*2009 USBA Constitution*
USBA: UNITED STRAT
BASEBALL ASSOCIATION
SECTION 1
LEAGUE OVERVIEW: The USBA is a continous ownership salary capped league
that will consist of 20 individually owned teams. All USBA games will be played head to head, via the internet, using
the most current version of Strat-o-matic CD-ROM computer based game. The Commissioner reserves the right to do what ever
is required during the season to do what is deamed to be in the best interest of the league.
SECTION 1.1
USBA Members are required
to own the latest version of Strat-o-matic CD-ROM computer baseball game, currently 14.0 and have AOL Instant Messenger.
SECTION 1.2
You must have a high
speed internet connection to compete in the USBA.
SECTION 1.3
All games are to
be played without dice mode unless mutually agreed upon by both owners. Games
will never start in dice mode; they must always start in computer mode.
SECTION 1.4
You must have the colored stadium disk; this gives our league a consistent look and makes the over-all appeal of the league
better.
SECTION 2
STRUCTURE: The USBA will consist of 2 sub-leagues, designated as
the American and National leagues. Each sub-league will consist of 10 teams. The
USBA will be made up of 4 divisions, 2 in each league, designated AL East & AL West and NL East & NL West.
Each league consists of two divisions of 5 teams each. Two division winners and two wildcard winners from each league will
make the playoffs.
SECTION 2.1
Owners selecting
American League teams will use the DH for all home games. Owners selecting National League teams will not use the DH for home
games.
SECTION 2.2
The commissioner
may not move teams from one league to the other. This is only done if two owners
can agree on a league change. The commissioner may deny any league jumping if
he feels it does not benefit the league over-all. You must submit a league change
with a willing partner Prior to the start of the player drafts or you can not move.
SECTION 3
FREE AGENT PLAYER
DRAFTS & TEAM ROSTERS: Each team shall
consist of a total of (40) major league players and (20) minor league players. A team can't have anymore than 35 active carded
contracted players on their roster at anyone time. A team can't have any less than 30 active carded contracted players on
their roster at anyone time. These players may be obtained through the draft, free agency or trades. Each team has the ability to be able to protect a total of five players in their 36-40 player range. These players may consist of two types. First, a team may protect (2) two recently
promoted minor leaguers who have less than 80 ab's or 50 ip. The Recently
promoted is defined as having been promoted from the minor leagues in the off season prior to the upcoming draft. Second,
a team may protect a total of (5) five un-carded contracted players. You may
not have any more than (5) protected players combined from both categories. These
players will count against each teams salary cap.
SECTION 3.1
Salaries: The USBA will use actual MLB salaries based on the latest current year
salaries as of December 1st for each year. The ESPN & USA Today Player Database
will be used. The USBA Commissioner will release a player file every
season prior to the USBA Free Agent Draft with the assigned salaries.
SECTION 3.2
Salary Cap: The current Salary Cap is set at $90 Million.
Each off season the salary cap will increase by at least (3) three million dollars unless the commissioner deems an
increase or decrease in that amount is necessary.
SECTION 3.4
Player contracts: You may sign a player at his current MLB Salary for a contract of 1, 2 or 3 years
maximum. Once signed, this salary doesn't change until his contract is up or
the player is released into Free Agency. If the player is released into Free Agency the team is still responsible for the
remainder of the contract. The team owner may decide to pay the contract off over the course of the contract or pay it off
all at one time. The MAXIMUM a player will be paid is $18 Million dollars. If a player is released and another team
picks him up the original team is still responsible for paying the remainder of the original contract. The contracts are due by February 15th of each off-season. The
draft(s) will take place sometime after that date.
SECTION 3.5
Expired contracts: When a players contract has expired an owner may choose to either sign or release
him. The team may sign the "expired contracted player" to a 1, 2 or 3 year deal. If the "expired contracted player" is not offered a contract he will be released into
Free Agency. The "expired contracted player" can only be traded after he has
been resigned to a contract. The team that signs him must be under the maximum
salary cap for that upcoming season, for 2009 it is $90 Million. If the team
that is attempting to trade him is over the maximum salary cap then that player is ineligible to be traded until they are
under.
SECTION 3.6
Rosters during a
series: All players designated as “Inactive” prior to the start of a series must remain inactive until
the completion of the current series. EXCEPTION: If an injury occurs during a
series a team may replace the injured player following the completion of the current game in progress. When setting your 25
man roster for that series you must have a minimum of 13 batters active with no more than a maximum of 15 batters active.
To explain in further detail these are the only three combonations that you are allowed to have:
Example #1: (15)
batters & (10) pitchers active in a series.
Example #2: (14)
batters & (11) pitchers active in a series.
Example #3: (13)
batters & (12) pitchers active in a series.
SECTION 3.7
Roster expansion:
Active rosters expand to 35 players effective September 1st.
SECTION 3.8
Players fielding
limitations: All infield position players are limited to playing the position listed on their card only. The outfielders may play any position in the outfield. If
the game goes extra innings a team may move infield position players if all other players for that position have been used.
SECTION 3.9
The draft(s) will
be in the off season after February 15th with the date and time to be determined by the commissioner based on player’s
availability to attend the draft. The procedure for the draft will be announced
on a yearly basis as changes in technology do not allow us to stick to one particular way of doing it. We will use the best and most convenient way that benefits the majority of owners in the league. You will
draft players until 30-35 players are reached and then you will not be allowed to make anymore selections. Trades may be made during the draft but only picks 1 thru 5 may be traded.
SECTION 3.10
The USBA will have
a 2nd phase to the Free Agent Draft which will be called the Supplemental Player Draft. This draft will allow teams to draft
higher priced players at a discounted rate. No salary will be reduced lower than the league minimum for veteran players, which
is $800,000. This will allow for some of the higher priced free agents who have
had average or less than average years to have an opportunity to be drafted. These players can be drafted at this price and
signed for a one (1) year contract only. The teams that draft these players will have the opportunity to resign them at their
actual salary the following year if they choose to do so. Each team is allowed no more than two picks in this draft.
SECTION 3.11
Each team will be
allowed to earn a $1 Million Dollar bonus every month to be temporarily added to their teams salary cap. This bonus will apply
for that season only and will be reduced to the actual salay cap when the season is completed. The bonus will be awarded for
early completion of the block. Early completion is described as having your games
done before the Friday approximately one and a half week prior to the end of the block. It is the teams responsibility to
notify the commissioner that his team has qualified for this bonus.
SECTION 3.12
The USBA World Series
winner will draft last. World Series loser will draft next to last. All other teams will draft in reverse order based on winning
percentage. If two teams are tied then the 1st tie breaker is head to head. The team with the better record will get the better
pick. The 2nd tie breaker is inter-league play. The team with a better inter-league record will get the better pick. The 3rd
tie breaker is conference record. The team with the better confernce record will get the better pick. If still tied after
these three tie-breakers the commissioner will determine the next tie-breaker.
SECTION 4
MINOR LEAGUE PLAYER
DRAFT AND ROSTERS: Each USBA team will have a minor league system.
The minor league system will consist of no more than twenty (20) players who will be uncarded with one exception (See
Section #3) prior to the upcoming draft.
SECTION 4.1
The Minor League
Player Draft will take place prior to the Free Agent Draft after February 15th.
SECTION 4.2
Teams may freely
trade any minor league player. Teams may have more than (20) minor league players
on their roster after trades but they must make cuts that will bring that roster down to atleast (20).
SECTION 4.3
Each team will have
the oppurtunity to replace each player that is either signed or released due to being carded. If no minor league player is
carded for your franchise then you can replace up to (5) players to reduce you roster to a minimum of 15 players. If your carded players place you under 15 then you may draft as many minor leaguers that will be necassary
in order to fill your roster back up to 20. If you make trades prior to the draft
that place your roster below 20 but above 15 then you may release the amount of minor leaguers that will reduce your roster
to 15. Teams are not required to participate in the draft if they choose to keep
the 20 players that are currently in their system but each team is required to have 20 players in that system after the Minor
League Player Draft.
Section 4.4
Each team has the
ability to be able to protect a total of five players in their 36-40 player range. These players may consist of two types.
First, a team may protect (2) two recently promoted minor leaguers who have less than 80 ab's or 50 ip. The Recently promoted is defined as having been promoted from the minor leagues in the off season
prior to the upcoming draft. Second, a team may protect a total of (5) five un-carded contracted players. You may not have any more than (5) protected players combined from both categories. These players will count against each teams salary cap.
SECTION 5
PITCHERS AND PLAYER
USAGE: Player usage will be limited as follows: Position players
are limited to 105% of their actual at bats. Pitchers will be allowed 105% of their actual innings pitched. Pitchers may go
over their total innings pitched by 2/3 of an inning without penalty.
SECTION 5.1
After a player has
exhausted his allowed usage, said player will be considered ineligible for the remainder of the current regular season.
SECTION 5.2
Pitchers that are
not rated as a starter may not perform in that role. Pitchers who are rated as a "Starter only" may only pitch in relief under
the following conditions: 1.) All of the teams remaining available Relief rated pitchers are fatigued 2.) The team has no
remaining Relief rated pitchers available. 3.) Starting Pitchers must have at least 2 days of rest.
SECTION 5.3
Only pitchers with
an (*) asterisk on their card are eligible to pitch on 3 days rest. Any ineligible pitcher starting games with 3 days rest
or less will be suspended for 1 Play Week. (NOTE: It is 3 DAYS not 3 GAMES just
so everyone understands). Any second offense by an owner will result in a player
suspension of 3 weeks. A third offense by an owner will result in that player being released into the free agent pool and
the owner will lose a 3rd round draft choice the following year.
SECTION 5.4
A pitcher may be
used to pinch hit for a Position player only once during a series even if that team has remaining Position players on the
bench. This rule will be monitored by the commissioner as to ensure that it doesn’t
get abused.
SECTION 5.5
The pitchers may
only hit and run or bunt for a base hit one time only during a game (ONE OR THE OTHER, NOT BOTH). This applies to all pitchers used in that game combined. This does not include a pitcher being used as
pinch-hitter.
SECTION 5.6
A starting pitcher
must pitch a minimum of 5 innings OR have the 5th run be in the on deck circle before he can be removed. For example: If the pitcher walks the bases loaded in the
top of the first, then the 5th run is in the on deck circle. The manager
can legally remove the pitcher if he chooses to do so. If he has given up 2 runs
and in the top of the third there is a leadoff single then the 5th run is in the on deck circle so he can legally
be removed. Any intentional walks used to escalate this rule may fall into that
owner accused of throwing a game. Be careful when intentionally walking batters
that forces runners. The pitcher does not have to be on the mound in order to
be removed.
SECTION 5.7
A pitcher must be
removed from a game if he allows 10 runs whether earned or unearned. It could
actually be as high as 13 runs if after 9 runs were allowed a grand slam was hit. Any
pitcher that remains in the game after this has happened will be suspended for one entire block (month) and will lose their
3rd round draft pick the following year. Second offense is entire
season and the 1st round draft choice is taken from the owner. If
you have no remaining draft picks then the commissioner will use his discretion on a punishment that is fair and just.
SECTION 5.8
Any player who has
exhausted his allowed usage will not be allowed to play in anymore games the rest of the season. No pitcher may start a game
unless he has at least 5 innings left of usage.
SECTION 6
FREE AGENT POOL: All computer carded players who are not on a USBA roster at the conclusion
of the Free Agent/Rookie draft will be placed in the Free Agent Pool.
SECTION 6.1
FREE AGENT ACQUISITIONS:
Teams may acquire players via Free Agency at any time during the season with a maximum of 2 free agent acquisitions per month.
Records (worst to first) will determine who gets player in case both have chosen the same player. Teams do not retain the
rights to players added via Free Agency. Players added via Free Agency must be released at the end of the current season.
Free Agents picked up via Trade will be released into the Free Agent pool at the end of the year also. Teams wishing to add
a player from the Free Agent Pool to their roster must submit a claim to the Commissioner. Claims must be made prior to the
next blocks schedule being sent out by the commissioner with the commissioner having discretion on granting any late claims.
SECTION 6.2
In order for a Free
Agent to be granted, a dropped player or players must be submitted with the request (unless roster is under 35 players when
request is made). The commissioner will sort through the free agent requests
on prior to the next block and send out a report on a monthly basis of who has been selected and who has been dropped. The commissioner will include usage on the report so owners may determine if a player
has usage left and is worth picking up. Note:
No one should disclose their free agent request to anyone but the commissioner to protect the identity.
SECTION 7
SCHEDULE: Each team will play a 162 game regular season schedule. Each team will play 1 month on
the schedule and the games must be completed during that play period which will be determined by the commissioner.
SECTION 7.1
LEAGUE GAMES: Will be scheduled on a Monthly basis. ALL
games in each scheduled series MUST be completed by the end of the current month or will be auto-played by the commissioner. The HOME TEAM must e-mail his opponents and set up times to play. The visiting team
may also e-mail first but it is the responsibility of the home team to make first contact to play their series. All e-mails
should be cc’d to the commissioner for verification in case an opponent says he didn’t receive them.
SECTION 7.2
The commissioner
has ultimate power. If something is out of whack or there is a loophole in the
rules during the current season then the commissioner may make any amendments or corrections to the league rules (including
making a new rule) if it is for the betterment of the league.
SECTION 7.3
ALL GAMES must be
played between two human opponents (unless granted permission by the Commissioner).
Please make use of the website forum to post vacations and times when you are unable to play.
SECTION 7.4
Teams may elect to
bring in their own Fill In manager, however, all fill in managers must be USBA members.
SECTION 8
TRADES: Trades
may be conducted before, during and after the completion of the free-agent player draft.
During the season teams may trade up to 15 players off of their current roster (not including draft picks or minor
leaguers, they are free). You may trade during any week/month but once 15 players
have been traded you are done for the season. July 31st is the season
ending trade deadline for all teams regardless of whether you have traded 15 players or not.
SECTION 8.1
Teams may not make
any trade that would place their current roster above (35) or below (30)the team roster limits. You may however freely release
players into the Free Agent Pool in order to make room on your roster for a trade. A released player will automatically be
a free agent in the following years draft even if he is picked up by another team for the remainder of the current season. Draft picks may be included as part of a trade, but only draft picks from the next
years draft Rounds 1 - 5 may be offered as part of any trade. Each team is allowed to trade no more than 3 of their 5 draft
picks. If a team aquires more via other trades then they can trade more than
3. Each team must have atleast 2 draft picks in the first 5 rounds.
SECTION 8.2
After a trade has
been agreed upon, all parties involved must submit a trade proposal to the Commissioner. All trades are subject to being approved.
At the conclusion of the current "Play period", all "Approved" trades will become "Official”, with the Commissioner
actually moving the players to their new teams prior to the release of the next block of league files. Trades which have been
"Approved" may only be rescinded if ALL managers involved agree to do so. Teams will retain full rights to any player that
they acquire through a trade until that team either trades or releases the acquired player unless he was a free agent pickup
that was traded.
SECTION 8.3
Once the season is over
any player is eiligible to be traded. The commissioner has the right to void
any trade determined to be lopsided in favor of one team or the other.
SECTION 9
LEAGUE FILES: Required "Option" menu settings will be set by the Commissioner prior to league
files being made available each "Play period". Managers are NOT to change any of these settings unless requested to do so
by the Commissioner. Managers are allowed to set the following options to his or her personal preferences: Offense and Defense
color, Play by Play Color, Play by Play Background and Sound.
SECTION 9.1
All setup screens
for game play will use the following: Big scoreboard, pie chart, bench lineup
(set at 9), Stats: current, last years and game, play by play (The Board Game Info will be displayed) and hitters box to click
and start play. Any variances from these settings must be mutually agreed upon
by both owners or this setup takes precedence. All games must start with these settings in place.
SECTION 9.2
Upon completion
of each series, the Home team manager is required to email the game results and print files to the Commissioner immediately.
Games should be sent to the commissioner within 30 minutes to avoid problems with game files. This is a rule that will be
enforced this season. If you fail to send in the files and they get lost the responsible team will lose a draft pick.
SECTION 9.3
Receiving League
Files: The Commissioner will send out an updated stats file every Sunday night during the course of the season and
send out a stats file with new cm’s at the beginning of each month.
SECTION 9.4
To make things easier
on everybody you do not have to rename print files. You do however, have to send
them and somewhere on the e-mail you need to list the dates and results of that series.
EXAMPLE: Seattle takes 2 of 3 from Anaheim,
played April 5, 6 and 7th. You must also include the series results. The
example given above is acceptable for series results; you do not have to post the actual scores, this will be optional. People like to see results but they don’t necessarily want to read the box scores.
SECTION 9.5
SUBMITTING FILES:
1) From your cdrombb/export folder, select all the Game Result files that begin with "2007US", zip them and
send them along with the teams involved and dates of series to the commissioner or by using a league wide e-mail. 2) E-mail the Zip file containing your Game Results to the Commissioner.
3) Delete any remaining USBA Game result files from your cdrombb\export folder prior to playing your next
scheduled series. The home team in each series sends in the results.
SECTION 10
POST SEASON: The team with the best record in each league will play the team with the worst
playoff record in the league regardless if that team is in their division.
SECTION 10.1
Two Wildcard teams
from each league will advance to the playoffs. There will be 4 playoff spots in each league.
The Division series will be the best 4 out of 7 with home field advantage going to the team with the best regular season
record. The Championship series and World Series will be the best 4 out of 7.
SECTION 10.2
The home field advantage
for the World Series will be awarded to the team the team that has the better regular season record.
SECTION 10.3
Home teams field advantage
will host games 1, 2, 6 and 7. In the event that teams are tied, for purpose
of determining home field advantage, tie breakers will be used in the following order: head to head record, league record,
divisional record, inter-league record. The World Series will be a best of 7
series with the winner being crowned USBA Champion! Any ties for a final playoff spot will be decided by a 1-game playoff. The commissioner will decide a method of his choosing to determine the home team. The homefield will be determined by the tie breakers.
SECTION 10.4
Only one league
will be created for all playoff series. Injuries will not be used during the playoffs. The rest between each playoff series
is two days. An additional days rest is awarded for each game a series is closed
out early. Example, a team wins their best of 7 series in 6 games; they would
get 3 days rest before the next series.
SECTION 10.5
All starting pitchers
become eligible for relief use in the playoffs provided they have proper rest. Proper
rest will be in conjunction with rule 4.4. A pitcher may not pitch on less than
3 days rest any time during the season (post and regular) and only pitchers that have an *asterisk are allowed to start on
3 days rest in the playoffs. A starting pitcher can't pitch more than (20) innings
in one playoff series. Days off (1 day) will be given between games 2 and 3 and games 5 and 6 for each post-season series.
SECTION 10.6
Post Season Rosters
prior to the start of post-season play: Each participating team must name a 25-man play-off roster. This roster will be used
throughout each series but can be changed to start the next series. No Roster moves will be permitted during a series once
the series has begun.
SECTION 10.7
PLAYOFF USAGE AND
ELIGIBLES: Any player who meets the following conditions can be used in the playoffs as the owner sees fit. Only starting
pitchers with an asterisk may start on three (3) days rest (See section 10.5 for further details). You may add any 25 players
you want to your playoff roster and you may change the playoff roster at the start of each series. All player usage for playoffs will be 10% of their real life usage for the previous year with the following
exceptions: All hitters with 299 and fewer at bats will fall under the 10% rule. Any hitter with 300 at bats or more have
no limitations in regards to usage. Pitchers with 119 or less innings pitched will fall under the 10% rule. Pitchers with
120 innings pitched or more have no limitations in regards to usage. After each series the usage starts over.
SECTION 11
PENALTIES AND SPIRIT
OF THE RULES: All penalties will be administered by the constitution
rules and/or the judgment of the commissioner. This means that any penalty by
rule can be changed by the commissioner if he deem it necessary (but only to a lesser penalty not a greater one, the commissioner
can apply the rule or lesson the penalty only). All decisions by the Commissioner are final and not subject to protest once
handed down.
SECTION 11.1
If an ineligible
player appears in a game, or an illegal move is made and said infraction is caught by the opposing manager before the first
at bat is resolved in the next half inning, then the "UNDO LAST PLAY" function will be used to revert to the point in the
game just prior to the infraction taking place and the infraction corrected. If the infraction is caught after the first at
bat is resolved in the next half inning then the ineligible player shall immediately be removed from the game but any results
attained will count.
SECTION 11.2
Penalties will be
assessed for overuseage, tardiness and any other behavior that infringes upon the spirit of the league, unless the league
office grants specific permission to do so.
SECTION 11.3
All penalties fall
into the discretion of the Commissioner as to their severity. The Commissioner
can lesson any penalty as he sees fit to do so.
SECTION 11.4
SPIRIT OF THE RULES
(THE UNKNOWN: Any problem or quandary that comes up during the season that is not clearly spelled out by the constitution
will go to the Commissioner for review and his decision on settling the matter in question will be FINAL! This includes all gray areas where two owners do not agree on a proper solution to a problem.
SECTION 11.5
OBSCENITY:
E-mails sent to league members that use obscenity in a way that may be considered offensive will not be tolerated. The commissioner will immediately contact the team involved and penalties may be enforced
not excluding expulsion from the league.
SECTION 11.6
PLAYER OVERUSAGE:
Managers are expected to act in the spirit of fair competition, as such, if a player is overused by up to 1%, the penalty
will be as follows: 1) Suspension of the player for the rest of the season, but player is eligible for the playoffs. 2) If
the player is at 2% of overuse then the player is suspended for the rest of the season as well as the playoffs. 3) If the
player is overused by 3% or more then the player is suspended for the rest of the season, the playoffs and the player is removed
from the roster into the free agent pool. The owner will also sacrifice a draft
pick up to and including the number one pick. If multiple players are overused then the owner may lose additional draft picks
as well as being kicked out of the league. Note: Percentages for overuse
are based on the percentage listed on the SOM game not by a calculated finding. The
game will round off and that is what we will use.
SECTION 11.7
COMPLAINTS/INFRACTIONS:
All complaints or witnessed infractions should be brought to the attention of one of the league officers immediately. If none are available then the game should be suspended until a league officer is
reached. All decisions made concerning complaints/infractions will be final!
SECTION 12
*USBA ALLSTAR GAME* At the midway point of the season the two World Series participants from the previous
year will play the all star game. Strat-o-matic has added the all star game feature
to version 10 so the rosters will be filled by whoever the game selects. The DH will be used when the AL
is hosting and not used when the NL is hosting. The all-star game will be played
at the beginning of the July block of games. The home team will be the same team that is home in real life with the game to
be played in the same stadium.
SECTION 13
OFF-SEASON: All
free agent players from the previous year, all players who were cut from a USBA team plus all new carded players will be placed
in the Free Agent/Rookie draft pool. All teams will draft as many rounds as it takes to bring their roster back to between
30 & 35 players.
SECTION 13.1
February 15th will
be the due date for all USBA teams player cuts. This includes both the players on their major league roster and their minor
league roster.
SECTION 13.2
The draft(s) will
take place in this order:
1. Minor League
Player Draft.
2. Free Agent Player
Draft.
3. Supplemental
Free Agent Player Draft.
SECTION 14
LEAGUE OFFICERS:
The USBA will have two League Officers: A Commissioner, and a President. These two officers will be responsible
for running the day-to-day business of the USBA. These two positions are currently held by Stephen O'Hare (Commissioner)
and Gino Mello (President).
*END*
