Preamble
The National Baseball Committee (NBC or the league) is a non-profit organization created to provide league owners the opportunity to manage their own baseball team using the best baseball game available. The NBC League patterns itself closely after the structure of Major League Baseball, following the same rules and procedure unless impractical or inconsistent with the desires of the league owners.
League Structure
Team Owners
Each team's owner will be the sole representative of operations for his/her team. No co-ownership is accepted unless cleared by the Commissioner. The owner is responsible for keeping his/her team competitive. Intentional attempts to destroy such a balance may result in termination of ownership and the team will become property of the Commissioner's Office until a suitable replacement owner is found. The owners are also responsible for league dues, voting, and All Star team selection each year.
The team owner is also the team manager and responsible for the following:
1. Playing all games in the best interest of both teams.
2. Reporting any roster movements and transactions to the league office by deadline dates and times.
3. Sending in completed score sheets and compiled statistics to the League Secretary by the dates given on the schedule.
4. Filing protests to the Commissioner's Office when they feel that there is a problem (games, rules, etc.)
5. Maintaining and keeping count of their players' eligibility, when necessary.
Reporting game results to the visiting owner and the league office through e-mail
Consequences for not staying on schedule.
All owners must complete trimester by deadline. If not complete, they must communicate a plan by the deadline showing how they will catch up. If the plan is agreeable, great. If not, league will play games as able.
If team fails to submit plan, league (Scott or Darrel) emails team. A reply must be made within 48 hours. Failure to reply results in the following consequences: games are reported in the general standings as played. The games played under these circumstances would be recorded as losses for playoff consideration and as wins for draft position consideration. If deemed necessary by Darrel and Scott, owner would be dismissed and an alternative to manage the team executed.
Commissioner
The Commissioner's Office is the highest administrative body of the league. His/her primary responsibility is to make sure that league functions are carried out in a timely and responsible manner. This responsibility involves keeping owners informed of what is happening in the league, assisting the other offices in their activities, and being alert to the concerns of the owners. Although major decisions should be made by the league as a whole (votes) when practical, the Commissioner does have the power and responsibility to modify and clarify league practices as needed. He/she also has the power to revoke any transaction when he/she decides it is not in the league's best interest. The Commissioner is the final arbitrator in any dispute or protest.
The Commissioner is not an elected position. It is appointed by the out going Commissioner and then confirmed by the rest of the league. It is very important that the Commissioner is someone that the league feels is committed to the league.
Web Page Master
The Web Page Master has the responsibility to keep an accurate and up to date web page. It is very important that the Web Page Master works closely with the other offices to keep the league web page going. He will be responsible for the following:
Posting updated rosters, transactions, free agent signings, draft picks, instructions sheets, and other league information.
Keeping the league informed on deadlines and notifying Commissioner when owners fall behind.
Stats: Once stats are received by the owners, the Web Page Master will put all of them together to determine leader leaders and team comparisons.
Collecting rule proposals from the league and then conducting the league vote.
Conduct voting for All Star Game and end of season awards.
Collecting and saving league history from year to year.
Conducting the Waiver Draft.
Term Limits
The commissioner will hold the position for 4 years. After 4 years in office, a new vote of approval will take place during rule proposal voting. The current commissioner can elect to run for office(approval) or nominate a successor who will be voted on. The current commissioner remains in office until a successor is successfully voted in, unless removed from office due to a lack of confidence vote. If, at the 4 year approval vote, someone wishes to run for the office of the commissioner, they must announce their intention prior to the rule proposal submission deadline. At any point league members may request a ‘lack of confidence’ vote. At least 3 members need to support the request for the vote, and should do so by contacting at least 1 league secretary and the webpage master. The league secretaries and webpage master will conduct the vote. If the commissioner is removed from office, the league secretaries and web page master will run the league until a replacement is approved. The league secretaries and web page master will make the nominations for a new commissioner. League members may volunteer, but should have the general support of at least 1 league secretary or web page master.
The commissioner appoints the league secretaries and web page master. The league should feel comfortable with the appointments, but they are only voted on if the league requests such a vote.
League Activities
Newsletters
The Commissioner and the Web Page Master are responsible for publishing newsletters to keep owners informed of league activities. This can be done on the web page or through the mail. The cost of these newsletters is covered in the dues (when needed).
Dues
Each owner is required to pay dues when they are needed to keep the league functioning. Owners must pay $20.00 to your league Web Page Master by draft day (usually the 3rd Sat. in March). Dues are collected to compensate him for his time, any software needed to maintain the site, and fees for domain name or hosting.
Voting
Each owner is required to vote on league issues. This is a fun league that is owned by all the owners and voting is the only way things can be worked out. You may vote Yes, No, and abstain. Not voting is unacceptable.
Rule Proposals
A rule proposal by an owner must be submitted to the league offices by January 1st and the vote will be taken on January 15th.
Approval by more than 50% of the owners is required to pass a proposal. 16 yes votes out of 30.
For any rule to take effect for the coming NBC season it needs a 75% threshold (75% votes in favor).
If a vote passes by less than 75% it takes effect in the following year; after trade re-opens following the regular season completion.
The league will make public all vote results and numbers of yes, no and abstain votes.
Instructions and Statistics
Instruction Sheets
Since each manager will play all of their home games, and instruction sheet must be created for the opposing mangers playing the away games. A manager is responsible for sending the initial instruction sheet to the Web Page Master by the date specified by the league office. If a manger wishes to change their instructions during the season, the change (or a new instruction sheet) should be sent either to the Web Page Master or to the other owners in the league directly. Revised instruction sheets should give the date when the new instructions are to take place.
Instruction sheet requirements:
- Sheets may not exceed two letter size pages
2. Roster listed in alphabetical order and with team they are carded labeled.
3. Batters and pitchers listed separately.
4. Specific pitcher usage must be listed. Can’t just say closer. Must say when they enter game and when they are removed.
5. Offensive and defensive strategies.
6. Batting line-ups and pitching rotations listed.
7. Team moral listed at the top.
8. What games the sheet is to be used.
It is an owner's responsibility to keep his or her team's instruction sheet current. An owner may designate an instruction sheet to be used for a particular trimester or group of series. However, the owner must submit a new instruction sheet within two weeks of the deadline for the games the instruction sheet is meant to cover. If the owner does not, then opposing teams may use the latest instruction sheet posted to play the games. The only exception to this would be if the owner asks the Web Page Master or commissioner for an extension. If an extension is granted, that will be posted to the web site and opposing teams will have to wait for the new sheet.
Game Sheets and Statistics
Each manager must submit the following to the Web Page Master by the date indicated on the schedule. Also send series results to the league office to be posted on the web page.
Team owner is responsible for compiling their own teams' stats home and road.
1. In addition to sending the results of a series to the visiting owner, the home manager is responsible for either compiling the stats for the visiting squad on the NBC approved spreadsheet or sending the visiting squad copies of the game sheets with stats filled out on them.
A) Dice / Cards. Game reports sent to league officers and opposing owners must, at minimum, be either the actual game sheets in readable, legible condition, OR compiled stats for the series accompanied by some sort of game summary of each game.
B) Computer. Game reports sent to league officers and opposing owners must, at minimum be either the actual game sheet outputs OR compiled stats for the series accompanied by some sort of game summary of each game.
2. Once an owner has received his stats for all 162 games and has compiled them into a spreadsheet, they are required to forward the complete stats for their team to the Web Page Master for post season award consideration.
Enforcement
To ensure all teams receive their stats from their road contests, if any team has outstanding road stats due to another owner as of opening day of trading, the late team will have a "trade freeze" in effect until the games have been submitted.
Games
All owners must purchase either the Triple Play Baseball board game or DiamondMind computer game.
Regular Season
A schedule will be sent to each owner indicating when teams play each other and when these games are due. No games will be counted in the official standings until the game sheets and statistics are received by the owner. Owners who know that their games will be late should contact the Web Page Master. If the Commissioner or Web Page Master must find another owner to play late game, those games will count as wins in determining draft position in the next draft. (Note: this penalty will not apply to teams that change ownership, traded draft picks before penalty and owners that have had an emergency and were unable to meet the requirement). In other words, if you have a reason that you can’t get games played, you need to notify the Web Page Master and Commissioner. They will assist you on getting games played with no penalty.
Extra Inning games, both during the regular season, and the playoffs will be played in the traditional (pre-2020) style without regard to any changes MLB may have undertaken since
Scheduling: Home teams can decide if the games are day games or night games. Remember only one day per series unless it is a 4 game series then you can play 2. Also the opposite is true for the Chicago Cubs. They will play only 1 night game per series or 2 night games on 4 game series. You don’t have to play any day games in a series if you choose.
Rain Outs: Due to usage issues and such the NBC-Dynasty League doesn’t use rain outs. If a game is rained out before the end of the 5th inning, you must restart the game with the same starting pitchers. If the game is played under threatening conditions you can start rolling after the game becomes official.
Inter-League play started in 2006. All teams will play inter league games as the visiting team. So on the schedule when you face an inter league opponent you play in the opponent's park with the other league's DH rules.
Roster Moves
Regular Season
Each team carries a roster of 33 players into the regular season, 26 of which are on the active roster.
Teams may keep different home and away active rosters. A home team must set its roster at the start of each home series. A home roster must include 5 starting pitchers in the rotation who either will start in a designated rotation slot or have just pitched in a slot. Once a series starts, a home or road team may only change its roster to replace an injured or suspended player with a minor league player. This substitution may only happen between games. Teams may keep different home and away active rosters and may freely change their active roster each trimester.
Expanded rosters: At the start of series #24, rosters are expanded toall their carded players.. Expanded Rosters are allowed for both home and away.
Trading is allowed between the day after the World Series is completed or on January 1st (whichever comes 1st) and August 20th, except between Cut Day and Draft Day. No cash or future considerations may be involved in any trades. Teams may trade draft picks up to one year in advance. Example: If you are playing the game in 2012, you may only trade picks from the 2013 draft. Once the season ends, you may start trading 2014 draft picks.
All owners involved in a trade must call or write the league office (Commissioner and Web Page Master) to report the trade. If the trade is not completely confirmed within seven days after the initial report, the trade may be nullified. Any trade deemed not in the League's best interest is subject to being blocked by the Commissioner. Trades may also be blocked if an owner involved has not paid their dues.
Trading between dual own team (directly or indirectly): Trades are allowed between teams run by the same person, or between teams that are heavily influenced by the same person. However, in these cases the trade needs to pass via the trade committee requiring 3 passing votes.
Territorial protections can be traded after they are declared. Territorial protections can be made from December 1st through January 15th. All territorial protections are final.
Territorial Protections: Each team may protect one player who satisfies all of the following.
1. Batted, pitched, or played in the field in the major leagues at least once in the previous season.
2. Ended the season with the team's organization..
3. Is not on another team’s roster.
This player need not be carded.
If a team does not protect a player it may instead choose take a supplemental 1st round pick based of draft standings if there are more than one team taking the supplemental pick. This pick will occur immediately following the 1st round and before the start of the 2nd round, so pick 30(A), 30(B) and so on.
Each team must submit its territorial protection to the league office by January 15th. Players not protected will become available in the draft.
Example: Westbrook pitched in the majors with the Yankees, but was later traded to the Indians. He never appeared in a major league game for the Indians. This makes Westbrook eligible to be the territorial protection of the Yankees.
From opening day until the in-season trade freeze, a team may trade the rights to its territorial pick for the upcoming season. Any such trade must include at least one carded player that must be added to that team's active roster.
Injured Reserve
Each team may assign one (1) and only one (1) player to Injured Reserve each Season. To be eligible for Injured Reserve a player must have been carded in the previous season and not carded or on the Alternate set of cards due to injury suffered while playing in the Major Leagues of MLB. The player must have finished the previous season in that team's organization (on the active roster or minors of the NBC team). The Injured Reserve Player does not count toward roster totals except that a player on Injured Reserve may be traded to another team, and may fill either an Injured Reserve slot or a roster spot. A player may not be placed on Injured Reserve in consecutive seasons. Designation of Injured Reserve players must occur on or before the deadline for rosters to be cut to twenty-seven (28) players.
Cuts: Teams must cut their roster down to 28 players or less on or before the last day of February.
The Draft
The draft will be held in March on the date assigned by the League Office. Normally the 3rd Saturday in March
Eligible players for the draft: Any player who batted, pitched, or played in the field in the major leagues at least once in the previous season and is not on anyone's roster. Also eligible for the draft are any players cut from the roster or from the injured reserve list between the end of the previous season and the cut down day. Released free agents are not eligible for the draft unless they appeared in the following year. A few days prior to the draft, the commissioner will announce that the list of eligible players (both those players not on a roster and who were cut) has been finalized. After that announcement, only players on that list may be selected in the regular draft or the waiver draft.
It is the responsibility of all owners to make sure the draft runs fairly and smoothly. Once a draft pick is made, the commissioner or the commissioner’s representative will confirm the pick. After that confirmation, the next team will be able to select another player. If it later becomes apparent that an ineligible player was selected, the selecting owner will be able to select a new player. However, that owner will not be able to select a player that had been selected by another owner before the mistake was discovered. If there is any dispute not covered in the rules, the commissioner or the commissioner’s representative will make a decision on how to proceed.
Each owner may participate in the draft in person, by phone, or by submitting a list of players (150 or up to the number of your latest pick). The list needs to be in one-week prior to the draft to the Commissioner.
The draft will include five rounds, with each team awarded one selection. The order of the draft will be according to the inverse finish of the previous season, except for the teams with the six worst records. If two or more teams are tied after the regular season the following will be used to break the tie. The team with the best road record is deemed the better team and will select after the other team or teams. If they are tied with the same road record, then the coin flip will be used to break the tie. This is to be done before the lottery. This order will be used for rounds 1, 4 and 5. The reverse order of teams will be used for rounds 2, 3 and all other post-draft selections (e.g. waiver draft and free agent claims) The six worst records will participate in a draft lottery. All playoff teams will pick after teams not making the playoffs. They will be in reverse of where they finished in the playoffs. Teams eliminated in the same round will draft based on reverse order of regular season records.
The Lottery:
NBC draft order and draft lottery will be determined as follows:
A Target Loss Number(TLN) will be calculated based on the average number of losses of the 20 non playoff teams. All non-playoff teams would be eligible for the draft lottery. The lots in the lottery would be determined by the distance from the teams number of losses and the TLN. The teams closest to the TLN would have the better chance in the lottery. Note, we do not break ties for draft lottery priority.(see example below)
The lottery will be for the top 6 spots in the draft. The remaining teams will then select in order of highest NBC losses to lowest. The second and subsequent rounds would draft based on the NBC losses not altered by the draft lottery, with ties broken as per NBC rules.
The process for the lottery would flip from the current method, selecting the top spot 1st and then 2nd and so on thru the 6th spot. The team(s) finishing closest to the TLN would have the most balls in the lottery and the team furthest back would have 1. Each tier would increase the number of balls in the lottery by 1, regardless of how big the gap from one team to the next.(see example below) Teams cannot fall more than 3 spots in the draft order via lottery. So worst record would not draft worse than 4th, 2nd worst record wouldn’t be lower than 5th, etc…
Playoff team draft order is unchanged.
Waiver Draft
A player may be claimed of the waiver wire after the draft. Waiver Draft is the Saturday following the regular draft. Teams that are interested in picking up a player can participate is a live chat draft or send a list to the Web Page Master by that Friday at midnight. Players will be awarded in the following manner: (1) teams that have fewer than 32 players after the conclusion of the draft (after pick 150) will be given priority #1; (2) teams that have 32 players, but wish to cut or trade a player and pick up a free agent are priority #2. The players will be awarded in the inverse order of their win-loss record from the previous season. Once all priority #1 teams have filled their roster to 32 players, priority #2 teams will be awarded players.
In-Season Free Agent Signings
Carded free agents may be signed during the regular season. Starting when the Waiver Draft is completed. Players left over after the waiver draft that have 20 or more innings or PAs are eligible for free agency. The rest are not. Such free agents must be used in accord with the usage rules applying to any other player or pitcher. Any player signed must be on the 26 man active roster, while apart of your team. Player must be on either/both home or road rosters. In-season free agents are eligible for post-season play. An in-season free agent is automatically released at the conclusion of the season in which he is signed. Teams are allowed to sign an unlimited number of free agents during the season consecutively, not concurrently. After signing the first two, a previous free agent must be dropped to sign the next one, leaving the active limit to TWO at a time. In the event two (or more) team claim a player on the same 24 hours, the team with the lower winning percentage in the previous NBC season will have priority in the signing. Teams may make only one free agent claim at a time. Once a higher priority team makes a claim for the same player, the lower priority team may make another claim. Once a team receives its first free agent, it is put at the bottom of the priority list for future claims in order of when the claim clears (i.e., the first claim to clear goes immediately after the World Series winner and then so on based on the time the claim clears).
In-season free agents may be traded. Traded in-season free agents retain their “in-season” status, i.e. must be released at the end of the season. Carded players released by their teams during the season will be added to the carded free agent pool. A carded free agent page, listing the pool of available free agents along with there used PA’s, will be maintained on the league web site. In-season free agents will be indicated on the league rosters by a special symbol.
In order for a free agent to be on a playoff roster, that free agent must be on the team for the entire 3rd trimester. During the playoffs, a team may retain free agents without keeping them on the active roster. A free agent may be left off the active roster for one series and then be included in another series or called up as an injury replacement.
Winter Rosters
Rosters are frozen and trading is suspended from August 20th through December 1st. From day after the World Series is completed or January 1st (whichever comes 1st) to Cut Day, each team may keep as many players on its roster as it wishes. A 28-man roster, including their territorial protection, must be submitted on or before the last day of February.
Playoff Rosters
An exclusive 26-man roster will be used in the playoffs and no replacements will be allowed during the series. Each playoff team must submit its playoff roster to the League Office and opponent before the start of each playoff series. Different rosters can be used in each round of the playoffs.
Player Usage
Pitchers
Starters:
A 4.5 man rotation will be used with the first four starting positions requiring 36 starts and the fifth starter with 18 starts. All pitchers will be eligible to start 150 percent of their major league starts, with the fractions rounded up, to the maximum of 36 starts.
Relievers:
A reliever can pitch no more than 150 percent of their major league innings. Pitchers can also pitch no more than 150 innings in relief unless their actual major league innings in relief was greater than 150, in which case they will be limited to their exact major league amount. If a pitcher did both, then they get 150% of their innings whether they started or relieved. Remember, they still can only pitch 150 innings in relief and the rest can be used as starts.
All relief pitchers must face either 3 batters or complete the inning.
Any starter that relieved in MLB but did not receive a rating from TPB is still eligible to pitch in relief and will be considered “long”.
All teams must have minimum 324 (MLB) relief innings by April 1st.
Batters
All players will be eligible to bat 150 percent of their major league plate appearances. These plate appearances can occur in any way the owner chooses to use them unless the player is limited or restricted (see blow). The owner will have the responsibility of keeping track of plate appearances during the NBC season. However, owners will not have to keep track of plate appearances for full time players. A player is considered full time, if he has at least 475 major league plate appearances and is not limited or restricted.
Teams will be assigned an emergency catcher that does not count against their roster number. Teams that already have a 3rd catcher will only be assigned an emergency catcher if they ask for one. Emergency catchers can only be activated if an active roster catcher is injured. They may only enter the game if all other catchers are injured. They may not be used as defensive replacements or pinch hitters. Emergency catchers will be assigned (picked by owners) after the waiver draft. The league will contact teams that need an emergency catcher and allow them to be selected from a pre-determined list. The order will be just like the free agent order. Emergency catchers can't get injured, and their PAs are not tracked.
Pitchers can only pinch hit if they had 60 or more PA's in MLB that season.
Catcher Rest/Fatigue Rule and Rust Rule are not used in the NBC-Dynasty League.
The following players are considered limited or restricted:
Limited Players: A player is limited versus one or both sides if he has 30-90 major league plate appearances versus right-handed pitching or 30-60 (30-55 for catchers) versus left-handed pitching. To take advantage of the catcher rule (30-55), the player must start at catcher and can only change positions in case of injury.
Limited players may be handled in two ways.
The owner may simply keep track of the number of plate appearances a player gets versus the limited side to make sure it does not exceed 150 percent. Example: a player with 40 major league plate appearances versus left handed pitchers would get 60 plate appearances versus lefties for the NBC season.
The owner can simply keep track of the number of games such a player starts against the side he is limited to. The number of starts = (Major league plate appearances versus limited side times 1.5) divided by 4. In the previous example, the player would be limited to 15 starts versus left-handed pitching. If keeping track of a limited player in this fashion, the limited player may pinch hit freely versus the limited side as long as the pinch hit occurs in one of the following ways: (1) the player comes in before the 7th inning, gets one plate appearance and then leaves the game; (2) the player comes into the game in the 7th inning or later; or (3) the player comes in to replace a player who has left the game due to ejection or injury. If the limited player pinch-hits against his limited side under any other circumstance, the entry is considered a start against that side.
Restricted Players: A player is restricted versus a side if he has 0-29 major league appearances versus that side. A restricted player gets 150 percent of those plate appearances versus that side for the NBC season. The owner must keep track of these plate appearances individually. Exception: in games which are not played face to face, if the home owner brings in a pitcher to face a player who is restricted versus that side, the plate appearance does not count toward the total plate appearances allotted versus that side. However, owners may indicate on an instruction sheet that restricted players may be brought in; these plate appearances are noted and count towards the total allotted.
Note: Players who are limited or restricted must still observe the 150% limit on their total plate appearances. Being limited or restricted is a further condition upon player usage, not a different one. Realize also that it is possible for a player to be full time and restricted or limited. For example, a player who had 475 major league plate appearances, with only 50 of those versus left-handed pitching, would be full-time with a limitation versus left-handed. The owner of such a player would not need to keep track of the player's total plate appearances, but would need to monitor the games or plate appearances versus left-handers.
Fielders
Players need 15 games at a position except left field and right field to start at those positions. Any player with 15 games in the outfield may start in left or right field. Players with less than 15 games at a position get to start at that position 150 percent of their major league starts. A player is considered to start at a position if he plays in that position before the 7th and did not do so to replace an ejected or injured player.
Addendum to the player usage rule: A player who does not qualify with the minimum 15 games at any defensive position, would then be allowed to play at the position that he has the most games played at (minimum 1), up to the limitation of his plate appearances. Also, New Position chart for both emergencies and for a player who played a position but not carded at it. http://www.tpbaseball.info/leagues/newpos.html
Ejections: Players are no longer ejected from the game on close calls or other results on the bases that would see them ejected. Unless it is for fighting, then they are still ejected.
Injuries
During the regular season, injuries do not extend beyond the series in which they occur. During the playoffs, injuries do not extend beyond the game in which they occur. Rules for replacing an injured player are given in the above paragraphs on fielders.
Enforcement
The Web Page Master will do their best to watch player usage, but it is ultimately the responsibility of the owner to follow the guidelines.
Owner Behavior
Belligerent, threatening, or harassing behavior towards any NBC member or its commissioner is not tolerated and is grounds for removal.
A committee must agree to put an owner to vote for removal (so required 2 yes votes by commissioner, and Web Page Master before the vote will go to the league). If both vote yes then all other owners must be sent a vote request to remove the owner and state the reasons for the request. If 2/3 of the total current owners vote yes then the owner will be removed from the league and be replaced. If this occurs before the all star break an owner can be put into place and the team will function as normal. If after the all star break an owner can be put into place but the team will not be playoff eligible.