rules

PGL - MLB RULES AND REGULATIONS

1. NAME: The League shall be called Professional Gamers' League - Major League Baseball or PGL-MLB.

2. COMMISSIONER

A. The Commissioner shall serve until he resigns or is voted out of office by two-thirds of the PGL-MLB Managers. Such a vote may be called at any time by one-third of the Managers and must include a separate voting for a replacement. The Commissioner shall have the authority to implement any changes in the PGL-MLB which he deems necessary to the well being of the League.

B. Responsibilities of the Commissioner

a. Appoint new Managers to open teams and collect bonds.

b. Maintain team rosters, accounting for rookie drafts, roster cuts, waivers and trades, and compile league standings and statistics.

c. Maintain the PGL-MLB Web Site, as the primary means of communicating with Managers

d. Create schedules for all PGL-MLB activities.

3. TEAMS AND MANAGERS

A. The PGL-MLB will consist of 28 teams, organized into two leagues of three divisions each, as follows:

a. American League East: Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays

b. American League Central: Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins

c. American League West: Anaheim Angels, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers

d. National League East: Atlanta Braves, Florida Marlins, Montreal Expos, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies

e. National League Central: Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals

f. National League West: Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants

B. All Managers must legally use the current version Strat-O-Matic's (SOM) computer game software, have e-mail access, have the ability to send and receive compressed (zipped) files, and have the ability to read MS Word files.

C. Managers shall play all games and report all statistics according to schedule. For each month in which statistics reports are reported late or incomplete, Managers will lose 20% of their bond. Failure to complete all games will result if forfeiture of the entire bond and expulsion from the PGL-MLB, except in extraordinary circumstances as determined by the Commissioner.

4. SEASON

A. The PGL-MLB will use the results of the previous real-life season, and the ratings published by SOM. The regular season will run from May until September, with each team playing 162 games. The Commissioner will set specific dates before each season.

B. Four teams from each league, the three division champions and the team with the best won-lost record which did not win a division championship (wild card team) will qualify for the Division Playoffs. In each League, the Division champion with the best won-lost record will play the wild card team and the other two Division Champions will play each other. League Championships will match the winners of the Division Playoffs. Winners of the League Championships will advance to the World Series. Each series will be seven games in length, with the team with the better won-lost record having four games (games 1, 2, 6 and 7) at home. However, the Wild Card team may never have home field advantage unless it meets the other Wild Card in the World Series.

5. ROOKIE DRAFT, TRADES, ROSTER LIMITS AND WAIVERS

A. Rookie Draft

a. Any player who is rated in the current year's SOM printed card set and is not on a PGL-MLB roster will be available in the Rookie Draft. By the last Saturday in December, the Commissioner will post on the Web site the list of Rookies available in the Rookie Draft.

b. The Rookie Draft will consist of five rounds. In each round, teams will draft according to the previous year's PGL-MLB won-lost percentage, with the team with the lowest percentage drafting first and the team with the highest percentage drafting last. If two teams had the same won-lost percentage, the team whose manager is the more senior PGL Manager will draft before the more junior PGL member in all rounds. Managers must send their draft selections to the Commissioner by the second Saturday in January. Such selections will only be used if a Manager is unable to participate in the on-line Rookie Draft.

c. The Rookie Draft will be held on-line on the third Saturday in January. If any team is without a Manager, the Commissioner will make its draft selections. After the draft, any rookie not selected will be assigned to the PGL-MLB team corresponding to his real life team. Rookies not selected in the Rookie Draft whose real life team is Arizona or Tampa Bay will be available in Waivers (see Section 5.D.).

B. Trades

a. The Trading Period begins when rosters for the upcoming season are posted to the web site in late October and ends the second Saturday in March.

b. All trades are permanent. No loaning of players is allowed. Both managers must be report trades to the Commissioner. Before the Trading Period begins, the Commissioner may make transactions between teams without Managers to balance these teams. Only current year Rookie Draft choices may be traded, and only between the opening of the trading period and the second Saturday in January.

C. Roster Limits: During the trading period, there is no limit on roster size. By the second Saturday in March, Managers must reduce rosters to 31 (for teams with Rookie Draft picks 1 to 7), 30 (picks 8 to 14), 29 (picks 15 to 21), or 28 (picks 22 to 28). Players released will no longer be owned by any PGL-MLB team and will be available in Waivers only if they are rated in SOM's current printed card set.

D. Waivers

a. The Commissioner will post on the web site a list of players available in Waivers as soon as possible after the second Saturday in March.

a. Waivers will consist of two rounds. In each round, teams will select one player, according to the previous year's PGL-MLB won-lost percentage, with the team with the lowest percentage drafting first. If two teams had the same won-lost percentage, the team whose manager is the more senior PGL Manager will draft before the more junior PGL member in both rounds. Waiver selections will be conducted via e-mail, starting as soon as the list of players available is posted to the web site. The Commissioner will post Waiver selections on the web site as they are made. Note that teams do not cut additional players in order to make these two waiver selections.

b. Players not selected in waivers will not be owned by any PGL-MLB team.

6. GAME LIMITATION RULE

A. Hitters: The chart below determines the maximum number of games in which a hitter on a PGL-MLB team's roster can appear, based upon the number of real-life game he appeared in during the previous major league season.

Real-Life . . PGL-MLB	Real-Life . . PGL-MLB	Real-Life . . PGL-MLB	Real-Life . . PGL-MLB
1 - 14 . . . . . . . 0 *	40 - 44 . . . . . . 55	70 - 74 . . . . . . 90	100 - 104 . . . . 120
15 - 19 . . . . . . 25	45 - 49 . . . . . . 60	75 - 79 . . . . . . 95	105 - 109 . . . . 125
20 - 24 . . . . . . 30	50 - 54 . . . . . . 68	80 - 84 . . . . . 100	110 - 119 . . . . 130
25 - 29 . . . . . . 35	55 - 59 . . . . . . 75	85 - 89 . . . . . 105	120 - 129 . . . . 135
30 - 34 . . . . . . 43	60 - 64 . . . . . . 81	90 - 94 . . . . . 110	130 - 140 . . . . 140
35 - 39 . . . . . . 50	65 - 69 . . . . . . 85	95 - 99 . . . . . 115	140 & up . . . . **

* A player appearing in 1 to 14 real-life games who is rated in the current year's SOM Card set may play in up to 25 PGL-MLB games.

** A player appearing in 130 or more real-life games may play in up to exactly that number of PGL-MLB games.

A player may exceed the maximum number of games, if his At Bats do not exceed 100% of his real-life At Bats during the previous major league season.

B. Pitchers: Pitchers on a PGL-MLB team's roster who play in 10 or more or start in 5 or more real-life games in the preceding major league season may play in a maximum of 50% more or 10 more PGL-MLB games than real-life games played during the preceding major league season, whichever is less. A pitcher appearing in less than 10 and starting less than 5 real-life games and who is rated in the current year's SOM Card set may play in up to 50% more PGL-MLB games than real-life games played during the preceding major league season. The chart below shows the maximum number of games a pitcher may start, based upon the number of real-life games he started during the previous major league season.

Real-Life . . . . PGL-MLB	Real-Life . . . . PGL-MLB	Real-Life . . . . . PGL-MLB
0 - 9 . . 150% of Real-Life	24 - 25 . . . . Real-Life + 3	30 & up . . . . . . Real-Life
10 - 21 . . . . Real-Life +5	26 - 27 . . . . Real-Life + 2
22 - 23 . . . . Real-Life + 4	28 - 29 . . . . Real-Life + 1

A pitcher may exceed the maximum number of games, but not maximum number of starts, if his Innings Pitched do not exceed 100% of his real-life Innings Pitched during the previous major league season.

C. If a player is injured in any PGL-MLB game and leaves that game, he remains injured for the remainder of that game only, regardless of the number of games which SOM states that player is injured. The injured player may play in the next game. This rule applies to both home and visiting team players.

D. If a team overuses one of more players during a season, that team shall be penalized in the next season's rookie draft in the following manner. The number of games of overuse for all of a team's players shall be combined and that team's draft position shall be adjusted according to the following chart:

Games of Overuse	Draft Position Adjustment
1 to 5	No Penalty
6 to 10	5^th Rd Pick down 1 position
11 to 12	5^th Rd Pick down 2 postions
13	5^th Rd Pick down 3 positions
14	5^th Rd Pick down 4 positions
15	5^th Rd Pick down 4 positions, 4^th Rd Pick down 1 position
16	5^th Rd Pick down 4 positions, 4^th Rd Pick down 2 positions
17	5^th Rd Pick down 4 positions, 4^th Rd Pick down 3 positions
18	5^th and 4^th Rd Picks down 4 positions
19	5^th and 4^th Rd Picks down 4 positions, 3^rd Rd Pick down 1 position
20	5^th and 4^th Rd Picks down 4 positions, 3^rd Rd Pick down 2 positions
21	5^th and 4^th Rd Picks down 4 positions, 3^rd Rd Pick down 3 positions
22	5^th, 4^th and 3^rd Rd Picks down 4 positions
23	5^th, 4^th and 3^rd Rd Picks down 4 positions, 2^nd Rd Pick down 1 position
24	5^th, 4^th and 3^rd Rd Picks down 4 positions, 2^nd Rd Pick down 2 positions
25	5^th, 4^th and 3^rd Rd Picks down 4 positions, 2^nd Rd Pick down 3 positions
26	5^th, 4^th, 3^rd and 2^nd Rd Picks down 4 positions
27	5^th, 4^th, 3^rd and 2^nd Rd Picks down 4 positions, 1^st Rd Pick down 1 position
28	5^th, 4^th, 3^rd and 2^nd Rd Picks down 4 positions, 1^st Rd Pick down 2 positions
29	5^th, 4^th, 3^rd and 2^nd Rd Picks down 4 positions, 1^st Rd Pick down 3 positions
30 and up	5^th, 4^th, 3^rd, 2^nd and 1^st Rd Picks down 4 positions

Overuse caused by road managers not following a team's initial Playing Instructions for a season, or overuse caused by a prior manager of a team shall be ignored for purposes of determining penalties. In addition, the Commissioner may reduce or eliminate penalties as he determines to be fair and appropriate in unusual circumstances. However, because playing ahead of schedule is permitted, managers should not rely upon mid-season changes in its road playing instructions to prevent player overuse. The Commissioner will not reduce or eliminate penalties because such mid-season changes were not followed by road managers.

7. REGULAR SEASON ROAD GAMES

A. Teams will use one set of playing instructions for all road games during a season. Managers are strongly encouraged, but not required, to use SOM's computer manager HAL to manage their teams in road games. This section's rules with respect to player usage are applicable only for a team's road games.

B. Active Rosters: Active rosters consist of 30 players and must be the same for all home and away games. Players receiving more than one rating by SOM will use the rating based upon that player's total combined statistics. Players not rated in SOM's printed card set will use the rating provided with SOM's computer game, provided such players are eligible to appear in more than zero PGL-MLB games.

C. Starting Line-up

a. Both American and National Leagues will use the designated hitter rule.

b. Managers may platoon in road games by specifying different starting lineups against right-handed and left-handed starting pitchers. For purposes of complying with Section 6.A (Game Limitation Rule), players in starting line-ups must be eligible to play in the following number of road games:

i. Starting Line-up vs. both right-handed and left-handed starting pitchers: 81 games.

ii. Starting Line-up vs. left-handed starting pitchers only: 50 games.

iii. Starting Line-up vs. right-handed starting pitchers only: 75 games.

c. To qualify to start at a particular position, a player must have played at least 35 real-life games at that position during the previous real-life season. Outfield positions are considered as a single category, not three separate ones. Any player who can play in number of games specified in Section 7.B.b may be used as the designated hitter in starting line-ups for road games.

D. Starting Pitchers: Exactly five starting pitchers must be used for all road games. These starting pitchers must be numbered 1 to 5, and will be used in road games as follows: #1-18 games; #2-17 games; #3-16 games; #4-15 games; #5-15 games. Starters must be eligible to start (see Section 6.B.) at least as many games as required for the starting pitcher number to which they are assigned.

E. Managers using SOM's computer manager to manage their teams in road games must program the computer manager and provide the Computer Manager file for their team to the Commissioner no later than the first Saturday in April. Computer manager files sent to the Commissioner must be unlocked so that the Commissioner can verify compliance with league rules. The Commissioner will lock computer manager files, if requested, before distributing final roster files to all managers. The five starting pitchers being used in road games must be set to "NEVER" use in relief and any players not to be used in any road games should be assigned to the "MINORS".

F. Manager not using SOM's computer manager to manage their teams in road games must provide the following information to the Commissioner by the third Saturday in April. This information will be posted on the PGL-MLB Web Site to be used by opposing home mangers to manage such visiting teams.

a. Starting Line-ups vs. left-handed starting pitchers and vs. right-handed starting pitchers

b. Five starting pitchers for road games, listed in order from 1 to 5

c. Depth Chart: At least one reserve must be listed at each position.

d. Pinch Hitters: Pinch Hitters will be listed in the order to be used and may be designated to hit vs. right-handed or left-handed pitchers.

e. Relief Pitchers: Relief pitchers will be listed in two categories (short and long relief) in the order they should be used. The five Starting Pitchers cannot be listed as relief pitchers.

f. Playing Notes: Each Manager is limited to 400 words for special instructions, such as stealing, running, sacrificing, defense, substitutions, hit and run, etc.

g. 30 Man Active Roster

8. REGULAR SEASON HOME GAMES

A. Managers are strongly discouraged, but not prohibited, from using the computer manager to manage their team in home games.

B. The Home Manager can only use players on his 30-man Active roster. In home games, Managers may use any player in starting line-ups, change starting line-ups from game to game, and use as many or as few starting pitchers as desired, provided Managers comply with Section 6 (Game Limitation Rule). Starter pitchers must have at least 3 calendar days rest between home starts. Pitchers starting 14 or more games at home may not appear in relief in any home games. Pitchers starting less than 14 games at home may be used in relief at home, but not in any series in which they start a game.

C. For Visiting Teams, Home Managers will use SOM's computer manager as programmed and provided for Visiting Teams. If a computer manager is not provided, Home Managers will use the playing instructions posted on the League's web site for that Visiting Team, using their best judgement in deciding what is best for the visiting team.

D. Statistics Reporting

a. For each home game, Managers must save Game Export Files (two per game - one for home team, one for visiting team) and Box Score files in SOM's ".prt" format. Managers playing SOM's CD-ROM game are strongly encouraged to use Subset Stat Files (those numbered 0 to 9, not the automatic labeled "by month" or "vs. opponent") as a back-up to the Game Export Files.

b. At the conclusion of each series, Mangers must send Game Export Files and Box Scores to the Visiting Team Manager and to the Commissioner.

c. If statistics from a game are not saved correctly, that game will be considered null and void and the Home Manager will replay the game.

9. POST SEASON GAMES

A. The following rules apply to all post-season games, for both home and away teams.

a. The 30-man Active Roster used in the Regular Season cannot be changed for post-season games.

b. All players in the starting line-up (excluding pitchers) must have been eligible to play in at least 50 games during the just-completed PGL regular season and must have played in at least 35 games at the position at which they are starting during the previous real-life season. To start at DH, a player only needs to have been eligible to play in at least 50 games during the just-completed PGL regular season.

c. All starting pitchers must be eligible to be a #1 through #5 starter in road games (see Section 7.D.). Starting pitchers must have at least four calendar days rest between starts, but each starting pitcher may start a game with only three calendar days rest one time during the entire post season. No pitcher can be used in relief during a series in which he starts any game.

B. Road Games: Managers will submit either a programmed computer manager or written playing instructions directly to their opponent for each series in which their team plays. These may differ from those used in the regular season.

C. Statistics reporting requirements for Post Season Games are the same as for Regular Season Games.

10. MANDATORY STRAT-O-MATIC GAME SETTINGS AND RULE SETTINGS

A. Rules

Main Rules - Maximum Level	Weather Effects - On
Stealing - Super Advanced Steal System	Clutch Hitting - On
Miscellaneous - Use Miscellaneous Rules	Strategy - Use Super Adv. Strategy Charts
Injuries - Use Injuries	Closer - Use Closer Rules
Ground Ball A - Allow GBA on Pitcher Cards	Pitcher Fatigue - Use SADV & Pitch Count
Ballpark Effects - On

B. Lineups and Usage

Visiting Lineup - Primary	Home Team Lineup - Primary
Scheduled Days Off - Give Sched. Days Off	Auto-Swap - No Auto Swap-O-Matic
Minor Leaguers - Minor Leaguers Ineligible	Overusage - Ignore Overusage
Use Super Hal Bullpen - Off	Allow Extra GS for Certain Pitchers - Off
Use Super Hal Subs - On	Use Actual Pitcher Batting Cards - On

C. Autoplay / Box Score

Output-What - Boxscore, PAC & Scoresheet	Display Game Story on Box Scores - On
Output-Where - File	Create Game Results Files - On
Output-When - Always

D. Maximum Rule Settings

Improve Statistical Accuracy - On	Force Daily Injuries - Off
Bunt for Base Hit - On	Realistic Throwing Errors - On
Improve Out Distribution - On	Allow Extra Pre-1900 Errors - Off
Improve Base Running Realism - On	Pitch-Around Option - On
Home Field Advantage - Off	Robbing HR Rule - Off
Starting Pitcher Clutch - Off	Correct Game Board Excesses - On
More Base Running Decisions - On	Allow Errors on Bunts - On
Doubles / Triples Option - On	Allow Errors on Pickoffs - On

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