CONSTITUTION | league

2022 SSL Constitution

Membership Requirements
1. All owners must agree to play the game fairly and honestly, adhering to the rules of this constitution.
2. All owners must own a legal copy of the most recent version of Diamond Mind Baseball and the current season disk.
3. All owners are responsible for playing their games when scheduled.
4. All owners are responsible for creating and maintaining a manager profile for use in home games.
5. Owners who fail to meet league deadlines will be penalized up to and including replacement at the discretion of the commissioner.
6. The league requires no dues or fees other than the legitimate purchase of the Diamond Mind game and season disks.

League Officers and Committees – Eligibility and Responsibilities
1. The commissioner is responsible for appointing any willing owner to a league office. Appointed league officers serve at the pleasure of the commissioner and can be removed at any time.
2. Team owners may hold more than one post, but no owner may receive more than $4,000 in compensation per season. The commissioner has the right to grant partial compensation for owners who surrender their post mid-year or to reduce compensation for owners who fail to fulfill the responsibilities of their position.
3. A vote is held at the end of each season by secret ballot on whether to retain all league officers (separate votes). If 1/3rd or more of active owners vote No, that officer is removed from office for the following season.
4. League Commissioner
  1. Oversees the day-to-day operation of the league, responds to questions or complaints from the other owners and announces pertinent league news in a timely manner.
  2. Interprets league rules and rules on any event not covered by this constitution.
  3. Sets league deadlines and schedules not governed by other league officials and supervises the unemployment drafts.
  4. Member of executive committee.
  5. Keeps track of all team money and provides updated totals to the league on a regular basis.
  6. Receives an annual bonus of $4,000 in SSL money for completion of his duties.
5. American League President
  1. Completes all unplayed National League games at the end of each chapter.
  2. Creates the National League season awards ballot.
  3. Member of executive committee.
  4. Receives an annual bonus of $3,000 in SSL money for completion of his duties.
6. National League President
  1. Completes all unplayed American League games at the end of each chapter.
  2. Creates the American League season awards ballot.
  3. Member of executive committee.
  4. Receives an annual bonus of $3,000 in SSL money for completion of his duties.
7. Disk Commissioner
  1. Maintains all aspects of the league DMB season disk.
  2. Imports all chapter results and manager profiles, sends out a new disk prior to each chapter, at regular intervals during the off-season and prior to important events like drafts and the free agent auction.
  3. Receives an annual bonus of $2,500 in SSL money for completion of his duties.
8. Free Agent Auctioneer
  1. Responsible for scheduling and conducting all aspects of the free agent auction.
  2. Receives an annual bonus of $1,000 in SSL money for completion of his duties.
9. Rookie Draft Referee
  1. Conducts the annual rookie draft, including determining player eligibility, scheduling, and keeping track of current and past selections during the draft.
  2. Decides on the draft platform
  3. Receives an annual bonus of $1,000 in SSL money for completion of his duties.
10. Rotation Master
  1. Assembles the team rotation sheets before the season starts.
  2. Keeps track of any in-season rotation changes and makes this information available to the league.
  3. Receives an annual bonus of $1,500 in SSL money for completion of his duties.
11. Secretary
  1. Keeps track of all trades and ownership of draft picks. Reports all confirmed trades and posts updated draft pick lists to the league on a regular basis.
  2. Receives an annual bonus of $1,500 in SSL money for completion of his duties.
12. Webmaster
  1. Maintains the league web page.
  2. Receives an annual bonus of $2,500 in SSL money for completion of his duties.
13. Executive Committee
  1. The executive committee members are the commissioner and league presidents.
  2. The executive committee rules on any disputes not covered by the trade or appeal committees. Appeals are settled by a majority vote of the Executive Committee and are final. Commissioner rulings and interpretations may be appealed to the executive committee.
14. Trade Committee
  1. The 2022 trade committee will be made up of five owners, from teams 4, 10, 16, 22, and 28, as recorded on the DMB disk. Each season, 5 new owners are selected by adding 1 to each number. No owner should serve on the Trade Committee more than once every six years.
  2. Trade committee members receive an annual bonus of $1,000 per team in SSL money for completion of their duties.
15. Appeals Committee
  1. The 2022 appeals committee will be made up of three owners, from teams 9, 19, and 29 as recorded on the DMB disk. Each season, three new owners are selected by adding 1 to each number (e.g., the 2023 season numbers would be 10, 20, and 30). No owner should serve on the Appeal Committee more than once every ten years.
  2. Any owner that is fined by the commissioner for any reason may appeal the fine to the appeals committee. Appeals must be made within 72 hours of receiving a fine. The committee will review the fine and any defense as presented by the fined team. The committee can uphold the fine, waive the fine or substitute a reduced fine. At least two of the three committee members must agree on the final penalty. If the committee can reach no agreement, the original fine is upheld.
  3. If a committee member is making the appeal or is unavailable to hear an appeal, his spot will be taken by his league president, the opposing league president or the commissioner, in that order.
  4. Appeals committee members receive an annual bonus of $2,000 per team in SSL money for completion of their duties.

League Structure
1. The league will be composed of 30 teams divided into two leagues (American and National) and six divisions (East, Central, West) per the existing MLB alignment.
2. Each team will use an MLB park taken from the corresponding league and division.
3. If an owner's park no longer exists due to major league maneuvering, his team will play in whichever park replaced the old park.
4. The designated hitter rule and extra innings rules used in the SSL will mirror those used in the MLB season utilized for that year.
5. New owners join the league by the following entry draft procedure. The entry draft is held at the end of the league season, immediately prior to the redistribution draft.
  1. Owners who join the league after the end of the regular season are required to participate.
  2. Owners who join the league after the rookie draft but before the end of the regular season participate at their option.
  3. New owners choose from the available division placements and stadiums by mutual agreement, submission of choices to commissioner or whatever means is most expedient. Owners who ran existing teams but opt to participate in the entry draft may choose to keep their current stadium and division or to throw it back into the pool.
  4. The draft pool consists of all players and draft picks held by the formerly defunct teams.
  5. Supplemental and pre-season unemployment draft position for entry teams is determined by averaging the season records of participating teams. The order of selection of redistribution draft picks, supplemental rookie draft picks and unemployment picks for dispersal teams will be inverse of the dispersal draft order.
  6. The entry draft order is by random draw in the first round, reverse order for second, back to first round for third, etc. (snake draft). The draft continues until no players or picks are left or no team wishes to make a selection. Owners may withdraw from the draft at any point.
  7. All team money is evenly divided among the new teams with the exception of owners who incurred upheld fines during the past season. Those teams must subtract any year-end fines after the money is pooled and divided. Defunct teams with negative cash totals contribute $4,000 to the pool.

Rosters
1. There is no limit to the number of players that may be on a roster during the off-season.
2. In-season, each team consists of an active roster that matches MLB’s active roster for that season. The reserve roster will consist of the remaining players that are not active up to a maximum total of 35 players.
3. Teams may expand their active rosters to 35 players for the September chapter only.
4. The 35-man roster may only contain players who appear on the current season disk or on previous season disks.
5. Players with fewer than 40 plate appearances or 20 innings pitched may not be placed on the active roster. A team that uses any such player in a game will be fined $1,500 and the ineligible player will be released at the end of the season.
6. The active roster must have at least two players qualified at each position at all times. A player qualifies at a position only if he is rated at that position on the current Diamond Mind disk. An outfielder rated at CF qualifies at all three OF positions. An outfielder rated for LF also qualifies as RF, and an outfielder rated at RF also qualifies at LF. A team that violates this rule will be fined $1,500 per position per chapter.
7. Eligible players may be moved between the active and reserve rosters before each chapter begins. All roster adjustments are e-mailed to the Disk Commissioner in the form of a revised manager profile prior to the start of the appropriate chapter.
8. A team must have 1200 actual MLB innings pitched and 4600 MLB plate appearances at all times during the season. Failure to do so incurs a one-time per season fine of $3,000.
9. Players may be cut from the roster at any time during the off-season at no penalty. In-season, players may be cut during either of the two trade windows or the mid-season supplemental draft, but doing so incurs a fine of $1,500 per player.

Player Usage
1. General
  1. Playing time requirements apply to total player usage for the entire regular season, including any usage accrued while on other teams.

5.1.1A Player Role

5.1.1A.1 - Except as specified in the remainder of this rule 5.1.1A, a player shall be considered as a Pitcher or a Batter according to their setting in the Role field of the current DMB season database and be subject to usage rules on that basis.

5.1.1A.2 - A player whose role in the season database is set to “Dual” shall be considered as a Pitcher or Batter depending on satisfaction of the minimum threshold for plate appearances/innings in Rule 4.5. If a player meets both thresholds in Rule 4.5, he shall be regarded as both a Pitcher and a Batter and except as outlined in Rule 5.1.1A.4, shall be subject to both sets of usage restrictions and minimums found in Rules 5.2, 5.3, and 5.4.

5.1.1A.3 - Regardless of their setting in the Role field of the current DMB season database, a player who meets both thresholds in Rule 4.5 and also started at least five games in the relevant MLB season at a position other than pitcher, shall be regarded as both a Pitcher and a Batter and except as outlined in Rule 5.1.1A.4, shall be subject to both sets of usage restrictions and minimums found in Rules 5.2, 5.3, and 5.4.

5.1.1A.4 - If a player is qualified under rule 5.1.1A.2 or 5.1.1A.3 as both a Pitcher and a Batter, but is used In the SSL only as a Pitcher (i.e. he does not play a position or DH or pinch-hit, and hits only in his turn when in the game as a pitcher), he will not be subject to usage restrictions or minimums as a Batter.

A pitcher that starts less than one half of his games is considered a reliever, a pitcher that starts one half or more of his games is considered a starter. Only pitchers with a relief rating may appear in relief.
Fielders may play only those positions for which they have received a DMB rating. Exception: a centerfielder may play at any outfield position (LF, CF or RF), and corner outfielders can play either LF or RF. Pitchers are not eligible to DH.
MLB on-base plus slugging percentages and overall earned run averages are taken from the DMB season disk.
Official rounding rules:
1. Plate appearances and games started by pitchers: round down if less than 0.5, round up if 0.5 or more.
2. Innings pitched: round to the nearest whole inning, rounding down if less than 0.5 and up if 0.5 or more.
Playing Time Requirements – Batters
1. All batters are limited to the greater of 150 games or actual MLB games played.
2. All catchers are limited to the greater of 130 games caught or actual MLB games caught.
3. Batter limitations are treated separately for each pitching side (left- or right-handed).
  1. Batters with 502 or more actual MLB plate appearances are unlimited versus both left- and right-handed pitchers.
  2. Batters with less than 502 actual MLB plate appearances are unlimited versus a pitching side if the batter has an actual MLB on-base plus slugging percentage that is less than.the MLB OPS -.050, rounded up to the nearest .010 versus that side.
  3. Batters that do not meet the requirements for unlimited status as given in 5.2.3.1 and 5.2.3.2 are limited. Limited batters may not be used for more than 133% of their actual plate appearances versus left- and right-handed pitchers. Plate appearance limits are calculated separately for each pitching side.
4. Batters with less than 200 actual MLB plate appearances have no minimum plate appearance requirement. All other batters are required to receive a minimum of 65% of their actual MLB plate appearances.
Playing Time Requirements – Pitchers
1. Pitchers with more than 162 actual MLB innings pitched are unlimited. Pitchers with 162 or fewer actual MLB innings pitched are limited.
2. Starting pitchers with at least 80 innings pitched and relief pitchers with at least 40 innings pitched must receive a minimum of 65% of their actual MLB innings pitched.
3. Games and Games Started
  1. All pitchers are limited to the greater of 35 games started or actual MLB games started and to the greater of 80 games played or actual MLB games played.
  2. Limited pitchers are limited to 150% of the actual number of MLB starts. Rule 5.3.3.1 still applies.
  3. A pitcher with an actual MLB earned run average that is more than 1.5 runs above the actual overall MLB average is limited to 200% of his actual MLB starts. Rule 5.3.3.1 still applies.
4. Innings Pitched and Batters Faced
  1. Unlimited pitchers have no innings pitched limit.
  2. Limited pitchers may not exceed 133% of the actual MLB innings pitched.
  3. A pitcher with an actual MLB earned run average that is 1.5 runs greater than the actual overall MLB average is limited to 200% of his actual MLB innings pitched.
Player Usage Penalties
1. A player who exceeds any usage restriction other than 5.4.2 is suspended immediately and placed on the reserve roster for the remainder of the regular season.
2. Player appearing at an ineligible position (5.1.4): $1,500 fine for 1-2 games, $1,000 fine per game for 3 or more games, six or more games and the player is also released at the end of the regular season. The maximum fine for this infraction is $10,000 per player. There is no fine for illegal use of a player by the computer manager or if a player ejection creates a situation where no eligible player is available.
3. Use of a suspended player in a game: $1,500 fine and the player is released at the end of the regular season.
4. Exceed games started limit for pitchers (5.3.3.1 and 5.3.3.2): $3,000 fine per start, if 2 or more starts, the pitcher must also be released upon conclusion of the regular season.
5. Exceed games played limit for batters (5.2.1 and 5.2.2) or relief pitchers (5.3.3.1): $1,500 fine plus $1,000 for every game after the first. If 6 games or more, the player must also be released upon conclusion of the regular season.
6. Exceed plate appearance limit versus a pitching side for batters (5.2.3): $100 for every plate appearance over the 133% limit; exceed the 133% limit by 35 PA or more vs. right-handed pitchers or 15 PA or more vs. left-handed pitchers and the player must also be released upon conclusion of the regular season.
7. Exceed innings pitched limit for pitchers (5.3.4.2 and 5.3.4.3): over 133%, $300 fine per inning pitched; exceed the 133% limit by 7 innings pitched or more and the player must also be released upon conclusion of the regular season.
8. Fail to meet plate appearance (5.2.4) or innings pitched (5.3.2) minimums: player is released upon conclusion of the playoffs.
Pandemics and Strikes
1. In the event MLB does not complete a full 162 game season, due to a global pandemic, labor strike, or other unpredictable reason, the commissioner is granted full authority to modify league usage restrictions as they see fit to allow the SSL to complete a full 162 game season. The commissioner will prepare multiple proposals (minimum of two) that modify the roster and usage parameters in rules 4.5, 4.8, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 15.2, 15.3, and any other rules deemed essential. The option with the highest number of votes will be implemented for that season only

Game Play
1. Each team plays 162 games using the MLB schedule in use for that DMB season, including season start date and interleague scheduling. The SSL season is divided into six approximately one-month long play cycles or chapters.
2. Team owners play all away games, using the computer manager for an opponent, if necessary. Owners may play games against each other either in person or over the internet via NetPlay, NetMeeting or some other software.
3. Weather effects will be used for all games, including post season.
4. Neither bullpen warm-up nor injuries will be used.
5. Player usage must be reset before each series played.
6. Owners should not play games against the default profile on the disk until a date specified by the commissioner after the chapter disk is distributed. This is to allow teams time to review the new disk and send a corrected or customized manager profile, if necessary.
7. The deadline for returning game results to the Disk Commissioner is a date specified by the commissioner after the chapter disk is distributed. The league presidents will autoplay the results of any unplayed games using the computer and the manager profiles for both teams. A team that misses the deadline without a valid excuse gets a warning on the first offense and is fined $1,000 for each subsequent offense, plus an additional $100 for every game that must be simmed for his team.
  1. Teams that are late sending in stats, without specific prior approval from the commissioner, more than once during a season will not be eligible for the rookie draft lottery. Such teams would automatically get the last of the lottery eligible picks. If more than one lottery team is ineligible due to repeatedly submitting late statistics, those offending teams will have their first-round selections determined by random drawing following the lottery selections of other 100+ loss teams.

Manager Profiles
1. Each manager must create and submit a manager profile for use in managing his home games.
2. The deadline for submitting updated manager profiles will be set by the Disk Commissioner prior to the start of each chapter. If this deadline is missed, the profile from the previous month will be used. A penalty of $400 per day will be levied against any team that fails to meet the deadline for the start of the April chapter.
3. It is permissible for a home team owner to provide a special manager profile or specific game instructions to opposing managers before the start of a chapter. Any such special MP or instruction should be posted to the folder set aside for this purpose before the date on which playing of games is due to commence per rule 6.6. If instructions are posted late, the game still counts as an official game. However, if instructions were ignored or forgotten, the series will be replayed. Any instructions posted on or after the specified date cannot be used to avoid fines and/or penalties as a result of those instructions not being followed. Special Manager Profiles must have the same active players as the disk MP. Teams may not have different active players on different MPs in the same month.
4. A team may not use different manager profiles in his home and away games. The profile that appears on the league disk is the profile that must be used for all games in that chapter. However, a manager can farm one or more players on his home game disk while leaving them active on the away game profile. Farmed players cannot be replaced, so the team must play its home games with fewer than 25 players on the active roster (or 35 players in September). All other roster rules must still be followed (two players per position, etc.).

Pitching Rotations
1. Teams must submit complete season pitching rotations to the Rotation Master before the start of the season. The Rotation Master sets the deadline for submission and reviews each rotation for acceptability.
2. Pitchers cannot start more than once in any five-day period, even if the period includes the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. Violations incur a $2,000 fine per offense.
3. Teams will be fined $1,500 if they fail to submit a legal rotation by this deadline. If a team has not submitted a complete and legal pitching rotation three days after the deadline, the team will be fined an additional $5,000 and the Commissioner will create the season rotation.
4. Rotation changes may be prompted by in-season transactions, but changes must be submitted before games resume.
5. An owner that fails to follow a submitted rotation will be fined $1,000 for the first offense, $3,000 for the second offense and $6,000 for all subsequent offenses. The opposing owner may also request that the series in question be replayed.

Redistribution Draft
1. The Redistribution Draft protect list is due in December after the DMB new season disk is released and occurs in early January.
2. Each team protects 12 players from its 35-player roster. All remaining players are draft eligible.
3. Teams draft based on total team money, with high amount drafting first. The cost of a selection is 25-percent of the team's total finances or $1,000, whichever is greater. If a team does not have $1,000, it cannot draft (note: such teams must still protect 12 players and subject the rest of their roster to the draft).
4. Each team may only select one player and no team may lose more than one unprotected player. Drafted players are ineligible for the remainder of that draft.
5. It is permissible for a team to select a player from their own team, thereby making their roster ineligible for the remainder of the draft. The team must still pay for the selection (9.3).
6. A fine of $750 per day shall be assessed to any team not submitting their cutdown list by the deadline up to 48 hours prior to the RD, after which any teams not having submitted will be considered to have no protected players.

Rookie Draft
1. The rookie draft will be held in January on a date selected by the Rookie Draft Referee.
2. All (5) rounds of the rookie draft will be conducted live on-line using a platform decided upon by the Rookie Draft Referee. Owners are responsible for making their draft selections at the specified time and date. If an owner is not in the room or on the site at the time of his pick, the computer or commissioner will make the selection instead.
3. Only players appearing on the Diamond Mind season disk for the first time are eligible for the annual rookie draft.
4. The order of selection in the rookie draft is by regular season winning percentage with the team with the worst record (regardless of division or league) getting first pick. In case of a tie, the team with the better head-to-head record drafts last; in case of tie, the team with the best home record drafts last; in case of further tie, the Commissioner will flip a coin to determine which team gets the earlier pick. The final two spots in the draft order do not follow winning percentage; the 29th spot is given to the World Series loser and the final spot goes to the World Series winner.
5. Any team losing 100 or more games will have their draft position in the rookie draft decided as per rule 10.6.
6. Teams losing 100 games or more will have their first-round rookie draft order only determined by random lottery. One league president shall assign a letter to each team. The other league president independently does the same with the draft positions. Assignments can be made any way the president decides. Both lists are then sent to the commissioner who matches each team to a draft position by letter, then posts the results including the letter assignments for confirmation by the presidents.
7. Teams that are late sending in stats, without specific prior approval from the commissioner, more than once during a season will not be eligible for the rookie draft lottery. Such teams would automatically get the last of the lottery eligible picks. If more than one lottery team is ineligible due to repeatedly submitting late statistics, those offending teams will have their first-round selections determined by random drawing following the lottery selections of other 100+ loss teams.
8. The rookie draft will proceed in the same order for every round of the draft, to a maximum of five rounds or until there aren't enough rookies remaining in the draft pool to fill a round. Undrafted rookies automatically enter the free agent pool.
9. Owners may opt to purchase a single supplemental draft pick. A supplemental 1st-round draft pick costs $30,000; a supplemental 2nd-round pick costs $10,000. The supplemental draft pick order is from highest winning percentage teams to lowest winning percentage teams. Each team owner must announce an intention to buy a pick prior to the start of the supplemental round. There are no penalties for forfeiting a pick.

Free Agent Auction
1. The Free Agent Auction takes place in February as scheduled by the Free Agent Auctioneer.
2. Eligible free agents are any player who is not currently on a 35-man roster and who appears on the current Diamond Mind season disk or has appeared on any previous disk.
3. The Free Agent Auctioneer will separate 80 free agents into 4 equal groups, A, B, C and D. The lists will be done based on actual IP for pitchers and actual PA for hitters.
4. An owner may submit the name of any free agent not included in groups A, B, C or D. Those free agents will be group E. Each manager is allowed to submit no more than five (5) players to the group E list.
5. Group A bidding begins on day 1, group B on day 2, group C on day 3, group D on day 4 and group E on day 5. Each group can be bid on for three successive days. Each day of the draft, owners submit emailed bids on the available free agents.
6. If a player receives a bid and does not receive a higher bid on the following day, that player is signed by the team with the high bid. Otherwise, the high bidder on the final day of bidding signs the free agent. In the event of a tie bid, the team with the lowest cash total signs the player, but that team also goes to the bottom of the tiebreaker list in the case of future ties. Players are sold in list order, from top to bottom each day. Players are also sold in order from sheet 1 to sheet 5.
7. All rosters must be cut to a maximum of 35 players after the Free Agent Auction. The League commissioner will set the cut deadline which may not be before March 15th. Teams that fail to meet this deadline will be fined $750 per day.
8. Teams are allowed to place as many maximum bids up to their as they like. Meaning, if you have $5000 total, you can place as many bids as you want, so long as none are higher than $5000.
9. If, by winning a player, your available cash is lower than your next bid, your following bids will be reduced to the amount of your available cash.

Unemployment Drafts
1. The commissioner will schedule a two-round pre-season unemployment draft to take place after rosters have been cut to 35 players and a one-round mid-season unemployment draft to take place between the due dates for the June and July chapters.
2. The order of the pre-season unemployment draft is the same as that of the rookie draft. The mid-season unemployment draft will be in order of current season record from worst to best.
3. Only players not on a 35-man roster and appearing on the current season disk may be selected in an unemployment draft. The player must have appeared in at least one MLB game that season to be eligible for the unemployment draft.
4. If a player must be cut to make room for a drafted player, the team will be fined $1,500.
5. Owners may choose to forfeit their picks without penalty.

Trades
1. Off-season trading begins immediately after the redistribution draft and ends with the start of the pre-season unemployment draft.
2. In-season trading is allowed during two trading windows, as announced by the Commissioner. The windows will occur at the end of Chapter Two (May) games, and at the end of Chapter Four (July) games.
3. Players may be traded for other players, for SSL money and/or for draft picks from the current season. No future picks, "players to be named", future considerations or other such loopholes will be allowed.
4. SSL money traded within 72 hours of the free agent auction bid deadline may not be used on free agent bids.
5. Trades become official once all parties have submitted the trade to the Secretary. The Secretary is responsible for reporting the trade to the league.
  1. Trade Protests
    1. Any owner may protest a trade by giving notice to the Commissioner within 48 hours of the trade announcement. At least two owners must file a protest for a trade to be referred to the trade committee.
    2. When a trade is referred to the trade committee, it will be ENDORSED or OVERTURNED.
    3. A trade is endorsed if the three or more members vote to allow it. If a trade is endorsed, it will stand as submitted.
    4. A trade is overturned if three or more members vote against it.
    5. If an owner who is involved in a protested trade is a member of the trade committee, his vote is automatically counted against the trade.
    6. If a trade is to be voted upon, and a committee member cannot be reached, the league officials will cast their vote for them; substitutions occur in the following order: Commissioner, AL President, NL President. If a committee member cannot be reached on three or more occasions, he will be fined $1,500 per additional occasion, starting with the third infraction.

Money
1. When a new owner takes over a team, he starts with $4000 or the current balance, whichever is highest.
2. A team may acquire a negative cash balance only by incurring fines. A team cannot trade or spend more money than they have.
3. Expansion teams start with $10,000.
4. After each season, money is awarded to each team based on order of finish and, for the teams involved in the lottery, based on order lottery position. Ties will be resolved by giving the team with the better head-to-head record the higher place; or, if still tied, the better home record will be used; if still tied, the issue will be resolved with a coin toss by the Commissioner.
5. The team that wins the rookie draft lottery receives $5,000; the team awarded the second overall pick in the lottery receives $6,000 and so on until the end of the lottery teams for that season. Then, cash is awarded to the non-lottery team with the worst record and so on. The World Series winner and loser are automatically awarded the two best records and are awarded $33,000 and $34,000 respectively.

Playoffs
1. Qualifiers and Schedules
  1. The three division winners in each league qualify for the playoffs. Three wildcard playoff berths in each league are awarded to the remaining teams with the highest winning percentages.
  2. Ties for any playoff berth. If all tied teams qualify for the playoffs, the tie shall be broken by regular season head to head record, and then home record and finally a coin flip by the commissioner. If all tied teams would not qualify for the playoffs a one game regular season playoff game would be then played to determine who will get the playoff berth. Home field shall be determined by head to head record, then best home record and finally coin flip. If 2 or more teams are tied, the same rules as in MLB shall be followed. Player usage in tiebreaker games will NOT count towards regular season usage, the only exception being that rule 8.2 is still in effect, so that a pitcher COULD start on short rest, but there would be the related fine. Any end of season tiebreaking playoff games shall be considered part of the September chapter for usage purposes.
  3. The Wildcard Series is a best-of-five playoff. The division winners with the two best records in each league draw a bye in this round. The remaining division winner plays the wildcard team with the worst regular season record and the remaining two wildcard teams play each other. Home field advantage in Games 1, 2 and 5 automatically goes to the division-winning team or, in the case of two wildcard teams, the team with the better record. Ties are broken using the same tiebreakers given in 15.1.2. Winning teams advance to the Divisional Series (15.1.4).
  4. The Divisional Series is a best-of-five playoff. The team with the best record in each league will play the team with the worst record (regardless of division) with the better team receiving home field advantage in Games 1, 2 and 5. A division-winning team will always receive the home-field advantage over a wild card team. Ties are broken using the same tiebreakers given in 15.1.2. Winning teams advance to the Championship Series (15.1.5).
  5. The Championship Series is a best-of-seven playoff between the two Divisional Series winners. The team with the better regular season record receives home field advantage in Games 1, 2, 6 and 7. Ties are broken using the same tiebreakers given in 15.1.2. Winning teams advance to the World Series (15.1.6).
  6. The World Series is a best-of seven playoff between the American League and National League Champions. The team with the best regular season record is the home team for Games 1, 2, 6 and 7. Follow Rule 15.1.2 in the event of a tie.
  7. There are two off days scheduled between the end of the regular season and the first game of the Wildcard Series. There is one off day scheduled between Games 2 and 3 and between Games 4 and 5 in the Wildcard and Divisional Series. For the Championship and World Series, there is one off day scheduled between Games 2 and 3 and between Games 5 and 6. There is also one-off day scheduled between each playoff round.
2. Playoff Rosters and Profiles
  1. Owners are highly encouraged to use NetPlay, NetMeeting or other applicable programs to play all playoff games head-to-head. If this is not possible, the home team will manage each game against the away team's manager profile OR the team with fewer home games will call the opposing owner to play via phone. The same master play disk will be used for all playoff games. Playoff teams submit a 25-man playoff roster to their opponent before playing any playoff games. The roster may not be changed during a playoff series, but changes are permitted before the start of a new series.
  2. A player must have been on the active roster at some point during the regular season to be eligible for the playoff roster.
  3. A hitter with less than 40 actual MLB PA is not eligible for the playoffs.
  4. A pitcher with less than 25 actual MLB innings pitched is not eligible for the playoffs.
  5. Pitchers must receive at least three days of rest before starting a game even if the period of rest occurs during the end of one playoff series and the beginning of another. A pitcher that appears in a game and throws a pitch does not receive credit for a day of rest.
  6. Fatigue (for both pitchers and catchers) remains in effect across series.
3. Playoff Player Usage
  1. Unlimited hitters (5.2.3) and unlimited pitchers (5.3.1) are allowed unlimited use in the playoffs. It is possible for hitters to be unlimited versus one side only.
  2. Limited hitters (5.2.3.3) are restricted to 10% of their actual MLB plate appearances per limited side. Limited pitched are restricted to 10% of actual innings pitched and games started. Playing time limits are per playoff series. See rule 5.1.5 for rounding rules.
  3. If a team runs out of plate appearances at a position and cannot fill that position legally, it must be filled with a pitcher chosen by the manager of that team
  4. Pitchers without a relief rating may be used to relieve in the playoffs.
  5. The opposing manager in any playoff series must police playoff player usage. There is no penalty for exceeding the allowed usage, but any player who violates these restrictions must be removed from the game upon the request of the opposing manager.

Awards
1. Preseason Predictions
  1. Before the start of each season, owners may submit "preseason predictions" for the coming SSL year.
  2. Accuracy will be scored by summing the squares of the difference between actual and predicted divisional finish for each team.
  3. The owner with the fewest points in his preseason prediction receives $2,000.
2. Player Awards
  1. Teams that are late sending in stats, without specific prior approval from the commissioner, more than once during a season will not be eligible for any postseason award money. They can still win awards (i.e. ROY, Cy Young, MVP) but will not be allowed to collect prize money tied to such awards.
  2. Awards for Rookie of the Year, Cy Young, John Glynn Memorial Most Valuable Player and GM of the Year in each league will be voted on following the conclusion of the regular season.
  3. A ballot of candidates for each award will be prepared by the league presidents and submitted to the owners for voting.
  4. American League owners vote for National League awards and vice versa. Owners are not limited to the award ballot and may cast a vote for any eligible player.
  5. Voting is on a 5-3-1 point basis for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. If there is a tie for 1st-place, the player with more 1st-place votes wins. If there is still a tie, or a tie for 2nd or 3rd place, the players share the award, with any award money split between the two teams.
  6. To be eligible for Rookie of the Year voting, a player must have at least 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the current SSL season, but not more than 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in all prior SSL seasons.
  7. Cy Young voting is restricted to pitchers. All players are eligible for the John Glynn Memorial Most Valuable Player award. All team owners are eligible for the GM of the Year award.
  8. The teams that own the Rookies of the Year receive $1,500 in SSL money.
  9. The teams that own the Cy Young and John Glynn Memorial Most Valuable Player award winners receive $3,000 in SSL money.
  10. The owners that win the GM of the Year award receive $3,000 in SSL money.
3. Miscellaneous Awards
  1. The Commissioner has the authority to make SSL money cash awards to owners who perform league services such as contributing to the league website with news items, game summaries, essays, a team logo or anything else remotely interesting. The amount and frequency of such awards is at the discretion of the Commissioner.

Amendments
1. Owners may submit proposed rule changes at any time. All proposed rules changes are voted upon prior to the start of the July chapter. A two-thirds majority of votes cast is needed for any rule to pass.
2. Approved rule changes go into effect after the World Series is completed. No rule may be changed during the season.