SMRL Constitution
Preamble
We, the People of the SMRL, do ordain and establish this Constitution for Rotisserie League Baseball. The purpose of this Constitution is to memorialize the great oral tradition of the SMRL and to set forth the rules of the game. This Constitution is a living document, and while it is the intent of the framers of this Constitution to address herein as many issues as possible that may arise in connection with participation in the SMRL, the framers recognize that this Constitution may not address every issue that may arise. Accordingly, the People of the SMRL pledge to play and participate in this game in accordance with the rules set forth herein, but more importantly pledge to follow the overriding spirit of this game, which is to enjoy yourself, to treat all fellow participants with respect and to play with the health of the SMRL, and not just one’s self interest, in mind.
ARTICLE I. OBJECT
To assemble a lineup of 24 Amercan League baseball players whose cumulative statistics during the regular season, compiled and measured by the methods described in these rules, exceed those of all other teams in the League.
ARTICLE II. TEAMS
There are 10 teams in a duly constituted SMRL composed of Amercan League players.
ARTICLE III. ROSTER
ACTIVE ROSTER: A team’s active roster must consist of the following 24 Amercan League players:
Two catchers, one first baseman, one second baseman, one shortstop, one third baseman, one middle infielder (either second baseman or shortstop), one corner man (either first baseman or third baseman), five outfielders, one DH (who may play any position), and ten pitchers. At all times during the season a team must maintain 24 man rosters.
· American League exception: Any American League player who is on an SMRL active or reserve roster and who during the course of the major league baseball season is traded to the National League remains an eligible player in the SMRL for that season only. At the end of the season, that player is LOST by the owning team, regardless of whether he is traded or signed back by an AL team during the offseason.
RESERVE ROSTER: A team’s reserve roster consists of a maximum of 14 major league or minor league players acquired through the auction or reserve draft (see Article IV), through trades, through demotions from the active roster or through free agent claims. Any transaction (e.g., trade, demotion, free agent claim) that increases the size of the reserve roster beyond 14 players must be accompanied by a concomitant transaction (e.g., trade, promotion, release) that simultaneously returns the reserve roster to its maximum 14.
FARM ELIGIBILITY: Any minor league player who still has major league “rookie” status (as defined by Major League Baseball) may be considered a “farm” player on a SMRL Reserve roster, if the player was originally drafted as a minor leaguer in the minor league portion of our draft.
ARTICLE IV. AUCTION DRAFT
An Amercan League Player Auction is conducted on the first weekend after/before Opening Day of the Major League baseball season (the “Auction Draft”). Attendance at the Auction Draft (in person or via telephone) is mandatory for participation in the SMRL.
Each team must acquire 24 players during the Auction Draft. Each team is annually allocated 260 SMRL Auction Units (hereinafter referred to at times as “Dollars” or “$”) to acquire these 24 players. (The total amount of SMRL Auction Units that a team has available to acquire its 24 players during the Auction Draft shall be referred to hereafter as the team’s “Auction Budget.”)
A team need not spend its entire Auction Budget during the Auction Draft. Last years last place team will nominate the first player for acquisition. We go CLOCKWISE for nominations theretofore. The team bidding first opens with a minimum salary bid of $1 for any eligible player, and the bidding proceeds around the room at minimum increments of $1 until only one bidder is left. That team acquires the player for that amount and announces the roster position the player will fill. The process is repeated, with successive team owners introducing players to be bid on, until every team has a squad of 24 players, by requisite position.
Players eligible at more than one position may be shifted during the course of the Auction Draft.
No team may make a bid for a player it cannot afford. For example, a team with $3 left and two openings on its roster is limited to a maximum bid of $2 for one player.
No team may bid for a player who qualifies only at a position that the team has already filled. For example, a team that has acquired two catchers, and whose utility slot is occupied, may not enter the bidding for any player who qualifies only at catcher. (See Article V regarding position eligibility.)
Players who commence the season on a major league team’s disabled list are eligible to be drafted. If selected, they may be reserved and replaced upon completion of the Reserve Draft. (See Article X.).
EXCEPTION: Disabled list players that retain MLB “rookie” status are ineligible for the Auction Draft and Reserve draft .
Only players on a teams active roster at the time of draft (See DL exception above) are eligible to be drafted in the Auction Draft and Reserve Draft. For early auctions, where the active rosters are not finalized, “bubble” players will be discussed and judged eligible or not prior to the draft.
Players acquired during the auction draft shall acquire “s2” contract status, meaning that they may be kept for that season and the next (if desired) at the salary determined during the auction draft. If a player is kept the following season at the same contract price, his contract status becomes “s1.” At the conclusion of the season in which the player is an s1, the player must be tendered a “Guaranteed Long Term Contract” (see Article XV) or be released to the next year’s auction draft.
RESERVE DRAFT: After the conclusion of the Auction Draft in which teams acquire their 24-man active rosters for a sum not to exceed the team’s Auction Budget, owners successively draft up to 5 additional players in 5 separate rounds of selection. Players acquired in this fashion comprise a team’s reserve roster.
Any Amercan League player on an Major league active roster (DL included) is eligible for this reserve rotation draft.
“Rookies” selected in the reserve draft are treated as RESERVE players and not FARM Players for purposes of roster management
In the reserve draft, owners are not required to select players by position. They may select all pitchers, all position players, or a mix.
The order of selection for each of the 5 rounds is determined by the order of finish in the previous season. 1st place picks first, 2nd place picks 2nd etc… Teams may not exceed the 14 player maximum reserve roster limit at any time during the 5 rounds
Players selected in the reserve phase of the draft will have a salary of $5 S2
MINOR LEAGUE DRAFT: After the conclusion of the Reserve Draft, the Minor league draft commences. The minor league draft consists of two rounds (and a supplemental 3rd round for expansion and the 4th-6th place finishers in the draft) in which teams acquire farm players.
Any Amercan League player NOT on a major league roster that retains his MLB rookie eligibility (as defined by MLB) is eligible for the minor league draft
The order of selection for each of the 2 rounds is determined as follows based on the previous seasons final standings: Round 1: In leagues with 10 teams, the 2nd place team selects first, proceeding in descending order to the 10th place team, followed by the 1st teams. Round 2: Teams draft in descending order from 10th to 1st place
Players drafted in the Minor League Draft are Designated as FARM players for purposes of roster management
Teams may not exceed the 14 player maximum reserve roster limit at any time during the 2 rounds of the minor league draft
ARTICLE V. POSITION ELIGIBILITY
Any player who played in a minimum of 20 games in the preceding season may be assigned to any position at which he appeared in 10% or more of the games he played in that season. If a player did not appear in 20 games in the preceding season, he may be drafted only at the position at which he appeared most frequently. The 10% - most games measure is used only to determine the position(s) at which a player may be drafted. Once the season is under way (but after Auction Draft Day), a player becomes eligible for assignment to any position at which he has appeared at least once. Players selected for the utility slot may qualify at any position.
NOTE: SMRL uses two sources for determining player eligibility: the All Star Stats website and the MLB.com website. In addition, players whom it is commonly known have changed positions during the offseason will also be eligible at the new position that it is anticipated they will play. Determination of eligibility at a changed position will be determined by League consensus at the auction draft. When in doubt, common sense shall be used to resolve position disputes.
ARTICLE VI. FEES
SMRL has a schedule of fees as follows:
Statistics service: Actual cost
Annual Dues: $250 which includes the cost of the stat service (currently ALLSTAR stats)
All fees are to be paid by the conclusion of the Auction Draft. If said fees are not paid by that date, the roster of the team owing the fees shall be frozen (no roster moves or transactions will be permitted) until the time that said fees are paid. No money shall pass directly from team to team under any circumstances. No bets are to be made on the outcome of any game. All annual dues are payable into the prize pool and are subsequently distributed to the top four teams in the final standings. (See Articles VIII and IX.)
ARTICLE VII. PLAYER SALARIES
The salary of a player is determined by the time and means of his acquisition and does not change unless the player becomes a free agent by means of release or is signed to a guaranteed long-term contract. (See Article XV.)
The salary of a player acquired in the American League auction draft is his auction price.
The salary of a player acquired in the reserve draft is $5.
The salary of a player acquired in the minor league draft is $0, until that FARM player is activated by the SMRL team or loses his MLB “Rookie” status at which time it is $5.
Minor League Salary change: Players acquired in the minor league draft that retain their MLB “Rookie” status and are traded have their salary increase to $6 upon completion of the trade.
The salary of a player acquired during the season as a free agent is the amount of Free Agent Acquisition Budget (FAAB) units paid to acquire the player. (See Article XIII.) If the player is acquired before the major league All Star break, the player’s contract status shall be s2, and at the end of the season the player will be treated identically to other players with s2 contract status. If the player is acquired after the All Star break, however, the player’s contract status shall be s3, and at the end of the season the player’s contract status will revert to s2 for the beginning of the next major league season if the player is protected on a team’s pre-draft auction freeze list. (See Article XVI.)
· FREE AGENT EXCEPTION FOR PLAYERS WITH L1 CONTRACTS OR SALARIES OF $15 OR MORE: There are additional restrictions on re-signing certain players who become free-agents during a given SMRL season (certain players who are cut during the season after the auction draft). Players with L1 contracts OR salaries of 15 units or more (regardless of contract status) will keep their original contracts if they are cut and then re-signed through the free agent auction process. For example, if a team cuts a player with a 25/S2 contract, and you acquire him by bidding 15 in the free agent auction, his contract will remain 25/S2 on your roster. Similarly, any L1 player who is cut and then added via the free agent auction retains his L1 contract status, regardless of his salary figure.
SALARY CAP: The Auction Budget salary limit pertains to the acquisition of players at the Auction Draft only. After the Auction Draft, free agent signings and acquisition of high-priced players in trades may well drive a team’s payroll above its Auction Budget. There is no limit as to the amount of salary a team may acquire on its entire roster (consisting of its active and reserve players). However, at no time during the season may the combined salary of the players on a team’s active roster ever exceed $325 units. This is a “hard cap” that remains in place until the first Thursday in August (the trading deadline). The cap is raised to $350 units as part of the September Roster expansion. Any team exceeding the salary cap after the transaction deadline for a given week (Thursday – see Article X) will forfeit the statistics accumulated by its highest salaried player during that week, assuming the removal of the salary of this player brings the team’s active roster salary below the salary cap. If it does not, the statistics of the next highest salaried player will be removed as well, and so on, until such time that the team’s combined active roster salary is below the salary cap.
ARTICLE VIII. PRIZE MONEY
The prize pool shall be divided among the first four teams in the final SMRL standings as follows:
1st place -- 60%
2nd place -- 35%
3rd place -- 15%
ARTICLE IX. STANDINGS
The following criteria are used to determine team performance:
On Base % (OPB)
Total home runs (HR)
Total runs batted in (RBI)
Total runs scored (R)
Total stolen bases less times caught stealing (SB-CS)
Total 2 times wins less losses (2W-L)
Total saves (S)
Composite earned run average (ERA)
Composite ratio: walks (BB) + hits (H) / innings pitched (IP) (WHIP)
Total strikeouts (K)
Teams are ranked from first to last in each of the ten categories and given points for each place. For example, in a 12-team league, the first-place team in a category receives 12 points, the second-place team 11, and so on down to 1 point for last place. The team with the most total points wins the pennant.
Pitchers’ offensive stats are not counted, nor are the pitching stats of the occasional position player called in to pitch when the score is 16-1 after five innings and the relief corps is hiding under the stands.
In cases of ties in an individual category, the tied teams are assigned points by totaling points for the rankings at issue and dividing the total by the number of teams tied.
In cases of ties in total points, final places in the standings are determined by comparing placement of teams in individual categories (the proverbial “match of cards”). Respective performances are calculated and a point given to each team for bettering the other. Should one team total more points than the other, that team is declared the winner. Should the teams still be tied after the “match of cards,” the teams will remain tied in the final standings.
ARTICLE X. STATS
The statistics utilized by the All Star Stats statistics service constitute the official statistics for the computation of standings in SMRL.
The weekly effective date of any transaction for purposes of statistical calculation is Thursday before the commencement of play on those days.
Transactions recorded on Auction Draft Day, including trades and call-ups to replace disabled players, are effective retroactive to Opening Day.
Retroactive draft day transactions are due before the owner or the Commissioner leaves the Auction Draft room. If a draft is being conducted on the phone, any retroactive transactions must be phoned to the Commissioner’s home or mobile phone within 30 minutes of the conclusion of the draft.
Performance stats of a player shall be assigned to a SMRL team only when he is on the active 24-man roster of that team. It is common for a player to appear on the roster of more than one SMRL team during the season because of trades and free agent moves. Even a player who is not traded may spend time on a team’s reserve list, during which period any numbers he might compile for his major league team do not count for his SMRL team.
Standings shall be tabulated and issued in a regular and timely fashion, as determined by the SMRL owners.
ARTICLE XI. TRADES
NO TRADES are allowed from the time of completion of the auction and reserve drafts until MAY 1st. From May 1st until the first Thursday during the month of August, teams are free to make trades of any kind without limit (except as stipulated below). There is no limit on the number or type (active or reserve) of players that may be included in a trade. All of the following strictures must be adhered to, however, in the immediate wake of a trade for such a trade to be valid:
At all times after the trade the active roster of all teams that have participated in the trade must meet the position requirements established in Article III.
At no point may a team have more than 24 players on its active roster (and 14 players on its reserve rosters) except during the September Roster Expansion period.
No trades of any kind may be made between the first Thursday in August and the end of the Amercan League season, nor during the period of time between the Roster Freeze Date (see Article XVI) and May 15th.
Trades do not affect the salaries or contract status of players except as noted in Article VII for minor leaguers.
Any trade involving a player must result in the immediate transfer of that player to the roster of the team he has been traded to.
Trades involving FAAB units, reserve draft picks, minor league picks and other things of tangible SMRL value are permitted, so long as the roster requirements set forth above are strictly adhered to.
In trades involving FAAB $, those FAAB $ are eligible to be used by the acquiring team only during the week following the trade.
All trades involving cash, "players to be named later," or "future considerations" are strictly prohibited. This includes trades that are contingent upon a player’s future performance.
ARTICLE XII. MOVEMENT BETWEEN ACTIVE ROSTER AND RESERVE ROSTER
An owner may demote a player from the active roster to the reserve roster, or promote a player in the reverse direction, at any time and for any reason, such promotions to take effect with the subsequent transaction deadline. No player, however, may be demoted without being replaced on the active roster by an eligible player -- that is, a player who fulfills position eligibility requirements (which may include shifting another active player into the demoted player’s position and the promoted player into the shifted player’s position) and who is currently on a major league roster and not on a major league disabled list.
ARTICLE XIII. SIGNING FREE AGENTS
Active American League players that are not on any SMRL active roster or reserve roster at the conclusion of the auction draft become free agents. During the course of the season the pool of free agents may also include minor league players who are not on a SMRL reserve roster who are promoted to an active American League roster; players traded from the National League; and players who are released by other SMRL teams during the course of the season. Beginning one week after the first standings report, such free agents may be signed, without limit, in the following manner:
Each team shall have, for the purpose of acquiring free agents during the course of the season, a supplementary budget of $100, known as its Free Agent Acquisition Budget (FAAB).
At or before 8:00 P.M. (Pacific Time) on Wednesday, or any other deadline subsequently agreed upon by the majority of the members of the SMRL, a SMRL team may submit a sealed bid via the All Star website or telephone system to acquire one or more free agents who are available that week. All players listed as free agents on the All Star website at the time of the weekly bidding deadline are eligible for acquisition.
Exception: Trades involving FAAB units, reserve draft picks and other things of tangible SMRL value are permitted for the current and following season only. Trading of these items beyond the immediately following season is prohibited.
The minimum bid to acquire a free agent shall be $5; the maximum shall be the amount remaining in a team’s FAAB.
A free agent so selected goes to the highest bidder. If more than one team bids the same amount on a player, and if that amount is the highest bid, the player goes to the team that is lowest in the most recently compiled WEEKLY standings.
The salary of a free agent signed in this manner is his acquisition price. His contract is determined by the date of his acquisition in accordance with Article VII.
For each free agent that it signs, a team must, prior to Thursday’s first MLB game, adhere to the roster restrictions set forth in this document If a team fails to release a player to return its total active and reserve roster to the proper numbers, the team’s roster will be “frozen” and the team will not be permitted to process any further transactions until such a release has been made. In additional, if it is an active roster violation, the newly acquired or activated players stats will be voided until the roster is no longer in violation.
XIV. SEPTEMBER ROSTER EXPANSION
As of the first Thursday of September of each season, if it chooses a team may expand its roster for the pennant drive by adding to its active roster, either from promotion from its reserve roster, trade or via free agent acquisition, a single (one) player, as the post-September 1 Amercan League active-roster size expands to a maximum of 40 players. Such player may play any position, including pitcher. Addition of a player in such a fashion does not change the salary cap obligations of any team adding such a player, meaning that the active roster salary cap of 350 must remain intact after the September addition.
XV. GUARANTEED LONG-TERM CONTRACTS
A player who has been under contract at the same salary during two consecutive seasons and whose service has been uninterrupted (that is, he has not been waived or released, although he may have been traded) must, prior to the freezing of rosters in his third season, be released or signed to a guaranteed long-term contract.
If released, the player returns to the free agent pool and becomes available to the highest bidder at the next auction draft. If signed to a guaranteed long-term contract ("GLC"), the player’s salary in each year covered by the new contract shall be the sum of his current salary plus $5 for each additional year added to his contract. If signed to a GLC, the player that has received the GLC must be retained by the team that signed him to the GLC until such time that the contract has been completed, the player has been traded to another team in the SMRL, the player has been traded to the American League, the player has retired or the “buyout” rules described below are invoked.
A player may be signed to only one long-term contract, at the end of which he becomes a free agent.
Long-term contracts are entirely transferable, both in rights and obligations; the trade of a player in no way affects his contract status.
If, during the course of a long-term contract, a player is traded from the Amercan League to the National League, the contract is rendered null and void. The team that loses the player’s services shall be under no further obligation.
"Buy out" provision: To cut a player you would otherwise not be allowed to cut (for example, an L2 who is still in the Amercan League, or a player you retained on your freeze list but who was sent to the minor leagues, you can "buy out" his contract for 50% of the remaining value. This means that if you wish to cut a 16/L3 (total contract value = 48 [16 x 3 years]), you must pay $24. If you wish to cut a $40/S1 who was sent to the minors prior to the Auction Draft, you must pay $20.
Exception: Darly Kile rule: A player under a long-term contract that DIES, his contract is considered null and void.
XVI. ROSTER PROTECTION
Each team must retain, from one season to the next, no fewer than 7 but no more than 10 of the players on its active or reserve roster who are currently on an active roster in the Amercan League. The 8th, 9th place and 10th place teams from the previous season can only protect a maximum of 9, 8 and 7 players, respectively, IF they finish BELOW 37 points. In addition, there is no limit with regard to the number of farm players (players who still have major league rookie status) a team may protect, but any such farm players who are protected shall not count against the maximum and minimum limits established in this section.
The names of players being retained must be recorded with the Commissioner by midnight on the Roster Freeze Date, the exact date of which shall be determined by the Commissioner on an annual basis. Specific notice must also be made at that time of any guaranteed long-term contract signings and farm system renewals.
The cumulative salaries of frozen Amercan League players are deducted from a team’s Auction Budget, and the balance of the Auction Budget is available for acquisition of the remainder of a team’s active roster.
Frozen farm players count against the limit of 14 players on draft day reserve rosters.
Farm Players: A team may protect a player with farm status (major league “rookie” status) for as many years as it chooses without being required to release the player back into the general draft pool. Once a farm player loses “farm” status (no longer may be considered a major league rookie), however, the players contract status is converted to s2 and begins to run.
The Commissioner should promptly notify all teams in the SMRL of each team’s protected roster, including player salaries, contract status, and amount available to spend on the day of the Auction Draft.
XVII. ANTI-DUMPING CLAUSES
Penalties and rewards for standings:
Teams finishing higher in the standings are rewarded as follows:
2nd place: Receives 2nd place money, $10 Auction and 1st pick in minor league draft
3rd place: Receives 3rd place money, $7 Auction and 2nd pick in minor league draft
4th place: Receives $5 Auction and extra 3rd round minor league draft pick
5th place: Receives extra 3rd round minor league draft pick
6th place: Receives extra 3rd round minor league draft pick
Teams finishing lower in the standings are subject to the following penalties
10th place and below 33 points: 7 keepers maximum and a $7 auction penalty.
9th place and below 33 points: 8 keepers maximum and a $5 auction penalty
8th place and below 33 points: 9 keepers maximum and $3 auction penalty
XVIII. GOVERNANCE
The SMRL is governed by the Commissioner for Life. The Commissioner for Life may designate as many league participants as from time to time he deems appropriate to participate in certain tasks for the good of the SMRL (such as the drafting of this Constitution). The Commissioner for Life has the authority to interpret playing rules and to handle all necessary and routine SMRL business. The Commissioner for Life may, at his discretion, or upon motion made by a team owner, also designate as needed an Executive Committee composed of the Commissioner and two other team owners in good standing to assist in the interpretation of playing rules. Such an Executive Committee shall make all of its decisions by majority vote. In the event that the Commissioner for Life is involved in a dispute to be resolved by the Executive Committee, the Commissioner for Life shall recuse himself from the deliberations and shall appoint three disinterested team owners instead of two to make the decision. All decisions, rulings, and interpretations by the Executive Committee are subject to veto by the SMRL as a whole, upon motion for such a veto being promptly made. Any such veto requires a majority vote of all team owners to pass. In the event of a tie in such a veto vote, the decision of the Executive Committee shall stand. Rule changes are determined by majority vote of the SMRL. Any tie in a vote to change a rule shall result in the rule remaining unchanged. Rule changes will only be considered during the off-season, except in exceptional circumstances. Any proposed in-season rule change requires the approval of three-fourths (3/4) of the SMRL as a whole. [PROPOSAL]
