The NPBL Rules/Regs

 

I. Overview

            A. The National Pastime Baseball League brings together 24 owners to compete for its Championship.

B. The NPBL will use the most current version of Out of the Park Baseball to simulate the action.

C. The NPBL is free to all participants.

 

II. Owner requirements

A. Sending in a lineup or a “no-change” email for each sim;

B. Participating in the Amateur Draft;

C. Contributing to the NPBL Newspaper;

D. Naming their stadiums and minor league affiliates;

E. Playing hard and fair and respecting the Commissioners and other owners.

F. Owners must follow the rules or be banished from the NPBL.

 

III. Commissioner

A. The NPBL will use a two-commissioner system.

            1. There will be a Commissioner and an Assistant Commissioner;

            2. Their duties include, but are not limited to:

            a. Simming the league’s games in a timely fashion;

            b. Updating league pages;

            c. Running drafts and free agency periods;

            d. Resolving all disputes and questions;

            e. Encouraging league participation;

            f. Improving the league;

            g. Filling ownership vacancies, based on applicants’ merit.

B. The Commissioners may change any rule before the beginning of any season and any such changes

            shall be promulgated by them.

C. The two Commissioners have final say in all matters, unless these rules make an exception, and must

            be impartial.

 

IV. Simulations

A. The league will sim games every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

B. The league will play 10 games per sim, to pass one game month per real week.

C. Lineups and trades are due by 2 p.m. US Central time on sim day.

D. Owners should submit lineups by FTP.

E. The league will sim games live via the AOL Instant Messenger chat program.

F. The league will sim its playoffs live in the NPBL (AOL) Chatroom

            1. The league will simulate the Divisional Series on the first night;

            2. The league will simulate the League Championship Series and NPBL Championship on the

                        second night.

 

V. League organization

            A. The NPBL has two leagues: the Founding Fathers (East) and the Great Explorers (West).

            B. Each League is comprised of three divisions of four teams.

                        1. The divisions will be based on geographical proximity.

                        2. The three division winners and one wild-card team from each league will make the playoffs.

            C. Neither league shall use the Designated Hitter.

 

VII. Amateur draft

            A. Before each season (starting with the second) there will be a five round Amateur Draft.

                        1. The draft order will be set with the team with the worst record having the first pick, the

                                    next-worst team having the second pick, going sequentially, until the team with the best

                                     record that missed the playoffs will draft sixteenth.

                        2. The playoff teams will draft in slots 17-24:

                                    a. The losers in the divisional series will draft 17-20;

                                    b. The losers of the Championship Series will draft 21-22;

                                    c. The NPBL Championship loser will draft 23;

                                    d. The NPBL Championship winner will draft 24.

            B. The league will hold the Amateur Draft live in its chatroom.

                        1. The league will hold the first two rounds on the first day.

                        2. The league will hold the final three rounds the next day.

 

VIII. Trades

A. The commissioners may forbid a deal if that deal will grossly harm the integrity of a team or the

            league as a whole.

B. All trades must be posted on the league message board.

C. Both parties must agree to the deal before it is actioned.

D. After a trade, the owners should email the Commissioner with changes.

E. Draft picks may not be traded more than one season in the future.

F. All trades must include at least one player from each team.

 

IX. Team location

            A. All teams will be placed and named before owners are admitted to the NPBL.

B. Each franchise will represent a State rather then a city.

1. Minor League affiliates must be located within that state. (Washington D.C. should choose

            towns as close as possible to its district.)

2. Owners may not use major cities for minor league teams.

3. Team names must be in good taste.

            C. Each owner will list their first five team choices in their application, and the Commissioner will try

                        to match owners to their choices.

            D. Owners may not move teams or change stadiums.

 

X. Created Players

A. Before the start of the first NPBL season, each owner may create a player in his or her own visage.

B. The created players will have the following characteristics:

            1. Each player will be 18 years of age, to allow for maximum player development time.

            2. The player will have two Brilliant and two Good talents, with the rest Average.

            3. The ratings of the player shall be set to 2, with fielding, speed and endurance set to C. Each

                        owner may then allocate12 additional points to their player.

                        a. Upgrading a numerical rating will cost 1 point (a numerical rating is a complete

                                    number, not a vs. Lefties or Righties point adjustment).

                        b. Upgrading a letter rating will cost 2 points.

 

XI. Stadiums

A. Stadiums can be unique in the NPBL: owners may change their home stadium dimensions.

            1. Owners may move outfield walls in or out 10 ft.

            2. This can only be done once, and never changed.

B. Owners must name their home stadiums.

 

XII. Player Positions

A. A player may play any position in the minors, to train him.

B. Any player trained to become a catcher or outfielder will have his arm rating for that position added

            to be equal to the new position, unless the player already possesses it.

 

XIII. League settings

            A. The NPBL will turn financials “off.”

            B. Injury level in the NPBL will be set to “normal.”

            C. Coaches and Scouts will be “disabled” in the NPBL.

            D. Era Setting in the NPBL will be the “Modern Era (1980-present)”.

 

XVI. Expansion

A. After five seasons, if the NPBL Commissioners feel that the league should consider expansion, the

            league’s owners will vote.

B. If two-thirds (16) of the owners approve expansion, the league will expand at the end of the second

            season after the vote.

C. The rules for expansion will be loosely based on the expansion rules used by Major League Baseball,

            tailored to the unique needs of the NPBL.

D. There may only be a vote for expansion once every five seasons.

 

XVII. Rosters

A. Each team will be required to maintain a roster of 25 players at all times, except after September 1,

            when teams will be allowed to keep up to 40 players.

B. Owners may acquire only one free agent per day.

C. All roster moves except releasing players are the sole responsibility of the owner and should be done

            after downloading the most current league file.