SFMBL Constitution

Note: any items listed as custom are modifications made by the commissioner for this league, and are deviations from the standard league rule set.

These rules will be amended, as appropriate, once DMB 8.0 becomes available and this league switches to DMB 8.0

League Description: A 14 keeper league with the DH rule

  1. General League Settings
    1. 20 teams divided evenly into two leagues and four divisions.
    2. 162 games per season, 6 games played per week.
    3. Rosters consist of 35 players. 26 players are active, the remaining must be listed as inactive. 28 players may be listed as active after game 108 has been played. Rosters are reduced back to 26 for the playoffs.
    4. The SFMBL is run using Diamond Mind Baseball Version 12.0.
    5. For information regarding league dues, see: http://sportsattic.com/fees.htm.
  2. DMB Setup
    1. Both leagues make use of the Designated hitter.
    2. All games are played on the commissioner's computer.
    3. Weather effects are used. To keep realistic results, games begin in April, regardless of the real start date for the league, otherwise teams would be playing in the snow.
    4. The bullpen warmup rule is not used.
    5. Actual Injuries are enabled.
    6. Real ballparks are used for all teams. No ballpark will be used by multiple teams.
    7. Although no automatic rest days are built into the schedule, each team will be rested one day at the end of each week.
    8. A five-man, strict rotation is used.
    9. Interleague play is enabled.
  3. League Operations
    1. The following settings are available to each team owner during the regular season:
      1. A pitching rotation containing five pitchers, the first of which pitches the first and last game of the week, is set weekly. If the first pitcher in the rotation, set to pitch game 6 of the week, is injured or otherwise unavailable, you should set your spot starter for that rotation slot and notify your opponent at least 24-hours in advance. A pitcher can be used on less than 4 day's rest, but his performance may be impacted negatively as a result.
      2. A lineup vs LHP and a lineup vs RHP can be modified before the first of the day's games. It cannot be modified between games of a doubleheader.
      3. A manager profile can be modified before the first of the day's games. It cannot be modified between games of a doubleheader.
      4. Players can be promoted from/demoted to the minors daily
    2. Each owner is responsible for:
      1. Promptly voting on any polls, rule changes, etc. that are proposed by the league commissioner.
      2. Good sportsmanship and treating their fellow owners and commissioner with courtesy and respect.
      3. Responding promptly to other owners regarding trade proposals and other communications.
      4. Reporting any errors found to the commissioner as promptly as possible.
      5. Press releases are not required, but are encouraged by the commissioner.
    3. Game play:
      1. During the regular season: (Note: if you do not submit the items required below, the commissioner reserves the right to create entries for you.)
        1. In general, the game week begins on Sunday, with one game run each day from Sunday through Friday. No games will be played on Saturday unless it's a make-up game from earlier in the week. Deviations from this schedule will be posted by the league's commissioner.
        2. Pitching rotations and manager profile changes are due by noon the day before the first game of the week is played. (Meaning Sunday).
        3. Lineup and bullpen changes are due by midnight the day before games are played.
        4. Accumulated statistics, standings, injuries, team rankings, and league leaders are posted after the last game played.
      2. During the postseason:
        1. A 26-man playoff roster must be submitted a day before the first game is played. Rosters may be modified between series but not during a playoff series.
        2. Pitching rotations may be changed after the current rotation has run out. This league allows a 4-man rotation in the postseason. After the 4th game has been played, the rotation may be changed.
        3. Lineup and bullpen changes are due by midnight the day before the playoff game is to be played.
    4. Roster moves and transactions:
      1. Add/Waive transactions: Injured players cannot be released. Overused players cannot be released (See the Player Eligibility section below). Each request to add or release a player must be approved by the commissioner. When a player is waived, he is placed on waivers for 24 hours, during which time the claim from the team with the worst seeding will get preference (see the section on Tiebreakers for further ties). For 24 hours after the draft, all undrafted players are placed on waivers. After the 24-hour waiver period has elapsed, claims are approved on a first-come/first-served basis. Only players on the current season's disk are available to be added. Players can be added any time between the end of the draft and game 132. The commissioner reserves the right to deny any waiver that appears questionable. Player usage is cumulative; if a player has used 75% of his eligibility when he was waived, only 25% will remain for the claiming team.
      2. Disabled List: Players placed on the 15-day DL will be ineligible to play for 15 days retroactive to the day he was injured. It may be useful to e-mail the commissioner when a player is placed on the DL retroactively, so the commissioner enters the start date properly. Note: Doubleheaders count as two days and each rest day counts as one. If a player was only injured for two days, for example, and he is played on the 15-day DL, he will be unavailable for 15 days.
      3. Trades: Trades are available any time after a World Series until Game 108, the trading deadline. Trades must be approved by both teams and the commissioner. The commissioner reserves the right to deny a trade which he/she feels would compromise the integrity of the league.
  4. Player eligibility and carryover: Note: No rounding is done unless specifically stated below
    1. Any player listed on a current season disk is eligible to appear on a team's roster.
    2. Any MLB player NOT listed in the current player disk may be held if you had him on your roster the previous year. He may not be played, but does take up a roster slot. If this player is waived, he is not eligible to be claimed.
    3. Batter Eligibility:
      1. 49 PA or less: Batters with 49 or fewer real life PA during the current season (2000) may only play to their real life totals
      2. 50 PA to 349 PA: Batters with 50-349 real life PA are not to exceed 150% of their real life playing time (rounded appropriately after multiplying).
      3. 350 PA and up: Batters with over 350 real life PA have no usage limit. They may have as many PA as the simulated season allows.
      4. A batter must be rated by Diamond Mind Baseball in order to play at a position, except in an emergency where no other lineup combination is available--then DMB will automatically assign a player to a position. Note: in these situations (and in situations where DMB rests a player, such as a catcher, or uses a utility player, DMB may modify your batting order.
    4. Batter Postseason Eligibility:
      1. A batter may not have gone over his stated regular season eligibility by more than 30 Plate Appearances or 10% of his eligibility, whichever is less.
      2. A batter may only use 10% of his real life Plate Appearances in a postseason series (rounded appropriately after multiplying).
      3. A batter must have 3 Plate Appearances of eligibility remaining in order to start a playoff game.
    5. Pitcher Eligibility:
      1. 29.1 IP or less: Pitchers with 29.1 or fewer real life IP are not to exceed their real life totals.
      2. 29.2 IP to 134.2 IP: Pitchers with 29.2-134.2 IP real life IP are not to exceed 150% of their real life totals (rounded appropriately after multiplying, using fractions for partial innings pitched--1/3 and 2/3).
      3. 135 IP and up: Pitchers with 135 real life IP and above have no usage limit. They may have as many IP as the simulated season will allow.
    6. Pitcher Postseason Eligibility:
      1. A pitcher may not have gone over his stated regular season eligibility by more than 14 IP or 10% of his eligibility, whichever is less.
      2. A pitcher may only use 10% of his real life IP in a postseason series (rounded appropriately after multiplying).
      3. A pitcher must have 5 IP of eligibility remaining in order to start a playoff game.
      4. A pitcher must have started at least 5 games during the major league season in order to start a playoff game, 10 games for 2 playoff starts in a series, and 15 games for 3 playoff starts in a series (applicable only if this league allows a 3-man playoff rotation).
  5. Tiebreakers

  6. The tiebreaker procedures follow:
    1. A one-game playoff will be played only if two teams finish the season with the same record and only one can advance to the playoffs. The commissioner will flip a coin to determine who will be the home team. The game will be played on the day following the regular season, and no additional rest will be granted for the playoff game. If two or more teams tie and both or all would make the playoffs, the general tiebreaker rules will be used to determine seeding.
    2. General tiebreakers:
      1. During the season or for playoffs:
        1. Division winner
        2. Overall record
        3. Head-to-head record (if only two teams are involved)
        4. Run differential (Runs scored - Runs allowed)
        5. Most runs scored
        6. Commissioner coin toss (teams are assigned heads/tails by the commissioner)
      2. Draft order:
        1. a. WS Champion b. League Champion c. Division Champion (by record) d. Playoff team (by record) e. Record f. Run differential (Runs scored - Runs allowed) g. Most runs scored h. Commissioner coin toss (teams are assigned heads/tails by the commissioner)
      3. After the draft but before the first game is played:
        1. Draft order
  7. Playoffs
    1. Playoff games will consist of:
      1. Round 1: (best of seven - 2/3/2 format - seeding determined by tiebreaker rules):
        1. League 1: Seed 3: Wild Card at Seed 2: Division winner
        2. League 1: Seed 4: Wild Card at Seed 1: Division winner
        3. League 2: Seed 3: Wild Card at Seed 2: Division winner
        4. League 2: Seed 4: Wild Card at Seed 1: Division winner
      2. Round 2: League championships (best of seven - 2/3/2 format):
        1. League 1: Lower-seeded Round 1 winner at Higher-seeded Round 1 winner
        2. League 2: Lower-seeded Round 1 winner at Higher-seeded Round 1 winner
      3. World series (best of seven - 2/3/2 format - seeding determined by tiebreaker rules):
        1. Seed 2: League champion at Seed 1: League champion
    2. Playoff rules:
      1. All players are fully healed and fully rested before each series begins.
      2. A rest day is granted after every home stand (after game 2 and game 5).
      3. Teams may use a 4-man rotation during the playoffs.
  8. Keepers
  9. This league has the following policy on keepers:

    Teams keep 14 players from one season to the next.

  10. Other league-specific rules
  11. Owners that own more than one team in the league cannot trade players or draft picks between their owned teams. Additionally, the owner of multiple teams may not use another owner as a proxy to move players between their two teams.

  12. Miscellaneous
    1. Changing divisions: in order for teams to switch divisions, both teams must approve the switch, in writing to the commissioner.
    2. There are certain players in the league that, unless they are injured, the commissioner will not allow teams to bench for any extended period of time, unless there are extenuating circumstances. The criteria for hitters are: any hitter with over 450 AB and an OPS (on base percentage + slugging percentage) of .850 or higher vs lefties or righties. For pitchers, any pitcher with over 150 IP and an ERA under 3.50. Any such benching could be considered 'throwing games', and the commissioner can refuse to process the players move to the bench or change the team's current lineup or rotation. The commissioner can also lower the team's draft position in the draft the following offseason.
    3. Games will not be re-run under any circumstances. Since lineups are entered by hand by a commissioner, errors will occur. The commissioner and league members should work together to minimize errors when they occur.
    4. Any disputes between team owners and league commissioners should be brought to the Sports Attic commissioner's office. Decisions made by the Sports Attic commissioner's office are final.
    5. All team owners are governed by the terms of use of the Sports Attic site.
    6. A commissioner has the right to not invite a team owner back for the next season. A team found violating these league rules may be removed from the league with no refund given, if the season has already begun.
    7. These rules may be modified at any time by the Sports Attic commissioner's office for purposes of clarity or where the spirit of the rule was not matched by its wording.
    8. In general, other rule changes should be put to a league vote. A 2/3rds vote is required in order to pass a rule change. Teams have one week to respond to a rule change proposal. Any teams which do not respond during that time period will have their votes removed from the total (that is, it is as if that team does not exist when the votes are tallied). However, the league commissioner reserves the right to modify these rules any time after the world series and before the draft begins (note: WBL is an exception in that the rules may be modified until the season begins). A league member which disagrees with any rule change not voted on by the league may dispute the change to the Sports Attic commissioner's office.