I. INTRODUCTION   (Back to Table of Contents)

This is the Constitution of the North American Strat-O-Matic Baseball League (NASBL).  It is intended to spell out the rules governing the league as simply and succinctly as possible.


II. LEAGUE STRUCTURE   (Back to Table of Contents)

The NASBL was originally formed as a 20-team league.  Before the 2000 season, the league owners approved expansion of the league to 24 teams.  The 24 teams are distributed evenly across 6 divisions in 2 leagues (National League East, National League Central, National League West, American League East, American League Central, American League West).  All games, including playoff games, in which the home team is from the AL will use a designated hitter.  All games, including playoff games, in which the home team is from the NL will not use a designated hitter.


III. SCHEDULE & SIMULATIONS   (Back to Table of Contents)

Each regular season will consist of exactly 162 games.  All games will be simulated by the Game Commissioner using the most recent version of the Strat-O-Matic computer baseball game.  Game results will be posted on a regular basis to the league mailing list.

Each team owner will provide instructions to the Game Commissioner on its management settings, rosters, pitching rotations, tendencies, etc.  Should a member fail to provide these instructions, the game's default settings shall be used.  These instructions may be revised by the team owner at any time.


IV. ROSTERS   (Back to Table of Contents)

Each NASBL team will have an active roster and a minor league roster.  Only players on the active roster can play in a game; therefore, only players who are eligible to play and have remaining usage can be on the active roster.  The active roster will consist of exactly 25 players through August 31 on the schedule.  After August 31, the active roster will consist of at least 25 players and as many as 40 players.  Each team must always have on its active roster a minimum of nine pitchers (including four pitchers with a starter rating and one pitcher with a closer rating) and at least one player carded to play at each non-pitching position.

The minor league roster of a team refers to every player not on the active roster of that team.

The total number of players on the active and minor league rosters cannot exceed 45.


V. ELIGIBILITY, USAGE, & INJURIES   (Back to Table of Contents)

In order to be eligible to play in the NASBL, a position player must have had at least 50 plate appearances (hereby defined as at bats + walks) in the Majors the previous season and a pitcher must have had at least 20 IP in the Majors the previous season.

All eligible position players can accumulate up to 110% of the number of plate appearances he had in the Majors the previous season.  So a player with 500 plate appearances in the Majors is eligible to have up to 550 plate appearances during the corresponding NASBL season.  Similarly, all eligible pitchers can pitch up to 110% of the number of innings pitched he had in the Majors the previous season.  When computing usage limitations, any fraction is rounded up to the next highest whole number.

The usage of all players will be checked regularly by the Game Commissioner, who will report all overused players to the league.  All overused players will be sent to the respective team's minor league roster and are ineligible to play for the rest of the regular season.  However, they are eligible to play again in the postseason.

Players with defensive ratings in the outfield are eligible to play outfield positions for which they are not rated, subject to the penalties defined by Strat-O-Matic.  In all other cases, players are not allowed to play positions for which they are not rated.

Only rested pitchers with a starter rating can start a game.  Only pitchers with a closer rating (of 0-6) can be used as a closer.  Teams must have a rested starting pitcher and at least one pitcher with a closer rating on its active roster for every game of the season.

If a team runs out of eligible players for a certain position (for example, a club runs out of usage on all of its 3rd basemen) over the course of a season, then the Game Commissioner will assign an eligible free agent to that team.  Each free agent assigned will cost the team one draft pick in the upcoming draft, beginning with its 5th pick.  (A second free agent assigned to the club will cost a 4th round pick.  If the club does not have that pick, the next highest will be selected.  And so on.)  Assigned free agents are not be eligible for the postseason and must be released in the offseason.

There are no injuries in the NASBL.


VI. FREE AGENCY   (Back to Table of Contents)

Free agents are defined as players eligible to play in the NASBL who were not selected in the annual Free Agent Draft prior to the beginning of the season.

Free agents can be signed by clubs throughout the regular season.  Each free agent signed will cost a team one draft pick in the upcoming draft, beginning with its 10th pick.  (A second free agent signed by the club will cost a 9th round pick.  If the club does not have that pick, the next highest will be selected.  And so on.)  Signed free agents are not be eligible for the postseason and must be released in the offseason.

As described in the previous section, free agents will be assigned by the Game Commissioner if a team runs out of eligible players for a certain position.


VII. PLAYOFFS   (Back to Table of Contents)

The first-place team from each division plus three wild card teams from each league (being the non-division winners with the highest winning percentages) will advance to the playoffs.

A season-ending tie in the standings, except for the final playoff berth, will remain a tie.  The preferred playoff seeding will be awarded to the team which had the edge in head-to-head competition.  If the season series was tied, a dice roll will be used.

In the event of a two-way tie for the last playoff berth, the teams will play a sudden-death game the day after the end of the regular season to determine the playoff participant.  Any players who have used up their regular-season eligibility but are playoff eligible will be eligible for this game.  The home team will be the team which won more games in regular-season head-to-head competition.  If the season series was tied, a dice roll will be used to determine the home team.

Each playoff series will be a best-of-seven series with the higher-placed team being at home for Games 1, 2, 6, and 7.  A simulated travel day will be inserted before Games 3 and 6 of each series, and two simulated travel days will be inserted before Game 1 of each series.  Note that a sudden-death playoff game would occur on one of the travel days prior to Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs.  The travel day will otherwise count as a rest day for all pitchers.

In each league, the top two division winners (in terms of winning percentage) get first-round byes; of the remaining playoff teams, the team with the highest winning percentage faces the team with the lowest winning percentage, and the other two teams face each other.  In the second round, the team with the highest winning percentage faces the team with the lowest winning percentage, and the other two teams face each other.

Home field advantage for every postseason series (including the World Series) will go to the team with the higher winning percentage during the regular season.  Should both teams have equal records, home field advantage is determined in the following order: a) divisional standings (i.e., a first-place team will seed higher than a wild card team); b) head-to-head record between the clubs; c) some random method chosen by the league commissioner.

Any unplayed playoff games count as rest days for the team involved.

Only rested pitchers with a starter rating can start a playoff game.  Players who are carded only as starters may be used as relievers in the postseason.  However, they can only be used in relief if they are "rested" from their last start, and their relief appearance will be treated as a start in determining when they are eligible for their next start.

Unlike the regular season, all playoff games will be played over the internet.  The logistics are to be worked out by the owners of the two teams and the League Commissioner.  An owner can designate another league member or HAL to manage his team in his place.  If the opposing team is ownerless, an owner can choose to play his games out with HAL managing the opposing team.


VIII. PLAYOFF ELIGIBILITY & USAGE   (Back to Table of Contents)

All players eligible to play during the regular season are eligible to play in the postseason, including those who exceeded their usage limits during the regular season.

Teams must declare their 25-man playoff rosters before the start of each postseason series in which they participate.  Rosters cannot be changed during a series, but they can be changed prior to the subsequent postseason series.  Each playoff roster must have a minimum of nine pitchers (including enough starters to start one rested pitcher every game) and at least one player carded to play at each non-pitching position.

In each playoff series, all eligible position players can have up to 10% of the number of plate appearances he had in the Majors the previous season.  So a player with 500 plate appearances in the Majors is eligible to have up to 50 plate appearances during each playoff series.  Similarly, in each playoff series, all eligible pitchers can pitch up to 10% of the number of innings pitched he had in the Majors the previous season.  When computing usage limitations, any fraction is rounded off to the next highest whole number.

Any player who has reached his limit of innings pitched (for pitchers) or plate appearances (for position players) during a game must be removed from the game immediately and will not be eligible for further play for that playoff series.


IX. NEW OWNERS & NEW OWNER DRAFT   (Back to Table of Contents)

The rosters of teams that are ownerless at the end of the season will be dissolved during the offseason, and the new owners of these teams will conduct a 22-round New Owner Draft from this pool of available players.  This draft will be completed before 20-man protect rosters are due.

Before the beginning of the New Owner Draft, current owners will be given the option to participate in the New Owner Draft.  If a current owner does participate, his roster will also be dissolved and added to the pool of available players.  The owner will be then participate in the 22-round draft.  Current owners that decide to participate in the New Owner Draft will forfeit all Free Agent Draft picks (see Section XI) acquired on or after the first day of the previous season.  (These picks will not return to their original teams -- they will simply be forfeited.)

The draft order for the new owner draft will be in serpentine format, with teams sorted by highest-to-lowest winning percentage in odd rounds and the reverse in even rounds.  These draft picks cannot be traded (although the players selected can be traded).

If a team gets a new owner in the offseason, then all Free Agent Draft picks forfeited due to usage penalties and free agent signings during the previous season will be restored.  Also, the team will: 1) receive supplemental picks for any picks traded by the former owner in the first 5 rounds of the subsequent Free Agent Draft and 2) forfeit any previously acquired picks in the first 5 rounds.  For example, if a new owner takes over a team that traded away its #2 pick and acquired a #4 pick, the team will receive a supplemental #2 pick and forfeit the acquired #4 pick.


X. PROTECT ROSTERS & ORGANIZATIONAL KEEPERS   (Back to Table of Contents)

During the offseason, each NASBL team will designate a "protect roster" comprised of 20 players.  These players will be protected from that offseason's Free Agent Draft.

A team's protect roster may include one "franchise player."  See Section XI for definitions and rules regarding franchise players.


XI. AUTOMATIC FREE AGENCY   (Back to Table of Contents)

All players selected in the Free Agent Draft can be kept for a maximum of 5 seasons.  Even if the player is traded, the new team can only keep that player for the remainder of those 5 years.  Teams can choose to a player unprotected before 5 seasons have passed, in which case any team that drafts that player in the Free Agent Draft can keep him for up to 5 seasons.

The "clock" will not start running on a player's 5 seasons until the first season that the player is eligible to play in the NASBL (that is, met the minimum number of PA or IP) after being drafted.  For example, if a player drafted in the 2011 Free Agent Draft is eligible to play in the 2011 NASBL season, that player can be kept until the 2016 Free Agent Draft (just like under current rules).  However, if that player is not eligible to play in the 2011 NASBL season but is eligible to play in the 2012 NASBL season, then that player can be kept until the 2017 Free Agent Draft.

“Franchise player”:  Each team can designate one pending free agent with the “franchise player” tag, which would allow the team to keep the player for an extra year.  There is no limit to the number of times a player can be designated a “franchise player.”

If a player's contract expires and he is selected in the first 3 rounds of the subsequent Free Agent Draft, his team at the end of the prior season will receive a compensatory supplemental draft pick.  That pick will be 6 rounds after the round in which the player is selected -- so if he is selected in the 1st round, his team at the end of the prior season will receive a supplemental 7th round draft pick.  A few caveats and notes:
1) If that player was traded after the beginning of the prior season, neither the team that traded him nor the team that acquired him will receive a compensatory draft pick.
2) If that player is drafted by the team with which he played the prior season, that team will not receive a compensatory draft pick.
3) If that player is selected in the New Owner Draft and then put into that year's Free Agent Draft, neither his team the prior season nor the team that selected him in the New Owner Draft will receive a compensatory draft pick.
4) No team can receive more than 2 compensatory draft picks in a year.


XII. FREE AGENT DRAFT   (Back to Table of Contents)

After protect rosters are announced, the league will have its annual Free Agent Draft.  The draft will consist of 20 rounds.

Players eligible to be drafted are those who: 1) were not protected by any NASBL team and 2) played at the AAA level or in the majors during the previous regular season.

The draft order will be the reverse of the prior year's regular-season standings.  In the event of a tie, dice will be rolled to determine the first-round seeding and the tied teams will alternate in subsequent rounds.  The team that won the prior year's World Series will be last in the draft order and the team that lost the prior year's World Series will be second-to-last.

The draft order for the first three picks of the NASBL draft will be determined using an NBA-like lottery system, as follows:
Each team with a sub-.500 winning percentage will be given numbers (up to 20) based on how many losses above 81 they had the previous season.  Then a random number generator will be used to draw numbers for the top 3 picks.  The drawing will be held within 1 month of the conclusion of the World Series every year.  Note that the drawing is only for the top 3 picks of the draft -- the draft order for the rest of the first round as well as all subsequent rounds will be as described previously.


XIII. TRADES   (Back to Table of Contents)

Only players who are on a team's roster may be traded.

Draft picks may be traded.  During the regular season, only picks for the next annual draft may be traded.  During a draft, draft picks for both the current draft (if unused) and the following year's draft may be traded.

The regular season trade deadline will be on August 31 according to the NASBL schedule. That is, no trades can be made between August 31 and the end of postseason play.  Furthermore, players acquired after July 31 according to the NASBL schedule will not be eligible for that year's postseason.

To prevent teams from "renting" players, a traded player cannot be traded back to his previous team for 12 months (unless the player is put into the Free Agent Draft or New Owner Draft, in which case the restriction period would immediately expire.)

The League Commissioner can put a trade "under review" if two or more owners complain that it is extremely one-sided.  A motion to veto a trade must be approved by at least two-thirds of the league's owners (not including the parties involved in the trade) in order to pass.


XIV. MOVING THE TEAM (ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES)   (Back to Table of Contents)

Every third offseason, teams can switch to any available organization without losing their current rosters (i.e., "move the team").  Teams will inherit their new organizations' ballparks and may switch NASBL divisions as a result.  The next league realignment will occur after the 2015 season.


XV. COMMISSIONER RESPONSIBILITIES & RULE CHANGES   (Back to Table of Contents)

The League Commissioner is at all times responsible for upholding the rules (and the sprit of the rules) laid out in this Constitution and looking out for the best interests of the league.  With this in mind, the League Commissioner has final say in interpreting unclear rules and resolving situations not addressed by the Constitution.

The League Commissioner may create supplemental picks in the Free Agent Draft to compensate owners for taking on league responsibilities.  For example, the Game Commissioner currently receives a supplemental 3rd round pick.

At the beginning of every offseason, there will be a rule proposal period during which all owners can propose and discuss rule changes.  The League Commissioner, or someone he appoints, will then draft a referendum ballot and conduct a league-wide referendum.  In order for a proposal to pass:
1) For proposals that have multiple options (one of which is keeping the status quo), the option that receives the most first-place votes will pass.  (If there is a tie, then the option with the most second-place votes will pass.)
2) For all other proposals (where the vote is simply YES/NO), at least 60% of the votes must be in favor for the proposal to pass.