PBA Constitution
Last Update: 6/30/2008
 

Mission Statement: The PBA is purely a simulation of Major League Baseball starting in 1901. It utilizes Out of the Park Baseball (OOTP 9), as an engine to manage and control professional baseball teams. The Commish reserves the right to make any decisions needed to ensure the long term validity of the league.

All decisions will be made final by the Commissioner, however he will consult the league and take votes on all pressing issues.
 
 
I. Owner Requirements
II. Simulation Settings
III. League Settings
IV. Roster Management and Exports
V. Trading
VI. Waiver Wire and Releasing Players
VII. Free Agency
VIII. Rule V Draft
IX. Contract Extensions
X. Rookie Draft
XI. Spring Training
XII. Finances
XIII. Old Timer Draft (OT)
 
I. Owner Requirements
 
1. An Owner must accept the terms of the rules and is the sole person responsible for all transactions involving his team.
2. Owners must own the latest version of Out of the Park Baseball and must be willing to purchase a new version if OOTP Developments releases on. The game is only $25.00. We are currently using version 9 with all the latest patches.
3. A reliable Internet Connection and AIM, because Owners must be able to participate in the forums/news postings, export files, send emails, etc.
4. An Owner must reply in a timely manner to trade proposals and other inquiries from its fellow Owners. This is an ONLINE league!
5. All Owners are required to submit a line-up export or a "no change" email at least once every three simulations. If an Owner goes three consecutive sims without submitting, that Owner will be contacted and then possibly removed from the league.
6. Owners must notify the Commissioner if they are to be away from the league for a period of more than one week.
7. Owners found guilty of tanking or collusion will be expelled from the league.
8. All emails to the Commissioner must have your team name in the subject or it may be deleted on accident.
9. The purpose of the league is to have fun, so any Owner who threatens, is abusive, attacks other owners, or, in any way, tries to undermine the league (taking advantage of loop-holes etc.), will be subject to immediate grounds of dismissal.
10. If there is a dead team, the Commish will run the team until an owner can be found.  Of course, no trades with the Commish's own team will be done.
11. YOU CANNOT USE ANOTHER OWNER'S PC, GAME OR WHATEVER!!!!  If anything else comes from someone else's PC, Game or Whatever, all will be kicked out (the two parties).  
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II. Simulation Settings
 
1. We conduct three sims per week, namely Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The sim will be done as soon as I can during the day (normally after work, but I reserve the right to do the sim at anytime after 8 am est).
2. FTP exports are due 30 minutes before the sim.
3. Simulation will be 10 days in duration. However, the Commisioner has to freedom to change the amount of days simmed if it is in the leagues best interest (trade deadline, September 1st, etc.).
4. Directly after the simulation, the league file will be uploaded and the web site.
5. In the event a simulation will not be run on time, the Commisioner will make his best efforts to notify the league and reschedule the sim.
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III. League Settings
 
1. Roster Limits: Roster limits will progress through history to reflect Major League Baseball. This site will be used unless another reliable resource is found: http://mysite.verizon.net/brak2.0/rosters.htm
2. Market Size, Fan Loyalty and Fan Interest are at roster set defaults.
3. Standard MLB League Structure. This will follow history. In addition, the league will expand and change as did major league history.
4.

Financial System: Enabled

Revenue Sharing:

At this time, there is no revenue sharing. Visting team gets 20% of the gate.
5. Scouts are turned off. Coaching will be turned on and we will use real managers and coaches.
6. Currently there is two minor leagues: AAA and AA. This can and will change through history.
7. Injuries and Suspensions are on (drug suspensions are off).
8. Injury Frequency: Low
9. Position Player Fatigue: Enabled
10.

Ratings System: All Talent and Ratings are displayed on a 1-20 scale. Additional settings:

Financial coefficient at 1.000

Bat Age .505
Bat Dev 1.5
P Age .635
P dev 1.2
Talent Change at 100
11. Era: Deadball
12. Team Cash Maximum: $300,000,000
13. Salary Cap: None
14. Amateur Draft Rounds: Will import real draft classes. The commissioner will edit the picks to reflect real positions and defense (only because history shows it is not correct).
15. Amateur Draft held: June 15
16. Arbitration: Enabled
17. Minor League Option Years: Enabled
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IV. Roster Management and Exports
 
1. Teams must carry the required number of players on their active roster at all times. It is the Owner's responsibility to make necessary lineup changes to keep the major league roster at this level.
2. From September 1st until the end of the regular season, teams may expand their active rosters to a maximum of 40 players.
3. Minor League rosters consist of the 2 levels: AAA & AA. There can be a maximum of 50 players at each minor league level.
4. Owners may place any injured player on the disabled list (DL) at any time during his injury. Once a player is placed on the DL, he must stay on the DL for 15 days. When a player heals from an injury, he MUST be placed back on the active roster or a minor league roster immediately. Players on the active roster that were put on the DL MUST return to the active roster and cannot be send to the minors via the DL.
5. It is the responsibility of an Owner to promote/demote players from the majors and minors (including within the minor league system) and to ensure healthy players come off the DL when they are eligible. Within the OOTP game engine, Owners can opt for the CPU to handle their minor league system.
6. A player may refuse to be demoted to minors based on its salary and/or experience. In these cases, an Owner would have to decide whether to release him (see Releasing Players), trade him or keep him on the active roster.
7. Only the Commissioner is allowed to move players from one team to another team. Owners are not allowed to process trades or release players into the free agent pool on their own files.
8. Owners have the freedom to schedule promotion days, set their ticket prices and set team and player strategies.
9. If a player is a DFA and it interrupts a sim, the Commish will do his best to find a place on your team for the player, but it may result in the player being released.  The Commish uses his common sense, not yours.
10. A Player cannot be listed as a DH as his primary position.  Anyone found to have a player listed at DH, will be fined $100,000 per sim.
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V. Trading
 
1. Trading Blocks will be used through the OOTP game engine. However, Owners are welcome to post detailed trade block info to the Forum to include what they are looking for, etc.
2. Trades should be discussed through PMs using the Forum, Email, or using AIM.
3. Owners must respond to ALL trade offers, even if the answer is a simple "no." Repeated failure to respond may result in dismissal from the league.
4. When a trade agreement has been reached, one Owner should create a post on the Forum. The other Owner involved should confirm the trade. Trades are finalized when both teams post all details of the trade and the Commissioner confirms the trade. Here is the format to post a trade:

Cincinnati Reds trade LF Ken Griffey (ML) and SP Jose Rijo (AAA) to the SF Giants for LF Barry Bonds,(ML) 3 M in cash.

If it is not in this format, it will not be accepted.
5. Trades will be processed AFTER the games of the simulation are simulated. The Commissioner will reply with a "processed" message and "close" the thread when the trade is processed.
6. Trades WILL NOT be judged for fairness, there are too many stupid trades in the MLB already.  If someone really feels a trade is based on cheating, a vote can be called.  A trade must be called for a vote within 2 sims and it takes a 75% vote of all owners (not just owners voting) to overturn a trade.  A trade should only be overturned due to cheating and if a trade is over turned it should be followed the exit of the cheating owner.
7. A trade committee exists to overlook lopsided trades.  If a trade is deemed to be lopsided by the trade committee, it can be overturned.  Each owner will have one vote, with the Commish holding two (for tie breakers).  IF YOU THINK A TRADE IS LOPSIDED, EMAIL THE COMMISH WITH AN EXPLANATION OF WHY YOU THINK IT IS LOPSIDED.  I WILL THEN TALK TO THE COMMITTEE ABOUT THE TRADE.  If you have 3-5 trades overturned, changes need to be made.  These are not hard and fast rules, but will be decided case by case.  It will be very hard to get trades overturned and they will be very rare.  I hope this pleases some owners that have wanted this to be enacted for a while.  If you post on the board or email DJ, Gary or Bill about the trade, before you contact me and I email you back, it will not be open to be overturned.  Of course you can comment on trades and make fun of people, but you cannot use the phrase "overturn" or anything like it.  
8. You may trade players, and cash. However, each trade must involve at least one player from each team.
9. Trading of draft picks is not allowed.
10. The trade deadline is August 31st of each simulation year. Trades can be made again as soon as the league file of the new season is available.  Waiver trades are allowed.
11. Trades will be processed after the next sim.  If a player is hurt after you have traded for him, it is very bad luck.
12. Trade restrictions apply for the following type of players:
  a.
b.		 Players signed as an unrestricted free agent during pre-season cannot be traded until July 1st of that year.
Players signed as a free agent during the season cannot be traded until July 1st of that year.
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VI. Waiver Wire and Releasing Players
 
1. Waivers is handled by the game.  If you want to pull someone back if they are claimed, I advise emailing the Commish to be sure it is done.
2. If more than one team claims a player the team with the worst record will be awarded the player.
3. The new team is responsible for the entire remaining contract of the player. The old team is released from all financial obligations towards the player.
4. During the period the player is on waivers, the waiving team may pull that player off waivers if the game allows.
5. Keep in mind, if you bring a player up for a promotion the majors (even Sept call ups), they may still have to clear waivers before being put back in the minors if they are out of option years.  This is different than the major leagues, so be aware and forewarned.  This is not a PBA rule, it is how OOTP works at the present time.
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VII. Free Agency
 
Off-Season
1. A free agent signing period will be held prior to each season. A detailed schedule will be posted prior to each off-season.
2. Owners should export their offers via ftp.
3. When signing a free agent during off-season, trade restrictions apply.
During the Season
5. Remaining unsigned free agents will go into the free agent pool and are available for signing by any team until September 1st.
6. Owners must make a post on the Forum with the amount of salary they want to offer the player.
7. Bidding is closed after 48 hours have passed since the most recent bid.
8. Highest bid will be placed in the game first and then in order of next highest bid.
9. Bids should look like the following: Cito Gaston 2 years 400K per year Braves
10. When signing a free agent during the season, trade restrictions apply!
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VIII. Rule V Draft
1.  The Rule V draft will be held every off season after Free Agency is over and before Spring Training.  Each team will be able to set their 40 man rosters (look at the transactions screen for your team and the legend in the bottom right corner to see which of your players are eligible for the draft) up until the draft starts.  Once the draft starts, NO TEAM will be allowed to change anything about their 40 man roster.If you go to YOUR team's transactions page, there is a legend in the bottom right corner.  You will find that a # sign by the players name means they are not on the 40 man roster AND are eligible to be drafted in the Rule V draft.  Obviously, this means you could lose them in the draft.  Not everyone not on the 40 man is eligible, so please take the time to protect who you want (by merely placing them on the 40 man roster, they are protected). 
2.  During the draft you can either show up live and pick or email a list to the commish.  When it is your turn (order is based by OOTP on last year's record) you can choose a player (if you have a spot on your 40 man roster to choose).  If chosen, you are then responsible for the total contract just like you would if you had traded for him. If you choose a player, he must stay on your 40 Man and 25 Man roster, unless the player his hurt.  He may be placed on the 15 day DL (not the 60 Day, thus he must stay on the 40 Man).  If he is on the DL 2 sims after the 15 days are up, he will be cut.  A player may be picked during the live draft of a list may be sent to the Commish to pick for you.
3.  If any owner moves the player off the 25 Man or the 40 Man (even if by accident), the player will be cut.  1st offense -- 5M fine; 2nd offense -- 10M fine; 3rd offense -- 15M fine if allowed to stay in the league/possible expulsion
 
IX. Contract Extensions
 
1. Contract extensions may be offered at any point during the season to those players whose current contract expires at the end of the season.
2. Owners are not allowed to change the role of a player during the negotiations to a role that would pay the player less than the role he is predominantly playing.  No player may be listed as a DH.  Another position much be chosen (even if he plays as a DH fulltime), unless no position is available on his player card.
3. When offering a player a salary of $10,000,000 or more, the contract length must be at least TWO years. In addition, for such a player trade restrictions apply.
4. After the three automatic years ($300,000), players are up for another three years of arbitration before they become free agents. There are three choices of how an Owner can handle a player eligible for arbitration:
  a. Do Nothing. The OOTP game engine arbitrator will automatically assign him a salary for the current season.
  b. Release him at the end of the season. This works as a method of refusing to offer a player salary arbitration.
  c. Sign him to a multi-year extension and avoid arbitration.
5. The deadline for offering contract extensions and releasing arbitration eligible players is the same as the deadline for submitting exports for the World Series.
6. Contract Extensions are handled from within the game, may be done any time, and as many tries as the player gives you.

After the fiasco stemming from contract incentives and bonuses, the GB has come up with a set of guidelines to be followed when offering contract incentives and bonuses to players. These guidelines cover both free agent offers and extensions for current players.

- For all players: The dollar amount offered for a contract incentive will be no more than 50% of the highest valued non-option year of the contract, not to exceed $2.5 million

- For hitters: The Plate Appearance contract incentive may be set no higher than 625 PAs

- For SPs: The Innings Pitched contract incentive may be set no higher than 225 IP

- For MR/CLs: The Innings Pitched contract incentive may be set no higher than 90 IP. Also, because the Reliever Of The Year is a custom in-game award, a member of the GB will check the contract of whatever player is selected Reliever Of The Year to see if he has a bonus for winning. If so, the money will be taken from the team, because there is no way for it to happen in game.

Penalties for breaking these rules:
1. Player is released to free agency
2. If the player was a free agent, the team loses the monetary value of the current year the player is signed for, plus the value of the incentive.
3. If the player was signed to an extension, the team loses the monetary value of the first year of the extension, plus the value of the incentive.
7. All offers should be in the same form as free agent bids.  Ex: LF Hank Aaron 6 years 7M per year Tigers.
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X. Rookie Draft
 
1. The rookie draft will be as many rounds as needed and will be in order of worst team-to-best team, record wise from the previous season.
2. Draft pick compensation is turned on.
3. The league will use the rookies generated by the OOTP game engine as they were historically drafted.
4. Draft date is June 15st.
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XI. Spring Training
 
1. Spring Training will be conducted during the Off-Season.
2. Owners may export their spring training allocations on how they allocate the training points.
3. Owners that choose not to export their spring training allocations may either select 'Straight 5' or 'Ask the Coaching Staff' via email.
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XII. Finances
 
1. All Owners are responsible for maintaining their teams own income and are accordingly responsible for making an effort to turn a profit.
2. There is a 300,000,000 salary cap, that is in essence not a salary cap. Owners can spend whatever money they want, as long as they have it.
3. A team cannot have more than $500,000,000 in cash. If you are over $500,000,000 when the season ends, the OOTP game engine will cut it down.
4. Owners may change ticket prices at any time of the year.
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Final Note: Any rule stated in this document may change, and is open to interpretation by league officials for the betterment of the league.  If you have a question, just ask.   With that said, the majority of rules will be added via a league vote.  If there are any questions, please contact the Commish in advance.

 

 

*all credit given where deserved