Official Rules
Substantive changes made during the offseason are identified by red text. Non-substantive changes made during the season are identified by bold red text.
§ 1. Governance
§ 2. Participation Fee and Other Costs
§ 3. Prizes and Championship Trophy
§ 4. Scoring, Standings, and Statistics
§ 5. Clubs and Rosters
§ 6. Position Eligibility
§ 7. Major League Auction
§ 8. Minor League Draft
§ 9. Minor Leagues
§ 10. Player Salaries
§ 11. Free Agency
§ 12. Trades
§ 13. Bench
§ 14. Releases
§ 15. Roster Protection and Contracts
§ 1. Governance
1.1. The commissioner will be responsible for the season to season operation of the league.
1.2. The decision of the commissioner supersedes the rules and is final in any disputes. The commissioner also has the power to change a rule to close an unforeseen loophole or deficiency for the benefit of the league. The guiding principle for the commissioner is the overall good of the league as a whole will be greater than the benefit to any sum of its constituents.
1.4. The commissioner may request a general manager in good standing serve as the treasurer. The treasurer will be responsible for assisting the commissioner with the receipt of participation fees and distribution of winnings at the conclusion of the season.
§ 2. Participation Fee and Other Costs
2.1. The participation fee for the league is $10 per club for each season. The participation fee will be used to offset any costs to run the league and for prizes awarded at the conclusion of the season.
2.2. If there is no serving treasurer, not all participants have a PayPal account, or it is necessary to ensure participation fee payments by cash or check are not handled internationally, the commissioner may request all participants consider specialized third-party services, such as LeagueSafe, for participation fee payment. Specialized third-party services may charge a separate transaction fee in addition to the participation fee.
2.3. The participation fee must be paid before the start of the major league auction. Unless arrangements have been made in advance, the commissioner may freeze a roster or take other punitive actions necessary until the participation fee has been paid.
2.4. The participation fee is nonrefundable in the event a participant ceases involvement in or departs from the league at any point after payment has been made or is removed by the commissioner for any reason. The participation fees will remain part of the total participation fees used for winnings distributed at the end of the season.
2.5. A replacement participant assuming control of a vacated club after the payment of the participation fee will not be required to pay the participation fee.
2.6. Each season the previous league champion will be required to pay postage in order to send the championship trophy to the new league champion.
§ 3. Prizes and Championship Trophy
3.1. A percentage of total participation fees shall be awarded based on the final standings calculated by the rotisserie service used for the current season:
- Overall Points 1st 20%
- Overall Points 2nd 15%
- Overall Points 3rd 10%
- Overall Points 4th 5%
- Winner Three Balls Division 10%
- Winner Two Strikes Division 10%
- Most Points Batting 5%
- Most Points Pitching 5%
3.2. The club with the most Overall Points will be the league champion.
3.3. For the inaugural season the final 20% of total participation fees will be used to purchase a championship trophy for the overall best club based on points and this club will be the league champion. For subsequent seasons the final 20% of total participation fees will be used to offset any league costs.
3.4. Each season the previous league champion will send the championship trophy to the new league champion within one month of the conclusion of the season.
§ 4. Scoring, Standings, and Statistics
4.1 The league will use a rotisserie scoring system. Though the exact rotisserie scoring system of the rotisserie service used for the current season may differ slightly, in general, statistics will be accumulated on a weekly basis by all 25 players on the major league roster. To determine league standings, clubs are sorted by totals per scoring category, where the club with the best cumulative performance is first and the club with the worst cumulative performance is last. Standings are then updated accordingly.
4.2. The following 12 categories will be used to determine club performance:
Batter Performance
- Hits
- OBP
- SLG
- Runs
- RBI
- SB-CS (Net Steals)
Pitcher Performance
- IP
- Wins+QS+Saves
- ERA
- WHIP
- K
- K/BB
Note: Saves have been added to the Wins+QS pitching category for the 2011 season. During the 2011-2012 offseason, the league will review the use of Saves and alternatives or additions to Saves that value relievers.
4.3. A minimum innings pitched requirement will be defined by the rotisserie service used for the current season. If the rotisserie service allows for configuration of the minimum innings pitched requirement, a minimum innings pitched requirement of 800 innings will be set. Any club which does not meet the minimum innings pitched requirement will be penalized as defined by the rotisserie service or manually by the commissioner. If the commissioner manually penalizes clubs not meeting the minimum innings pitched requirement, clubs in violation will be placed last in the ERA, WHIP, and K/BB categories and standings recalculated by the rotisserie service used for the current season.
4.4. Ties for an individual category are resolved by the rotisserie service used for the current season.
4.5. Ties for total points are resolved by the rotisserie service used for the current season.
4.6. The statistics provided by the rotisserie service used for the current season are the official league statistics.
4.7. The rotisserie service for the current season is responsible for the technical processing of player statistics, assignments of statistical performance to players and clubs, and processing standings.
§ 5. Clubs and Rosters
5.1. There will be 16 clubs with 32RBL major league rosters using a mix of MLB American and National League players. Each club roster will consist of 25 players on the 32RBL major league roster and five players on the 32RBL minor league roster.
5.2. Each club will maintain a total roster consisting of:
- 2 Catchers
- 1 First Baseman
- 1 Second Baseman
- 1 Third Baseman
- 1 Shortstop
- 1 Corner Infielder (1B/3B)
- 1 Middle Infielder (2B/SS)
- 5 Outfielders
- 2 Utility (Any Batter)
- 3 Starting Pitchers
- 4 Relief Pitchers
- 3 Swing (Any Pitcher)
- 5 Minor League Players
5.3. A minimum innings pitched requirement will be defined by the rotisserie service used for the current season. If the rotisserie service allows for configuration of the minimum innings pitched requirement, a minimum innings pitched requirement of 800 innings will be set. Any club which does not meet the minimum innings pitched requirement will be penalized as defined by the rotisserie service or manually by the commissioner. If the commissioner manually penalizes clubs not meeting the minimum innings pitched requirement, clubs in violation will be placed last in the ERA, WHIP, and K/BB categories and standings recalculated by the rotisserie service used for the current season.
§ 6. Position Eligibility
6.1. For the purposes of the major league auction a batter may be assigned to any position he is eligible for as defined by the rotisserie service used for the current season. If the rotisserie service allows for position eligibility configuration, a batter will be eligible for a 32RBL position if he appeared at the position during at least 10 MLB games in the preceding MLB season. If a player did not appear in 10 MLB games at a single position in the preceding MLB season, he may be drafted only for the position at which he appeared most frequently.
6.2. For the purposes of the major league auction a pitcher may be assigned to any role he is eligible for as defined by the rotisserie service used for the current season. If the rotisserie service allows for role eligibility configuration, a pitcher will be eligible as a 32RBL starting pitcher if he started at least five MLB games and will be eligible as a 32RBL relief pitcher if he appeared in at least five MLB games in relief in the preceding MLB season. If a player did not appear in five MLB games as a starting pitcher or relief pitcher in the preceding MLB season, he may be drafted only for the role at which he appeared most frequently.
6.3. During the season a 32RBL batter becomes eligible for any position at which the rotisserie service for the current season allows. If the rotisserie service allows for configuration, a batter will be eligible for any position at which he appears in at least five MLB games during the current MLB season.
6.4. During the season a 32RBL pitcher becomes eligible for the pitching roles at which the rotisserie service for the current season allows. If the rotisserie service allows for configuration, a pitcher will be eligible as a 32RBL starting pitcher if he starts at least two MLB games and will be eligible as a 32RBL relief pitcher if he appears in at least three MLB games in relief during the current MLB season.
6.5. Once the season is underway an MLB minor league call-up who is signed as a 32RBL free agent or moved to the 32RBL major league roster by his club and has no prior MLB major league experience will qualify at the positions defined by the rotisserie service. If the rotisserie service allows for configuration, the MLB minor league call-up will qualify for (a) the position at which he appeared in the most games in the MLB minor leagues if he is signed as a free agent or moved to the major league roster before he actually plays an MLB game or (b) the first position he plays in the field if he is signed as a free agent or moved to the major league roster before he plays five MLB games. Once the player appears in five MLB games at one position, the standard position eligibility rules during the season take effect.
§ 7. Major League Auction
7.1. Prior to the start of the major league auction the commissioner will make his United Kingdom mobile number available to the league in the event a club is unexpectedly unable to attend the online live auction or their Internet connection is disrupted during the auction. The commissioner will also monitor the league forum in the event contact is lost with a general manager while the auction is in-progress.
7.2. The major league auction will be held live online using the rotisserie service or another service that meets the requirements of the auction. If the major league auction is scheduled for only one session, clubs should be prepared for an extended session of four or more hours.
7.3. During the major league auction each club must acquire sufficient players to meet the 32RBL major league roster and position requirements at a total cost not to exceed $260. A club is not required to spend their entire budget. However, unspent funds are not carried over to subsequent seasons and cannot be added to the $100 free agent auction budget used during the season.
7.4. Player eligibility for the major league auction is defined by the rotisserie service used for the current season.
7.5. Clubs will nominate players for auction in rotation, with the initial nomination order determined randomly and communicated at least two weeks prior to the start of the major league auction.
7.6. The club nominating a player opens bidding with a bid of at least $1 for any eligible player and bidding proceeds at minimum increments of $1 until only one bidding club remains. The club submitting the last bid then acquires the nominated player with a salary equal to the final bid. This process is repeated until every club has acquired sufficient players to fill the 32RBL major league roster requirements and all position requirements have been filled.
7.7. A club is not permitted to bid on a player it cannot afford to sign. For example, a club with $3 remaining and two openings on its roster is limited to a maximum bid of $2 for one player, leaving $1 for the final unfilled roster spot.
7.8. A club is not permitted to bid for a player who qualifies only for positions the club has already completely filled. For example, if a club has already filled all outfield positions and the utility positions, then it cannot bid on another outfielder.
7.9. A trade embargo will be in place for the four weeks prior to the major league auction.
§ 8. Minor League Draft
8.1. A minor league draft to fill vacant minor league roster spots on each club will begin immediately following the conclusion of the major league auction. Once the minor league draft begins, clubs will have 12 hours to make their selection when their slot is active. When the 12-hour limit is up the next club is permitted to make their selection and the skipped club may make their selection at any time.
8.2. In the first year of the league, the order of selection in the first round will be random and reversed for each subsequent round. After the first season clubs will select in reverse order of previous season standings for all rounds of the minor league draft.
8.3. The minor league draft will be conducted using a dedicated area of the league forum.
8.4. Any player who qualifies as an MLB rookie, is on an MLB minor league roster, and is not under contract with a 32RBL club is eligible for the minor league draft.
8.5. A club may only select minor league players until they have filled all open minor league roster spots.
8.6. When a player is selected in the minor league draft he is placed on the 32RBL minor league roster. This protects the rights of the club to the player and begins his minor league status.
§ 9. Minor Leagues
9.1. Once a 32RBL minor league player is called up to the 32RBL major league roster he loses his 32RBL minor league status and his service time begins for roster protection and contract purposes.
9.2. 32RBL minor league players do not have salaries until the conclusion of their first season on the major league roster. Once a club protects the player at the conclusion of his first 32RBL major league season he receives the 32RBL major league minimum salary of $1 for his second season. A 32RBL minor league player may be retained from one season to the next without any cost against the $260 major league auction spending limit as long as he retains his 32RBL minor league status.
9.3. If a player is released from the 32RBL minor league roster he cannot be returned to a 32RBL minor league roster. The only way a player can return to a 32RBL minor league roster is if he is selected in a subsequent minor league draft.
9.4. 32RBL minor league players can be traded between clubs as long as both clubs do not exceed the 32RBL minor league roster limit. Trades involving 32RBL minor league players do not have to involve equal numbers of 32RBL minor league players. However, if a club exceeds the five-player 32RBL minor league roster limit, minor league players must be released in order to meet the limit.
9.5. A club may retain a maximum of three 32RBL minor league players from one season to the next.
§ 10. Player Salaries
10.1. The salary of a player acquired in the major league auction is equal to the final bid for the player.
10.2. 32RBL minor league players do not have salaries until the conclusion of their first season on the 32RBL major league roster. Once a club protects the player at the conclusion of his first 32RBL major league season he receives the major league minimum salary of $1 for his second season. A 32RBL minor league player may be retained from one season to the next without any cost against the $260 major league auction spending limit as long as he retains his 32RBL minor league status.
10.3. The salary of a player signed as a 32RBL free agent during the season is the winning bid submitted using the free agent bidding process. If a player signed as a 32RBL free agent is protected at the end of the season, his salary is the value of the winning bid submitted during the free agent bidding process. The minimum salary of a player signed as a 32RBL free agent during the season is $1.
§ 11. Free Agency
11.1. Rules regarding the free agent bidding system are determined by the rotisserie service used for the current season. General managers should ensure they are fully aware of them.
11.2. Every club will have a $100 budget per season to sign 32RBL free agents using a free agent bidding process supported by the rotisserie service used for the current season. The $100 free agent budget is distinct from the $260 major league auction spending limit.
11.3. A winning bid is defined as the highest blind bid submitted using the free agent bidding process. The salary of a player signed as a 32RBL free agent during the season is equal to the winning bid. If a player signed as a 32RBL free agent is protected at the end of the season, his salary is the value of the winning bid. The minimum salary of a player signed as a 32RBL free agent during the season is $1.
11.4. If a club releases a player during the season, signs him again via the free agent bidding process for less than his original salary, and then opts to protect the player during the offseason, the club will have to pay the player his original higher salary in order to retain his services.
Note: Clubs may sign MLB minor league players (players with a CBS Sports Line M status) via free agency for the 2011 season. However, these MLB minor league players may only be placed on the Active and Reserve Rosters. They cannot be placed on the 32RBL minor league roster and do not receive the benefits of being 32RBL minor league players. This has been implemented because the commissioner and participants cannot easily police and prevent signing of MLB minor leaguers until and unless CBS Sports Line modifies their system. During the 2011-2012 offseason the league will assess the impact of allowing signing of minor leaguers during free agency has had on competition and participation.
§ 12. Trades
12.1. Rules regarding trades, including but not limited to when trading begins and ends and when trades are processed, are determined by the rotisserie service used for the current season. General managers should ensure they are fully aware of them.
12.2. Trades do not alter the contract status of a player. The contract status carries from one season to the next and from club to club as dictated by the terms of the original contract.
12.3. Trades cannot involve major league auction funds, minor league draft slots, and players to be named later.
12.4. When a trade is disputed or there appears to be collusion the commissioner serves as the final arbiter and will make every effort to obtain impartial third-party feedback in order to reach a decision.
12.5. A trade embargo will be in place for the four weeks prior to the major league auction.
§ 13. Bench
13.1. Rules regarding the 32RBL bench, including but not limited to processing, are determined by the rotisserie service used for the current season. General managers should ensure they are fully aware of them.
13.2. Players on the 32RBL major league roster who are listed on the MLB disabled list are eligible to be placed on the 32RBL bench.
13.3. Players on the 32RBL major league roster who are no longer on an MLB 25-man roster, such as players demoted or released by an MLB club, placed on the MLB restricted list, or suspended by MLB, are eligible to be placed on the 32RBL bench.
13.4. Clubs may place a maximum of five players on the 32RBL bench.
13.5. Clubs are not required to remove a player from the 32RBL bench when the player is no longer on the MLB disabled list or returns to the MLB 25-man roster. Clubs can opt to keep a player on the 32RBL bench indefinitely during the season.
§ 14. Releases
14.1. Rules regarding releases, including but not limited to processing, are determined by the rotisserie service used for the current season. General managers should ensure they are fully aware of them.
§ 15. Roster Protection and Contracts
15.1. Clubs must protect at least three and no more than seven players on the 32RBL major league roster from one season to the next. There is a limit of three 32RBL minor league players a club may protect from one season to the next.
15.2. General managers must inform the commissioner which 32RBL major league roster and 32RBL minor league roster players will be protected no later than four weeks prior to the major league auction. When the major league auction date is known the commissioner will inform the league of relevant dates via the league site and forum. A trade embargo will be in place for the four weeks prior to the major league auction.
15.3. After a player has spent two consecutive seasons on 32RBL major league rosters without having been released to the free agent pool, the club currently employing the player must either (a) sign the player to a long-term contract of a maximum three years, (b) exercise his option contract, or (c) release him, making him available for the major league auction. This does not apply to 32RBL minor league players not activated during the season. 32RBL minor league players retain their 32RBL minor league status until the player has been called up to the 32RBL major league roster during the season.
15.4. If a player is signed to a long-term contract, his current salary will be raised by $5 for each year of the long-term contract. For example, if a player salary is $10 in the final year of his original contract and the club signs him to a three-year long-term contract, his salary is $15 for the first season of the long-term contract, increases to $20 for the second season, and increases to $25 for the third season.
15.5. If a player is released before the end of his long-term contract, the club releasing the player will be penalized as follows: The club major league auction spending limit will be decreased by $3 for each year remaining in the long-term contract. For example, if a player is signed to a three-year long-term contract and is released during the first season of the contract, the club waiving the player will have $9 deducted from its allotted major league auction spending limit for the next season, meaning the club will have only $251 instead of the standard $260.
15.6. Clubs will not penalized if a player dies while employed under a long-term contract.
15.7. A player may be signed to only one long-term contract. After the long-term contract has expired the player must be released and made available for the next major league auction even if the player has been traded to another club during his long-term contract.
15.8. If a club exercises the option contract for a player his current salary remains the same for one season. After his option season is complete the player must be released and made available for the next major league auction even if the player has been traded to another club during his option season.
15.9. If a 32RBL free agent is protected at the end of the season his salary is the value of the winning bid submitted during the free agent bidding process. If a 32RBL free agent was signed for $0 during the free agent bidding process and is protected at the end of the season, his salary will convert to the league minimum salary of $1.
15.10. A 32RBL minor league player may be retained from one season to the next without any cost against the $260 major league auction spending limit as long as he retains his 32RBL minor league status.
15.11. Trades do not alter the contract status of a player. The contract status carries from one season to the next and from club to club as dictated by the terms of the original contract.