Nasombl Constitution

UPDATED 3/1/2020

1) ORGANIZATION

a) The league will consist of (20) teams divided into four equal divisions.

b) Divisional alignment may be adjusted by the league office with advisement by the league members.

c) The league office will consist of the following three offices: Commissioner, Statistician/Vice-Commissioner, and Vice Commissioner.

d) The Commissioner will have the following duties and responsibilities:

i) Oversee entire league operation and anything not specifically covered by this constitution.

ii) Decide any issues not specifically covered in these written rules and constitution.

iii) Make final decisions on penalties, expulsion from the league, etc.

iv) Authorize any trades and actions. The Commissioner has the power and authority to veto any trades or actions detrimental to the league.

v) Decide protests and arrange for replays, if necessary.

vi) Select neutral managers for the playoffs if mutually agreed.

e) The Statistician/Vice-Commissioners shall have the following duties and responsibilities:

i) Assist the commissioner as needed.

ii) Verify that all league members comply with the scheduled dates and deadlines.

iii) Record the official league statistics and transactions.

iv) Send game files to managers every month during the season.

2) GAME PLAY

a) The schedule will be developed yearly by the league officers. Intra-divisional opponents will play more games than in series against other division's opponents, if possible.

b) Each team will play an equal number of home games and away games.

c) Each manager will play their road games and provide a Computer Manager for all home games based on each month’s schedule. This means the games you play will be in the opponents’ ballpark.

d) Each manager must obtain his own computer game in time for the league to start as scheduled.

e) Each manager will be responsible for ensuring use of the most recent game file provided.

f) Each manager is responsible for providing a current computer manager by a specified date (see PENALTIES).

g) Each manager is responsible for playing games and reporting results by a specific date (see PENALTIES).

h) Each manager must send results, game files and box scores to the league and carbon copy the statistician’s personal email address to ensure receipt.

i) Each opponent should review all files to be sure that the provided Computer Manager settings have been accurately followed. In the event of violated rules or instructions, the league office should be notified. After decision by the league Commissioner, a replay by the league office, a neutral manager, or the manager involved may be required.

j) Managers will be responsible for being sure players are not overused (see PENALTIES). In order to avoid overuse, the league statistician will send out monthly stat reports to each manager. However, the final responsibility to avoid overuse lies with the manager.

k) The league will use the maximum game play rules as provided within the game.

l) Designated hitters will be used. Replacement rules as apply within the game settings, whereas the DH may take the field but the same baseball rules follow him: the pitcher must bat, the DH is terminated for the remainder of the game, etc.

m) Injuries will not be used.

n) Amendments or changes to this constitution may be made at the discretion of the league office or with 13 votes or two thirds vote of the league members. The Commissioner’s decision on any ruling is final.

3) PROXY COMPUTER MANAGER

a) A proxy Computer Manager will be sent out by the league office for any Manager that is not able to complete series, games, schedule, etc. The league will make any attempts within reason to avoid this.

b) Each manager must send a computer manager to the league office for league office use in the event of a player being behind in games played. The league office will play games using this computer manager to keep the league timely and up to date.

4) DRAFTING

a) A player draft will be held annually. The date of the draft is solely at the discretion of the league Commissioner and Vice Commissioners.

b) The draft will be 14 rounds in length.

c) All picks/rounds of the draft may be traded. Rounds 3, 5, 9 and 11 are considered penalty rounds, with the order for these rounds determined by PENALTY POINTS. Order of teams drafting in these rounds will be determined using the teams with the least penalty points first. Ties will be broken by previous seasons record, with the highest winning percentage first.

d) Drafting positions in all remaining rounds are determined by reverse order of the previous season winning percentage. Ties will be broken by face to face record first, division record second based on the team with the more favorable record.

e) Only carded players will be allowed to be drafted. Pitchers that are carded and

have 30 IP or greater may be drafted. Hitters that are carded and have 50 AB (not PA) or greater may be drafted. Non-carded players may not be drafted.

5) ROSTERS

a) At a time designated by the league Commissioner, managers will submit a Protection List of 22 players for the following season. Players not protected will become free agents and will enter the draft pool.

b) Protected players may be traded, however players traded after lists have been formally submitted by the described deadline do not result in a team being able to add additional players to bring their roster back to 22. In other words, between the time protected lists are submitted and the start of the draft, rosters are locked.

c) Players carded in a previous year but not receiving a card due to injury in the current year may be protected by their original team.

d) The number of players on any given team is determined by that team’s transactions. Prior to each draft, teams will designate a 22 man protected list, with all remaining players released into the draft pool. Theoretically, with a 14 round draft, each team should have approximately 36 players. There are no roster limits or minimums. It is up to each manager to ensure they have enough AB’s or Innings to make it through the regular season without significant penalty.

e) The same 26-man roster will be active for each month. These twenty-six must be designated in your Computer Manager and may not change throughout the month, with the exception of a player being deactivated for usage control. No new player can be added in exchange of a deactivated player. In other words, if a player is deactivated, that team would play with a roster of 25, 24, etc. Managers may use their entire roster for the final month and/or segments of the schedule each year.

6) OPTION PICKS

a) Each team will be allowed two “option” picks per season. Any carded player not on a roster may be added as an option pick. To make an option pick, a player must be cut from the roster.

b) Option players may be traded only for the current season.

c) Option picks may not be traded for future years. Any option pick not used is lost.

d) Option picks may never be protected from one year to the next.

e) Options must be picked prior to the date of each month games are due.

f) Option picks may not be used until verified by the league office.

7) TRADING

a) Trades will be allowed between managers and may involve players and/or draft picks.

b) All trades made before the season starts and prior to the listed deadline are effective immediately.

c) Trade deadlines and the timing in which they become effective will be established by the league Commissioner’s office in the annual listing of important dates to follow.

d) No trade is considered official until it is confirmed by the league Commissioners.

e) Draft choices may be traded for the next draft but not for drafts in future years. Draft choices may be traded and re-traded at any time.

f) Trading of draft choices might be limited by the league Commissioner for a new Manager in his first year in the league so that new players might not be allowed to trade draft choices until they have completed one full season of play.

g) Option picks may be traded as well as draft picks. Option picks do not carry over from one year to the next. (See OPTIONS above)

h) No trades will be allowed for “a player to be named later” or for “future considerations.”

i) The league office will void any trade determined by the Commissioner as being not in the best interest of the league. To question the integrity of a trade, a Manager having questions or concerns should contact the league Commissioner and Vice-Commissioners (as it applies), directly. By doing so discretely and avoiding league-wide emails, this allows for a more productive and objective process, providing the opportunity for further investigation if necessary.

j) If a player is traded mid-season, the acquiring manager is responsible for monitoring usage to prevent overuse.

k) No “loaning” of a player is permitted. The league may void any trade considered to be a “loan”.

l) A player traded may not be traded back to his original team for period of (12) months from the original trade. This is to prevent the “loaning” of players.

8) PITCHER USE RULES

a) Each pitcher is limited to 110% of the actual number of innings pitched on his card.

b) Pure starters may not relieve and pure relievers may not start.

c) Game fatigue and Super Hal rules apply for pitchers in-game use. Managers should fully utilize Super Hal settings (including “Do Not Let Hal Remove” and limits on number of innings a starter can make) to help control usage.

d) Home and road series are treated separately. That is, a pitcher may start at home and relieve on the road. All rest rules are canceled when going from the road series to the home series.

e) Starting pitchers may pitch with three days’ rest if they are an asterisk starting pitcher. All other starters must have four days rest between starts. THESE SAME REST RULES APPLY TO PITCHERS IN THE PLAYOFFS.

f) In the playoffs, a team may get by with only three starters if all three starters are “asterisk” starting pitchers. In the event of SOM rules on the computer conflicting with this rule, SOM pitching rules on the computer control.

9) HITTERS AND FIELDER USE RULES

a) Each hitter is limited to 110% of the number of at bats plus walks on his card.

b) No player may play a position not listed on his card, with the exception of outfielders who may play all OF positions per SOM range rating rules.

c) No player may be pinch hit for if he is the last position player available that has that position on his card. In other words, you may not pinch hit for a weak player if you do not have a fielding backup for him.

10) PENALTIES

a) Penalties will be assessed for two main reasons: overuse and tardiness.

b) Overuse of hitters or pitchers may result in significant penalty to managers if determined to be blatant and flagrant. This penalty will be determined by the Commissioner.

c) Even if stats come late from an opponent, a Manager is not allowed to overuse.

d) Penalty points are assessed as follows for late instructions and game results: 1 penalty point will be assessed for every day late, 1 points for each adjusted AB+BB and 3 points for each IP of overuse.

e) Instructions and series results/statistics must be sent out on time as distributed by the league office. When a team has not sent instructions on time, the league office will determine future action.

f) Dates must be followed accurately to keep the league functioning smoothly.

g) Games delayed in order to be played face to face or Net Play must be requested to the league Commissioner and receive prior approval to avoid penalty points.

h) Other penalty points may be assessed by the league office at the discretion of the Commissioner for other infractions (late draft lists, etc.).

i) All penalty points assessed by the commissioner will be final. Players may ask the Commissioner for a review of the penalty but there is no other review allowed of penalty assessment. THE RULINGS OF THE LEAGUE COMMISSIONER ALWAYS ARE FINAL AND STAND AS RULED.

j) Rounds 3, 5, 9 and 11 in the draft will be determined by penalty points as explained in the rule earlier.

k) A total assessment of 150 penalty points will result in forfeiture of the team’s 3rd round draft choice. A total assessment of 175 penalty points will result in the teams 2nd round draft choice. A total assessment of 200 penalty points will result in forfeiture of the team’s 1st round draft choice and possible expulsion from the league. This situation is always to be reviewed by the league Commissioner to determine if extenuating circumstances will allow the manager to continue play the following year.

11) PLAYOFFS

a) Postseason playoffs will involve eight teams each year. The teams will include the four division winners and the four teams with the next best record as wildcard teams.

b) Seeding in the playoffs will be as follows: in the first round, each of the four division winners will be seeded 1-4, based on overall record. The remaining four wild card teams will be seeded 5-8, also based on record. Series will then be played 1v.8, 2v.7, 3v.6, 4v.5. The second and third rounds will be re-seeded based on record.

c) Best record is always the home team in games 1, 2, 6, and 7 (for all rounds).

d) Pitching rotations are as follows: game, game, rest, game, game, game, rest, game, game.

e) Playoff rosters will be set at 26 active players in size and must stay the same for all playoff games.

f) Players and pitchers shall be used for a maximum of 20% of their adjusted 110% innings pitched and plate appearances as listed in the regular season game file for the entire rounds of all playoffs.

g) All playoff games should be played via netplay, with every attempt being made to do so. If one Manager is not able participate, the Commissioner may approve of an alternate manager to fill in on his behalf. Traditional computer play should only be used in a pre-approved situation and after all other options have been exhausted.