AMERICAN
BASEBALL
LEAGUE
established 1984
2022 ABL CONSTITUTION
LEAGUE ADMINISTRATION
The Commissioner has the authority to rule on all aspects of league operation. He oversees the day-to-day
running of the league, enforces penalties described in Constitution, assigns new managers, rules on any
disputes, makes sure games are being played and recorded, sets up the league schedule and playoffs, records
and updates all league stats, records all player transactions, and keeps rosters up to date.
Any
changes to this Constitution or any rules of play must be done via a majority vote of all ABL franchise
owners.
Franchise fee (dues) will be collected from each active league member prior to the upcoming
seasons draft, and shall be used to cover league expenses. The current fee, subject to change, is $0.
LEAGUE SET UP
The ABL consists of two leagues (American and National). Within these leagues are three divisions (East,
Central and West), the same as the current alignment of Major League Baseball. Each division consists of 4 ABL
teams.
The ABL season consists of 162 games, 81 at home and 81 on the road. Each ABL team will play
all teams outside of their division 6 times (3 home and 3 road), and each team within their division 14 times
(7 home and 7 road).
The regular season runs from April through September, with 27 games each month.
Playoffs and World Series will take place in October.
The ABL uses the SOM ballpark factors. Each
franchise is allowed to design their ballpark subject to the following restriction. Each ballpark will have 4
different ratings singles & home runs, each for left handed and right handed batters), with no more than a
difference of 6 between left and right-handed hitters (for example, if single chances for left handed hitter
are 1-8, the chance for a single for a right handed hitter must be no worse than 1-2 and no more than 1-14).
Ballpark settings may be changed once every 3 years. In the years 2022, ‘25’, ’28, ’31, ’34, ’37, ’40 ballpark
settings will be opened up for changes.
The ABL games are governed by the super advanced rules of
Strat-O-Matic baseball, Major League Baseball, and this constitution. This includes the maximum level main
rules, super advanced steal system, miscellaneous rules, ballpark effects, clutch hitting rules, super
advanced strategy charts, closer rules, and super advanced fatigue and pitch count rules. The ABL also allows
GBA on pitcher cards and uses the following Max Rules: bunt for base hit, improve out distribution, improve
baserunning realism, home field advantage, starting pitcher clutch, more baserunning decisions,
doubles/triples options, realistic throwing errors, pitch-around option, robbing HR rule, correct board game
excesses, and extreme batter-pitcher matchups.
The ABL does not use the SOM injury rules, weather
effects, or the following Max Rules: improve statistical accuracy, force daily injuries, allow extra pre-1920
errors, allow errors on bunts, allow errors on pickoffs, pro-rate injuries to length of season, limit all
injuries to current game only, allow defensive shifts, catcher blocking the plate rule, allow errors not shown
on SADV X-Chart, and throttle back ‘Monster’ cards.
Rules in this Constitution take precedence over
those in the Strat-O-Matic game. The SOM computer game must be used to play the game and submit stats.
Any proposed rule changes will be conducted by a league vote. A minimum 16 votes are required on any potential
change. The majority vote will take precedence on that vote.
Disputes will be discussed resolved by a
committee of the Commissioner, Draft Administrator, and Game Administrator. The Commissioner may decide to
bring in additional league members to resolve an issue if there is a potential conflict of interest.
SCHEDULE
The ABL season consists of 162 games, 81 at home and 81 on the road. Each ABL team will play all teams
outside of their division 6 times (3 home and 3 road), and each team within their division 14 times (7 home
and 7 road). Each month will consist of 27 games.
Each month’s game results are due to the
commissioner and the opposing manager by the end of the month. The commissioner will then distribute the
results by the 5th of the month, and each team will then have until the 10th of the month to get in their
Computer Managers and pitching rotations for the upcoming month to the commissioner.
PROCESS FOR PLAYING GAMES
Each month managers will be responsible for sending their Computer Manager (CM) and starting rotations for
the upcoming month to the commissioner. Managers must load that month’s CM file using the “Restore League”
function [League -> Restore League] and update their CM (lineups, starting rotation, etc.). Once this is
complete, managers must export their CM and upload it to the StratDraft website. Once all Computer Managers
have been uploaded, the commissioner will compile and distribute the Play Ball file for that month.
Once the Play Ball file has been distributed, managers must take the following steps to play their games:
- Load the file into the program using the Restore League function [League -> Restore League].
- Set their own home games to Manual and all other games to Hold. This can be done using the Schedule Batch Change function [League -> Schedule Batch Change]. Set the “Batch Change Type” as “Some Teams Home Games Manual, Others Hold.” Then, select your team from the list at the bottom. Then, hit OK.
- Before the first game of every home series, reset your team’s rest. This can be done using the “Give Team a Day Off” function [Team -> Give Team a Day Off…]. Select “Reset All (15 Days). You should reset your rest only at the beginning of each series, not at the beginning of each game.
- When you are ready to play a game, go to File -> New Scheduled. Then, click “Play Day.” Verify that the game being played is one of your team’s home games, then click “Manual.” You may adjust your starting lineup, then click “Play Ball” to start your game.
Once you have completed all your team’s home games for the month, you must upload your game results to the StratDraft website.
- Navigate to the folder C:\Strat-O-Matic Baseball\EXPORT. You will have two files for every game you played that month. (If you played 12 home games, you should have 24 files. If you played 15 home games, you should have 30 files.) Select all these files and export them to a zipped folder. Name this folder with your team name and the month of the season that was played (for example, BAL-APR-Results.zip).
- It is also encouraged to upload your box scores. To do so, navigate to C:\Strat-O-Matic Baseball\PRINT, then select the correct league folder (for example, “2022AB”). Export all these files into another zipped folder with your team name and the month of the season (for example, BAL-APR-Box.zip).
- When your ZIP files are ready, upload them to the StratDraft website.
ROSTERS
During the ABL playing season each team shall carry a maximum of 35 players. Any combination of pitchers and
batters is allowed. A player who does not have a card in a given year may be kept on a roster, but will not be
eligible to be on the active player roster. Each team retains its players from season to season unless they
are cut, traded or selected in an expansion draft.
If during the season a team ends up with more than
35 players on its roster due to a trade, it must immediately cut one player from it’s roster to get back to 35
players. If a team ends up with fewer than 35 players on its roster due to a trade, that team may then select
any carded player who is not currently on another ABL roster to bring the team back up to 35 players.
From the conclusion of the season until February 28th, including the annual free agent draft, there is no
limit to the number of players a team may have on its roster.
Each year by February 28th, teams must
reduce their roster to 35 or fewer players. Each team will have no more than 35 players on his roster from
this point until the end of the season.
During the ABL playing season, each team will have a 26
-player active roster. The active roster can be changed each month, but cannot change within a given month.
For the final month (September), all 35 players on the roster (if carded) may be active. Note, however, that
the Strat-o-Matic program limits you to 15 pitchers on the active roster.
TRADES
Trading is allowed from the end of the regular season until 2 weeks before the official start of the rookie
draft, and then from the day after conclusion of the rookie draft until March 25th . Trading during the season
is allowed, and in-season trades will become effective beginning with the next month of games. (i.e., trades
reported in May will become effective beginning with June games).
When a trade agreement is reached,
both managers must confirm through the StratDraft site. The trade is not official until both managers have
proposed and confirmed the trade. A player acquired via trade cannot be traded again until the first trade
becomes official and players have been swapped on the StratDraft rosters.
Multiple player deals are
allowed and draft picks can be traded. Restrictions on trading of draft picks are as follows:
- From the conclusion of the season until the draft, picks for the current and following year drafts can be traded. After the rookie draft until the end of the second in season trading deadline , only picks for the upcoming draft may be traded.
- Each team is required to have at least 2 picks for the current year’s draft (i.e. you may trade away six picks for next year as long as you acquire at least one pick from another team). This will keep any new manager from entering the league totally handicapped in the next draft. The previous trade that breaks this rule may be nullified, or the manager may be required to immediately acquire another draft pick to get back into compliance.
- Each team must retain at least three picks for the following years draft, with at least one pick in the first three rounds. The previous trade that breaks this rule may be nullified, or the manager may be required to immediately acquire another draft pick to get back into compliance.
All trades are unconditional. Players may not be named later, and players or picks may not be given
away.
Trades that unfairly favor one team may be vetoed. If another owner officially questions a
trade, the Commissioner will consult with at least 4 other owners (not directly involved in the trade), to
review the trade in question and make a recommendation to either allow or void the trade. If the group
recommends that the trade be voided, the commissioner will talk to both managers involved, and make a final
ruling. If the final ruling is to void the trade, the owners will be allowed to rework the original trade.
Under no circumstances shall owners be allowed to set up a “farm system” with one team systematically
funneling good players to another team.
PLAYER RESTRICTIONS
Position players may not exceed 110% of their actual major league plate appearances (at bats + walks) for a
given season. Pitchers may not exceed 110% of their actual major league innings for a given season.
A
player may not play a position other than those listed on his card except for outfielders playing another
outfield position not listed on his card subject to the SOM rules. Players without a position rating will only
qualify as a DH.
Position players may not pitch, and pitchers may not hit. A pitcher without a starter
rating may not start a game, and starters without a reliever rating may not relieve.
As an exception
to rules 2 and 3 above, a player may play a position for which he does not qualify, only if he is the only
option available after a player has been pinch-hit or pinch-run for. However, systematic abuse of this rule
will be subject to penalties (including forfeiting games) at the discretion of the commissioner.
A
starting pitcher must have 4 days rest between starts (3 days starters with a * rating). All other
Strat-O-Matic pitch count rules apply.
Any player overused during the regular season is ineligible for
playoff games.
PLAYOFFS
The three divisional winners receive automatic berths and receive the # 1, # 2 and # 3 seeds in their
respective leagues. The two teams in each league with the next best records receive the ‘wild card’ berths and
go in as the # 4 and # 5 seeds respectively.
Ties between teams will be broken based first on
head-to-head record, then by the better record in road games, then by the better record within their
respective league. The final tiebreaker will be a one game playoff between the teams.
In round one,
the two wild card teams from each league meet. In round two, the # 1 seed meets the wild card winner while the
#2 seed plays the # 3 seed in each league. The winners of round two advance on to the League Championship
Series, with the higher seeded team hosting. The winners of the LCS then meet in the ABL World Series, with
the team with the best overall record getting the higher seed.
All series are best of seven games. For
each series, the higher seed is the home team in games 1, 2, 6 and 7. The lower seed is home in games 3, 4,
and 5 . For pitching rotations, there is an off day after games 2 and 5 of each series, and two days off after
the end regular season and between each playoff series.
The participating managers will decide how to
play any playoff games. Face to face or net play is strongly encouraged. If the teams cannot come to an
agreement, the home team will play games 1-4, and a neutral manager will play games 5-7 as necessary.
The commissioner will manage the playoff file for each round. Managers involved in each round must send their
Computer Manager files to the commissioner by the indicated deadline. If managers decide not to use net play,
they must send the results and box scores of their games to the other manager as they complete them. When the
series has been completed, both managers must send their Game Result files to the commissioner.
PLAYOFF RESTRICTIONS AND RULES
Position player limitations during playoffs are based on an honor system and are not penalized. Owners of
each playoff series should be aware and my call your opponent out if necessary.
Teams that do not have
enough usage at any given position, due to ineligible players from overusage, will be ineligible for the
playoffs. The next team in line will take the place as representation. If it’s a Division winner that is
ineligible, the 2nd place team in the division slides into that spot, and Wild Card teams will be refactored
if necessary. If it’s a Wild Card team that’s ineligible, the team with the next best record will slide into
the Wild Card series.
Usage guidelines are as follows:
- Players with 500 or more PA’s actual major league PA’s are unlimited
- Players with 400 – 499 actual PA’s are limited to 30 PA’s per series
- Players with 300 – 399 actual PA’s are limited to 20 PA’s per series
- Players with 200 – 299 actual PA’s are limited to 15 PA’s per series
- Players with 100 – 199 actual PA’s are limited to 10 PA’s per series
- Players with less than 100 actual PA’s are limited to 5 PA’s per series
- Starting pitchers with more than 150 actual IP’s and have a * rating may start 3 games per series and are unlimited in IP’s
- Starting pitchers with 100 - 150 actual IP’s are limited to 2 starts and 20 IP’s per series
- Starting pitchers with fewer than 100 actual IP’s are limited to 1 start and 10 IP’s per series
- Starting pitchers may not have 3 starts in back to back series
Starting pitchers limitations during playoffs:
- Relief pitchers with more than 75 actual IP’s are unlimited
- Relief pitchers with 60 – 75 actual IP’s are limited to 10 IP’s per series
- Relief pitchers with 50 – 59 actual IP’s are limited to 8 IP’s per series
- Relief pitchers with 40 – 49 actual IP’s are limited to 6 IP’s per series
- Relief pitchers with 25 – 39 actual IP’s are limited to 4 IP’s per series
Relief pitchers limitations during playoffs:
ANNUAL ROOKIE DRAFT
The annual ABL Rookie Draft will take place in January or February, with the specific timing of the draft to
be announced by the commissioner and/or Draft Administrator once the Strat Draft site has been uploaded with
the new player lists. This typically happens mid to late January. The ABL Rookie Draft may not take place
until that year’s playoff season is complete.
Eligible players include all players not currently on an
ABL roster who had at least 50 real life at bats or 25 real life innings pitched.
The draft will
consist of 7 rounds and be held on www.stratdraft.com. The commissioner will assign draft times during weekend
dates during the draft as required. Picks may be made through the weekdays, but these will be untimed. Teams
that may not be available can use the auto-draft feature on the StratDraft site, or supply a list to one of
the designated site administrators for the league. Times between picks will be 15 minutes.
The Draft
Administrator will publish a list of all eligible players as it becomes available on www.stratdraft.com. This
is typically mid-January. Any player who would otherwise be eligible, but is inadvertently left off the
official list of eligible players, and is not caught before the rookie draft starts, may not be selected in
the draft, but will be available for the doggie draft.
Draft order for the annual rookie draft will be
as follows:
- Each team starts with a number of draft points equal to the number of total losses for the most recent ABL season
- Teams will lose draft points for each missed deadline based on the penalty system as listed below (monthly computer managers or game results) during the season. In the event a team cannot meet a deadline due to computer problems, travel, etc., the team needs to notify the commissioner 3 days prior to the deadline to avoid a penalty as well as providing an action plan to provide these necessary files. This can include help from another manager or having CMs auto-generated or scheduled home games auto-played.
- Teams will lose draft points for each player who is overused per the penalty system as listed below.
- Should a team end up with negative draft points, that team will forfeit its 4th round pick. If that pick has already been traded, the team will lose the pick it does own that immediately precedes its 4th round pick (either their own 3rd rounder or another pick acquired via trade).
- The team with the most draft points will draft first, the second most will draft second, and so on. In the event that 2 or more teams have the same number of draft points, the following tiebreaking system will be used to determine which of these teams will draft highest.
- Team with the most losses on the season
- Head to Head (if tie is only between 2 teams)
- Most losses within each respective division
- Coin flip
ANNUAL DOGGIE DRAFT
The ‘Doggie Draft’ takes place in the mid-March each year. The commissioner will announce the timing of this
draft no later than February 28th each year.
Players eligible for the ‘Doggie Draft’ consist of any
undrafted players that were eligible for the annual Rookie Draft, and any players cut by teams.
The
‘Doggie Draft’, like the annual Rookie draft, will be held via means established by the commissioner for that
season. Teams will draft in the same order as in the annual rookie draft.
Teams may not exceed the
roster limit of 35. If a team is full, they may still make a selection as long as they list the player to be
cut along with their selection.
The ‘Doggie Draft’ will continue as long as teams are still making
selections.
EXPANSION DRAFT
In the event of further ABL expansion, each ABL team will be allowed to protect 14 players if expanding by 4 teams or 16 players if expanding by 2 teams. Any unprotected player goes into the expansion draft pool.
In a 4 team expansion, each team selects until every existing team has lost two players. At this point each existing team gets to protect 2 more players. The expansion teams then get to select until 2 more players from each existing team are drafted. After this the remaining players go back to their original teams. In a two team expansion, each team selects until 2 players are lost by all existing teams.
Expansion teams will be positioned in the rookie draft to select in positions 15 through 18 (15 and 16 if expanding by 2) in rounds 1 and 2. In rounds 3 through the end of the draft, the expansion teams will draft at the top of each round. Along with their normal picks, all expansion teams will receive supplemental picks after the 4th through 7th rounds.
PENALTY SYSTEM
Teams will be penalized draft points for overusage and missed deadlines during the season. Penalties for overusage of hitters:
- 0-9 PAs over = 0 points
- 10-20 PAs over = 1 point
- 21-35 PAs over = 2 points
- 36 to 50 PAs over = 4 points
- 51+ PAs over = 4 points PLUS excessive overusage penalty
Penalties for overusage of pitchers:
- 0-4 IPs over = 0 points
- 5-9 IPs over = 1 point
- 10-16 IPs over = 2 points
- 17-24 IPs over = 4 points
- 25+ IPs over = 4 points PLUS excessive overusage penalty
Excessive Overusage Penalty: Player is suspended for the following year. Player must remain on team
for that year. Player is ineligible to be traded until the following regular season is over.
Penalties
for missed deadlines:
Draft penalties will be waived for new managers who are taking over a previous owner’s team.
GENERAL LEAGUE NOTES
The ABL was established as a SOM mail league in 1984 by Duane Widner, along with Raul Camacho and Brian Oland.
In closing, ABL managers should take pride in their teams and their league to strive to make this the best league possible. Be courteous to your fellow managers by playing fairly, responding to requests and getting results in on a timely basis. If we get 100% cooperation it will be well worth your time and effort. And remember, it is just a game and meant to be FUN