Commissioner - Arnie Pollinger (term expires 2007)
Vice Commissioner - Tom
League Guru and Special Consultant - Tsuan
Structure
Rosters
Playing limits
Post-season
The draft
Playing rules
Note: underlined sections are new clarifications
2. If two teams are tied for 4th place, there will be a one-game playoff with the home advantage going to the team with the better head to head record. The game is considered as game #57 with no days rest so that starting pitchers' eligibility and relievers' tiredness rules still apply. In addition, all innings and at bats for this game count towards season limits. Any player with two cards must use the latest card used during the regular season. Injuries incurred in the regular season also carry over into the one-game playoff.
(a) Additional rules for the one-game playoff:1. Eligible starter. If an eligible starter's innings + available reliever innings are < 9, the starter is still eligible to start. All eligible starters be allowed to pitch in relief. (As a practical matter, this really means one pitcher for teams with a 5-man rotation).
2. Last pitcher. Once a team’s last pitcher with innings available is in the game, he must stay in the game. No used-up relievers can be chosen to come in, tired.
3. A manager can make any legal move (i.e. still remove any pitcher before being used up as long as other unused up pitchers are available), even if that sets up a situation with a used up pitcher being the last pitcher left in the game.
Example: A manager has 10 innings of pitching left - a starter with 6 innings, reliever A with 3 innings and reliever B with 1 inning. The starter could still be removed after only 4 innings and reliever A could still be removed after only 1inning, leaving the manager with only reliever B, who would have to stay in for the final 4 innings, used up after his first inning.
4. Ineligible starters with innings left. Such pitchers are allowed to come in tired if there’s been 2 days of rest in between their last start (that would be 2 pitchers in a 5-man rotation or only 1 in a 4-man rotation).
3. If three teams are tied for 3rd or 4th, a round-robin is held (2 games each team), home teams, pitching rules, playing limits and 2-carded players apply as described above. If all 3 teams split the round robin, playoff team(s) will be determined by the best 3-way head to head record(s).
4. If four teams tie for 2nd, 3rd, or 4th, 2 single elimination games will be played. The four teams will be seeded by total 4-way head to head record, with 1st playing 4th and 2nd playing 3rd. If 2 of the 4 teams will make the playoffs, (in case of a 4-way tie for 3rd), the winners of these 2 games shall be the 2 playoff teams. If only one team makes the playoffs (a 4-way tie for 4th), the two teams winning game 1 shall play each other in a second game, winner advancing to the playoffs. If 3 teams make the playoffs (a 4-way tie for 2nd), the two teams losing game 1 shall play each other in a second game, loser failing to make the playoffs. In all cases, home teams, pitching rules, playing limits and 2-carded players apply as described above.
5. If more than 4 teams tie for 1st-4th, we'll play it by ear.
2. If the managers cannot agree on a resolution, the Commissioner may rule either 1) The game must be played over from the point of infraction or 2) The entire game must be played over. Any mistake found subsequently by examining scoresheets, either a SOMBILLA violation (e.g. starter without enough rest) or a baseball violation (e.g. 4 outs in an inning), may be played over at the discretion of the Commissioner and the parties involved, taking into account the effect on playoff positions, the effect of the infraction on the particular game, and the pain-in-the-ass factor.
Computer-only players are not eligible to be used, even if the computer-only card is or can be printed.
For each of the series preceding game 21, a manager may choose a different 25-man playing squad. These 25 players must be chosen before you begin the series, and you are stuck with them for the whole series, except for injuries. Do not play with your 45 players in one clump. The 25 cards must be separated from the rest of your cards at the start of the series. This will prevent using more than 25 players, ineligible players, or picking and choosing from all 45 players until 25 are used.
2. Calling up/sending down pitchers
If Pitcher B replaces pitcher A, and Pitcher A is subsequently recalled to replace Pitcher C, Pitcher A gets back his allocated innings and also gets allocated Pitcher C's innings.
If a non-pitcher is called up to replace a sent down pitcher instead, the sent-down pitcher's innings will be allocated to the remaining pitcher with the fewest available innings at that point. The purpose of this rule is to discourage abuse by burning out a pitcher over a few games.
3. Calling up/sending down non-pitchers. Non-pitchers may be called up or sent down without controversy.
2. Once that 21st game has passed, your 25-man roster is fixed (or "frozen") until after the post-season is over. This means no calling up or sending down players after the 21st game, with the following exceptions:
3. Pitchers traded in mid-season
Pitchers traded in mid-season cannot start for their new team unless they have rested the appropriate number of games. The new team's manager must do one of the following:
(1) If a pitcher was going to get sent down to make room for the new pitcher, the manager can keep the new pitcher 'inactive' so as not to take up space on the 25-man roster until he is eligible, and start the pitcher who was going to get sent down. If it is after the 20-game roster freeze, a special waiver will be granted.
(2) Wait to consummate the trade until he or she knows that the new pitcher will be eligible to start.
(3) Make sure he or she holds back a starter/reliever so that he will be eligible to start.
(4) If none of 1), 2) or 3) is possible (because
the trade is a pitcher for a pitcher and the new team has no starter/relievers),
he or she may call up a starter for one start (even if after the
roster freeze) to get the new pitcher back on track. This is allowed
only if you do not have a starter/reliever on your 25-man roster. The
called-up starter's innings will not get charged to any pitcher.
2. If you have no one on the bench who plays the position, (except for outfielders) you can designate anyone on the team to play the position. The fielding rating is the absolute worst (5,-5, e88) on the fielding chart. For outfielders, refer to the advanced instructions.
3. Players may be injured only once during a season, except that a temporary injury does not count toward the one injury rule. Each manager is responsible for marking an injury somewhere on the player's card. A player without such a marking will be presumed injurable. There are no injuries to pitchers or post season injuries.
4. Plate appearances (ab + bb)
Maximum games injured
450+
2
400-449
4
350-399
6
300-349
8
under 300
15
F. Players with Interleague cards
The manager must decide, before the season begins,
whether to use the interleague card all
season, or whether to use the two AL/NL
cards (and follow our normal two-card usage rules above). Under no
circumstances can a manager use all 3 cards. If a pitcher is starred
on the IL card, then he's starred on both the AL/NL cards (except for
the post-season, see above).
A used up player must be removed before his next at bat if a substitute is available. Used up players who must bat get an automatic popout. A used up player on the bench may be used as a defensive replacement or pinch-runner only if it is possible to replace him before his next at bat.
all players who were limited during the regular season (less than 350 plate appearances) are limited to 1/15 of their AB + BB (as shown on the front of the player's card) per series, rounded down. The limits start fresh for each series.
2. Pitchers -
All pitchers may relieve, regardless of what it says on their card. Starters who relieve have a tired factor of 2. All pitchers are subject to the normal rest rules, and have the following limits:
Playoff innings per series:
Starred starters who start (only) are unlimited. All other pitchers may pitch up to 1/15th of the IP on their card, rounded down to the nearest 1/3. However, no such pitcher may have more than 14 innings or fewer than 2 innings available.3. Starred starters who start and relieve have unlimited starter's innings, but relief innings available are 14 minus innings pitched as a starter.
4. In game seven of the World
Series only, pitchers who have started a previous game in the
series and would normally be ineligible to pitch under usage rules,
may in fact relieve but are considered tired. Overall limits of innings
pitched still apply.
2. After cutting players, and taking into account all trades, no team can enter the draft with fewer than 33 players. Thus, if a team has cut enough players to reduce its roster to 33, and then trades player(s) after which its roster is below 33, it must 'uncut' enough players to bring its roster back to 33 before the draft (there is one exception - see rule 4 below). Of course, no team is required to cut the maximum number of players - 12.
3. As a corollary to rule 2, no team can have more than 12 draft picks (except for rule 4).
4. Immediately after the draft, each team must end up with 45 players. The implication of this is that you ordinarily can't lose a draft pick by trading it away, you just pick it up at the end of the draft. The only exception to this is if the extra (i.e. 46th) roster spot or extra draft pick is given as part of the trade - for example, I'll give you player X for a 2nd round pick, but if you forego your 13th round pick that you'd get for losing the 2nd round pick, and I keep my 12th round pick that I'd otherwise forfeit for having an extra 2nd round pick, (so that I get an extra draft pick and roster spot) I'll give you player X for a 3rd round pick instead.
5. Any adjustments to draft picks because of trades during the draft will be done to comply with rules 3 and 4. For instance, during the draft, suppose you trade a player to another team for a draft pick next year. You would pick up a draft pick at the end of this year's draft to bring your roster back to 45 (and your opponent loses his last draft pick). This does not give you 11 draft picks as you might think, through the workings of 'Strat- O fiction'. That last extra draft pick is treated as part of the trade, and is considered as drafted by your opponent, and then traded back to you immediately after the draft, so that everyone is square with 45 players and 10 draft picks.
6. All trades of draft picks (all trades for that matter) must be registered with the Commissioner, who keeps track of such things.
2. It is the offensive manager's responsibility to ask if the other manager will be holding a runner, unless the players agree otherwise. Of course, the defensive manager can always announce a 'holding' without being asked.
3. A squeeze play undeclared as to 'suicide' or 'safety' is presumed a 'safety' squeeze.
E. Etiquette - going for the lead
You must announce the batter before going for
a lead. (Example - one team (call it North Dakota) has a runner on
first. The pitching team (call it Lagavulan 16) has a good matchup and knows
that North Dakota will pinch-hit, in turn triggering a relief pitcher.
North Dakota cannot go for the lead to take advantage of pitcher no. 1's
hold, before pinch-hitting. The reason is that this would never happen in
real baseball, because the pinch-hitter would have been announced. Once the
hitter had been announced, the Lagavulan pitcher would have come in. In other
words, in real baseball, you can't delay (not announce the pinch-hitter)
while you go for the lead.
2. Gb A+ is SI** only with infield in and not corners.
3. Runner held - penalties are 1) #sign on gbX to holding fielder becomes SI** and 2) fielder's defense goes up 1 (A '4' becomes a '5').
4. Gb A, B, or C to right side moves runner from 2nd to 3rd with 1st & 3rd empty. Gb A, B, or C to middle of infield (2B or SS), scores runner from 3rd. See the fielding charts
5. Double steals - trail runner automatically safe.
6. Bring in OF with winning run on 3rd - subtract 7 from fbB?, and all fbB and fbA are SI**.
7. Relief tired factor done by outs.
8. Starter tired if 5 runs in 1 inning, 6 in 2, 7 in 3, and after 11 innings.
9. Wimpy batters - all N-HR and ballpark HR are SI**.
10. Open doubles (no field designated) are hit to CF unless the split is to another field - i.e. - on a DOUBLE 1-4, fly rf(B), the double is hit to RF.
11. Lineout max - 1-7 is a triple play.
12. No infield in without a runner on third.
13. On an F2 with runners on 2nd and 3rd, do not subtract 5 from the running rating of man on 2nd going to 3rd.
14. Runner Advancement on Hits: When a runner is held on first or second, subtract 1 from his running rating when that rating is needed to determine whether he can advance an extra base on another's hit. If the baserunner is NOT being held, add 1 to his running rating. This calculation is in addition to other calculations (e.g. for two outs, or on throws from left field or right field to third base). As before, the safe chance for the baserunner may not exceed 1-19.
Note: With the bases loaded or runners on 1st and 2nd base, the trail runner is the runner on 1st. This rule applies to that trail runner. Consider the trail runner held or not held, depending on whether the lead runner is held.
15. Runner Advancement to third on fly (rf) B: On a fly (rf) B only, a runner at second base may advance with this calculation: Running speed +/- right fielder's arm, +2 for a throw to third base from right field. However, the only OUT chance is a roll of 20. If the roll is higher than the highest safe chance, but not 20, the runner holds at second base.
Example: A 1-14 runner and a -1 arm. Safe 1-15; Hold 16-19; Out 20
Note: This rule does not apply to fly (rf)B? readings from cards or to F2 readings from the fielding chart. (The fielding chart has its own rule for potential advances from 2B to 3B on F2's)
16. on G1, G2, G3 hit to the pitcher or catcher
on fielding chart:
With infield in, use infield in for pitcher
and catcher too.
With infield back, use infield back for
pitcher and catcher.
With corners in, and runner on 3rd or runners
on 2nd and 3rd, use infield in. Otherwise, use infield back.
17. With the bases loaded, and the corners or infield positioned in, downgrade the bunting rating two levels instead of one level.
18. CATCHER BLOCKING THE PLATE (part of the super advanced cut-off rule): Whenever there is a play at the plate and you are rolling the 20-sided die to determine if the runner is safe or out at home. If the last number in the safe range or the first number in the out range is selected (sometimes referred to in the SOMBILLA as a ‘disputed call’), then the catcher’s ability will be checked with another roll of the 20-sided die. For instance, if the safe range (after all adjustments have been made) is 1-14 and you roll a 14 or 15 on the 20-sided die, then you must roll the 20-sided die again and refer to the following chart to determine if the runner is safe or out:
Catcher’s Rating Safe Out
1
1-2 3-20
2
1-6 7-20
3
1-10 11-20
4
1-14 15-20
5
1-18 19-20
19. OUTFIELDER ROBBING A HOMERUN. This is along the same vein as the Catcher Blocking the Plate rule. If your ballpark allows, whenever there is a Homerun/Flyout split (from the cards or the ballpark chart) and you are rolling the 20-sided die to determine if it is a homerun. If the last number in the homerun range or the first number in the flyout range is selected then the outfielder's ability will be checked with another roll of the 20-sided die. Refer to the following chart to determine which outfielder has a chance for the catch:
Batter Bats Last
number in HR range First number in Flyout range
Left-handed
Rightfielder
Centerfielder
Right-handed
Leftfielder
Centerfielder
For instance, if the homer range is 1-14 and you roll a 14 or a 15 on the 20-sided die then you must roll the 20-sided die again and refer to the following chart to determine the outcome:
Outfielder's Rating Homerun Flyout
1
1-3 4-20
2
1-7 8-20
3
1-11 12-20
4
1-15 16-20
5
1-19 20
20. Rule 15.33. gb()A, gb()B, or gb()C hit to 1b or 3b with runner on 1st, 1st and 2nd ,or 2nd only, and corners are in, refer to infield back on the charts.
All of these rules are also found on the charts or in the official
Strat-O rules.