pool, and if not chosen in the supplemental draft, into the regular draft pool. Of these 17 retained players, no more than 2 may have been used less than 50% the previous year. Note: Any "less than 50%" player that you trade before the cutdown also counts against this limit of 2.
      1. If a player does not meet the Draft eligibility requirements (see 4.10), but is already on a team's roster, that team is allowed to protect that player as part of the 17 player maximum, and that player is eligible for play during the current NASBL season.
    4. If a player has a combined AL and NL card his combined card will be used.
    5. Injured-Reserve - Each team can keep one player on injured reserve. This player can not have a card, (exceptions for low AB/IP players may be made upon appeal to the commissioner) and must be the property of your team (active or injured). This player will not take up one of your 17 roster spots.
    6. Should a team want to retain the rights to more than one non-carded player, that 2nd player will take one of your 17 roster spots.
    7. All players with computer cards are eligible.
    8. NASBL teams are aligned into two divisions.
    9. Since the league will be expanding after the 1999 NASBL season, the league will then be divided up into 4 divisions of 4 teams each.
    10. Division realignment will take place after the 1999 NASBL season.
    11. Every team must have 30 players and only 30 players on their rosters at all times during the season. Teams must also have a minimum of 25 active players on their roster during the season.
  2. LEAGUE SCHEDULE
    1. The regular season will be played from April to November.
    2. Specific dates will be set by the Commissioner each year.
    3. Each season will be divided into four blocks. BLK I - April/May, BLK II - June/July, BLK III – August 1/September 6th, BLK IV – September 7th/October
  3. SUPPLEMENTAL DRAFT
    1. Teams cutting down to less than 17 players on cutdown day will participate in a three round (maximum) supplemental draft before the regular draft. The draft pool will consist of all players cut on cutdown day who meet the AB/IP minimums. This pool does not include rookies and formerly unowned players.
    2. Teams cutting down to 14 or less players will draft in the first, second, and third rounds of the supplemental draft. Teams cutting down to 15 players will draft in the second and third rounds of the supplemental draft. Teams cutting down to 16 players will draft in the third round of the supplemental draft.
    3. Order of drafting within each round of the supplemental draft will be determined by reverse winning percentage, uncorrected for overuse penalties.
    4. Players not selected in the supplemental draft will go into the regular draft pool.
    5. To be eligible for the supplemental or regular draft, position players must have a minimum of 200 plate appearances on their card. A "plate appearance" is defined as an at-bat or a walk. Pitchers rated for starting only must have a minimum of 100 IP on their cards. Starter/relievers must have at least 75 IP, and relievers must have a minimum of 50 IP on their cards. Pitchers with 40 or more appearances will be eligible for the draft regardless of IP.
  4. REGULAR DRAFT
    1. Each team will draft from the pool of unprotected players that were not chosen in the supplemental draft as well as rookies and formerly unowned players.
    2. The date(s) and exact method of drafting of the draft will be set by the commissioner. In general, day-to-day drafting will commence immediately upon the commissioner's determination of which players are included in the draft pool. Managers have a maximum of 24 hours to respond during the day-to-drafting period. It is expected that several rounds of drafting will be completed during the day-to-day drafting, with the remainder of the draft concluded during the "normal" draft day.
    3. The draft will be conducted via e-mail by the commissioner or the commissioner appointed Draft Conductor.
    4. Teams may draft by phone, mail, e-mail or combination, or in person.
    5. If a manager does not plan on participating in the regular draft then a draft list containing that manager's draft selections must be sent to the commissioner or draft conductor before the start of the regular draft.
    6. If you plan on drafting by phone, you should notify the commissioner. When you are called for each draft pick, you will be informed of the other team's picks ahead of you, and from this point on you have a maximum of 3 minutes to make your selection.
    7. Each team drafts until they have 30 players. Teams who do not have enough players to cut down to 14 will be compensated in the last round(s) of the draft.
    8. The draft will be in reverse order of the previous NASBL season standings for non-playoff teams, corrected for player overuse, with the following exceptions: The third and fourth round which will be in order of the amount of free-agent money each team has prior to the draft (greatest to least), and playoff teams from the previous year, which will follow the non-playoff teams. Playoff teams' order for drafting will be the 1st round playoff losers, (in reverse order of winning percentage, corrected for player overuse), 2nd round playoff losers next (in reverse order of winning percentage, corrected for player overuse), etc., until the World Series winner is last. In the case of two teams having the same winning percentage (unadjusted for overuse), the team with the lesser amount of player overuse will get the higher draft pick.
    9. The commissioner may make one or more draft selections for any manager who is not available during the specified draft period or who does not make his selection in a timely manner.
    10. To be eligible for the supplemental or regular draft, position players must have a minimum of 200 ab+bb on their card. Pitchers rated for starting only must have a minimum of 100 IP on their cards. Starter/relievers must have at least 75 IP, and relievers must have a minimum of 50 IP on their cards. Pitchers with 40 or more appearances will be eligible for the draft regardless of IP.
  5. STATS
    1. Home managers are responsible for giving the commissioner complete game results files and boxscores for both home and road teams by the deadline. The preferred method of reporting results to the commissioner is to send him e-mail with the manager's game results and stats at the end of each block.
    2. Home managers are responsible for sending road managers game results files, box scores, and play-by-play files in a timely manner, unless the road manager requests otherwise.
    3. Reporting results is defined as turning in complete box scores and exported game results to the commissioner at midnight on the date(s) specified by the commissioner.  At the very minimum, box scores are due to all road opponents on the due date as well.
    4. Please keep all files of games played and series stats until the FINAL stats have been published. They might be needed if someone losses some stats, lost in the mail or someone is dropped from the league. A manager should check with the Commissioner before deleting away any series files.
  1. PLAYER USAGE - BATTERS
    1. No injuries.
    2. 100% of the players real life at bats (pro-rated to a 162 game season in the case of a short season) will be the maximum.
    3. The first penalty for overuse of players is that for each full percentage of overuse of each player overused, a team will have one-tenth of one percentage (.001) deducted from it's record for the purposes of securing playoff berths and determining home field advantage. ie. if a team has one player used 123% and one player used 122%, this team will lose .045 in playoff races. All player records, league leaders, and career stats will be corrected for overuse.
    4. The second penalty for overuse of players is that an overused player is suspended for one playoff game for every full percentage point he is used in excess of 104%. This suspension starts with game one of the first playoff series.
  2. PLAYER USAGE - PITCHERS
    1. No injuries.
    2. 100% of the players real life innings pitched (pro-rated to a 162 game season in the case of a short season) will be the maximum.
    3. Overusage penalties for pitchers are the same as for batters, with the additional provision that teams will not incur overuse penalties for starting pitchers who do not exceed the number of starts on their cards, if they pitch no relief.
    4. A starting pitcher needs three days rest between starts. Pitchers are not ready to start just because it is a new series.
    5. Pitcher endurance will be as determined by the computer game's SADV pitcher fatigue rules.
    6. Relief pitchers cannot pitch more than two consecutive games in a series.
    7. Relief-Start rule: A starter needs two days rest before he may relieve. With this two days rest he may only relieve 1 or 2 innings. He is eligible to start two days later. Example: Start Mon, off Tue & Wed, relieve Thur, off Fri & Sat, start Sun.
    8. A pitcher that is rated as a starting pitcher only, i.e., no reliever rating on their card, cannot appear in relief during the regular season.
  1. TRADING
    1. All trades made before the season take effect at the start of the season, unless specified otherwise.
    2. All trades made during or after the end of Block I will take effect at the beginning of Block II.
    3. All trades made during or after the end of Block II will take effect at the beginning of Block III.
    4. All trades made during or after the end of Block III will take effect the next season.
    5. Draft choices for the following year only may be traded. Example: Before and during the 1997 draft, you may only trade 1997 draft picks. Immediately after the 1997 draft, you may only trade 1998 draft picks.
    6. Once a team has received another team's draft pick in trade they may in turn trade that pick in another trade.
    7. All trades must be reported to the commissioner immediately. Trades are not effective until the commissioner is notified.
    8. There is no maximum as to the number of draft picks a team can trade within a season.
    9. The commissioner has the right to veto any trade deemed not to be in the league's best interest or in violation of trade rules.
    10. Players may be sold to another club for a minimum of $20,000. Money may be a part of any trade.
    11. Trades cannot include players to be named later. All players and money involved in a trade must change hands at the same time.
  2. ROAD PLAYING INSTRUCTIONS
    1. Instructions must be sent by the visiting manager by the date specified by the commissioner. ie. Block-l RPI's are due out by a certain date, same as BK-2 and BK-3 RPI's. Complete Pitching Rotation for both home and road games and complete Computer Manager settings are due to the commissioner at midnight (PST) on the date(s) specified by the commissioner. If a manager fails to turn in their team's complete RPIs for the correct block by the due date, that manager will be fined.
    2. RPI (Road Pitching Instructions) must conform to Strat computer manager lineups, preferences, tendencies, etc. in order to allow HAL to completely manage all road games for all teams, with the following exceptions:
    3. Starting pitchers will be designated by the road manager for each game.

    4.  The road manager may designate any number of players as ineligible, in which case the home manager will assign these players to the minor leagues before any series or individual game(s) starts.

    5. Remember to account for off days and consecutive games, when working out your pitching rotation. Starting pitchers are not considered to be ready to pitch just because it's a new series.

    6. Road managers RPI's may use any of the three available alternate starting lineups in addition to the primary lineups vs LHP and RHP. RPIs must include instructions on when to use alternate lineups if applicable.

  1. PLAYOFFS
    1. There will be two rounds of playoffs, the last being the World Series. Four teams will qualify for the playoffs. The two division winners and two wild card team will qualify for the playoffs. Adjusted winning percentage (without rounding) will be used in determining division champs and wild card teams. Division winners always have home field advantage when playing a wild card, otherwise the team with the highest adjusted winning percentage will receive the home field advantage in any series. The wild card team with the lowest adjusted willing percentage will play the division champ with the highest adjusted winning percentage in the first playoff round, regardless of which divisions the teams are from.
    2. Tie breakers for seeding and home field advantage, if not specified elsewhere, will first be head-to-head record between the teams, second be divisional record if both teams are in the same division, and third be +/- run differential.
    3. If 2 teams should end the season tied for a division championship or the last wildcard spot, there will be a 1 game playoff between the 2 teams. In the case of a tie between more than two teams, the commissioner will specify how these teams will compete for the playoff spots.
    4. 2-3-2 home and road format will be used. Teams will have a travel day between parks.
    5. Playoffs will be played following the season.
    6. Players will not be limited in AB or IP during the Playoffs and World Series except for players under suspension for overuse.
    7. Players with less than 100ab or 25ip on their card are ineligible for post-season play.
    8. Pitching rotations start anew with the 1st game of any playoff series.
    9. Pitches with a * rating need three days rest between starts. Pitchers without a * rating need 4 days rest between starts.
    10. Starting pitchers may be used in relief in playoff and World Series games.
    11. Managers are encouraged to play playoffs by telephone or live chat. The visiting team can have the choice of playing playoff games over the phone (it's his dime), AOL chat/Instant Message, mailing RPI, or other. The 2-3-2 format and days off between parks will be observed as with any other playoff series.
    12. Managers are expected to act in a professional and dignified manner when engaging in playoffs. If the commissioner is required to step in and resolve playoff disputes other than routine rules interpretations, a fine of at least $5000 will be levied on both managers. All playoffs will be played on a timely basis. The commissioner reserves the right to make RPIs and play playoff games on behalf of any team(s) whose manager(s) are not performing their playoff duties.
    13. Beginning with the 2000 NASBL season, playoffs will consist of division winners plus 1 wild card team from each conference (with bye for team with best record in conference). For each conference, the division winner with the second best record will play the wild card team in the 1st round, and the winner of the series will play the division winner with the best record in the 2nd round.
  2. RULE CHANGES
    1. All future changes to NASBL rules require a positive vote from a minimum of 60% of the league managers who are in good standing. Members in good standing are determined by the commissioner. This would make it harder to change rules and make sure that any rule change has solid support from NASBL. The commissioner may make minor administrative changes and decisions on unaddressed or poorly addressed matters subject to a veto of the majority of the owners.
    2. The commissioner has the right to make temporary decisions when a problem surfaces, subject to a veto of the majority of the owners.
    3. Majority vote is defined as more than half of the managers in good standing who respond to voting ballots within the voting period, which will last at least three weeks from the time a ballot is delivered at the last manager's home.
    4. There will be one, and only one, period following the regular season for league members to submit proposals to the commissioner for rule changes. The commissioner will consolidate these proposals and forward a ballot to all members in good standing for a popular vote.
    5. Denial of "good standing" status may be made by the commissioner after considering factors such as timeliness, rules infractions, payment of league dues, etc.
  3. DISQUALIFICATION
    1. The commissioner has the right, subject to a veto of the majority of the owners, to drop anyone from the league for the following reasons: 1. Repeated lateness 2. Cheating 3. Other serious violations.
  4. ALL-STAR TEAM
    1. The All-Star teams will be voted on after the complete stats have been published. An official ballot will be provided.
    2. The commissioner may nominate as many players as they feel deserving. Each nominated player will be placed on the ballot. Teams may make specific requests for player nominations before the end of the regular season
  5. LEAGUE DUES
    1. Dues will be $15 for each team that you manage. This amount includes compensation for the commissioner's duties which include the management, development, supervision, and expansion of the league and the league's Internet web site.
    2. Dues should be sent to the commissioner by the start of the regular draft. Managers that fail to turn in their dues may not participate in the regular draft, and may be subject to league expulsion.
  6. PROTEST
    1. All protests should be sent to the commissioner in written form describing the alleged violation....RPI not followed, illegal trade, etc...
  7. FINES
    1. Fines will be handed out by the commissioner to teams that:

0.       Fail to respond to a deadline.

1.       Don't turn in a draft list.

2.       Fail to get out RPI & Road Results by the specified date.

3.       Fail to turn in their final stats on time.

4.       Repeated lateness.

5.       Incomplete stats

6.       Other violations

7.       See Appendix A

    1. A manager who fails to meet a deadline will incur the following:

Be placed under a 10-day probation beginning the day after the results were due. During this probation, managers will be given the opportunity to turn in game results late, while receiving a loss of $2000 per day in Free Agent Money that the results are late, up to 10 days and $20,000. If the manager under probation turns in their results before the 10th day, the probation will be lifted. If the manager fails to turn in game results before the 10th day, that manager will lose his 4th round draft pick and the commissioner will play his games with the minimum computer manager settings (minimum settings to be determined by the commissioner). If he has already lost his 4th round pick, then the next highest pick owned by that manager will be lost. The manager will remain under probation until he successfully turns in the next block's game results in on time.

A manager under probation will not be allowed to make any trades with other managers until their probation is lifted.

    1. A manager who fails to meet a deadline for turning in RPIs will incur the following:

Be placed under the same type of probation that a manager who fails to meet a deadline for turning in game results would receive. The exceptions are that if the manager fails to turn in RPIs during their 10 day probationary period, then the commissioner will create a pitching rotation based on the pitchers with the least amount of usage, and the home managers will use the minimum settings when playing against that managers team.

  1. NASBL RULE INTERPRETATIONS
    1. All Strat maximum game rules will be used with the exception of the injury, home field advantage, weather effects, and playing players out of position rules except that outfielders may play out of position in the outfield in accordance with Strat rules. (Note: if Strat does not decouple home field advantage from maximum rules in 1997, super-advanced rules will be used).
    1. Offensive strategy such as looking for the lead, bunting, etc. will be guided by what is allowed by the computer game.
    2. Game scoring (saves, RBI's, etc.) will be as determined by the computer game.
    3. Pitcher endurance will be as determined by the computer game's SADV pitcher fatigue rules.
    4. The "Robbing Homeruns" rule will be used.
  2. EXPANSION
    1. League to expand by 2 teams after the 1999 season (expansion rules to follow).
    2. Expansion teams will build their teams from three drafts: The June 12th Expansion Draft, the Supplemental Draft, and the Rookie Draft.

0.      Expansion Draft: Expansion teams will select 12 players each from list of players that were not selected but were eligible for 1999 Rookie Draft. Draft order for expansion draft to be determined.

1.      Supplemental Draft: Expansion teams will select 3 players each from list of players eligible for the 2000 Supplemental Draft. Teams will select first and second in each of the three rounds.

2.      Rookie Draft: Expansion teams will select 15 players from list of players eligible for the 2000 Rookie Draft. Teams will select between the non-playoff and playoff teams from the 1999 NASBL season. Expansion teams will also be given one additional pick after the completion of the second round.

  1. CONTRACTION
    1. To be determined

 

 

20. NASBL Free-Agent Money System (see Appendix A)

21. NASBL Hall of Fame

1.      Each offseason a vote will be conducted to determine membership into the NASBL Hall of Fame

2.      To be eligible for the Hall of Fame Ballot, a player needs to have been retired from NASBL play for 3 full years.

3.      To be inducted into the NASBL Hall of Fame, a player must receive 75% of the votes of current NASBL managers in good standing.

 

APPENDIX A

NASBL Free-Agent Money System

Awards/Penalties

Deadline Awards

  1. $10,000 is awarded for responding to each of these deadlines in time:
    1. Roster Cuts
    2. Block I RPIs
    3. Block I results and Block II RPIs (both must be on time)
    4. Block II results and Block III RPIs (both must be on time)
    5. Block III results
  2. $100 per day for early submittal of results, up to $3000.
  3. $100 per day for early submittal of RPIs, up to $700.
  4. League commissioners earn the average of what all managers who are on time earn for the numbers 1, 2, and 3 above.
  5. $2000 per day penalty for every day that either results or RPIs are late.
  6. $500 for each team write-up of at least 40 words for the above deadlines.
  7. $500 for RPIs which o which information necessary to be mailed is on one single-sided letter size sheet.
  8. An award/penalty system for sending road managers results to be determined.
  9. $100 per game results file uploaded to the website on time.

Performance/Fun Awards

  1. $3000 for the team with the highest adjusted winning percentage (WP) that does not make the playoffs
  2. $2000 for the team with the 2 nd highest adjusted WP that does not make the playoffs.
  3. $100 each for MVP, Cy Young, Rookie-of-the-Year, and Relief Pitcher awards.
  4. $50 each for league leaders in the following categories: Batters (BA, RBI, runs, hits, SB, HR, Ks, GI-DP), Pitchers (ERA, Ks, W, L, Sv, blown Sv). $50 for any of the above which are league records. All adjusted for overuse.
  5. $500 to teams with more road wins than home wins.
  6. $50 for each all-star starter.
  7. $100 to team with most All-Stars for each division.
  8. $50 for All-Star MVP.

Usage of Free-Agent Money

Draft order of the third and fourth round of the regular draft will be in reverse order of the amount of free-agent money each team has. New managers will be awarded $10,000 per block of the last or current season, as appropriate.