SBDL League Rules

League Rules for SBDL in ATG4 game format

1. League Structure

a. ATG 4
b. Salary Cap: 90M
c. no-DH
d. Advanced
e. 5/10/20 penalty

2. Unique ballparks.

a. Ballparks can be from any era, including the expansion era.

3. The player pool will not exceed 48 teams at any time.

1. Base player pool is the first three eras (deadball, pre-WWII, post-WWII) as defined by TSN-SOM.
2. Live draft is 13 rounds, consisting of 12 players and one ballpark.
3. Draft order is overall winning percentage of SBDL career. Worst-to-first, serpentine.
4. Draft to be conducted on http://som.somdraft.com

1. 3-1-3 Keeper format.

a. Each owner announces 3 keeper, or protected, players.
b. Then there is a steal round, worst to first, where one remaining player gets stolen from each owner’s roster.
c. Then another round of announcing keepers of (up to) three players.
d. Maximum players per owner’s roster at this point is 7, minimum is 4.
e. The 7 keepers (this includes the steal round selection) must adhere to a maximum of no more than 4 position players or pitchers, thus a 4:3 ratio.
f. If keeping less than 7 players, you must have at least 1 of each type.

i. Thus, if keeping 6, the acceptable ratios would be 4:2, 3:3; 5 keepers - 4:1, 3:2; 4 keepers - 3:1, 2:2.

g. Keeper player list must be posted in specific forum thread by predetermined time to be compiled by commissioner at end of each season.

2. Retirement.

a. Three “teams” from the player pool will be removed at random (using randomizer.org or the like) never to be used again.
b. Keepers can be from these “retired” teams, but that is the only way the players remain active. Think of this as giving players guaranteed contracts (e.g., Ty Cobb's Detroit team gets retired after season 1, but Team X puts him on his keeper list for X additional seasons before he "retires").
c. A player from a retired team cut during the regular season remains active for that season. For example if Team X cuts Ty Cobb after game 75, anyone can pick him up before game 142 to keep him active in the league.

i. If such a player is ever cut after Game 142 or left unprotected, the player has retired.
ii. Such a player can be traded; again as long as the player remains active, he has not retired.

d. The retired teams are replaced with three previously unused teams from ATG 4. Again using a random method, three teams from the expansion era will join the player pool. This will further stimulate the strategy and live draft portion of the time between seasons.
e. The retiring and adding of teams will occur prior to Game 121 of the current regular season, though the actual removal and addition of players from the pool does not occur until after the season ends. (edited 08-04-09)

i. Commissioner may request another league owner help with this process.

3. Drafting.

a. Six-round live draft following keeper announcements.
i. To be conducted on som.somdraft.com
b. NFL style: Worst-to-first only (12-1, 12-1, 12-1…) from previous season, playoff results included.
c. Tie breakers: Head-to-head; if tie remains, then run differential; if tie remains, then lotto draw.
d. Time limit between picks - 3 hours.

i. No time limit from midnight–9 a.m. Monday–Friday, and all day Saturday and Sunday.
ii. During first round of draft and the steal round in the middle of the keepers phase, time limit between picks is 12 hours, which includes "overnight" and weekends. The clock is not "off."

e. After live draft, keepers and drafted players get placed at the BOTTOM of the autodraft card. All players hoping to be taken via autodraft must be at the top of the card.

4. Ballparks.

a. Any team can change parks, but only once per three seasons.

i. Thus there will be no ballpark changes through Season 14 because of the new league creation.

b. A park change must be drafted in place of a player in live draft.
c. New owners, taking over existing teams, have the option to switch parks without having to use a draft pick.

i. This “free” ballpark change happens only for the first season of new owner.
ii. Must be announced with keepers.

5. Miscellany.

a. One trade involving keepers is allowed per team, after announcing keeper list through end of the live draft.
b. Trading during the season is allowed and with only normal TSN-SOM restrictions.
c. Teams must retain their keepers from end of live draft through the sixth game of season play.
d. Divisional realignment can only occur when at least 10 managers vote in favor.

i. It must first be proposed by one owner and seconded by another. Commissioner will then create a forum poll for official voting.

e. SBDL League Rules can be changed at any time by commissioner.

i. Commissioner must post on SBDL Web site front page AND SBDL Discussion Thread (TSN) that there are rules changes.