ABA By-Laws

Preface

The BY-LAWS are the rules within which the ABA operates. It is essential that all owners know and abide by the BY-LAWS. This game will provide us with years of enjoyment if we treat each other with respect, and play within the framework provided here.

The BY-LAWS are not infallible or complete. They can be amended by ownership vote at the end of each season. Written suggestions with merit will be put to ownership vote during the off-season.

Fines and penalties can be deleted, added or adjusted by the commissioner for the long-term well-being of the league. When a commissioner's ruling sets a precedent, that precedent will stand until a BY-LAW amendment replaces or annuls the precedent.

The Commissioner may take necessary actions against a team(s) or owner(s) to insure fair and continuing play throughout this and future seasons.

1.0 The Basics

1.1 All owners must use a legal copy of DIAMOND MIND BASEBALL Version 10

1.2 All owners must purchase a copy of the Season Disk every year from Diamond Mind Baseball.

1.3 Games are played during the baseball season, using the PREVIOUS season's MLB stats.

1.4 Annual Team Franchise Fees (1 season) are $10.00. Fees are due each year prior to any off season draft functions or trading. Dues are payable to the Reports Officer and are used for the league website and the league copy of the season disk.

1.5 Once paid, fees are not refundable.

1.6 The DMB Injury toggle is set at "NONE" for our league.

1.7 The DMB Bullpen Warm-up toggle is set at "OFF" for our league.

1.8 The Weather Effects toggle is set to "OFF".

1.9 The Era toggle is N for our league.

2.0 ABA Administration Organization

2.1 League Commissioner - Responsible to oversee the running of all league functions. In charge of the selection or removal of officers, selection of new owners, interpretation of BY-LAWS, ruling on disputes between any and all league participants, assessment of fines and penalties to owners for improprieties or rules violations. In short, the Commissioner runs the league and is empowered to take any action necessary to protect the normal operations of the ABA and its continuation.

2.1.1 The commissioner is subject to an annual league vote to retain his office. Upon the annual renewal of Team Fees, each owner may cast 1 vote, whether to keep or replace the commissioner. The commissioner is retained if OVER 50 % of all responding owners in good standing vote to retain him.

2.1.2 The commissioner's term ends if 50% or more of the owners (in good standing) vote to remove him. A new commissioner will be solicited and nominated by a three owner panel appointed by the outgoing Commissioner, and the nominee must be approved by over 50% of the membership to take office.

2.2 Reports Officer - may be Appointed and Removed by the Commissioner. He is responsible for the documentation of ALL official ABA communications. He will keep documentation of each team roster, specifically noting contract status, salary, roster size, draft picks, trades, and each teams account balance.

2.2.1 The Reports Officer is the person to contact for ROSTER ADJUSTMENTS of any kind. Trades and player transactions will take place the period after they are reported to the reports officer IN WRITING by all parties involved.

2.2.2 The Reports Officer will furnish the League and the Owners with a roster before and after each season (containing names of all players owned by the team, contract status of each player, the current ABA$ balance, etc.).

2.2.3 The reports officer needs to maintain files on each team and all their transactions, keep files of all draft transactions, and keep track of the financial status of each team.

2.3 Stats Officer - IS THE ONLY PERSON ALIVE who can make roster changes, player changes, farm team changes, free agent additions or any changes to the League Files.

2.3.1 The Stats Officer will compile League files from the individual owner's files after each month's play (each owner will e-mail in his home stats after play), and then re-issues the files with up-to-date stats and rosters.

2.3.2 All owners will receive an operable player stat file from the Disk Officer after the drafts and prior to the season. The files will be set up in ABA teams and ABA divisions.

2.4 The JURY DUTY ROSTER is a list of all AL or NL owners (except the Commissioner) in random order. As needed for league tasks, owners will be selected from the top of the list and asked to take care of league business. In the event an owner on the top of the jury duty list is involved in an appeal etc., that owner will be passed over for an uninvolved owner. The skipped owner will remain atop the list and serve if necessary in the next case.

3.0 Leagues, Divisions, Teams and Rosters

3.1 Each team will begin its existence with a unique nickname and a unique major league park. Each team will draft its opening roster from among players who currently play on MLB teams in the corresponding league (NL only).

3.2 The division arrangement will be randomly assigned by the league. The Division assignments may occur as frequently as annually. Future owners will only have a choice to take over an existing franchise or not, and not which Division they will reside in.

3.3 Each ABA team will be limited to a 40 man roster. A maximum of 30 active players will be carried on the Major League Roster at any given time. A minimum of 25 active players must appear on the Major League Roster at all times during the ABA season.

3.3.1 Each ABA team may expand their roster to a maximum of 40 active players during the final play period of the regular season.

3.4 Only players on the ABA Major League Roster are allowed to play games, the "farm team" players are considered inactive for any play period which they appear on the Farm Roster.

3.5 Team name/city changes as well as Ballpark changes must be approved by the commissioner and they will carry the following fees:

3.5.1 Name or City Change - FREE once per calendar year (before or after ABA season)

3.5.2 Ballpark Change - One change free every 2 years, else $500,000

Additionally:

3.5.3 Any team taken over by a new manager will be allowed to change it's name, city and ballpark once in it's first 30 days of operation free of charge. After that time, they too must follow the guidelines stated above.

3.5.4 If a major league team changes ballparks, the ABA owner with that ballpark will have the option to change ballparks free of charge if an unoccupied ballpark is available.

3.5.5 Owners may trade ballparks at a cost of $100,000 each...before or after an ABA season.

4.0 How It's Played

4.1 Games are played by the home team manager using the pre-programmed Computer Manager for the operation of the visiting team.

4.2 Home managers will play each game in a road series. After EVERY GAME the home manager updates the statistics, then saves a copy of the boxscore AND the scoresheet. A boxscore and scoresheet for each game played must be saved and sent to the Files Manager after the home games are completed.

4.2.1 Any Owner may, by his/her choice, have his/her team’s games auto-played by the ABA’s central computer as long as there is an official Computer Manager on file for his/her team.

4.2.2 Any Owner who’s home game results are late will have his/her team’s games for that period auto-played by the ABA’s central computer.

4.3 The schedule will be presented to all owners before the start of play for each play period. Each team will play a 160 game schedule, with 80 home games and 80 road games (unless adjusted prior to the start of league play).

4.4 Monthly Home and Road games will be balanced so that every team plays 50% of each month's games home and away. This will be done each play period.

4.5 ABA teams will play more games against in-division rivals than against non-divisional opponents.

4.6 National League teams will NOT use the Designated Hitter (DH).

5.0 Playoffs

5.1 Four teams (4) will make the play-offs from the league at the season's end. Division Champions automatically advance, and the next best record(s) of all non-division champions advance to post-season play. In each league the team with the highest regular season winning % hosts the wild card team, and the 2nd best record hosts the 3rd best finishing team in best of seven game series (higher finishing teams having four home games) to determine the ABA Championship participants.

5.2 The ABA Championship is a best-of-seven series with home field advantage going to the team with the highest regular season winning percentage.

5.3 Any team whose home wins exceed their road wins by over 20% will be deprived of post season play (unless road winning percentage meets or exceeds .500). The commissioner may possibly waive this limitation in unique cases.

5.3.1 A team will be exempt from by-law 5.3 if that team has all of their regular season home games simulated via centralized play.

5.3.2 A team will be exempt from by-law 5.3 if that team finishes within the top five (5) teams based on regular season run differential as calculated by Runs Scored minus Runs Allowed.

5.4 Play-off teams will use a 25-man roster for post season play.

6.0 Free Agent Auction

6.1 Each year all MLB players receiving a file from DMB will be eligible for the Free Agent Auction. Players ending the prior MLB season in the NL are eligible for the Free Agent Auction.

6.2 The league will distribute the Official list of free agents annually, after the new player disks are made available by Diamond Mind.

6.3 If errors are noticed in the auction lists of Free Agents issued by the league (wrong league players, already contracted players, wrong stats, etc.) these should be brought to everyone's attention PRIOR TO THE AUCTION.

6.4 All ABA owners shall convene once each spring for the annual Free Agent Auction.

6.5 Owners, in reverse order of finish the previous season, will nominate free agent players [any expansion owners nominate prior to existing owners]. Minimum salary (price) to nominate a player is $100,000. To nominate or to bid on any player, owners must have a roster spot available, and have at least the same amount of money available to meet the bid. To nominate a player, you announce the player, primary position he plays and the opening bid price you are willing to pay.

6.6 The league will auction players in the order they are nominated. The minimum bid increase during the auction is $100,000. When the player is sold to the highest bidder, the sale price is recorded as the players salary. The winning team must immediately announce the duration of the contract (two, three or four years).

6.7 The first year salary (the sale price) is deducted from the team balance at the time of the sale. All contracts are GUARANTEED.

6.8 All Free agents who are NOT purchased in the auction will be sent to the Unemployment Pool for later selection.

6.9 In the event the league chooses to do variations of the "live auction", the above rules may be revised or amended as necessary. They will be published to the league membership in advance of the auction in a newsletter by the commissioner, and/or they will be reviewed prior to the live auction.

6.10 Capsulized Free Agent Auction Rules:

6.10.1 Unspent money from previous seasons is carried over.

6.10.2 TV revenue money is credited to each team's balance prior to the Free Agent Auction when teams have PAID their annual dues.

6.10.3 Any bonus money from the prior season is credited prior to the Auction.

6.10.4 The minimum bid on any player is $100,000.

6.10.5 Bids must all be in round increments of $100,000s.

6.10.6 No team may bid on any player it cannot afford.

6.10.7 The winning bid becomes the player's salary and the first season's salary is deducted from the team's account immediately.

7.0 Playing Time Limits

7.1 In the event of a shortened or lengthened MLB season, the following ABA limitations may be adjusted by %. The league will publish or announce the variations prior to the Auction and the start of play.

7.2 Pitchers:

7.2.1 Pitchers may not be used more than 120% total usage as measured by the DMB software meter. To find out any player's total usage at any time in a season, you can do the following: REPORT | STANDARD | TEAM ROSTER | Team Status

7.2.2 Pitchers may pinch hit ONLY if they had 40 or more AB's in the previous MLB season. All pitchers may pinch-run.

7.2.3 Pitchers may not play any other position except pitcher.

7.2.4 Pitchers may only pitch according to the DMB ratings they are assigned. Starters may start, Relievers may relieve, and ONLY pitchers receiving both ratings may start and relieve.

7.2.5 Starting pitchers start on four days rest. In normal cases this means that teams need a five man starting rotation. Four days rest is determined by the schedule. A day is not a game...days off on the schedule count towards a pitchers four days of rest.

7.2.6 Pitchers over 200 IP in MLB may be started with three (3) days rest --- not the typical four (4) --- on the road. At home, a starting pitcher may start any game where the computer lists him as available.

7.3 Position players:

7.3.1 Position players may not be used more than 120% total usage as measured by the DMB software meter. To find out any player's total usage at any time in a season, you can do the following: REPORT | STANDARD | TEAM ROSTER | Team Status

7.3.2 In the event of a game which gets out of hand (your team behind by 5 or more runs) a non-pitcher MAY enter the game to pitch.

7.3.3 Marginal offensive players will be allowed to play an UNLIMITED number of ABA games without regard for actual at-bats or games played in MLB. This will help eliminate the perceived need for part time fill-in position players.

7.3.4 A marginal player is one who's BETTER offensive rating does not exceed .800 (EITHER vs. RHP, OR vs. LHP) as calculated here:

7.3.4.1 Left and Right Handed Offensive Ratings:
BA (v LHP) + OBP (v LHP) + SLG (v LHP) = LOR
BA (v RHP) + OBP (v RHP) + SLG (v RHP) = ROR

8.0 Income

8.1 Each team will receive TV Revenue Money at the start of each season once the owner's league dues are considered paid-in-full. Each team will be compensated on a graduated scale determined by the order of finish in Road-Game Winning Percentage during the regular season for the prior year. In the current 12-team format, this graduated scale is as follows:

ORDER OF ROAD-GAME WINNING PERCENTAGE
1st - $22.000 million
2nd - $21.600 million
3rd - $21.200 million
4th - $20.800 million
5th - $20.400 million
6th - $20.000 million
7th - $20.000 million
8th - $19.600 million
9th - $19.200 million
10th - $18.800 million
11th - $18.400 million
12th - $18.000 million

8.2 TV Revenue Money will be credited to each team's account for use in meeting payroll and other debt expenses.

9.0 Contracts

9.1 Every ABA contract is Fully Guaranteed. The player is guaranteed to receive every dollar due to him throughout his contract. Contract prices and lengths CANNOT be changed or re-negotiated.

9.2 A signed player may be traded at any time during league-approved trade periods. Normal trade periods include the regular season (prior to the designated in-season trade deadline) and the offseason (once league dues are paid in full).

9.3 Prior to ANY year of a player's remaining Contract, a team may "BUY OUT" the remainder of the contract and release him from the roster. The BUY OUT criteria is defined below:

9.3.1 The FINAL year of ALL PLAYERS is payable in full at all times. Additional full seasons can be bought out at 50% of the annual salary (rounded up).

9.3.2 In the event a player died, sustained a season-missing injury, or never played - all remaining years of the contract would be bought-out at 50% of the annual salary (rounded up).

The league deducts the total BUY OUT amount from the team's balance and the player is released without use from the roster. The bought-out player is immediately placed into the free agent pool.

9.4 When players are traded between teams in mid season, each new team owner is responsible to pay the following season's salary if the contract carries into the next ABA season.

9.5 Every new ABA contract will have a minimum duration of 2 years and a maximum duration of 4 years.

9.6 Unemployment pool player contracts are current season contracts ONLY and cost a minimum of $100,000.

9.7 An owner is eligible to re-sign one player per season (maximum) to a ONE YEAR contract extension. This would be announced and invoked between the end of an ABA season (the player's last) and the trade/transaction deadline prior to the following Auction.This extension would be available only when the following conditions were met:

9.7.1 ONLY three (3) and four (4) year contracted players are eligible

9.7.2 Only players signed and kept by the team for their entire contract are eligible

9.7.3 The player salary would increase by $600,000 for the ONE YEAR extension

9.7.4 No player may be extended a second year

9.7.5 Any player so extended, must remain on that same roster for the full (extended) season

10.0 Computer Manager Regulations

10.1 All owners must submit a computer manager profile to the league File Manager prior to the start of the season. If this is not done, the league will set all options to NEUTRAL, and select the position players with the most MLB playing time for the starting lineups.

10.2 The computer manager settings MUST include the following at a minimum: Starting lineups versus RHP and LHP, a 5 man starting rotation. The computer manager settings MUST NOT call for Farm Team players to play, or for any players to start games in positions where they have received no DMB rating (pitchers AND position players).

10.3 A home manager MAY choose to let the DMB computer manager play for their own home team during HOME games.

11.0 The Unemployment Pool

11.1 All DMB filed players who are unselected after all auctions and drafts, are called Unemployment Pool players.

11.2 Teams with empty roster spots may submit claims for players in the Unemployment Pool. The highest claim received wins the claimed player. Claim periods end on the 15th of each playing month (or League stated deadlines prior to the start of the next play period). The highest bidder gets the player placed on his roster for use in the next play period.

11.3 All claims must be submitted to the League via E-Mail, and include the owner's name, the full name of the player being claimed, his position, and the maximum price you are willing to spend to buy the player ($100,000 minimum price for any claimed players).

11.4 The highest claim on an Unemployed player will win the player. His salary is the full winning bid price, and the contract is for the remainder of the current season only. A tie bid results in the player going to the team with a lower winning percentage at the end of the current play period. If still tied, a coin flip determines the winning claim.

11.5 If the Unemployed players get DMB files the following season then they will appear on the next Free Agent auction list.

12.0 Trading

12.1 Trading of players will be allowed between owners in good standing.

12.2 NO TRADE IS LEGAL UNTIL ALL MANAGERS INVOLVED SUBMIT THE SAME TRADE IN WRITING!!!

12.3 The legal trading period will begin when owners are paid for the upcoming season and ends at the designated regular season trade deadline. No trading will be allowed in the post-season or off-season until such time as owners are paid in full for the next ABA season. The league will keep at least a two week trade period open annually before the Free Agent Auction.

12.4 It is necessary that owners trade conscientiously. Any trades perceived as lopsided or unfair may be investigated, then altered, or disallowed after discussion with the involved parties.

12.5 Trades may include players only, players for ABA$, or reasonable combinations of these options.

12.6 Contracts of traded players continue and are the responsibility of the new owner. The contract cannot be altered or extended.

12.7 There is no such thing to the ABA administration as a "contingent" trade. If owners wish to make two part trades, trades with "terms to be named later", or with additional post season implications, they do so at their own risk. The league can only enforce trades which take place fully when reported. Any additional agreements between trading owners are at risk. No part of any such trade will be finalized if either owner resigns or is removed by the league. This type of agreement is risky. The trust of fellow owners is your only security.

13.0 Penalties, Fines, Strikes and Owner Removal

13.1 Penalties will be assessed in several ways. The two categories of punishment are FINES and STRIKES. Fines require the owner who violated a By-Law or league ethic to pay a ABA$ fine to make restitution. Strikes are issued to owners for flagrant rules violation, unsportsmanlike conduct and/or repeat violations (Strikes may accompany a FINE). At the commissioner's decision, strikes may be issued in lieu of fines, and visa versa.

13.2 Strikes against owners will remain in effect from the date it is issued through the END of the following season. The third (3rd) active strike means the violating owner is immediately removed as an ABA owner, and forfeits their deposit.

13.3 Experience says that even the best intentioned owners make mistakes. Simple mistakes will be hit with ABA$ fines. Payment will be deducted from a team's current balance. Additional offenses of the same nature, or habitual violation of the same rules will bring increased fines with strikes.

13.4 $300,000 MINIMUM FINES WILL BE LEVIED FOR THESE OFFENSES:

13.4.1 Late pre or post play stats to the league.

13.4.2 Incorrectly submitted stat files.

13.4.3 In the above two situations, a team which fails to correct the situation and deliver correct stats immediately after notification will get an additional $300,000 fine and a STRIKE.

13.4.4 Failure to send boxscores and scoresheets for all games.

13.4.5 Violation of a commissioner's warning or ruling.

13.4.6 Use of players out of position (fine and forfeit for each game that any player is used out of position).

13.4.7 Exceeding Playing Time Limitations (pitchers or batters) in one season ($300,000 1st player, $600,000 and a STRIKE for the 2nd player, $1,000,000 plus a STRIKE for each additional player). The OWNER is fully responsible, not the road managers. Keep players out of road games if in doubt.

13.5 $600,000 FINES FOR EACH OF THE FOLLOWING:

13.5.1 Tampering in any way with the league stat files (STRIKE also).

13.5.2 Use of more that the maximum 30 players in any month. (STRIKE also).

13.6 $1,000,000 FINES AND MANDATORY STRIKE FOR THE FOLLOWING:

13.6.1 Repeat violations of any offense (13.4 or 13.5) in the same season.

13.6.2 Intentional cheating or disregard for the league, its rules, and its members.

13.7 When a team balance is insufficient to pay any fine(s) levied, the league will notify the fined team, who's team will be made a "floating franchise" for the next play period (when the fine goes into effect), and all that team's games for that period will be played by computer manager for the next play period, or until the situation is resolved. Fines that may be incurred under such a situation (overuse of play time limits due to CM operation) are STILL the responsibility of the fined manager. All such additional fines will be levied against the franchise at the conclusion of the season.

13.8 During the time a fined franchise is "floating" the owner must arrange the sale or trade of a player(s) for ABA$, in a sufficient amount to pay the fine.

13.9 If a "floating franchise" fails to make payment on a fine after 1 full play period, the team will become property of the league, and the owner replaced when a new owner becomes available.

14.0 Appeals of Fines, Strikes and Commissioner Decisions

14.1 Once the commissioner has assigned a penalty, fine or strike, an owner may wish to challenge the conditions under which the rules violation took place. If this is the case, the owner should write out his reasoning for his appeal, mail it to the commissioner, and after consideration and/or investigation the commissioner will rule on the appeal.

An appeal can be:

14.1.1 upheld (the initial decision is voided)

14.1.2 denied (the initial ruling stands)

14.1.3 revised (a new ruling or penalty is issued)

14.2 A commissioner's ruling (whether on a unique incident, an appeal of a penalty, etc.) may be challenged. An owner will write a letter detailing the issue at hand (including all circumstances, supporting evidence, or other appropriate penalties, etc.) to the commissioner. The commissioner will be on a three person appeals board, along with 2 owners (not involved in the issue at hand) who are selected from the top of the leagues Jury Duty roster (see 2.4).

14.3 The board will be informed of all evidence in the appeal, and will vote on recommendations. A majority is required to overturn the original decision.

14.4 Once an appeals board decides to keep or overturn a prior decision, they may revise penalties, or make precedent setting rulings germane to the case, in an effort to clarify or revise such situations for the future good of the league.

14.5 An owner who brings an appeal to the Appeals Board and who's appeal is denied by the board (the original commissioner's ruling is upheld) will lose the right to appeal to the Board again for the remainder of the season. This will insure owners don't waste time on insignificant appeals!

15.0 By-Law Additions and Amendments

15.1 By-Law changes voted into effect will take effect per the following:

15.1.1 Greater than or equal to 2 weeks before an Auction ---> The current ABA season

15.1.2 Less than 2 weeks before an Auction or after ---> The following ABA season

If 2/3 of voting ABA owners (and not the simple majority) wish to make a rule change effective for the current season they can override the second option above.

By-Law Version History

By-Law Change(s)
December 2, 2011 Added new by-law 3.3.1 which was voted in prior to the 2010 season. This update had been previously overlooked during by-law edits.
February 24, 2011 Modified language for by-laws 1.1, 5.4, and 7.2.6. Added new by-laws 4.2.1, 4.2.2, 5.3.1 and 5.3.2.
December 15, 2010 Converted existing by-laws to upgraded website design.
February 21, 2010 Modified wording for by-laws 1.1, 1.2 and 1.4. Added by-law 1.9.
February 5, 2006 Added by-law 9.7 and all related 9.7.x by-laws. Added by-law section 15. Modified by-law 7.2.1 and 7.3.1 to 120%.
February 2005 Modified team revenue scale in by-law 8.1.
February 2004 Added by-law 9.3 and all related 9.3.x by-laws.